Paralympic table tennis player finds his confidence with help of his family

PARIS — Ian Seidenfeld remembers the feeling of winning his gold medal in the Class 6 men’s singles in Tokyo. 

He entered the Tokyo Games stressed, insecure and unsure if he belonged at the Paralympics. He didn’t know what to do or how to react. Those uneasy feelings were gone once he reached the top of his sport. Getting to celebrate with his family after earning a gold medal was “euphoric” for Seidenfeld. 

It is a feeling he is chasing at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. 

“It's a long time since I've won the gold medal, so I definitely want to feel that again to be able to win,” Seidenfeld said on Tuesday. “So basically everything I've done before doesn't really matter much.”

Seidenfeld, a native of Lakeville, Minnesota, and alum of Minnesota-Twin Cities will have the opportunity to earn another gold medal when para table tennis play begins in Paris with doubles play. 

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Seidenfeld’s approach to training for Paris has been a little unconventional. He’s prioritized having fun and said that part of the equation has been not taking himself too seriously. 

“Having fun is being able to smile a lot, laugh a lot, and be able to admire my great shots as well as other people's great shots,” Seidenfeld said. “Knowing that we're all getting better and that's really a lot of fun to improve and see that improvement with my training partners and myself.”

The other part of having fun for Seidenfeld is spending more time with his family — namely his father and former Paralympian Mitchell. His dad has been there every step of the way, and Seidenfeld gives him a lot of credit for his accomplishments. 

Mitchell, who also acts as a coach for Team USA, began a coaching program that Seidenfeld joined when he was 5, starting the path down international success.

“I don't think I'd do anything of consequence without my dad,” Seidenfeld said. “He's been helpful mentally as well as teaching me how to play the game of table tennis and kind of prepared for life. So he's everything along with my mom and sister.”

With the support of his family, Seidenfeld is heading into his second Paralympics with a lot more confidence than in his first in Tokyo. The insecurities that he worried about in 2020 have dissipated. He’s no longer stressed but looks to just have fun.

Seidenfeld knows what to do coming into the Games this time around, and he knows how competitive the field will be in his Class 6 classification. But the feeling of winning the gold medal, and the support from his family, is leading Seidenfeld to strive for even more success in 2024. 

“It's a lot more confidence and joy and being able to have a lot more fun this time around,” Seidenfeld said. “Kind of taking everything in in a more mature way — especially being three years older.”