ANKENY, Iowa —

When 24-year-old Justin Phongsavanh was shot and left paralyzed from the waist down back in 2015, he never dreamed it would be the start of a journey taking him across the world.

"I never thought that I would be an elite athlete," Phongsavanh said. "I never thought I would be in a wheelchair."

Justin was shot in an Ankeny, Iowa, McDonald's parking lot in October of 2015. Police told sister station KCCI back then the man who shot Phongsavanh and his friend was a stranger who did it after being upset with their "poor behavior" that night in the restaurant.

The bullet hit Phongsavanh's spine.

"If I do drive by the place where everything happened, it doesn't really bring up any bad emotions or anything," Phongsavanh said.

Fast forward six years later, Phongsavanh has accomplished a lot. He won a gold medal at the PanAmerican Games, placed 4th at the world championships, and recently broke a world record in seated javelin throwing with a throw of 33.29m.

Phongsavanh moved to San Diego in 2019 to train hard, but recalls his love for Paralympic Track & Field starting in his home state with Adaptive Sports Iowa.

"He started out in our Track and Field program and decided it was totally for him," said Adaptive Sports Director Hannah Lundeen.

Mike Boone was the director who got Phongsavanh hooked on the sport. Boone handed him the gear he needed, which is what Adaptive Sports Iowa does for anyone in their program.

The organization offers nine sports and has around 300 Iowans taking part in them this year.

"It's really exciting just to be able to plant that seed and tell them like yes, you can do any sport that you want to and then see them just run with it and have a blast," Lundeen said.

When Phongsavanh took what he learned from Adaptive Sports Iowa, he didn't know what to expect but now he's a Paralympian.

"We train just as hard as the Olympians. We train in the same facilities," Phongsavanh said. "We were on the same stage."

Phongsavanh will travel to Tokyo without his loved ones by his side due to pandemic restrictions. He's disappointed about that but more than anything he's excited about this opportunity.

He said it's not about making a name for himself, it's about sharing his message in hopes of encouraging others.

"Don't give up," he said. "Life does not end because a situation has changed."

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Olympic and Paralympic athletes across the globe faced massive disappointment in 2020, when the pandemic postponed the Tokyo games. And while it may have stalled the dreams of many, it didn’t make them fade away.

“I won silver in London. I won Gold in Mexico City and Berlin, Germany,” said Lawrence Sapp.

Sapp is a world champion swimmer. Like most world class athletes, he's been honing his craft nearly his whole life.

“I’ve been started swimming since I was four, competing since I was 11 and 12,” he said.

But unlike most athletes, he hasn’t had a traditional path.

“My coach, to learn how to swim, like a doggy paddle,” said Sapp.

When Sapp was two years old, he was diagnosed with a developmental delay. That was later determined to be autism.

Now, he’s finishing his freshman year at the University of Cincinnati, but in all likelihood, his workload will get a lot heavier this summer. It’s almost a certainty he’s headed to Tokyo for the Paralympic games.

“It was coronavirus, got hit. We all had to go home, keep it safe to stay healthy. It’s really disappointing they moved the 2020 to 2021 for this year,” said Sapp.

But now Sapp is back in the pool, working hard as he aims to bring home gold in Tokyo.

“He always shows up ready to work hard and get better,” said one of his student coaches, Sheridan Ave.

His hard work shows. It’s something his university is proud of, proud to support him in and out of the pool.

“He’s an outstanding student. He’s a great addition to the university and has a passion and gift for swimming,” said Jan Goings, who runs the Transition and Access Program (TAP).

“We are a four-year college program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said Goings.

Sapp is one of about 40 students enrolled in TAP.

He hopes to make his classmates proud when he competes in Tokyo.

“Just swim really hard, good break outs, and good starts,” said Sapp.

Goings has worked in this field for a long time.

“It has changed dramatically. The fact that universities have opened themselves to say, 'we’re here to educate all students.' So, all does mean all,” said Goings.

Institutions like the University of Cincinnati and competitions like the Paralympic games are making sure that all have a chance to show their best.

Sapp plans to show his.

“Just got to get on, be ready to race in a different country. I’ll be ready bring it on for Tokyo,” he said.