[Exclusive] “I Felt Like an Outsider”: Paralympian Ezra Frech On Unfair Treatment, Paris Paralympics Strategy And More

“ I’m just an athlete. I’m just going after my dreams.“ Life can be incredibly unfair at times, but if you’re Ezra Frech, it doesn’t matter. Rather, he’s the kind who would turn adversities into opportunities! And EssentiallySports was privileged to hear his insightful thoughts. 

Born on May 11, 2005, in Los Angeles, California, Ezra came into the world with congenital limb differences, missing most of his leg and fingers on his left hand. But did that make him different? Not at all! What made the now-paralympian stand out was his dreams. At just 11 months, Ezra received a prosthetic leg, allowing him to walk. He then underwent surgery just at 2, removing his lower left leg and transplanting a toe from his amputated foot onto his left hand.

Ezra never wanted a hospital to be his best friend. But as he came to accept his life, he moved on with determination. And so, this little boy was ready to chase the American dream, aiming to collect countless medals wrapped around his neck.

In an Exclusive Interview with EssentiallySports, Shreya Verma had the privilege of hearing Ezra’s insightful thoughts and stories on his inspiring journey, from his childhood to the upcoming Paris Olympics. So let’s dive in!

Ezra Frech: From Playground to Podium

Before stepping into track & field, the 19-year-old explored multiple sports. From basketball to soccer to football, he tried it all. But then, the universe called and Ezra Frech answered. “I was 11 years old I was watching the Rio 2016 Paralympics and I had this moment in my living room where I was watching the games and I almost felt like it was the universe telling me this is your calling, this is what you’re meant to do. It was an out-of-body experience almost,” the athlete explained.

This epiphany led him to call up his family and involve them in his next big dream. “I told my family, my friends, everybody that I could talk to, I said, I’m going to make the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic team. I feel that there are these moments in life where the universe guides us and this was mine.”

But the journey wasn’t going to be an easy one. After all, it wasn’t just the physical training he had to endure but the challenge that he took upon himself to be the voice for his community. “I felt like an outsider. Everywhere you go in public, people are staring and pointing fingers and whispering. And I felt that all the time, everywhere I went, people were staring at me like I was a zoo animal,” Ezra explained. At a point, living with a disability became easier than going out and dealing with people.

“The issue is, that people consider disability a taboo and have negative associations towards it. So, It’s hard to come to terms with your disability when you feel like the world looks down on you because of it.” Ezra emphasized that he never wanted people to consider him different.

Whenever someone expressed pity, he requested them not to. “I’m just an athlete. I’m just going after my dreams,” the athlete quoted.

The 19-year-old’s biggest source of motivation was his mother. She gave him the final push across every hurdle imparting wisdom all the way. “Walk into any room with your chin up, chest out, and walk in like you own the place. Don’t retreat to those insecurities about your disability,” Ezra shared his mother’s advice. This boosted his confidence, making him feel no different. And from there, he picked up pace, participating in all sporting events, and keeping himself connected to the sports world.

Family’s Vision and Paralympian’s Determination Paving the Way for Others

Interestingly, that wasn’t all the Frech family did to motivate the young boy. It all started one sunny morning in Oklahoma when the athlete’s father took him to a track meet where he participated, and with support, he performed at the highest levels. High-endorphins and a taste of glory at that age led to the inception of Angel City Sport with a vision to bring para events to Southern California. This LA-based, on-profit charity org provides year-round adaptive sports opportunities for disabled kids, adults, and veterans. And acknowledging their impressive work, Angel City Sports was selected  as a recipient of P&G’s Athlete’s Good Program. And that’s not all!

They say that without struggle, there’s no progress. While the 19-year-old had his fair share as a kid, another struck during his journey. Compared to the Olympians, Paralympians don’t receive the recognition. While none have been able to solve the mystery of why, Ezra shared his opinion on the matter and spoke about the Rising Phoneix.

“The Paralympics needs to be promoted better. We need to market it better. We need athlete stories to be seen. And then we need films like Rising Phoenix and The New Revolution, to be broadcast everywhere. We need the world to hear these stories. We need the world to understand the disabled movement, to understand the Paralympic movement. That’s unbelievably important.”

And so, the Paralympian will star in Rising Phoenix: A New Revolution, created by P&G and Harder Than You Think Production. Honoring disabled people, the purpose of this film remains to revolutionize the perception of disability on global level. And for this, Ezra is currently working in Cannes alongside director Sheridan O’Donnell. On June 21st, he met the founder of Harder Than You Think founder Greg Nugent, and director Sheridan O’Donnel at Cannes and unveiled an exclusive screening of a 5-min behind-the-scenes trailer of the upcoming documentary film.

“It is going to have such a massive impact because the stories being told are so special, so unique, so important. People will be walking away from this film with a newfound respect for the Paralympics, and they will be seeing disability in a whole other light. And that’s really important” – an Ezra Frech promise.