For some Paralympians, the journey from injury to para competition was quick

PARIS (AP) — Some Paralympians live with a disability all their lives. Carson Clough is not one of those people.

Clough played lacrosse for North Carolina and knew nothing about the Paralympics until he was involved in a 2019 boating accident that required a below-the-knee amputation of his right leg.

He’s one example of many among the 4,000-plus athletes at the Paris Paralympics who came to have a disability later in life or only learned of the Paralympics when they were adults. For them, para sport has offered a new direction and sense of purpose to their athletic careers.

In early 2022, with no previous knowledge of the sport, Clough was invited to apply to a talent ID camp hosted by USA Triathlon. It was there that he met his current coach, Mark Sortino, a long-time assistant coach for Team USA’s Paralympic Triathlon team.