Josh Leidner, age 15

1. What town are you from?  

Boxford

2. How long have you been with Adaptive Sports New England, and what sport(s) do you play? 

I have been doing track with Adaptive Sports New England since 2019. Some other sports I do with ASNE are Football, and Basketball.

3. What’s your favorite thing about coming to practice? 

My favorite thing about coming to practice is that we all have the same love for sports, and nobody lets their disability stop them from playing.

4. Outside of sports, what do you love to do? What are you into? 

Outside of sports I like to go fishing, skiing, hunting and explore the woods on my four wheeler.

5. What’s a moment this year that made you really proud? 

A moment this year that made me feel proud was qualifying for Nationals in Michigan. I’ve worked really hard for it, so it feels great to have the chance to compete there.

6. What would you tell another young athlete who’s thinking about trying it?

Just go for it because you never know what you can accomplish until you try. I’ve met a lot of great people, improved as an athlete, and even qualified for Nationals.

7. What’s one thing you want to do or try next?

Some things I want to try are the longer races like the 1 Mile and I would also like to try road racing.

8. Anything else you want to share that we didn’t ask? 

I’m also in the Arboriculture program at Essex Tech. I’ve been interested in trees since I was young, so it’s been really fun learning more about it and building new skills. I also have a Great Dane service dog, she helps me with pulling my wheelchair and providing support while walking. I’ve had her since I was in 4th grade, and she’s been an important part of my life ever since.