via Seeker: Ezra Frech is not an average 9 year old. After overcoming physical disabilities, Ezra has risen to be a top athlete in his age range.

Ezra Frech has been through a lot in his short life. Due to a congenital abnormality, he was born with a dramatically curved left leg and only one finger on his left hand. Doctors had to amputate his leg when he was just 11 months old, replacing it with a prosthetic limb. They then attached the big toe from the foot of his amputated leg onto his left hand to serve as a thumb, giving him partial functionality of his hand.

Ezra says that sometimes it can be difficult to feel the same as other kids. It’s hurts when he notices them staring and whispering. But he also knows he’s just as capable of doing anything other kids his age can do if he tries hard enough. One thing Ezra loves to do is play sports. He plays soccer, football, basketball, and runs track. When he’s playing sports he doesn’t feel different at all. His mind is totally absorbed in the game, and he feels just like every other kid.

Follow and Support Team Ezra on Facebook

Playing sports has become a ritual for Ezra. If he goes even a single day without playing, he doesn’t feel like himself. Even though he would never give it up, Ezra does have to spend extra effort to be able to play sports as often as he does. His body has to work really hard to keep up with other kids his age. At the end of every day it’s crucial for him to spend a lot of time stretching, because his back is forced to work so hard to move his prosthetic leg while he’s running. But all the extra time and effort is totally worth it. Ezra wouldn’t be himself if he couldn’t play sports.

Sometimes Ezra wonders why he was born this way. Why was he born with these abnormalities instead of someone else? He never lingers on these thoughts for long though. He thinks of everything he has and remembers how lucky he is in other ways. He has a loving and supportive family, a great school, lots of friends, and the ability to play sports. Having all of these things is much more important to him than wishing he had been born differently, and he tries to share this philosophy with other kids, and adults too, as often as he can. It’s okay to be different because we’re all human and that’s what really matters in the end.