April 2024 Employee of the Month: Baggage supervisor helps paralympic athlete cross the finish line to her flight

Jeffrey Larkins, a supervisor for passenger service provider Direct Airline Services, Inc. (DAS) at Miami International Airport, was named MIA’s April 2024 Employee of the Month on April 30 for helping a paralympic athlete beat the clock and cross the finish the line to her flight last month.

The athlete, who is also blind, arrived at MIA with her trainer last month after competing in a race in Miami that day. They still had to return a rental car, check in multiple bags and their tandem bike, and get through the security checkpoint to their gate. To make matters worse, they accidentally went to the wrong end of MIA to check in for their flight.

When they arrived at the United Airlines check-in area, Jeffrey greeted them and learned about their race against time. Additionally, the athlete had a connecting flight to Australia after she departed MIA for a triathlon the following week. Jeffrey quickly loaded them and all their luggage onto an electric cart, drove them to the security checkpoint, and got them all the way to their gate to make their flight.

“This gentleman is a hero in our book and needs to get a raise,” the athlete’s father wrote in his online commendation. “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”