Olympic and Paralympic Stars Dance Together for First Time

Two champions who've already conquered the world's biggest stages are about to take on their toughest challenge yet: the dance floor.

Figure skating star Amber Glenn and Para track and field athlete Ezra Frech will compete on Dancing with the Stars season 35, marking the first time Olympic and Paralympic champions have competed during the same season. The show premieres September 15.

Glenn, 26, just won gold for Team USA at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics and placed fifth in women's singles. She'll partner with professional dancer Pasha Pashkov while balancing her upcoming Grand Prix skating season starting in November.

Frech brings his own golden credentials. The T63 sprinter and high jumper won two gold medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and is the first Paralympian to appear on the show in eight years. He'll dance alongside professional partner Daniella Karagach.

The timing could get interesting for Glenn. If she makes it to the finals in early December, it would overlap with the 2026 Grand Prix Final. Most of the ten figure skaters who previously competed on the show had already retired, with Johnny Weir being the last active competitor in 2020.

Why This Inspires

This season represents a quiet but powerful shift in how we celebrate athletic excellence. For years, Olympic and Paralympic athletes competed in separate worlds, rarely sharing the same platforms or primetime slots. Now they're dancing side by side, competing for the same trophy.

Glenn has the chance to join an elite club. If she wins the Mirrorball trophy, she'd become the fourth figure skater to claim victory, following Olympic medalists Kristi Yamaguchi, Meryl Davis, and Adam Rippon.

But the real victory might already be won: two champions from different backgrounds proving that excellence comes in many forms, all worthy of the same spotlight and celebration.