Dayton, Ohio, police officer Byron Branch is heading to Paris to compete in wheelchair fencing at the 2024 Paralympic Games.
Branch was seriously injured while responding to an accident in 2016 and lost his leg.
“I was responding to an accident on the highway,” Branch told “Fox & Friends.” “There was a tractor-trailer parked on the side of the road and they’d just had an accident. I went over to check on the driver and make sure everything was OK before we left. The driver got out of his car. I told him, ‘For your safety, let’s talk on the other side of my car.’ Next thing I knew, I was waking up in the hospital.”
Two years after her accident, Branch won gold at the Pan American Games in Canada and, with her 16 years of fencing experience, is aiming to win gold again in 2022 and 2024.
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A view of the Olympic Rings in Paris (AP Photo/Aurélien Molissard, File)
“I just tried to take what I learned in fencing competitions and apply it to wheelchair competitions. It was a bit of a learning curve, but it wasn’t too hard.”
“I think the most important thing after experiencing a traumatic event is to try to bring yourself back to the level you were at before the event happened,” Branch said.
Branch, who is married with two daughters, said she was looking forward to going to the Olympics with her family to cheer them on.
“It will be the first time for them to see me compete at that level outside of the country.”
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a GoFundMe Because Branch has no sponsors, the page was created to help cover his expenses at the tournament, and has raised more than $44,000.
“I want to personally thank everyone who has helped so far, it really helps and has been so supportive,” Branch told Fox News viewers.
“I’m just so excited to be in that atmosphere with all the other athletes representing the country and all the athletes from around the world. It’s unbelievable.”
Branch was named Dayton’s Police Officer of the Year in 2018. Dayton Daily News.
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This photo taken in Paris on November 15, 2022 shows the official logos of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games on display at the official Paris 2024 shop in Les Halles shopping mall in central Paris. – The Olympic and Paralympic mascots will be named “Les Phryges”, and represent the Phrygian caps of the French Revolution. (Thomas Samson/AFP via Getty Images)
