Ezra Frech was born without most of his left leg and a few fingers on his left hand, yet that has done little to deter the man who’s aiming to become the “greatest Paralympian of all time.” And as a two-time Paralympic champion at just the age of 20, Frech is off to a good start at realizing that goal. But what may surprise many is that despite all the odds, there is a misconception that ‘it is easy to win with prosthetic legs.’ Frech, in an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, unravels the reality of the myth and the actuality of what it takes to compete on the top level.

Just a few days back, Ezra Frech was at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at the IndianOil New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships. There, the two-time Paralympian competed in the Men’s High Jump T63 Final. The result? He came in second, clearing 1.85 meters, just behind India’s Shailesh Kumar, who took gold with his 1.91 meter jump.

Though Frech didn’t win this time, few have forgotten that he is the world record holder, at 1.97 meters. Nevertheless, the competition was intense, and following the performance, EssentiallySports asked Frech the question, “What’s the biggest myth or misconception about your sport that you want to bust right here?”

Frech’s response was immediate. “The myth I’d like to bust is that it’s easy to run with the prosthetic or that it’s a spring,” he told EssentiallySports. The idea behind that perception is that people see the springy running blades and assume athletes just bounce along with a mechanical advantage.

But in reality, prosthetics do not add power. They only store and return a fraction of the energy athletes put into themselves. Frech continued, “It’s very difficult. You have to place the blade in the right position. I don’t even have control over the lower part of my leg.” With the absence of fine motor control, running with the blade requires greater precision and dexterity. There’s also the problem with moisture as excess sweat can compromise the suction effect with which the prosthesis stays on securely.

Born with congenital limb differences, Frech was fitted with his first prosthetic leg at 11 months old. At age two, Ezra Frech underwent surgery to remove his lower left leg and even had a big toe transplanted to his left hand to help with gripping. By four, he was already using a running blade, and by eight, he was competing in adaptive sports, thanks to his father taking him to the Endeavor Games.

“This is a very very fine art,” Frech explained passionately. “Those who master it do it really well. I did not master it today. I had a couple steps one centimeter off and it messes up the whole run. That’s the way it goes. So to anyone that thinks it’s easy to run with the prosthetic, it looks like I am cheating or bouncing around the track, I promise you that is very wrong.”

Now Frech is also planning to make another documentary, “I might even try to make it out for the Paralympics in Milan, which would be amazing”, as he says. Looking at him now, everyone dreams of being French.

Ezra Frech’s big dreams

Frech does not talk about the hopes or aims, he talks about absolutes. That is how he was nominated at ESPYs, signed a professional deal, hosted an Emmy, dined with the President, collaborated with the biggest influences, made his own documentary, Adaptive, and all in his first year of college. But they are stepping stones on their way to a bigger dream as viewed by Ezra Frech because they want to be the greatest Paralympian of all time.

He is hungrier than ever now, however, with the next Paralympics Games right in his own country. “I don’t want to take my foot off the gas. If anything, it should be even more motivating to me because I have even more on the line now. I have to go into LA just as hungry as I was going into Paris. I don’t want to get complacent”. But his role goes beyond just being an athlete!

More than just an athlete, Ezra is a motivational speaker and passionate disability rights advocate. Drawing inspiration from UFC fighter Israel Adesanya’s words: “The hunter becomes the hunted,” he embraces the challenge. “Now I become the hunted, and that’s so motivating,” he shared. Pressure, he says, has never weighed him down.

Because his mom taught him to see nerves not as fear but excitement.  Since his rise to fame, Ezra’s public recognition has soared. “Three years ago, I was never recognized anywhere,” he says. “People come up, ask for photos, talk about my content. That’s real-life proof of all the work we’re putting in behind the scenes.”

However, Ezra’s mission is to lift others through Team Ezra, Angel City Sports, and the Angel City Games, which are the foundations to help people with disabilities. For Ezra, it’s simple: it’s not just about winning, it’s about lifting others up along the way. As he says what he wants the world to know about him, “Someone who normalized disability on a global scale and was an example of what is possible as an amputee.” And that’s something we can all get behind.