Being a two-time Paralympic gold medalist is an outstanding feat that only a small percentage of the global population has the privilege of saying. And doing so before your 20th birthday, like American track and field trailblazer Ezra Frech, makes it even more special.
You'd think someone as young and successful as Frech would be solely devoted to their craft, right? Yet, somehow, he balances his status as a dynamic athlete with advocating for Ocean Conservancy.
Frech is a "Team Ocean Captain," along with the WNBA’s Napheesa Collier, the NFL’s Kelvin Beachum and MLB’s Brent Suter. Together, they use their stardom to raise awareness about the Protect Where We Play initiative. FanSided was lucky enough to discuss the campaign mission, how Frech decided to be at the forefront of the movement and more.
Ezra Frech is at the forefront of the Paralympics and ocean conservancy
From an early age, Frech was inspired to protect the environment, growing up in a green household. His mother (and former actress), Bahar Soomekh, studied environmental science at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). His father previously worked on protecting the ozone layer in the White House. But as a Los Angeles native, the natural disasters Frech has witnessed gave him the final push.
"Protecting the environment has always been at the forefront of our family conversations," Frech stated. "Given the natural disasters that occurred in my hometown in L.A. and my passion for environmental studies, I felt it made sense."
Knowing he's an influential figure, Frech is eager to create positive change in things that matter to him, like Protect Where We Play.
"That's what's super exciting about the position I'm in now," Frech said. "I can find causes that are important to me ... utilize my platform for good, which is super exciting."
From first-hand experience, Frech understands that flooding, extreme weather, fires, pollution and other climate effects have become increasingly problematic for sports and entertainment events. From a geographical standpoint to his day-to-day "holistic" preparation, everything is hampered.
"The time that I spend recovering ... separate from the track, to [give] me the energy to go work hard when I'm training and weightlifting," Frech voiced. "Of course, nature is a big part of that for me. I love going on hikes and being near the ocean ... [it's] a huge part of my recuperation time, you could say. And that impacts the way I play and my mental clarity."
Even while recognizing that sports like swimming and surfing are more directly dependent on the sea, Frech emphasized how global climate affects "every space." He highlighted what's at stake and the wide range of organisms in danger. Humans aren't the only ones dealing with the ramifications of unhealthy ocean life.
"It supports pretty much all of our life on [Earth] and holds 97 percent of the planet's water," Frech noted. "It's home to so many species -- from the tiniest bacteria to the biggest blue whales. Protecting where we play starts with the ocean, and the ocean is the driving force behind all of this."
So, Frech calls on athletes to join him, Collier, Beachum and Suter to "lean into" the Protect Where We Play campaign. He feels society will normalize discussing sustainability if their favorite athletes set the tone and start and continue the dialogue. While it can be easy to get "caught up in" training, preserving the deep blue sea is of the utmost priority.