Paralympic Athlete Ezra Frech Has the Best Excuse for Missing the 1st Week of College: His Story
After clinching 100m T63 gold in a photo finish, Paralympian Ezra Frech admitted that college would have to wait
Despite there being a one in 500,000 chance that you’ll compete at the Olympics in your lifetime, you might be more like these world-class athletes than you thought! The 100m T63 gold medalist Ezra Frech proved just this in a charming podium interview with NBC. Read to learn more about this Paralympian’s come-from-behind win and relatable post-race proclamation.
The 19-year-old, a freshman at the University of Southern California (USC), joked about competing in the Paris Games during the first week of classes: “I’ll be sending an email to my teachers tonight apologizing for missing some class,” said Frech told NBC.
A high-jump specialist, Frech said he was thinking of the 100m T63 race as a “shake out” for competing in the high-jump event on September 3 and was “definitely not expecting to go out there and win.”
In addition to measured expectations leading up to the event, Frech’s 12.06 second journey to the finish line got off to a slow start until he eventually pulled ahead of his competition. Frech secured gold by .02 seconds over eventual silver medalist Daniel Wagner of Denmark with a final look-n-lean.
Who is Ezra Frech?
A native of Los Angeles, California, growing up, Frech participated in an array of sports from basketball to karate before settling on athletics as his sole focus and specialty.
Born with congenital limb differences that left him without a fibula in his left leg and without fingers on his left hand, Frech received his first prosthetic leg at 11 months old and his first racing blade prosthetic at age 4.
In addition to being the first above-the-knee amputee to commit to a Division I college track and field program (at USC), Frech is a 2023 world champion and current world record holder in the high jump T63.
The T63 classification of para-athletics includes athletes with a single leg above the knee amputation who run with a prosthesis.
Frech made his Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games where he placed fifth in the high jump T63 event and set a personal best record.
How Ezra Frech advocates for people with disabilities
In an interview with USA Today, Frech talked about using his platform as a star athlete to be an example for people with disabilities. He not only wants to normalize disability, but “show what is possible with disabilities. I want them all to know that sport is possible for them.”
Frech sites the disabled community at large as his north star, a source of motivation shared and supported by his family.
French’s family founded Angel City Sports in 2013. The organization provides free training, events and sports equipment for children and adults with disabilities in Southern California.
“We needed to create programs and events to help this community get involved in sport,” said Frech’s father Clayton. “Angel City Sports was not created for Ezra — it was for the community.”
What’s next for Ezra Frech?
The 2028 Olympic Games will be hosted in Los Angeles, California, and Frech is excited to compete in his hometown Games.
As for Frech’s 2024 Paris Olympics Campaign — which has included the T63 long jump and 100m sprint — his last event will be the T63 men’s high jump event on Tuesday, September 3.
