Nov 8, 2026 · 57 min
Ezra Frech turns ballroom pressure into Paralympic preparation
Danielle with… Ezra Frech
Ezra Frech connects a demanding television dance schedule with his return to track and his broader goal of changing how disability is seen.
- 1Dance is building the coordination, core strength, and stability Frech wants before competing at the 2028 Paralympics.
- 2Family support and disabled athletic role models helped Frech answer childhood doubt with confidence rather than concealment.
- 3A costume fringe caught on Frech’s prosthetic during a live samba, creating a frightening mishap that became a memorable performance moment.
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During a live samba, Daniela Karagach’s costume fringe catches on Ezra Frech’s prosthetic, but the pair recover and complete the dance.
The brief
Danielle Fishel talks with Ezra Frech, the Paralympic champion whose appearance on Dancing with the Stars landed between track seasons and his ambitions for 2028.
Frech describes the discipline behind the spectacle: long rehearsals, difficult meal timing, a skipping ritual before performances, and the physical challenge of balancing on his running blade.
His partnership with Daniela Karagach rests on trust and precise communication, while friendships with fellow contestants show how quickly an intense competition can create a lasting community.
During a samba, Karagach’s costume fringe caught in Frech’s prosthetic and threatened a catastrophic failure; it came loose, and they finished the dance live.
Frech says dance is sharpening the coordination, core control, and stability he needs for track, while mainstream visibility can give disabled children role models and challenge public assumptions.
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