Ryan Medrano’s journey to the world stage of Para athletics is anything but conventional. The 28-year-old American Paralympian, who was born with cerebral palsy, first found national fame not on the track, but as a cast member on the 43rd season of the reality television show Survivor. It was there, on the island of Fiji, that his life took a pivotal turn. Fellow contestant Noelle Lambert, a Paralympian herself, observed his athleticism and character.

“He was honestly the beast of his tribe,” Lambert later recalled, noting his boundless energy and selflessness. She informed him that his cerebral palsy qualified him for international Para sport competition, a revelation Medrano embraced. He began formal training in December 2022 and, in a meteoric rise, was competing at the World Championships by July 2023. Furthermore, his career led to two silver medals at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where he solidified his status as an elite athlete who uses his disability as his “superpower.”

This background of rapid success and relentless optimism makes his recent performance at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi all the more poignant, revealing a champion’s resilience in the face of adversity. In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports following his T38 400m race where he placed fourth, Medrano displayed the characteristic honesty and forward-looking attitude that have defined his career. “It’s been a while since I haven’t medaled,” he acknowledged, reflecting on a result that stood in contrast to his recent podium finishes in Paris. He noted, “A guy from Greece came out of nowhere on the turn.”

Rather than dwelling on the result, Medrano focused on the process and the path to improvement, stating, “So, just got some work to do when I get on my off-season. The race itself felt great. I got out good. Just need to skin some weight off. I’m about 210 pounds.” This analytical and self-aware response underscores the mindset of a world-class athlete for whom every performance, whether a victory or a learning opportunity, is a stepping stone.

Despite the fourth place finish, Medrano affirmed that the race still offered him a learning opportunity, emphasizing the positive technical aspects of his run: “Especially, I think I did great coming out of the box, which is what I’ve been working on. I hit a 50.09, you know.” This resilience is a hallmark of Medrano’s personal and athletic identity. He has long spoken of the challenges he overcame growing up with cerebral palsy, which caused motor and cognitive delays and led to him being bullied as a child.

His approach to adversity is deeply rooted in visualization and mental fortitude. “I look at it, I visualize myself doing it, and then I execute,” Medrano has explained of his life philosophy. Now with one race done, he’s already looking forward to the next one.

Ryan Medrano is just excited for what’s to come

For Ryan Medrano, the end of one race simply marks the beginning of the next challenge. During the same interview with EssentiallySports, true to his word, he immediately shifted his focus to the upcoming long jump event, “I have long jump tomorrow. So I better do it in long jump.”

This relentless drive has been a constant throughout his athletic pursuits, from his early days in Savannah, Georgia, to the Paralympic podium. His journey from a reality television island to the pinnacle of global sports is a powerful narrative of self-belief. As he once advised his younger self, “Really just be yourself, push yourself, and believe in yourself. Because you have it, it’s in the tank, you just really have to push for it.”

Even without a medal in this particular event, Ryan Medrano’s performance in New Delhi demonstrated that the spirit of a champion is defined not just by victories but by the strength and grace with which one handles every outcome on the path to greatness.