Gonzaga men鈥檚 rower Ben Foos triumphant despite height difference
SPOKANE, Wash. (BVM) —聽It is no secret that the sports world is centered around average or above average height, able-bodied people. When you think of your favorite soccer team, or flick to watch a football game on TV, rarely do you see televised sporting events of para-athletes. Most people don鈥檛 even realize that there is much opportunity for those with disabilities to excel past recreational sports. This lack of awareness and knowledge is not only disappointing but also does not help those with disabilities discover the world of possibilities they have. Ben Foos, however, was one of the few who discovered the opportunities available to him.聽
Currently a shot put and javelin athlete at ParaSport Spokane, Foos has found the world of sports to be his passion. Growing up in a typical American household in Pleasanton, California, Foos played sports, went to school, and enjoyed spending time with his friends. The only difference was his height. Ben is a little person, as is his entire family but it wasn鈥檛 until Foos entered preschool that he noticed that he was smaller than other kids his age. The more he was in school and surrounded by friends, the more he understood that he has dwarfism.聽
Even with his disability, Foos did not let that stop him from pursuing a life different from anyone else. He grew up with his dad being an avid soccer fan, so he recalls spending Sundays watching soccer games. He not only enjoyed watching the games, but he found a passion for playing as well. He often would play pick-up games with his friends and family. There were some sports, such as basketball and swimming, that Foos opted to stay away from because he saw that his disability would be a challenging factor when competing.聽
鈥淚 would get pretty pissed when I couldn鈥檛 be competitive,鈥� Foos said.聽
So sticking to sports like soccer gave him the opportunity to do so without getting frustrated. While Foos enjoyed soccer, he didn鈥檛 find it to satisfy his competitive desires, nor did it do much for his confidence. He found that it diminished his confidence because he could not be as competitive as his friends.聽
鈥淚t has made games unfair to a point that I would just let my friends play on without me,鈥� Foos said. 鈥淚 would either get too gassed trying to keep up or be frustrated when I couldn鈥檛 stay competitive.鈥�
His older brother attended the University of The Pacific and started coxing for the men鈥檚 club rowing team there. Foos, nor his family, hadn鈥檛 really heard much about rowing up until that point. However, his brother encouraged him to give it a try because, as Foos stated, 鈥淚t offered someone of my stature to be competitive with no asterisk. There was actually a competitive advantage to me being small鈥�. So, Foos looked into local youth rowing programs and found Oakland Strokes Rowing in Alameda, about a 30-minute drive from Foos鈥� house. For his final two years of high school, he coxed for Oakland Strokes where his success caught the attention of the Gonzaga University rowing coaches.聽
At Gonzaga, Foos was one of the top coxswains for all four years. One of his most cherished memories was during the fall of his senior year when the team competed at the Head Of The American, a 5k race in Sacramento. The boat had fantastic rhythm and Foos, as the coxswain, led the boat to a strong win in the Varsity 8 category. As well as the fond memories, Foos also formed some of his most valued friendships. For the first time, Foos not only found a sport that did not leave him frustrated, but he also found some of the most amazing people. Rowing has brought him his best friends, which he would have never had if he hadn鈥檛 been persuaded to join when he was 16 by his older brother.聽
Along with rowing, Foos has found a lot of success in the sport of shot put and javelin. During a sports management class in his sophomore year at Gonzaga, an organization called Parasport Spokane came to speak to Foos鈥檚 class. Parasport is a non-profit organization that provides athletes from a variety of ages, infants to adults, the opportunity to train and compete in sports that they would not otherwise have. Foos was instantly intrigued by the opportunities that the organization provided to athletes with disabilities, so he decided to try it out. Now, four years later, Foos could not be more grateful that he took that chance on Parasport back in 2017.聽
鈥淧arasport has brought me into a sport and culture I never thought I could be a part of,鈥� Foos said. 鈥淭o be able to compete across the country, and hopefully soon the world has been an amazing experience and has pushed me to stay healthy and competitive after college.鈥�
Without the opportunities that rowing, shot put, and javelin have provided Foos, he would not be the person or athlete that he has evolved into. He uses his voice and social media platforms to inform other little people of the amazing athletic opportunities that are available both nationally and globally.聽
鈥淚 try to post on my social media pages regarding my training and competitions, but I should be better about posting more. I鈥檓 better at educating in person,鈥� said Foos, who has used his voice to encourage other little people to take advantage of the athletic opportunities that the world has to offer. Little people are not limited to rowing and shot put.
鈥淩owing, swimming, weightlifting, and throwing are all great sporting outlets for little people to stay active and healthy as well as compete,鈥� Foos added.
Competing is extremely important to Foos and he wants others to find the importance in it as well. The impact that competitive athletics have had on his life has led to his pursuit to encourage others to find the same.
