Record-breaking triumph at the 2024 Paralympics and ambitious goals for 2028
Just months after winning two gold medals and breaking the Paralympic record with a jump of 1.88 meters — nearly surpassing his own world record of 1.97 meters — Ezra Frech is already planning ahead in hopes of a next triumph at the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles.
“I got the gold in the 100m sprint and men’s high jump,” Frech said. “But I missed out on the gold in the long jump. When the games come to L.A., I’ll win all three.”
The USC freshman shared his ambition to win the “Triple Crown” which in track and field refers to an athlete winning three significant championships.
Frech was born with congenital limb differences that left him without most of his left leg and fingers on his left hand.
Frech took a gap year to dedicate himself to rigorous training. His daily routine revolved around achieving his goal of winning Paralympic gold.
“I hadn’t done homework in over a year, so it’s getting back and relearning how to study and do work,” he said. “Everything I was doing in my day was directed towards the goal. It was sleep, recovery, immediately getting up, meditation, lots of visualization, bodywork, training, weightlifting. We had so much moving.”
The 19-year-old athlete began attending USC in the fall as a business of cinematic arts major in the Marshall School of Business. He grew up in Los Angeles and previously competed in track at Brentwood High School.
Frech jokingly recalled missing the first few weeks of his class and emailing his professors about his absence. For him, choosing USC was a strategic decision aligning his academic aspirations with his athletic goals.
“There’s no other track program in the country that has the same legacy that USC track and field has, and that’s part of the reason I chose USC in the first place,” he said.
He will compete in high jumps for USC track and field for the 2025 season.
The most-represented sport for USC, Trojan track and field has had a storied history at the Olympics. One of USC’s fields is named after decorated athlete Allyson Felix who holds a record of 20 World Championship medals and 11 medals at the Olympic Games — including seven golds. As of 2024, USC track and field has now earned a gold medal in eight of the last nine Summer Olympics.
Frech’s goal for now: Make it to the NCAA Regionals for the West and the World Championship in India next year.
In regards to his recent victory, Frech sees this as a moving part in the grand scheme of things.
“This whole Paralympic Games just felt like destiny,” he said. “It felt like there was some otherworldly force pulling me to accomplish this task, because my bigger purpose goes beyond sports, and I needed this in order to accelerate this larger vision.”
Increasing representation and accessibility
Now that Frech is on a college campus, he has one thing in mind: improving advocacy for people with disabilities. He said USC already sets a strong example.
“USC is an extremely accessible campus, even at a very foundational level, in regards to wheelchair accessibility around campus — USC is top-notch,” he said.
Earlier this month USG passed a disability inclusion bill to further the development of programming and infrastructure on campus for students with disabilities.
But Frech knows accessibility goes beyond just physical infrastructure. His advocacy is about increasing visibility and ensuring that disability is recognized as an integral part of conversations about diversity and representation.
While Frech uses a prosthetic leg, not a wheelchair, he recognizes the privilege that comes with his disability and how it enables him to advocate for those with more severe conditions.
“Because of the nature of my disability, I was able to infiltrate into mainstream sports with my friends, so I played whatever sport was in season all growing up,” he said. “That’s not the case for a majority of the community who have more severe disabilities, and then even the ones that do integrate at a certain point space experience a lot of discrimination, and then end up falling out and not participating.”
Frech co-founded Angel City Sports over a decade ago, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that provides free adaptive sports for people with disabilities. Now that he’s on campus, he hopes to expand the organization’s efforts, leveraging his time and resources to further advocate for inclusivity in sports.
“If you’re in a wheelchair, you can’t just roll up to the YMCA and jump in a pickup game,” he said. “You need a specific chair, which is extremely expensive, and a specific game set up for you. So these barriers to entry make it really hard for 15% of our population with a physical disability. To participate in sports, and my philosophy is sports as a human right, and so we break those barriers down, we provide access to the community year-round.”
Frech’s goal is to show individuals with disabilities that sports participation is not just a dream — it is possible. He aims to be a role model for the next generation, inspiring them to be active and live life to the fullest.
Frech, the man behind the athlete
Frech’s journey goes far beyond his gold medals and record-breaking jumps. For him, sports have always been a gateway, but his larger purpose is about changing the narrative around disability representation.
“I didn’t have anyone in the mainstream media with a physical disability to look up to growing up,” Frech said. “I want to be that person for the next generation. I want the little kid in a wheelchair or the girl missing her arm to turn on the TV and see someone like them. That’s unbelievably powerful.”
Frech sees his Paralympic triumphs as just one step in a broader journey.
“Athletics is definitely not all that I want to do,” Frech said. “I want to use the platform I’ve built through track and field to create lasting change for the disabled community.”
Frech also posts explainer videos on his Instagram and TikTok to promote disability awareness and transparency surrounding his condition and ability to compete in track. He dubs himself the “One leg man” and normalizes his disability through day-in-the-life style videos.
His philosophy? Dream big and believe in your potential. It’s a mindset, he says, that propelled him to where he is now.
“Set high goals. Believe you’re capable of achieving them. Greatness doesn’t just happen — it’s something you pursue relentlessly,” he said.
Navigating a new beginning at USC
Following his record-breaking performance at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Frech has now embarked on a new journey: navigating his freshman year at USC.
“My academic goals were at first, just get caught up after, after missing the first few weeks,” Frech said. “My first day of class was great. I brought the medals with me to show all my teachers, just to give them some real proof, proof, evidence that I actually was there.”
Frech has embraced the challenges of balancing academics with his rigorous athletic schedule. He said his favorite class so far is Global Narratives on Illness and Disability because it resonates deeply with his experiences competing abroad with a disability.
Frech’s transition to college life may be anything but typical, but his resilience and positive attitude are setting the stage for continued success — both on and off the track. He acknowledges that his experience won’t be the usual one, given his packed schedule filled with sponsor events, media appearances, and athletic commitments.
“I think I’m developing a great group of friends. I’ve got amazing people around me. I think that it’s kind of cool to just be a normal college student,” Frech said. “I know that I’m not going to have the quintessential or typical college experience so, when I’m on campus and with my friends, I’m trying to appreciate those moments.”
Calling his college experience “not typical” might be an understatement. Frech has already become somewhat of a campus celebrity.
“It was pretty crazy. I was getting recognized. If I was going from class to class, I was taking four to five photos, which is awesome,” he said. “If anyone sees me on campus, feel free to ask for a photo. Say, ‘Hi.’ I’m not mean.”