by Caroline Polen

The Paralympics are a major sporting event for athletes with disabilities. They are held every four years, shortly after the Olympics end.

The Paralympics include a wide range of sports adapted for athletes with various physical, intellectual, and visual impairments. The goal of the Paralympics is to promote inclusivity. They offer a platform for athletes with disabilities to show off their skills. Athletes compete at the highest level of their ability.

Bryon Branch, a former police officer, is a talented wheelchair fencer. He has competed all around the world.

Branch lost his leg while on duty in December 2016. A car spun out of control and hit his patrol car when he was dealing with a semi driver. The driver went off the icy road. He also suffered from a head wound, broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and four of his front teeth were knocked out.

He returned to light duty seven months after his injury. He was back to patrolling about a year after he had been injured. 

Branch holds a special connection to Bellbrook. His sister-in-law, Lyla Dircksen, is a freshman at Bellbrook High School and went to Paris to watch her brother-in-law compete. “He’s been fencing since I was little,” Dircksen said. “Progressing and going to a national competition that is known worldwide made both me and my family very proud.”