Paralympic world champion runner Riech on a mission to inspire others with brain injuries
Nate Riech runs for much more than medals and records.
The reigning Paralympic champion and world champion from Victoria is at the pinnacle of his sport after a meteoric rise that saw him break records and shine on the brightest podium. But for Riech, being a paraathlete is about more than just personal achievement.
Riech’s motivation to succeed is rooted in a mission to inspire others with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) to be the kind of Para-athlete role model he lacked growing up.
While 28-year-old Riech looked up to able-bodied stars like Kobe Bryant during his childhood, he’s always wanted to be that figure for others facing similar challenges.
“For me growing up, I didn’t really see athletes with traumatic brain injuries,” Riech told CBC Sports. “I looked up to a lot of great athletes like Kobe, but part of my motivation was that I want to be that athlete who when kids have TBI or CP [cerebral palsy]. It’s like wow, look what Nate did for his own career.
“That was my first goal when I got into the Paralympic sport, to motivate and inspire the next generation.”
The middle-distance runner suffered a TBI at age 10 while playing golf with friends when a golfer from another group accidentally hit him in the back of the head with a shot from 150 yards away.
The injury affects the right side of Riech’s body, putting him in the T38 standings for Para Athletics. T38 is for athletes with minor coordination disorders in the lower torso and legs, the whole body or on one side.
Riech will defend his men’s T38 1,500m world title at the World Para-Athletics Championships in Paris on July 17, where he will also seek to retain his Paralympic title next summer.
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Riech captured his 2019 world title in a phenomenal debut in Dubai and is ready to run it back in the French capital.
“It’s definitely important to get there, but I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say I’m going there to win,” said Riech. “That’s really why I’m going and that’s why I train so hard.
Riech began competing internationally after moving to Victoria, BC in 2018 to train at the Canadian Sport Institute (CSI) Pacific. He set T38 world records in the men’s 800 and 1,500 events at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Berlin that same year.
Riech lowered his 1,500 record twice in 2019 and again in 2021, which currently stands at 3:47.89. He also holds the world record in the 5,000 metres, also set in 2021.
‘That’s why I do all these things’
His achievements have already served as powerful inspiration, with a young athlete from Norway now competing on the international stage after looking up to Riech.
Skjalg Kongssund, a T38 runner with CP, sent Riech an Instagram message when he was 13 to let him know he was a “great inspiration”. Riech encouraged him to pursue his dream, and this year the now 17-year-old stood next to his inspiration at the Grand Prix in Dubai.
Such stories fuel Riech’s fire as he continues to reach new heights on the track.
“That’s why I’m still in the sport. That’s why I’m still doing it,” said Riech. “That’s why I get up every morning at 7 am alone to go to training.
It could be the first of many inspirational stories to emerge from Riech’s journey as he continues to break new ground at the highest level of para-athletics.
“When you look at the journey he had to go on and how relentless he was in his pursuit when he came back, he was told on several occasions that there are things that wouldn’t be feasible in his life and he got all of that out of the park beaten,” said Heather Hennigar, his coach since 2018.
“He wants people, anyone in his situation, to know that challenges can be overcome.”
LOOK | Riech wins world title and sets measurement record in 2019:
Victoria’s Nate Riech ran a 4:02.04 to set the championship record and took gold in the men’s 1500m T38.
Riech comes from an impressive line of athletes, but he has carved out his own path by turning a life-changing injury into a triumph.
His grandfather Jim Harrison played in the NHL for Toronto, Chicago and Boston. His father Todd competed in the javelin throw for the US at the 1996 Olympics, while his mother Ardin Tucker was a pole vaulter for Canada.
“Of course my injury was super bad and the biggest thing that ever happened to me in my life, but I’m really glad it happened because it taught me so many things. It allowed me to pave my own path that’s completely different,” Riech said.
Difficulty getting a shoe deal
Despite all the success, Riech has been unable to land a shoe sponsor, something that could bring even more exposure and help share his journey with other people facing similar challenges.
It is also something he has always dreamed of.
“That’s always been a thing on my bucket list,” Riech said. “My biological father was sponsored by Nike and Adidas, so I’ve always wanted those.”
Riech shared a rejected sponsorship application on Twitter earlier this year, something that was nothing new to him.
I’ve been looking for a shoe sponsor for several years – no matter where I apply, it doesn’t happen. Definitely not frustrated with ON, I think they are one of the best brands out there, but I’m definitely a little sick of companies saying they want to support “Para athletes”. pic.twitter.com/doiFKHkPzW
“When I got into the Paralympic atmosphere, they said, ‘You have to win these races.’ Perfect. I checked them all off. But still, I talk to them and it’s ‘Oh, your story isn’t good enough. You don’t have enough followers.'”
But if the past is a prologue, Riech will cross that goal off his list, like all the others before it, and continue to add new ones.
“One of the cool things about Nate is that he sets goals, but once he achieves them, he’s like ‘well, I had this goal too.’ He is not resting on his laurels,” said Hennigar.
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