At this time of the year, most 15-year-olds are readjusting to sitting in classrooms, staring at books and listening to teachers after a lengthy summer break but Jordan White is not like most 15-year-olds and is instead preparing to represent Team USA at the Paralympic Games in Paris.
The teenager from Texas will be the youngest member of the six-person archery team heading to the Games. In fact, he is the youngest archer ever to represent the USA at the Paralympic Games.
He will compete in the recurve men open division, alongside teammate Eric Bennett. But while Bennett - 35 years his senior - is set to feature at his fifth Games, the young White will be making his Paralympic Games debut in Paris.
And while Bennett shot for the USA in Tokyo three years ago, at a Games delayed by the Covid-19 outbreak, it was during lockdown in 2020, as a result of the pandemic, that White and his family - armed with a Genesis bow - discovered archery for the first time.
"During Covid-19 we wanted to find something which allowed us to get out of the house, and still stay safe," White explained. "So, we decided to try out archery. I was a little bit hesitant at first because I didn't really understand target archery that well but after I tried it out, I loved it."
From a Genesis bow, White moved into barebow for a couple of years. He has only been shooting Olympic recurve since 2022 but he realized early on that it was sport he could compete in.
"After my first season, the YMCA had a small tournament for all the beginners," White said. "Out of the 40 kids there, I placed second in my first archery tournament. It wasn't necessarily because I was better than them, but I seemed to be able to perform under the pressure that comes with an individual sport like archery.
"From that I realized that I was able to compete under pressure and that I love this competition side of archery, so I started shooting local competitions. After I shot my first local competition I knew that it was really something I wanted to do."
It was at the YMCA that White discovered his first coach, Mark Martinez, someone whose program impressed the young archer and his family. White remained with Coach Martinez for the first two years of his archery journey, until the teenager switched to Olympic recurve.
Although now passionate about archery, White did try other sports, including soccer, golf, swimming and baseball. His disability prevented him from competing at the level he would have liked.
"I was pretty good at golf," White commented. "But it started to really bother my right knee because of how unstable my joint is, so I wasn't able to continue that.
"After I found archery, where it didn't hurt my leg and I was able to compete against everyone else, I really saw that as my sport.
"My disability does still affect my shooting and my balance but it was still the first time that I had a chance in competitions, instead of in soccer where I just couldn't get from offense to defense and I really never had a chance."
White is softly spoken and unassuming. His trip to Paris will be only the second time he has ventured outside of the United States. The first overseas venture was in June when he represented the USA at the Para World Ranking Event in the Czech Republic.
The reason behind his limited global travel is simple, yet significant. Born with congenital femoral deficiency - a condition which means he has one leg shorter than the other - White has undergone more than 20 surgeries throughout his short life, a number of which have taken place or meant periods of recovery during the times when many are enjoying vacation.
"We've always known Jordan was going to do something special," declared proud mom, Amy. "He's always had that light in his eye.
"Everything he has encountered in his life, he puts all of his energy and effort into, whether it's recovering from a surgery, or his academic work, or his archery, whatever it is, he has the most drive and determination of anyone I've ever seen, and that just has to be something that's within him."
Among the many surgeries that White has gone through, one stands out that his mom suggests highlights that drive and determination.
"He was in second grade and one of his surgeries went wrong that required him to remain in hospital for 10 days. The recovery from surgery took months and months but he came out of that experience stronger.
"I'm just so excited to see him perform in Paris and to see him out there."
Up until this year, you would not have found Jordan White's name on any of the scoring charts at USAT Qualifier Series events, rather the usual names such as Mather, Bennett, Lukow and Frank Galea.
This year, though, while going through Paralympic Trials, White has taken silver at the AAE Arizona Cup, Easton Foundations Gator Cup and Rebel Gear Buckeye Classic, plus bronze at the Easton Foundations SoCal Showdown.
"I've known for the past year that I wanted to go to the Paralympics," said White. "I didn't even know that I was eligible to compete in Para archery before last summer but as soon as I learned about it, I knew that if I put in the work that I'd be in with a great chance of going to Paris and so that's been my goal the whole time."
Archery is, for the most part, an individual sport. Mental strength and the ability to cope in those moments of intense pressure often comes with the passing of time and the experience gathered along life?s journey. And yet, at 15, Jordan White emerged from the U.S. Paralympic Trials at the front of a pack which not only included Bennett but also reigning Paralympic champion, Kevin Mather, and 2016 Paralympian Michael Lukow.
"I've done a lot of work with a sports psychologist over the last few months," White began. "That way, I can be as mentally strong as I was during the trials. Although there were moments when I did struggle, I was able to get through because of the support I received from my sports psychologist."
A self-confessed math geek, Jordan White is also a part of his school's engineering pathway program, which involves engineering and robotics classes. He also enjoys reading and Latin.
He said with a smile, "Our school offers Latin as a language course. It's not the most useful because you can't talk to too many people with it but it's still really fun."
Without a nearby outdoor range, practice for White takes place on a strip of land leant to the family by neighbors, allowing him to work on his game each day at 70 meters. He also has access to an indoor facility with Coach Jang of CJ Archery Academy.
A sport he picked up as a way of escaping the house during a global pandemic has now afforded him a ticket to the greatest sporting spectacle on the planet, something arguably unthinkable just a few years ago.
"That feeling when you release the shot and you know it's a perfect 10," said White, explaining his love of the sport. "That feeling when everything really works out and the shot feels balanced. It's unparalleled.
"It's also a sport of knowledge. The person who works the hardest wins, not who happens to be strongest, and so it is really a sport where I have a good chance, or at least more of a chance than with other sports I've previously tried."
Jordan White will arrive in Paris as a relatively unknown quantity. Here is a 15-year-old who only discovered last summer that he was eligible for the Paralympics. His mom will accompany him on the trip, and his family will be in the stands for his elimination matches.
He said, "I really have nothing to prove. If I succeed, then that is fantastic. I'll be super happy. If I don't do great, then I can really use this to learn how I can succeed in future competitions.
"So, I think being young is a pretty big advantage. And even though I may not have as much experience on the international stage as my opponents, this will still be a really great opportunity."
And while in Paris - a city drenched in history, art, culture and world-renowned cuisine - outside of eyeing gold, White has his heart set on one other thing.
"Baguettes," he said with a grin. "Authentic French baguettes, that's what I'm looking forward to.
"Being serious, when I feel a little pressure, I try and focus on something and so for me in Paris, the focus, the distraction, will be thinking of baguettes, as a way of reminding myself that I'm there to do well but also to have some fun."
While fellow-students will be learning history (and math and science and tech and social studies and language arts) as the first few weeks of the new school year get underway, White will be in France creating history, alongside a team of archers as part of a talented Team USA. In between the opening and closing ceremonies, there will be a 15-year-old young man from Cedar Park in Texas pitting himself against the best in the world, knowing that he has an opportunity to shine and to be seen.
"I think a big part of the Paralympics is to highlight a ton of people with disabilities, still succeeding, so that we can inspire," White said. "For me in particular, I hope I can inspire lots of kids with disabilities to succeed in sports as well."
Everything has led to this, and it's just the beginning. Learn more about our athletes' dreams becoming a reality as part of Making Team USA, presented by Xfinity at teamusa.com/making-team-usa.
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