“He would be such a good athlete if he had two legs.”
the motivation Arey used to become an elite adaptive athlete
when Carter Arey was born with a rare and complex condition, Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency. The upper part of his femur bone was malformed, causing one leg to be shorter than the other.
The Areys turned to Shriners Hospital for answers and for a couple of years, Arey wore a brace with height added to make up for the difference. But, eventually the difference was too significant.
After talks with doctors and parents of other children with PFFD, the decision was made to amputate Arey’s foot.
the story began
never stopped. He played soccer, baseball and basketball as a child, dreaming of playing for The University of Missouri one day. He continued with baseball and basketball into high school, but when it came time to think about college, Arey realized that he wouldn’t ever become a D1 college athlete.
the athlete in him
“if only he had two legs. He would’ve been such a good athlete.”
one day when Arey used a friend’s student ID to sneak into the University of Missouri’s rec center to play basketball.
While playing, he was approached by Ronald Lykins, the head coach of the Men’s Wheelchair Basketball team, who had noticed his prosthetic leg.
Arey had never even sat in a sport wheelchair, but the coach brought one out and Arey tried shooting free throws. It was rough, but Lykins saw promise.
all of that changed
in that very moment. Two days later, Arey was on a full ride scholarship playing Wheelchair Basketball at his dream school.
Finally, the playing field was equal.
With this, Arey fully committed himself to becoming an elite athlete. Not only would he become the Mizzou Most Valuable Player three times and the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Player of The Year, after just two years in the sport, he took it all the way to the top, securing a spot on the final roster of Team USA’s Wheelchair Basketball Team.
the dream was born
was exactly what Arey was living playing for both Mizzou and Team USA simultaneously.
During his years with Team USA, they won the Gold Medal at the 2013 Americas Cup, and the Silver Medal at the 2014 Incheon World Wheelchair Basketball Championship, traveling all over the world.
By 2015, Arey was physically and mentally tired. He officially retired from Wheelchair Basketball and for the first time in 5 years, rested.
life in the fast lane
Arey got married and together, him and his wife welcomed two children.
A former college golfer herself, Arey’s wife encouraged him to get out on the course more often and soon enough, they were spending most of their time there.
easing into a normal life,
here and there in various benefits or club events, until in 2022 he saw something that sparked an interest: The US Adaptive Open at Pinehurst.
Immediately, he began researching how to qualify for the event and found that he needed to play other regional adaptive events for consideration.
So, in 2022, Arey had fully returned as an athlete and he never looked back. With a successful season, he soon found himself nationally and world ranked.
Arey continues to play in events across the country as he sets his sights on the top of leaderboards with his wife as his caddie. Just as he always has, Arey continues to disrupt the industry, pushing the limits of adaptive sports. He is an advocate for various adaptive organizations, especially Shriners Hospital.
