FOLSOM, Calif. — A Folsom native appears next week in the Paralympics Games Paris 2024.
Dr. Leo Merle, 26, will compete for gold on Sept. 7 in the 1,500-meter race. Prior to appearing in the Paralympics, he ran as part of track club during his time at the University of Michigan; he ran Division III athletics at University of California, Santa Cruz; he ran all four years at Vista Del Lago High School; and he ran two years at Folsom Middle School.
Merle runs with cerebral palsy, and he said it’s the perfect disability for distance running.
“I'm able to produce the same amount of force on both sides of my body, but my right side, which is my affected side, can only produce force for so long,” Merle said. “You really listen to how your body responds to the training, and so we really keep everything well-contained for that right-hand side to make sure that we don't overdo it, because…if the right-hand side's fatigued, I won't be able to do anything on the left hand side.”
Merle practices dentistry. He said he graduated in May and will go back to school in July 2025 to get a specialty degree in endodontics — or root canals. He competes at the Paralympics during a 14-month-long break from education, which allows him to entirely focus on his athletic career, he said.
Merle said he’s happy with how training has been going, and he knows his competitors have been racing and competing well too.
“I think on the day it's just going to come down to who's ready to brute it out, and see who’s got the guts to take it,” he said.
The city of Folsom posted Wednesday to social media a video wishing Merle luck in his event. The clip was filmed by Mayor Mike Kozlowski, who partially coached Merle during his time at Vista Del Lago.
Folsom City Council and chamber occupants are shown shouting their support: “Let’s go, Leo!”
Merle lives in Michigan, but he hasn’t ruled out moving back to Folsom, he said.
“As I've gotten into the running world, I recognize how much of Folsom just has an extensive trail system...and for the large majority of the year, the weather is fantastic,” Merle said.
