PROFILE

ABOUT JOSH PAULS

Josh Pauls is the current Captain of Team USA Paralympic Hockey team and was the youngest player to ever join the the team.

After being born without tibia bones and having his legs amputated at ten months old, Josh has turned a perceived disability into a successful hockey career. His parents built him a solid foundation, never letting his use of prosthetics hold him back from doing chores or just being a kid.

The foundation his parents built for him compounded once he found sled hockey and became the youngest member of the team in 2008-09 at fifteen years old.

Finding a sport in which he could not just compete, but excel in was life changing, even if the first few years on the team were mainly spent riding the bench. Through a network of coaches and mentors on the team, Josh worked his way through sheer willpower to become a go-to player for the US totaling 116 points in 150 games with the team.

Josh Pauls, Captain, Team USA Paralympic Hockey

Overcoming Adversity

All this success didn’t come without setbacks.

Prior to the 2010 Paralympic team being selected, Josh was cut in favor of older, more experienced players.

Never being one to quit, Josh worked his way back onto the team and was once again the youngest member of the gold medal winning squad at the 2010 Paralympic Games, where the team didn’t concede a single goal.  Josh has been a staple player ever since.

Prior to the 2018 Paralympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, Josh was named team captain, a role he has served in the past two seasons.

As captain, he has led the team to two thrilling gold medal winning overtime victories.

1. The first came after the team tied the game with 37 seconds on the clock in Korea.
2. The second came at the 2019 World Championships as the team came from behind twice, with Josh igniting the comeback with the US’s first goal, before winning in overtime.

Josh has also been involved in coaching, serving as an assistant for local high school teams in the St. Louis area and as a guest coach with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program evaluation camp.

Josh Pauls, Gold Medalist Keynote Speaker

Josh Pauls is a phenomenal choice as keynote speaker for any organization looking for a speaker with an edge and unique perspective on life.  Below are the main speaking topics Pauls addresses with organizations he works with.

• No legs, no problem: Make overcoming obstacles and tackling adversity a routine task. Leverage your assets and become the best version of you.
• Championship habits: Go in depth with the small, everyday habits that can help you become a championship-caliber performer.
• Captain America: Learn how to guide your team to gold, right down to the closing seconds.
• Infuse, don’t just include: Disabilities are everywhere around us, but learning to focus on the person, not the impairment, can make everyone feel welcome.
• Gold or bust: All championship teams have certain aspects in common. Put together a winning game plan to give your team the best chance at success.

Whether you’re looking to inspire your sales team, or have a talk on diversity and inclusion, Josh Pauls brings strong perspective paired with an amazing life story.

Josh Pauls Significant Achievements

HOW TO PARTNER WITH JOSH

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