Former Princeton track athlete Ian Thomson is making his mark on this season of ABC's reality show "The Bachelorette." Thomson is shown at right with former teammates Tim Lanni (center) and Bryan Sharkey. Lanni, a former shot putter for the Tigers and Rutherford High School, is the older brother of author Pat Lanni.

Former Princeton track and field star Ian Thomson is hoping to run away from the competition and find true love on ABC's new season of "The Bachelorette."

Thomson, who who was a hurdler and sprinter for the Tigers from 2005-2009, made his debut on the reality show on Monday and moved viewers across the country with a heart-wrenching backstory of his near-death experience.

"In my last race of my career, we got the gold medal. We took it home," said Thomson during his introductory segment on the show. "But all of that was almost instantly taken away from me...I was hit by a car and essentially left for dead."

After waking up in a San Francisco hospital, it took several surgeries and a month in a wheelchair, but Thomson prevailed. He said the first thing that he asked the nurse when he woke up was if he was ever going to be able to run again.

"Running is what shaped me as a person," Thomson, a San Francisco native currently living in Los Angeles, told ABC's cameras. "She said no."

In his senior season at Princeton, Thomson was a First Team All-Ivy League selection as a member of the team's 4x400-meter relay and helped the Tigers win the conference title in the winter and finish second to Cornell in the spring. His high school 400-meter dash record at Deerfield Academy in Massachussetts still stands 10 years later and now he's hoping to make his record last with Kaitlyn Bristowe, this season's Bachelorette.

"Part of what the accident taught me is that you need to move forward," Thomson said. "I've been given my life, I've been given a second chance and now I get the opportunity to find true love."

And after the two-night season debut, Thomson is still in the race and drawing rave reviews on social media.

Team Ian. Just skip this season and make him the next #bachelor immediately. — Emmy Rossum (@emmyrossum) May 19, 2015

Ian is everything. Like we can end the whole season now Kaitlyn gets him and none for Britt k bye #Bachelorette — Mallory Price (@callmemal_) May 19, 2015

Ian for kaitlin and if not- next bachelor!!!!!! #bachelorette #teamkaitlin — Melissa Hunt (@mksmith1028) May 20, 2015

Ian is running for love! #TheBachelorette — The Bachelorette (@BacheloretteABC) May 19, 2015

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Author Pat Lanni's older brother, Tim, was a teammate of Thomson's at Princeton. They remain close friends.