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Columbia (WACH)- He looks like your everyday sprinter when stepping on the track, but Jerome Singleton is more than that.  He runs on one leg.

Born with a birth defect that caused his right foot to be amputated at the age of one, Singleton has defeated all odds put in front of him.

"I was blessed to be in a community and family that didn't treat me any differently than anybody else," Singleton said. 

A graduate of Dutch Fork High School, Singleton was ranked a top 100 football prospect in South Carolina.  Instead of strapping up the helmet and pads, he chose to attend Morehouse College on an academic scholarship where he ran track and field for one year before transferring to the University of Michigan.

Singleton felt like stepping back on the track again after reading an article on another athlete, and made the US Paralympic team on his second attempt.

"When I think about being a part of Team USA, it means a lot to me," Singleton said.  "Just to know that coming from the USA, we're a melting pot.  If you're one of the best here, you have to be one of the best in the world."

In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Singleton won the silver medal in the 100 meter event and his team took gold in the 4x100 meter relay.  Still, the silver left a bad taste in Singleton's mouth and he has unfinished business.

"The person that's going to get the gold medal has already been decided," Singleton said.  "I just need to go out there and try my best, and Lord willing, I'll be the one on top."

In 2011, Singleton became known as "The fastest amputee in the world" after winning gold in the men's 100 meter event at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Now with his sights set on the 2012 London Olympic Games, Singleton hopes to capture gold once more.