Paralympian says he had to be pulled through White House kitchen lift because 'they didn't have an elevator'

Nonetheless, Puderbaugh has fond memories of his visit. He joked astir with the erstwhile US President and enjoyed a circuit of the the historical building.

"I asked him erstwhile helium was going to get his six-pack abs back," helium said. "He laughed and said, 'I'm inactive moving connected my four-pack.'"

"It was chill to conscionable him and his woman and get a circuit of the White House. In movies, they represent it arsenic being large and spacious, but it's really smaller and a batch much cozy -- though there's a batch of bathrooms," helium added.

A substance of destiny

Wroclaw-born Puderbaugh was diagnosed with congenital limb deficiency astatine commencement -- having been calved without some of his legs beneath the knee, his little near limb and astir of his close limb -- but that didn't halt him from taking up wheelchair hoops and wrestling successful precocious schoolhouse and becoming a qualified craft aviator and erstwhile authorities chess champion.

However, it was erstwhile a person introduced him to wheelchair rugby that helium recovered his existent calling, participating successful the athletics successful bid to flooded the trials of his disability.

"I said, 'I don't privation to play this, this is simply a athletics for guys successful wheelchairs,' and helium knocked maine close connected my butt my archetypal time. I tried to sound him over, and I couldn't get him over, and I thought, 'Man, I person to fig retired however to bash this,'" helium said, according to the Paralympics website.

"In this sport, you'll spot accelerated guys, you'll spot guys that are a small slower, but it's a squad sport, and everyone plays a important role," helium added.

Humble beginnings

For idiosyncratic who was abandoned soon aft commencement by his parents successful Poland, Puderbaugh's travel to the Paralympics signals his unwavering consciousness of thrust and optimism.

When helium was five, Puderbaugh was brought to the US by Florida non-profit enactment Gabriel House of Care.

"I person memories of the orphanage and being visited by idiosyncratic who I deliberation mightiness person been my mother," Puderbaugh told the Olympics Information Service.

"And I retrieve flying implicit to America; I knew thing was happening, but I didn't cognize precisely what," helium added.

He was yet adopted astatine the property of 15 by a mediate schoolhouse teacher surviving successful Idaho, John Cochrane, aft assorted foster homes and adoptive families.

"My puerility was a rollercoaster, and consistency was sometimes lacking," helium said. "Later on, I had 2 big families who fed me, clothed maine and gave maine opportunities to excel astatine rugby, wrestling, chess -- immoderate I wanted to do. They took maine successful arsenic 1 of their own."

While Puderbaugh says he's settled successful the US, he's besides funny astir his ain ancestral history.

"My woman has done immoderate probe to effort and find retired much astir my commencement family, but I'm inactive waiting a small spot longer earlier I instrumentality much enactment myself," helium said.

"I emotion my beingness and I person an astonishing household successful Idaho, I consciousness similar I'm blessed and I'm conscionable not acceptable to afloat unfastened that section yet."

The 25-year-old was excited to vie successful his 2nd Paralympics astatine Tokyo 2020 this summer.

Having reached the last with the men's wheelchair rugby squad astatine the Rio Paralympics to triumph silver, Puderbaugh repeated his occurrence successful the mixed wheelchair rugby last successful Japan, winning metallic connected Aug 29.

And who knows, possibly he'll soon beryllium backmost astatine the White House.