TEMPE, Ariz. - “I think it’s great that we are bringing the community together, especially through track and field," said Ezra Frech.
Whether you’re a Paralympian or a Paralympic hopeful, the Desert Challenge games are the place to be.
“There’s so many amazing people out here. So many amazing stories, it’s just inspirational for me to watch some of the athletes that I see at the Paralympic games run the 100 meter and long jump. It’s amazing," said Frech.
“This is my second year down here, it’s amazing. The community down here is special, everyone is so friendly, having each other’s backs through anything," said Ming Davis.
At times the competition is fierce, but throughout the event the theme of community is emphasized and friendships are formed.
“We all have hard times, we all have challenges and we all have things that don’t go our way. The way that we get better is we use that to fuel ourselves to run faster and as my friend Ming said, track and field is a place where he can go to escape. That’s where I go too, I go here and I don’t feel different anymore, I feel at home," said Frech.
And among the younger age groups, there was a common goal for the athletes.
“My goal is to hopefully be at Tokyo 2020," said Davis.
“I’m starting to compare myself to the Paralympic standard and I'm realizing I'm not that far off. It’s a reasonable goal I can achieve in four years," said Frech.
