Miles Krajewski: ‘I want to help make badminton mainstream in the US'

Miles Krajewski is a five-time Pan American Para badminton champion, reigning world champion and a Paralympic silver medallist, which he is hoping to upgrade to gold at LA28.

But the one memory that will stick with him “for the rest of my life” is the correspondence he received from a fan after he stood on the podium at Paris 2024.

It was a message and photos he received from a fan living in Los Angeles, USA, who was born with short stature.

“The Halloween after I won the medal, he wanted to dress up like me. And he dressed up exactly like me and sent me photos. It almost made me cry thinking about how much I meant to someone.

“I've always wanted to become a role model for somebody, but I didn't expect it to come at such a young age. After the Paralympics, I started getting text messages and mail, telling me that I'm a role model for them, for their kids... it's truly heartwarming and a blessing that people think of me that way.”

To the Paralympic stage

Young he may be, but Krajewski - who turns 21 at the end of June - is actually something of a veteran. Born the second eldest of six children, including younger triplets, and raised in South Dakota, Krajewski has had a competitive edge for as long as he can remember.

“I grew up knowing I was a bit different from everybody else. But that was the nice thing about living in such a small community; everybody knew each other, and my parents raised me like every other child, allowing me to play different sports, which I loved. I didn't think of height being a disadvantage," said Krajewski, who was born with short stature. 

“Me and my siblings were all very competitive growing up, whether it be sports or board games. We were always at each other's throats if somebody was cheating, if somebody was winning who shouldn't be.”

But while most 11-year-olds are entering adolescence, Krajewski was already winning his first international senior titles, the men's singles and men's doubles at the Medellin 2016 Parapan American Championships.

“I started playing badminton, I enjoyed the sport a lot, then, at the ripe old age of 10, when I found out it was going to be at the Paralympic Games, I told my family I wanted to compete.”

Para badminton made its historic Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020.  Years before that, Krajewski started ‘manifesting’ competing on the biggest stage with the world’s best athletes.

“But for Tokyo I missed out by one spot. That allowed me to come back stronger for the next Paralympics.”

Three years later, he made history at Paris 2024, claiming silver in the mixed doubles alongside Jayci Simon in the SH6 category. It was the USA’s first Olympic or Paralympic medal in the sport. 

Off the court, he said he got to hangout with Bonafide US Paralympic stars such as Hunter Woodhall and Oksana Masters in the Paralympic Village.  

But what he remembers most is the crowd at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena. 

“I don't even know how do describe it," he said.  

“The crowd and the scrutiny was a lot bigger than anything I had ever experienced before. 

“There was a decent crowd in Chile for the Pan Am Games in 2023, but nowhere close to Paris. It was amazing to have that type of crowd and feed off that energy. That really helped me perform as well as I did.” 

Aiming for the 'triple crown' 

He went one better earlier this year in Manama, Bahrain, where he became his country's first-ever Para badminton world champion in the men's singles. 

“I have been chasing those dreams for so long now,” he said. “I was so overwhelmed with joy when I finally made the Paralympics, and also being a world champion... those are things I've dreamed about for more than half my life - and I've finally been able to accomplish them.

“In Paris, I was content I medalled, so I didn't have that drive that I did in the World Championship - I was there to win gold, I didn't even think about what would happen if I won silver.”

Men's singles gold will be his sole focus in LA, too, allied with the need to manage his workload following a knee injury as he balances training full time with studying for a degree in business administration. 

And while his success so far has opened the doors of exposure and sponsorship in the United States, completing the "triple crown" of continental, world and Paralympic titles on home soil will could blow the hinges off. 

“Sometimes, I've thought about what it's going to be like, running scenarios through my head,” he admitted. "Because people from South Dakota are coming up to me already, saying, 'looking forward to seeing you, can't wait to come watch you in LA'.”

The LA28 Paralympic Games, which take place from 15-27 August 2028, will feature 16 Para badminton medal events.

“I think winning gold would really light the fuse to growing the sport in the US, people with different disabilities wanting to come and try it. People that didn't know it was a sport wanting to come and try it. I hope eventually that I will be able to help make it a mainstream sport. 

“And I hope that I can continue being a role model. I want to show kids the light of what sports can bring to them.”

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