Biography of Ezra Frech

Ezra Frech was born with congenital limb differences, missing his left fibula (shin bone) and left knee, and with only one finger on his left hand.  At about three years of age he had surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital to remove the lower leg and transplant the big toe onto his left hand.  This surgery gave him a residual limb that fit prosthesis much better, and allowed him to pick up and hold things with his left hand. 

From a young age, Ezra demonstrated a deep love for sport. His first word was “ball” and he learned to count by twos before ones by watching Laker games.  He has always shown incredible athletic talent and a fierce competitive spirit.  As a toddler he designed his own workouts and throughout his youth he played basketball, soccer, baseball, flag football, and karate against his able-bodied peers. 

His first love was definitely basketball, which he excelled at and ultimately playing on a club team using his running blade.

"My short-term goal is to win gold at the Paralympics in Paris." - Ezra

His journey in Paralympic sport began early.  He first competed in a T&F meet at the age of eight, making Team USA at the age of fourteen, and participating in the Tokyo Paralympics at the age of sixteen. Prior to making Team USA, he was a highly accomplished youth athlete with dozens of national records in the nine events his father, Clayton, would sign him up for. 

In 2019, when he made the US Paralympic T&F Team, he attended Junior Para Athletic World Championships (2 gold, 1 bronze), Para Pan American Games (2 silvers), and World Para Athletic Championships (made the finals in all three of his events). 

After the Tokyo Paralympic Games were postponed a year, he had more time to train and set his sights on the podium.  He attended the Tokyo Paralympic Games as a sixteen year old, missing the podium in high jump by 3 cm (placing 5th), and placing 8th in long jump. This was a critical moment in his career, as he had all intentions of being on the podium in High Jump, and was left to watch the other jumpers finish the event and the medalist dance around with their country flags.  To this day, Ezra has an image of the three medalists on his phone screen saver, ensuring that he never forgets that moment. 

In 2023, Ezra broke the world record in the T63 High Jump at the 2023 World Para Athletic Championships, and placed 4th in Long Jump.  His jump of 1.95m will go in the history books.  He had a really good look at 2.0m as well, but wasn’t quite able to clear it. 

In 2024, Ezra competed in his third World Para Athletic Championships in Kobe, Japan.  He got 4th in Long Jump and 2nd place in High Jump. This was another devastating moment for young Ezra, as he gave up his world title because of technique issues that had gone undetected in training.   

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Realizing that his options to run track in an adaptive track program at college were extremely limited, he pursued a D1 track offer during high school. Ultimately, he was blessed to receive an offer to compete for USC. He is currently taking a gap year to train for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. "My short-term goal is to win gold at the Paralympics in Paris." - Ezra

Beyond sports, Ezra is a passionate advocate for disability rights and co-founded Angel City Sports to provide adaptive sports opportunities for others. As he states, “My goal is to normalize disability on a global scale, show the world that nothing is impossible as an amputee, and inspire everyone to chase their dreams with everything they have.” He works tirelessly to promote the Paralympic movement, garner media attention for ACS, and to bring in sponsors and donors for the organization. Join us in supporting this important cause by donating here. (Add link)  Ezra has also supported organizations including Camp No Limits, CAF, LA84 Foundation, United Through Sports, and LA2028. 

Ezra is currently starring in and producing a documentary, Adaptive: Paris, which features four Paralympic athletes (Ezra, Jamal Hill, Courtney Ryan, and Josie Aslakson) in their journey from the Tokyo Paralympics to the Paris Paralympics. The sizzle for the documentary can be found HERE. Inquires can be directed to Clayton Frech info@teamezra.com

Another way that Ezra advocates for the disabled community is through motivational speaking.   Since he was 4 years old, Ezra has done motivational speaking at schools, hospitals, companies, and leadership conferences, bringing his message that “Being Different is OK”.  Ezra’s motto is “You can Dream it, You can Hope for it, or You can Make It Happen.”  and he believes you should “Focus on What You Have Versus What You Don’t Have.” 

He has spoken at Nike, PayPal, LA2028, Paris2024, YPO, Golden State Warriors, Bernstein Wealth Management, and many others.

To book Ezra for a speaking engagement please contact info@teamezra.com 

Ezra has been featured in Teen Vogue and has modeled numerous times for Team USA. However, in the Spring of 2023, Ezra made his runway debut at Boss’ Miami Fashion Show.  He has also been featured in The Glass Magazine, Numero Netherlands and Schon magazines. In the fall of 2023, Ezra returned to the Boss runway for their Milan Fashion Show, and was featured in two Boss Campaigns. 

In January 2024, Ezra returned to Paris, the site of his first World Championship, for Fashion Week and attended over a dozen shows, showcases, and private events with the world’s top designers and luxury brands. In the summer of 2024 he signed with Hugo Boss. 

To book Ezra for modeling, please contact Rua

Ezra has been featured in the media since his first appearance in 2009 on Good Morning America when he was four years old. In 2014 he was a finalist for Sports Illustrated Kid of the Year at the age of nine. 

Since then, he has been featured in dozens of media outlets, ranging from international to national to regional. Ezra has appeared on prestigious shows such as the Ellen Degeneres Show, Kelly Clarkson Show, NBC Sports, Sports Illustrated, Sports Business Journal, Forbes Magazine, Good Morning America, among others, sharing his story and raising awareness and understanding for the physically challenged.