SUBMITTED PHOTO Samuel Winter and Isabelle Hogness are preparing to attend the Paralympic Track and Field trials in Miramar, Florida, on July 18-20.

It’s an olympic year once again and many will be watching as the world’s largest sporting event takes center stage once more. Dreams will come true as athletes from all over the world: different cultures, backgrounds, ethnicity, size and beliefs compete to make their dreams come true. Some will turn hard work to success, others will turn the impossible into possible and become champions along the way while defying the odds shouted out by naysayers.

As the 2024 games get underway we will also get to see some of the more courageous people in society put it all on the line as the Paralympic Games will be in action from August 28 to September 8.

Among the para athletes that will compete in Paris, two of them will potentially be from North Dakota in Isabelle Hogness and Sam Winter. Hogness and Winter were among the 40 high school athletes named to the 2023 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field High School All- American List, recognizing the top paralympic eligible athletes based on their top performances in 2023.

The pair of speedsters have also qualified for the U.S. Paralympic Track and Field trials taking place at Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida July 18-20.

Hogness is from Horace and will be a senior at Horace High School in the 2024-2025 school year. Hogness has spina bifida and is a wheeled racer. She has been competing in the Triathlon since age 11 and has not shown any signs of slowing down ever since.Hogness is classified as a T54, which means she is a wheelchair racer.

The fast moving Hogness qualification for the National Team Trials comes under the Trials Entry Standards Junior. What Hogness has done in effect is turn lemons into lemonade and will be looking to reap more fruits of the labor by competing in the 100 meter, 400 and 800 events at the U.S. National Trials

Hogness’ first All-American selection was for the 1500 event as a part of the 2021 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field High School team.

In the 2024 season, Hogness competed at the US Para Track and Field National Championships at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, CA on March 24. Hogness also competed at the Great Lakes Games in Lake Forest, IL on June 15.

In a build up to the national trials, Hogness recently competed at the University of Michigan Miller Family Open on June 24.

Hogness personal best times are 19.78 in the 100, 1:07.78 in the 400 and 2:30.90 in the 800.

In 2020, Hogness was selected by the USA Triathlon and the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) to be a member of their inaugural Junior Paratriathlon development Programme, being one of only five members selected. A year later Hogness was selected again to be a member of the 2021 U.S. U23 Junior Paratriathlon Development team

While she has excelled at track and field, it is certainly not the only trick in her bag as Hogness was a member of the Moorehead-based Hope Hurricanes that won the 2024 Toyota USA Hockey Sled National Championships over Dallas Stars by a 2-1 score. Hogness played as a forward for the 2023 Team World in the Para Ice Hockey World Challenge, which had members from 12 different countries

Hogness was also selected as a member of Dare2tri 2024 Elite and Development Teams, where she was joined by 22 other athletes.

Hogness will be joined at the national trials by another two-sport athlete in “Superman Sam” Winter, whose nickname came by way of his speed both on the track and on the ice.

Winter just graduated from being homeschooled and competed in track and field for Des-Lacs Burlington/Berthold. Winter had a stroke at birth, has cerebral palsy and is an ambulatory athlete.

Winter is classified as a T36, which is an ambulatory athlete with cerebral palsy that affects his balance. Winter qualified for Team Trials under the Trials Entry Standard.

Winter will be competing in the 100, 400, long jump and shot put at the U.S.National Trials. The versatile para athlete enjoys all the events and does not put any above the others.

“I can’t pick one- I love them all. For Paralympic Trials I will be competing in the 100, 400, long jump and shot put,” said Winter. “I really enjoy competing and I love meeting new friends. The Para Track and Field Community is like a family. “

Winter personal best times are 13.23 in the 100, 59.50 in the 400. In field events Winter has a 4.95 mark in long jump and has an 8.56 mark in the shot put.

This has been a busy season for the well traveled Winter as he has competed at quite a number of known meets: US Para Track and Field National Championships, Texas Regionals, Dairyland Games, Glasa Games and University of Michigan.

Throughout his career as an athlete, Winter has had the opportunity to venture beyond borders to compete against top international athletes in his area of competition on different occasions. Winter was first selected to compete on the Move United USA team, at the 2022 International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation World Games in Portugal and was also a part of the 2023 team that competed in Thailand.

“It was a great experience to see other cultures and I really enjoyed meeting other athletes from all around the world,” said Winter. “I am looking forward to competing with them in the future. It was also a very special experience when my teammates or myself were on the podium and heard our national anthem.”

Winter athletic journey started after he joined Prairie Grit Adaptive Sports, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping youths and adults become the best version of themselves in the process of overcoming whatever disability they may have.

During the 2019 National trials, Winter finished first in all the events that he competed in at his age group, while capturing a few records along the way.

Perhaps something more important than just records and trophies are the things he’s learned and the experiences that make him an overall better person.

“I learn something new about myself from every meet I compete in,” said Winter. “Every meet is another step towards my goals. And it all pushes me to be a better athlete and a better version of myself.”

The upcoming trials will offer an opportunity for Winter to chase his dreams of making it to the Paralympics, a goal of his that was unfairly deprived in the 2020 cycle by the Covid-19 outbreak that canceled all activities relating to that year’s Tokyo Paralympic Games, that eventually took place in the year 2021.

“I am really excited to have qualified for my first team trials. It will be an awesome meet with the best Para Athletes in the United States. The level of this competition brings out the best in all the athletes and I am really excited to compete at this level,” said Winter. “I am looking forward to seeing how far I can push myself. I also enjoy cheering on the other athletes and how hard they have worked to get to this point. Even if I don’t make the team, this will be an incredible experience. “

Hogness and Winter both compete with the adaptive sports group Great Lakes Adaptive Sports (GLASA).

Currently, the training for Hogness and Winter entails having virtual meetings with their coaches and receiving feedback in regards to their performance in training.

“Both Isabelle and Sam are a part of Team GLASA (Great Lakes Adaptive Sports) based out of the Chicago area. Isabelle and Sam train virtually with Glasa.” said Becca Ann, the mother of Winter. “Isabelle sends videos of her training and gets feedback from Coach and Paralympian Amie Day (2000 Sydney Paralympic Games) Isabelle also does strength training with Sanford Power Fargo. Sam sends videos and texts with Glasa coaches Randy and Cindy Housner and also trains independently.”

Hogness and Winter have displayed that there aren’t a lot of obstacles that they aren’t and wouldn’t be able to overcome. Their mindset and approach to life in general have played great parts in them being successful athletes and stands as motivation for people with and without disability to never give up and be strong while chasing after their goals..

“Both of them have a good attitude that doesn’t let them quit. They are very eager to learn and very coach-able,” said Becca. “They are very determined to do their best and overcome any challenges that come their way.”

Beyond the possibility of going to the Paralympics, Hogness will be entering her senior year of high school this fall, after which, she’ll make her decisions on whether to continue competing at the collegiate level.

“There are several colleges I am considering that have excellent wheelchair race programs,” said Hogness. “I am still considering all options for my college experience, but I would like to compete with a college that has a Para track program.” said Winter.

Besides track & field and sled hockey, Hogness and Winter also spend time competing in other sports.

“For other Para Sports, Isabelle does Sled Hockey, Para Triathlon, and Para Nordic Skiing,” said Becca. “Sam does Sled Hockey and they both enjoy playing wheelchair sports (pickleball, tennis, basketball) and doing Para Surfing.”

Hogness and Winter will now turn their attention to the national trials in Florida, where they both have competed before on the extremely fast-paced surface track at the Ansin Sports Complex.