Oscar “Oz” Sanchez, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, sat down with the Mission43 community and provided incredible insight into what it means to embody excellence in the face of adversity. His life was changed forever in 2001 when he was involved in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident. The accident resulted in a spinal cord injury (SCI) and the inevitable paralysis and associated neurological complications.
After the accident, Oz’s biggest fear was being defined by his injury. He developed a new sense of direction and vigor for life. He pulled out of his post-injury depression and once again took a proactive approach to living by dedicating himself to education and hand cycling.
Oz is an elite hand cycle racer who has won gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Games and he is also a five-time World Hand Cycling Champion, which has earned him the title of “world’s fastest hand cyclist.” Oz is a graduate of San Diego State University with a business degree and a minor in public communications and is currently pursuing a master’s while training for the 2020 Paralympics.
