“Always be thankful and show gratitude.” Shea Foster makes it a point to live by this motto. But he didn’t always feel that way. A fatal accident in 2021 forced him to take a step back and reset his perspective. After pushing through the harrowing experience, the track and field star was told he might not be able to walk ever again. As devastating as that was, the 27-year-old refused to give up. His perseverance worked! After an arduous period of recovery and training, he will now compete in the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. 

If you thought this would be his first international debut, then you’d be wrong. He was first introduced to the masses nearly a year ago. After a successful stint on Netflix’s reality show Surviving Paradise, the athlete has his sights set on bringing home glory and Paralympic hardware to match. But getting here was not an easy feat. After a slew of ups and downs, he is hoping for a better outcome on the world’s biggest stage.

For those who haven’t heard of Surviving Paradise, let us refresh your memory. 12 contestants initially step onto an island under the guise of living in a luxurious villa. But it’s all a ruse. Throughout 9 episodes, they navigate through the wild, contesting in several challenges all for the prize pot of $100,000. You’re probably wondering, ‘Why would the athlete want to sign up for this?’ “I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, and I didn’t know if I was gonna like it or not like it,” Shea Foster told The Mirror. 

But he did clarify, “It was always something I wanted to do, but it was never the right time. It was just so random, but the timing was so perfect.” But he finally found himself in the right place at the right time! “It was in the summer, it was my last year of school, there weren’t a bunch of roadblocks, it just made sense.” But how did he finally make the decision? “I did ask myself ‘Shea, if you don’t do this, will you regret it?’ And the answer was yes. I’m glad I went. It was an incredible experience.” He didn’t win the show, eventually setting for second place. 

However, he’s now looking to claim the top step as his own at the upcoming Paralympics in the French capital. The 27-year-old had always envisioned himself on the world’s biggest stage. But the only difference is that he wanted to compete at the Olympics. He was preparing to join the cross-country team at Oklahoma State University in 2021 to work towards this step. So how did he find himself in the Paralympics instead? Let’s find out.

A catastrophic turn of events led Shea Foster to his highest point

The athlete was set to transfer to Oklahoma State University from the University of Southeastern Louisiana. However, all of his plans came to a crashing halt after a fatal crash in 2021. He was driving to practice when his 2012 White Jeep was rammed into by an 18-wheeler on the passenger side. It was later discovered that he had suffered a fracture to his spine and would need to go through 360-degree spinal fusion surgery.

The harrowing incident left Shea Foster in a 48-hour coma, and he was temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. Apart from this, he also needed knee surgery. His doctors weren’t too sure he would be able to run competitively—they weren’t even sure if he would be able to walk. The 27-year-old knew that this was what he wanted to do. “Everybody thinks the first thing is, ‘Oh, you just won’t be able to run again’, but mentally it really gets to you and it affects the silliest of things.” He even shared the news on Instagram with his fans. He recalls relying on his family for the smallest of things.

The 27-year-old stated, “The way you react to people, the way you type an email, the way you go to the grocery store, what music you listen to – it changes the whole dynamic.” But even though he eventually ran for Oklahoma State, his dreams of competing at the Olympics refused to turn into reality. So, why the Paralympic Games? “I think what really lit a fire under my butt was my younger sister has spina bifida and she’s in a wheelchair.” She told him she would never be able to play sports, and it was like a switch flipped in his head.

Shea Foster wanted to be a role model for people who “may not have recovered the same way.” As he prepares to turn heads at the Stade de France, he also hopes to claim his very first Paralympic gold in the French capital. What do you think of his inspiring journey? Let us know in the comments! 

We wouldn’t want you to miss out on something pretty cool! This week’s episode of Think Tank on EssentiallySports features one of America’s top volleyball talents, Madisen Skinner’s coach. Do you want to know what he thinks of his star pupil? Then go check the episode out!