CLAREMONT, Calif. _ Jamie Nieto opened the passenger door of his black SUV, slid his lanky 6-foot-4 frame to the edge of the seat, exhaled and studied his old friend: the walker.
He glared at it for an instant, as if to suggest that he has had just enough of the thing.
For now, the walker is support for legs that do not fully operate, limbs that used to bound him to record heights _ and over the occasional parked sedan, showcasing his remarkable athletic ability. This four-time U.S. high jump champion and two-time Olympian from Sacramento is learning to appreciate his legs and body all over again. And to use them again. Arms, legs, all of it, like a baby mastering the crawl, then the walk, then the run, then life's journey.
Six months ago, it would take Nieto 45 exhaustively painful minutes to walk 50 feet from the car to the front doors of his rehabilitation clinic in Los Angeles County. Now it takes less than five minutes, using the rail to steady himself, with fiancee Shevon Stoddart helping navigate.
He times everything.
"Slow motion," Nieto said with a smile, "is better than no motion."
