WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Grant Pierce, a senior at Northeast Magnet High School, was surprised in class on Wednesday, Aug. 17, with the announcement that he made the U.S. Paralympic Team.

“Once I saw the cameras come in, I figured something was going on, but I figured it was just something about the class,” said Pierce. “And then once I saw my family and stuff came in, I was just really surprised, and I wasn’t expecting it at all.”

Pierce says he has been training for the past seven years.

“The past few years specifically, I’ve really decided that I want to take my athletics to the next level and really pursue this as a serious adventure and so training year-round in track and other athletics and just pursuing myself as an athlete and really making it my goal and making it my target to be a Paralympian and to be a successful athlete,” Pierce said.

He says he is feeling good about this accomplishment.

“It’s obviously a huge pat on the back and a huge motivator for the future. You obviously want to keep going, and this is a good indicator that my hard work is paying off,” said Pierce. “I’m very happy with it with my performance and obviously with the selection, so I’m very fortunate, very grateful and also very proud of myself.”

Pierce says after competing in the international Wheelchair and Amputee Sports (IWAS) World Games in Portugal and graduating high school, he wants to further his education to become a reconstructive/plastic surgeon and compete in collegiate sports.

So far, Pierce says he has received offers to compete in track for both the University of Arizona and the University of Illinois.