About

Oscar “Oz” Sanchez is no stranger to overcoming adversity.  Oz was born in 1975 and raised in Los Angeles, California. By the time he graduated high school he was involved with gangs and street life. In 1996, Oz turned his life around when he joined the Marine Corps and entered into the Marine Recon units (Special Forces).  He attained the rank of Sergeant, visited over fourteen different countries, and was twice deployed to the Middle East and other hostile arenas.

 

After nearly six years with the Marines, he transferred to the Navy to operate as a Navy Seal. In July 2001, during the time of his transfer between branches, Oz’s life changed forever when he was involved in a motorcycle accident which resulted in a spinal cord injury (SCI) and the inevitable paralysis and neurological complications associated with SCI.

 

After the accident, the biggest fear Oz faced was how he would define himself given his new physical limitations. He worked on developing both a renewed sense of identity and a transformed perception on life. He managed to pull out of post-injury depression, took a proactive approach to life, and once again “took the bull by the horns.”

 

Oz devoted himself to his educational studies and in 2006 he graduated from SDSU with a degree in business administration and a minor in public communications.  He eventually wants to return to SDSU to earn his master’s degree.

 

He is still a competitive athlete in the adaptive sports of handcycling and triathlons. He is currently an elite level athlete with the U.S. Paralympics cycling team.  Oz is currently ranked number one nationally and within the top three internationally. Oz recently won Gold  and Bronze in Beijing, China at the 2008 Paralympic games. The Bronze was in the Road Race and the Gold was for the  Time Trial giving him the title of the “world’s fastest man on a handcycle.”

 

Oz is also an official spokesperson/elite athlete for both the U.S. Paralympics committee and the Challenged Athlete Foundation’s (CAF) “Operation Rebound” program. Operation Rebound provides post-rehabilitation support and mentoring to American service members who have suffered permanent physical injuries as a result of the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Oz feels his accomplishments would be best utilized in this arena and also has a personal desire to support such a cause.

 

Oscar “Oz” Sanchez is a man who doesn’t know the meaning of quitting. Despite being severely injured, Oz is a devoted athlete who trains in the gym, handcycle, and race chair daily. “Everybody can achieve their dreams. My dream was to do both my two careers simultaneously- my athletic career and my professional career. Once I accomplished that I was able to set my sights on Beijing. I accomplished my goal of Gold at the Paralympic games and am now looking for my next challenge…Triathlons and motivational speaking!”