By Louis Fernandez, WRAL Sports

Say hello to the Beasley family. Five kids, six grandkids. When they all get together, things get loud.

“Chaotic, it’s fun, it’s never boring,” said father Anthony Beasley.

Some of the loudest sounds come from the garage. There’s a net set up against a wall with a few too many dents. You’ll find youngest sons, Kayden and Caleb, doing what they love – playing hockey.

Get some ice under them and its sled hockey all the way with the Carolina Hurricanes Sled Hockey team.

“There’s definitely a competitive spirit there, we push each other, we definitely are hitting each other every practice, tripping each other,” said 19-year-old Caleb Beasley.

Youngest of them all is 18-year-old Kayden. He started playing the adaptive sport in 2019, nearly five years to the day he first touched the ice Kayden skated in the Czech Republic, scoring his first goal for Team USA.

Getting a call up to the national team was a whirlwind of an experience. Kayden says it didn’t feel real until right before puck drop.

“It all sank in more when they started playing the national anthem,” he said.

“When we stood for the national anthem and we looked out and saw Kayden on center ice,” mother Amy Beasley said, “to see our son representing the United States of America playing sled hockey, it was surreal, to be real honest with you.”

Let’s rewind, how did the Beasley’s get here?

Caleb and Kayden were adopted a couple of years apart from the same adoption agency in China.

“They are not biological brothers, but they are brothers in every sense of the word,” Amy said with tears in her eyes. “Our lives are richer and better, because they’re a part of it.”

Kayden is a double-leg amputee above the knees.

“I was born without legs. I don’t know anything different at this point. I try to not think about it, but I don’t care at this point,” Kayden said.

The youngest Beasley is a literal world-class athlete, whose story is just beginning.

“It’s his story to tell and I think he’s doing an incredible job with it and nothing slows him down,” said his mother. “And his attitude, if the world could have the attitude that Kayden’s got, what an incredible world it would be.”

To think it all started with a trip to the ice rink at the Carolina Hurricanes Sled Hockey team.

“There’s a sense of belonging for a group of people who don’t always feel just like everybody else and the benefit of that is hard to measure,” Anthony said.

“It’s just been a cool testament to the fact that family is all about love,” Caleb said with a smile.

Kayden’s dream is to play in the 2026 Paralympics in Italy.

Source: wralsportsfan.com