At that moment, he described the impact of Disability Pride Month, elaborating on the potential it could have to rewire a person’s line of thinking.
“When you have a month that celebrates people with disabilities and gives a fuller picture of what it looks like,” he began. “I think people say, ‘Oh, well, if that did happen to me, I could be a Paralympian. I could climb a mountain. I could run a race, swim a mile, or whatever the thing is.”
Williams then reflected on his journey with skiing and attempting to make a Paralympic team at the age of 45.
“I’m having a life that I would never have if I were able-bodied,” he said with a smile. “How many able-bodied Olympians could say, ‘oh, I’m 39. I just tried a new sport. Let me see if I can go to the Olympics and compete at this level?’
“It has not been an easy process for me, and I’ve had to make big sacrifices. I’ve had to have a lot of discipline, and a lot of hard work. But, this experience and life I’m having are much more unique than someone who was able-bodied and skied for the first time at 39. They wouldn’t be on this path.
So, I think highlighting people with disabilities this month shows that by no means is this a death sentence, and it might even open up more opportunities.”
Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of people not knowing about the opportunities available. That’s where the increase in Paralympic Games broadcasts can play a pivotal role.
“The Paris coverage was amazing,” Williams exclaimed. “It is definitely the gold standard so far, where I could watch anything I wanted. It was all on replay, so I didn’t have to get up at 2 am to see the person or sport I wanted to see.”
Coverage will play a big part in the advancement moving forward. The more eyes that get on athletes like Williams, the more opportunities for sponsors and funding will exist.
“They’re not putting disabled athletes on a Wheaties box all the time, right?” Williams asked hypothetically. “…We don’t yet have the visibility to then entice the sponsors so that we can get the funding to continue pursuing this life of elite athletics.”
That’s where Team USA can also lend a hand.
Similar to a few of Team USA’s National Governing Body accounts, using a single platform both to promote Olympic and Paralympic sport in unison can give more exposure to Paralympic athletes. For example, USA Hockey’s social media account also publishes posts about the U.S. Para Ice Hockey team, who is the recent gold-medal winners from the 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships.
“If I can go to a sponsor and say, ‘look at this post, there’s an investment here,’ it’s huge,” Williams said. “I think a lot of times our stories are more interesting.”
In a way, Williams is correct. Although he admitted that athlete stories are what makes both the Olympics and Paralympics great (he specifically mentioned fellow skier Lindsey Vonn’s incredible comeback), the Paralympic sports world is teeming with stories that deserve the attention that Olympic stories receive.
“Pick a random Team USA athlete, and there’s something pretty impressive about that story,” Williams added. “The hurdles that have been overcome and the grit. All of those things that make that story arc are pretty interesting.”
So, Team USA fans, here’s the newest athlete story to follow – A 45, soon to be 46, year-old rookie, who just started skiing at 39 after a career in prosthetics and orthotics, is battling for a Milan Cortina 2026 roster spot for Para alpine skiing.
Not to mention, he also has a pretty cool mustache.
Brendan Rourke is a digital media journalist working for Team USA and the USOPC. Previously, he spent three years writing for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, holds an undergraduate degree from UCF, and a graduate degree from IUPUI’s Sports Capital Journalism Program.