03/03/2026
Jersey Grit: New Jersey’s Paralympic Powerhouses
Josh Pauls, of Green Brook, NJ, was born without tibia (shin) bones, leading to amputations of both legs at 10 months old. He joined the New Jersey-Woodbridge Warriors/New York Rangers Junior Sled Hockey club at 10 years old and now a 4× Paralympic gold medalist , the most of any sled hockey player in the history of the sport, and seven-time world champiob,
Jack Wallace, of Franklin Lakes, NJ was was involved in a boating accident while water skiing at age 10 and his right leg was amputated above the knee. After months of rehabilitation, he discovered sled hockey. He spent three years training with development teams before earing a spot on US paralympic team and is now a 2× Paralympic gold medalist. Also, Jack began competing in Paracanoe in 2019. Hope to see more of him, as he plans to become a dual-sport paralympian in both summer and winter games.
Kelsey O’Driscoll, of Caldwell, NJ, sustained a spinal cord injury after a sledding accident with her family. The date was March 6, 2021 - exactly 5 years to the day before the Winter Paralympics kick off in Italy. After relearning how to walk, she ventured into adaptive surfing, followed by downhill skiing with outriggers in 2024, which she describes as "forearm crutches with mini-skis on the bottom." She bring a lot of Jersey grit to her first Paralympics
