Josh Pauls ’16 is the only five-time Paralympic gold medalist in sled hockey history. During his time at Lindenwood University, many students knew him for making sandwiches in Evans Commons. That balance between international competition and campus life became part of the Lindenwood experience that helped shape Pauls’ path.
Pauls grew up in a hockey-loving family in New Jersey. Pauls wanted to play the sport, but having grown up without the lower part of both legs meant traditional skating was not possible. Sled hockey gave Pauls a way into the sport, and he fell in love with the game. At 17, Pauls made his Paralympic debut at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Pauls won gold with Team USA and began a streak of five consecutive Paralympic gold medals.
A teammate first introduced Pauls to Lindenwood. The University offered him scholarship support and the opportunity to train with Team USA goalie Steve Cash, who lived in the St. Louis area. At the University, Pauls became a founding member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He credited the fraternity with preparing him to lead by example as a captain for Team USA, while his work at Evans Commons made him a familiar face to classmates. Many students knew him more for making sandwiches than for being an elite athlete.
Pauls’ Lindenwood experience helped him navigate the challenges of managing his Team USA commitment alongside classes and his personal life. He remembers taking USA Hockey letters to his professors, requesting time away from class. Like his fraternity responsibilities, the demands of Team USA travel helped Pauls learn how to manage multiple commitments while staying accountable to the people around him.
Pauls advises students who are still finding their path to “treat your journey like a highway.” He said, “you just got to keep moving. Whether you have to get off on the exit, turn around, and go back the other direction, just keep moving.” He encourages students to take action, saying that it is the best way to find out which direction to go.
Lindenwood stands out to Pauls as one of the choices he is most proud of. As an athlete, he said the University gave him the ice time and support he needed to keep developing. Personally, Pauls met his future wife at the University. When thinking about what would have happened if he did not attend Lindenwood, Pauls said, “I don’t know where I’d be.” He explained, “going to Lindenwood was just the one thing that ties everything together” and what pushed him toward who he would become.