] “A reporter who interviewed me at the Closing Ceremonies told me, ‘You came here an unknown and now you go home a hero,’” Paul says. “I thought that was interesting, because I was in France and unaware of how my journey was unfolding on U.S. television. It wasn’t until I stepped off the plane that I realized people considered me a hero. They were changed by my story. They were changed by the fact that I was able to persevere and win the silver medal even though almost everyone had counted me out.”