Every Olympic athlete must overcome barriers just to reach the starting line. But Paralympic athletes face a few extra obstacles on their way to the world’s biggest competition.
Just to compete at the highest level, these athletes must obtain expensive, specialized equipment. That’s true for all athletes, of course, but there’s a difference of degree. When we review “super sneakers” here at GearJunkie, like the adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra, we acknowledge that not everyone can afford $220 just for a pair of top-notch running shoes.
But what if you needed to spend $10,000-15,000 just to keep up with your competitors? That’s the situation faced by many Paralympic athletes.
It’s also where organizations like the Kelly Brush Foundation come in. They provide funding for athletes to buy the gear they need to return to the competitive spirit that defined them before a life-changing injury.
We caught up with two such athletes as they prepared to head to Paris. Both of them will compete this weekend, so read on to learn more about their sports — and when to watch them.
Emi Perry: Paralympic Triathlon
Watch Perry compete in the Paralympic triathlon on Monday, September 2. Find the full schedule on the Olympics website.
GJ: You finished your first paratriathlon in 2022. Two years later, you’re heading to the Olympics. What has your journey been to get here?
Perry: I started doing wheelchair racing right after my injury 7 years ago. The bike was the only part I hadn’t done before joining triathlon. Swimming feels like the tough part, though. I feel like I struggle the most with the swim. Since I moved to Colorado last year in March, it’s been a lot of working on the strokes and technique … I’m definitely excited to go to Paris ‘cause I’ve never been there. A lot of my teammates have gone to the games and won medals. When I take a step back and think about it, I realize it’s a big deal.
GJ: What’s the specialized equipment you needed to compete?
Perry: I had been using a top-end RX [for the biking portion of the triathlon], which is a nice bike. But it’s not a competition bike. Triathlon athletes use carbon handcycles, and for a new one, it can cost $15,000. I was able to find a used one for $9,000, and the Kelly Brush Foundation gave me $7,500 to help buy it. I feel like if I didn’t have that bike, I wouldn’t be able to compete at this level.
GJ: What piece of gear helps you the most from day to day?
Perry: I’ve been trying to be better about nutrition. I really like drinking Skratch Labs when I’m training.
GJ: What would you like more people to understand about your sport?
Perry: Being in adaptive sports, it’s hard to get resources about details like posture and bike modification. Everyone’s bike and race chair looks a little different. Could be a different footrest or handlebars or gloves. Everyone has a very unique setup, and you have to figure it out yourself … Some people in the race chair like to be higher or lower in their chair position. It’s kind of interesting, because everyone has different function left in their legs or bodies.
GJ: How did you become interested in the Paralympic triathlon?
Perry: I was a runner before my accident. [When I started competing], I wasn’t mentally ready to be part of a group of people in wheelchairs because I still didn’t want to be in a wheelchair. I wasn’t ready. Running is solo, but it’s a group sport, too … When I first started in my race chair, I tried with my running friends. I struggled at first because I kept comparing it to running.
And then the first time I did a time faster than my running time — I was kinda upset. It was a 10-mile race in Philadelphia that I’d done as a runner. I later beat my personal best in the wheelchair. I still compare them sometimes, but I understand now they’re different sports. And now that I can cover more distance in less time, I’m like, “Okay, this is cool. I can go faster.”
Watch Perry compete in the Paralympic triathlon on Monday, September 2. Find the full schedule on the Olympics website.
Eric Newby: Wheelchair Rugby
Watch Newby and the U.S. wheelchair rugby team compete in the Paralympics this weekend. Find the full schedule on the Olympics website.
GJ: So you’ve competed in the Paralympics twice before. Is it no big deal now?
Newby: Actually, I might be more excited for this one than the other two. My first games were in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. We lost gold in double overtime by one point. Then we lost to Great Britain in 2020 and took home a silver medal. Now that I’m the team captain, it gives me something to prove.
GJ: You became captain of the U.S. wheelchair rugby team in 2023. What does that mean for you?
Newby: In the past, I was just taking care of myself. Now I have to know everybody’s job. It’s a lot more responsibility, but I’m loving every second of it. Knowing each person, knowing how to pull them out of their own head — it’s about picking them back up and making sure they’re ready. It’s about learning to take some of that burden.
GJ: How different is wheelchair rugby from able-bodied rugby? What would you like people to know?
Newby: Our sport is pretty different from able-bodied rugby. But you’re still bouncing off the ground and taking big hits from dudes from New Zealand. There’s a lot of teams with big guys … It can look like chaos out there. At the same time, it’s a chess match. That’s the thing people miss. There’s a joy to the contact and the brutality of it, but it’s also very tactical.
We have offensive and defensive plays. Getting where you need to be before the ref blows the whistle is exhausting and goes unnoticed. You’re really not stopping. It’s like an hour and a half of sprinting. Our games come down to 3- or 4-point differences every time. So it’s constantly urgent. The game could always go the other way.
GJ: The Kelly Brush Foundation helped with your equipment as well, right?
Newby: Yeah, they’ve been incredible. Our chairs cost between $10,000 to $15,000. At the international level, they only last for 2 years. Having an organization like that to back you — it takes a huge stress away that athletes in our situation shouldn’t have to worry about.
It’s life-changing and saves our family a huge financial burden. Being stressed about equipment failure at the Olympics isn’t what you want on your plate … If those chairs are readily available, a lot of people with disabilities could have life-changing experiences.
GJ: What piece of gear helps you the most from day to day?
Newby: I love my VieLight [a device aimed at stimulating the brain]. It’s helped me recover from concussions. They approached me, and I had been searching for answers. I would say after a few weeks of using it religiously, I noticed a difference. All that mental fog dissipates, and you feel like you’re firing on all cylinders. I’ll be taking it with me to the Olympics.
GJ: What else would you like people to understand about your sport?
Newby: There’s a weird stigma around the term Paralympics. Para means “equal to.” Even though we’re disabled, we work just as hard as these Olympic athletes. If you’re into sports — you’re going to enjoy this.
Watch Newby and the U.S. wheelchair rugby team compete in the Paralympics this weekend. Find the full schedule on the Olympics website.
