Amazing story on an All American wrestler for Arizona State who has ONLY ONE LEG!

[cascadiance]

All of the hoopla about Obama's attempted joke about special olympics last week, that the right is still trying to gang up on him for.

I don't know if many of you watched the NCAA Wrestling Championships this weekend, but it was absolutely amazing that a gentleman named Anthony Robles finished as one of the TOP FOUR wrestlers in the country in his weight class, and got All American status, even though he was born with only one leg. My advice to Obama? Invite this guy to the White House!

If you watched the coverage of this guy wrestling, you'd have been absolutely amazing how he wrestled on an even basis with some of the top wrestlers / athletes in the country and beat most of them he faced in the championships this last weekend. Amazing accomplishment, and also an amazing young man, both in his abilities and his heart.



From:
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090320/BREAKING02/90320074

Arizona State wrestler, born with one leg, becomes NCAA All-American

By Gary Mihoces
USA TODAY

Arizona State sophomore Anthony Robles, born with one leg, fulfilled a dream Friday by becoming an All-American wrestler. He will have to wait until next season to continue his quest for an NCAA Division I individual championship.
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Robles was beaten 5-2 Friday night by top-seeded and unbeaten Paul Donahoe of Edinboro (Pa.) University in the semifinals of the NCAA championships in St. Louis.

Robles, who came into the tournament as the 12th seed, remained in contention for third place.

"I was super excited," Robles said on ESPN2 following the semifinal.

...

http://www.fightticker.com/story_0321090552_anthony_robles_earns_all_american_honors_one_legged_wrestler_nearly_makes_finals

[BlooInBloo]

1. Good for him!

EDIT: I wonder how many typical holds and such don't work so well against him? lol!

[rufus dog]

3. I'm guessing he has a good idea that opponents will be going after his left leg

for a take down. In all seriousness I will have to find some video of him, he must be damn fast and great on his floor moves to make up for his balance issue.

[Common Sense Party]

4. Here's some video of Robles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CacNya6DfFo

[rufus dog]

10. thanks for the links

that is amazing. He is basically tied to one move at the start, what amazes me is how he overcomes the lack of leverage when he has an opponent in the defensive position.

[cascadiance]

7. There's a video in the second page link in the first post here too...

http://www.fightticker.com/story_0321090552_anthony_robles_earns_all_american_honors_one_legged_wrestler_nearly_makes_finals

[Common Sense Party]

2. Wasn't there another collegiate wrestler a few years back with

only one arm? Or lacking parts of both arms?

These guys are amazing.

On edit:

It might have been this guy I was thinking of:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3paMB2oT2c

[cascadiance]

5. looks like he's missing parts of his legs too...

What level of competition was this? I guess I was just amazed at this guy from ASU that basically almost became the national champ in his weight class.

I guess he probably had even more upper arm strength than others in his weight class, since he's missing the weight of one leg, that were he to have it would have put him in a higher weight class. But hey, given his other handicaps, I think it's only fair.

I also remember going to school at Iowa back in the days that Randy Lewis wrestled there and talked to him and interviewed him on a few occasions... He was born without a pectoral muscle and was an NCAA and Olympic champion there too...

http://www.sdshof.com/inventory/detail.cfm?id=85

[Oregone]

8. To be fair about the one you mention...

I have no idea how many complications the lack of a pectoral would cause, but wrestling involves far more pulling (bicep+back) than pushing. I know many who could barely bench anything who were quite good.

[cascadiance]

9. Yeah, I don't think he ever made a big deal about it...

You probably wouldn't have known about it if you hadn't been around him and noticed that he was missing some bulk around the right side of his chest where his muscle should have been.

Yes, though a handicap, I could see working around that much more than working around not having a leg.

[Oregone]

6. Cool story

Of course, taking away a leg gives him a bit of a strength per weight advantage for upper body and put him in a lower weight class, although it would be insanely hard to go without a leg. I had to go without one for a few weeks in practice pretty much due to a broken bone in college and my game suffered badly. I guess if you had the time to adapt you compensate.

Wrestling is a really cool sport. There is no one style that fits all or body type that fits all.

[cascadiance]

11. Monday kick

[cascadiance]

12. Monday kick