We’ve highlighted the following inspiring Paralympic athletes who have overcome challenges and achieved greatness in their respective sports.
Ezra Frech
The Paralympic Games in Paris were unforgettable.
Athletes from all walks of life showed up and reminded the world of the limitless possibilities of the human body and mind.
Knee amputee Ezra Frech (USA), won 2 gold medals, one in the 100M sprint and one in men’s high jump. What an incredible achievement.
He, with his family and friends, founded @angelcitysports in Los Angeles to provide free, year-round access to sports training, equipment & competitions for kids and adults with physical disabilities. How cool is that?
Alana Nichols
Alana Nichols loves speed.
She is a 3X Gold Medalist, dual sport athlete in Wheelchair Basketball and Alpine Skiing, and the 1st female to win Gold in both the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.
Disabled at age 17 from a snowboarding accident, @alanajanenichols decided to not give up sports and found in wheelchair basketball a place to belong.
After the London Paralympics, she moved back to skiing, and then adaptive surfing, winning championships and medals along the way.
Alana is now an ambassador for adaptive sports, encouraging other disabled people to get out there and try an adaptive sport.
Andrea Pusateri
Paralympic athlete Andrea Pusateri is an Italian para-cyclist and speedster.
He says he loves challenges because they motivate him to have new goals to achieve.
He goes on to say, “I like the work behind the races … the constant desire to challenge myself and overcome my limits.”
Andrea lost his right leg when he was 4 in a train accident. Sports gave him purpose, and now he holds 9 Italian titles and World Cup events.
He’s also known for hiking with his 2 dogs in gorgeous locations. They walk between his braces, where his right leg used to be.
Thank you @pusateriandrea for showing the world that the impossible is truly an opinion.
Annika Hustler
Annika Hustler is setting a high goal: to compete in the 2026 Paralympics in Alpine Skiing for Team USA.
Since deciding to amputate her leg in 2019 due to a tumor, this Marine veteran says it was the best decision she could’ve made for her health and quality of life. It opened up opportunities she never thought possible.
Annika says: “This is not the life I expected, but I’m so incredibly proud of how far I have come.”
She continues, “It’s OK that life doesn’t go as planned. You can make a life that’s so great, even after tragedy, even after illness. There’s still life to be lived, even when you think that your plans all went wrong.”
A talented athlete, she has participated in the Warrior Games and Marine Corps Trials. She’s also a coach for @nubabilityathletics, which pairs her with limb different and amputee children with similar disabilities.
Annika wants to continue to be a role model for the younger generation, helping them through their recovery. She may be the only person they see who is like them.
We look forward to 2026 and cheer Annika on to go for the Gold!
