Nothing and no one can stop Superman. The same goes for amputee coach John Britton. Britton does not have super powers but he does have strength, positivity, and a few jokes under his Scottish skin.

Britton is the men’s and women’s soccer coach and is also the badminton coach. The professional Scottish badminton player and U.S. Hall of Famer is a 20-year diabetic and lost his right leg last December.

“I wanted to buy a new car,” Britton said. “They told me it was going to cost an arm and a leg. I bartered the guy down so I gave him my leg.”

Coupled with having diabetes and letting a blister on his foot get worse, Britton had to have his leg amputated.

“I got a blister on my foot from cycling. I love cycling on The Strand. There was no circulation,” Britton said. “That didn’t heal so they cut off a toe and then they cut off all of the toes. And then after the toes is below the knee.”

Certainly there was no challenge for this man of steel.

Britton said his students have been great to him and they look after him far more than he needs.

“Some people do it for attention, so I cut my leg off,” Britton said.

Being one leg short does not bother Britton at all. He still can run forward but is still trying to figure out how to run backwards. Britton is hoping to play in the Pan American Games for badminton once he gets his permanent “leg.”

Britton’s men’s soccer players describe him as an overall positive and inspirational person.

“He is the father figure of the team,” midfielder Andrew Cervantes said. “He always motivates us even through bad games.”

Sophomore forward Shaun Nagano agreed with Cervantes’ response about Britton’s optimistic views.

“John is a good guy,” Nagano said. “He never has a bad day, he’s always in a good mood. Even though he’s not involved like, as coaching us as much, he has a solid impact.

For Cervantes, he thinks his coach’s injury has affected the team for the better.

“It has motivated us to play for him. This might be one of his last few seasons,” Cervantes said. “It motivates me to try to play a better game.”

Nagano thinks otherwise.

“I still see him as having two legs, even though half of his leg is gone,” Nagano said. “I mean, he’s still the same guy. He hasn’t changed at all.”

Britton’s jokes that his condition will never stop him from doing what he wants.

“I could continue my career at EC as a soccer coach or I could get a job at Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland with my peg leg, but EC paid more,” Britton said.