‘DWTS’ Ezra Frech Reveals Why Amy Purdy’s Support Means So Much

Ezra Frech opened up about how much he appreciates the support of Amy Purdy as he competes in Dancing with the Stars this year. It’s special because it’s much more than a competition, but represents Paralympians who face challenges.

Support Means So Much

Purdy was the very first double-amputee on the show, and that was way back in 2014. She was there to support him as he competed on the ABC show, and he definitely liked the fact that he was “fueled” by her presence.

In an exclusive interview with People, Ezra Frech said, “I have a lot of love for Amy…Getting her love each week is fueling.”

He continued by saying, “That’s a dear friend of mine…She and Noah [Galloway], and every person with a disability that’s been on the show, have paved the way for this to be possible so that kids can dream big, see somebody like themselves on the TV screen.”

Purdy Sees The Full Circle

Parade cited Purdy as writing, “Now I’m watching him on the show taking it to a whole new level. This is why representation matters. When you see it, you believe you can do it.”

She also feels happy that she was able to perform something that seemed unlikely at one stage, and that Ezra was motivated to go for it as well. She added that it feels inspiring to watch him compete in Dancing with the Stars after all these years.

She described it as a “full circle” moment. Frech responded by writing, “LOVE YOU!! Thank you for being there last night.”

Ezra’s Challenges

If you didn’t know, he chose a running blade prosthetic designed for track rather than walking, and he had to work really hard in rehearsal to control his dancing.

He was born with most of his left leg missing,and he faced the problem of his knee buckling during rehearsals. Pro-dancer Daniella Karagach changed the choreography to help him, but even so, during practice he sometimes left Karagach’s legs bruised.

Once, his prosthesis came off altogether, but despite his challenges, Ezra is doing okay. For example, they scored 21/30 and tied for first place with their cha-cha.

Fans Are Supportive

Apart from Amy Purdy supporting him on DWTS, many fans of the ABC show also support him. When the duo performed their premiere night tango, one fan in the YouTube comments wrote, “Ezra’s only 21, but the way he presents himself is so mature. Watching him dance is really inspiring.”

Here are a few more responses from the discussion:

• “for the first time in my life while seeing daniella dance with a partner, i watched the person she was dancing with instead of having my eyes glued on her the entire time. can’t wait to see ezra’s journey on this show.”
• “Daniella is the best partner for him. She’s going to make him shine this season, and he’s already starting off so good! This was incredible!”
• “Not gonna lie, this felt like a week 4 dance, he’s got STUFF. This is my favorite dance so far!”

Your thoughts on Ezra Frech getting so much support from Amy Purdy? Join the discussion and then come back for more Dancing with the Stars news and updates.