ENUMCLAW, Wash. — A heart-pumping race to the finish last Sunday sealed an Enumclaw father's comeback to the world stage of sports: Travis Gaertner is going back to the Paralympics to compete on Team USA.
"It came down to seconds, but I found out I made the Paralympic Games," said Gaertner.
Gaertner was born without legs, and in 2018 he decided to start training in handcycling, a form of paracycling. He said he was thrilled to learn he'd qualified this year for Paris.
"As much as I want to be a better 'me,' the amount of support from family, sponsors, friends, community, work-- they're what I think about when I'm out there," said Gaertner.
Gaertner already won two Paralympic gold medals roughly 20 years ago but for wheelchair basketball. After his 2000 and 2004 victories, he took a break to focus on building a family and a career.
"But I stayed fit during that timeframe. Fitness has always been very important to me," said Gaertner.
He added, "To be on the world stage and compete with the world's best, you have to train at the same level that an able-bodied athlete does."
While competing on the world stage takes a lot of grit, in Gaertner's case, he also has the courage to defy society's expectations. His competitiveness, he said, fueled him to get back into training for the Paralympics.
"There came a moment where I was 40 at the time... 'Do I keep going? Do I try for another four years and see if I can make it to Paris?" he said.
He is now 44 years old and is looking forward to having his wife and three children there to cheer him on this time around.
His middle school-aged daughter, June Gaertner, said, "We’re learning a little bit of French... I'm hoping that we'll be able to cheer for him a lot. And hopefully, we can get good seats so that we can see him real well."
Meanwhile, Gaertner is hoping that his kids-- and others who are watching-- learn a lesson of another kind.
"Not everything is going to be easy," said Gaertner. “But when you stretch yourself and do the hard thing, you're able to accomplish something.”
Gaertner is spending 15 hours per week training on his handcycle.
"Achieving new milestones and finding new ways to better myself," he said.
However, high-quality sporting equipment is pricey, especially in Paralympic sports, where vendors control a highly concentrated supply. A top-of-the-line handcycle costs more than $20,000.
"You can't just go to a bike store and buy a bike," he said. "You've got to order one that's very-- custom to you, and the market's much smaller, so the prices are a lot higher."
Despite this, Gaertner is hoping to maximize his performance by ensuring he has all the best equipment ahead of Paris. If you're interested in helping Gaertner reach his goal of winning a third gold medal in the Paralympic Games, you can join the more than 250 people who have donated to his GoFundMe so far.