Sundquist makes statement about disability and creativity with fun Halloween costumes
US Paralympian Josh Sundquist has created fun Halloween costumes for over a decade 31 Oct 2024Halloween is a special day for U.S. Paralympian Josh Sundquist. From being a firefighter sliding down a pole to a pink flamingo, he spends half of the year creating a costume that is a "statement about disability and creativity."
This year, Sundquist, who is a left-leg amputee, will be dressed as a red inflatable tube man when he goes trick-or-treating in his neighborhood with his wife, Ashley, and their one-year-old son.
"I want my costumes to be something that only I could wear. For me, that is kind of the point, and that is what is interesting to me as a creative challenge," Sundquist said during a TikTok live with @Paralympics.
"That's why they are always made for exactly my shape, exactly my body. I want people to be like, 'Wow, how does he fit into that? How does the costume work?'"
“I’m proud to move the narrative around (disability) in whatever small way I can.”
My burning passion for one-legged Halloween costumes continues pic.twitter.com/AkWhnx1kRw
— Josh Sundquist (@JoshSundquist) October 31, 2023
From the slopes to the spotlight
Sundquist competed in Para alpine skiing at the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games.
He is now a comedian, an award-winning author, a motivational speaker, a husband, and a father. But people may associate him with his "adaptive costumes," which he first created in 2010. He has a huge collection of costumes in his basement. It all started when he dressed up as a partially eaten gingerbread man to make his friends laugh.
Since then, he has dressed up as Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, and Lumière from Beauty and the Beast, all made possible by the unique shape of his body.
The creation process usually takes six months, and he works with a prop maker to turn his ideas into actual costumes.
"I try to think of it as six months on and six months off. I spend a lot of time thinking actively about Halloween and getting ready for it," he said.
"After Halloween, I think, 'Oh, cool. I'm not going to think about this for six months,' but I still do. Of course, I'm always thinking of costume ideas and writing them down. I have lots of ideas."
One of his favorites is a pink flamingo costume from 2013.
"The flamingo was so uncanny, just the way it looks like a flamingo, and it's just so interesting to look at. I think I'll never top that, as far as how it was surprising, weird, and uncanny."
He added, "But the costume was not practical at all. I'm doing a crutch handstand. I can't go to a party with a crutch handstand and walk around on my hands and chat with people."
Now he is putting more focus on durability and functionality, making sure he can actually walk and enjoy the day.
Creating change, one costume at a time
This year, he will walk around his neighborhood as an inflatable tube man, often used to advertise businesses. Halloween has become a special occasion for the Sundquists—Ashley will join him as a for-sale sign, and their son will be a used car salesman.
"I grew up in a family that didn't celebrate Halloween at all, so it's super iconic that Halloween is such a good part of my life now," Sundquist said.
"I think the inflatable tube men that advertise local businesses are so iconic and fun, and they've always struck me as being one-legged creatures. I felt I should celebrate them with this costume."
@josh.sundquist My 2024 Halloween Costume The perfect costume to promote a half-off sale #halloweencostume #halloween ♬ Somebody's Watching Me - Single Version - Rockwell
More than a decade after coming up with his first "adaptive costume," Sundquist has seen the change he has created.
Two years ago, he was shopping at a mall with his brother and wife, Ashley. There, a female clerk saw him and asked if he wears funny Halloween costumes every year.
When Sundquist told her that he does, she said, “Oh, that’s really awesome. There’s this guy that you should check out.” She told him about a content creator who dressed up as a flamingo, a leg lamp, and other costumes that Sundquist had worn in the past.
This allowed him to see the change he made regarding perception toward people with disabilities, especially amputees.
“People think of something sad or tragic or horrible, or something grotesque or gruesome,” he said when sharing how he lost his leg due to cancer.
“Some people are just uncomfortable around someone with a disability. They don’t know how to act or think they need to act in some special way, which of course they don’t," he said. “But this girl saw me, and instead of thinking about any of that, her first thought when she saw a one-legged guy was funny costumes.”
“I was like, wow, this is the most tangible proof I’ve ever seen of my life having an impact, specifically the costumes having an impact. I’m very proud to have been a part of impacting her perception of disability in that way. And I hope that my costumes do that for other people as well.”
Paralympian, comedian, author and Halloween enthusiast @JoshSundquist makes statements about disability and creativity with fun Halloween costumes. 🎃
— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) October 31, 2024
Get to know more about Josh's Halloween journey ➡️ https://t.co/YlvGJO9B7H pic.twitter.com/7zcYrBvwLa
A Paralympic dream
It has been nearly two decades since the Torino 2006 Paralympics. He still remembers how staying at the Paralympic Village with athletes from around the world felt like a "dream" while it took some time to get used to.
@paralympics We are going LIVE with the King of Halloween TODAY 🎃
♬ DANCE DANCE DANCE X HUNG UP - ALTÉGO
He sees the growth of the Paralympic Movement and enjoys supporting athletes on TV or reading about their achievements.
“I love watching Paralympic coverage on TV,” he said. “When I was at the Paralympics, there wasn’t any, and there was an internet stream that you could potentially watch on your computer.
"Now, I would say there is substantial coverage of the Paralympics both on TV, and I saw a lot in the newspaper this year about the Paralympics and the events that were happening. There were a lot of articles and coverage, which I thought was really cool.
“I love to see what’s happening next in the Paralympic Movement.”