Anthony Robles

“God made you this way for a reason”, this was told to a young boy by his mother who would later become something that no one would ever expect. On July 20, 1988, Anthony Robles came in the world there was just one problem that doctors didn’t understand when, Judy Robles, age 16, gave birth to a baby boy who was missing his right leg. Doctors could not explain what went wrong or why he was missing a leg, all the way up to the hip with no stump to attach a prosthetic limb.

Doctors work on a prosthetic leg that would help Anthony but, he would rather just deal with how was he was born because as his mother always told him growing up that “God made him this way for a reason” and she made sure that no matter what he would believe it. Like all good mom’s she was correct and Anthony Robles finally learned he was made the way he was, when he was only the age of 14, in Mesa, Arizona, when he tried out for the wrestling team. Anthony first year was horrible.

Was Anthony the smallest kid on the team weighing in at a whopping ninety pounds but without question, was the worst wrestler; finishing his first year at 5-8 records and in last place at the Mesa City wrestling tournament. People started to believe that a tiny kid born with one leg who had to use crutches to get around, the worst wrestler in the city, would never excel in such a demanding sport and that it was just a waste of his time and the teams time to have him on the team.

However, with the support of his family and coaches, Anthony Robles believed he could one day be a champion wrestler; he believed that he could be UNSTOPPABLE. He said the turning point was his sophomore year. “I took sixth in high school state thanks to his good friend, Chris Freije, who was the state champion that year, helped Anthony by wrestling against him in practice all the time and always beating him until Anthony one day finally beat Freije. Anthony wanted to be a state champion just like him and the best in the state.

Despite various obstacles along the way and hard work mixed with desire, Anthony went from being last in the city to finishing his junior and senior years at Mesa High School with a 96-0 record, an overall record of 129-15 and 2-time Arizona State Champion and a high school National Champion. After Anthony, finishing with an awesome high school record, few college wrestling programs believed Anthony Robles could excel at the next level just because of the high level of the sport in the college ranks.

They told him, ”He was too small to wrestle in college and that a one legged wrestler could never compete with the nations best college wrestlers. “ Remember thought what his mom said from day one about him “He was born the way he was for a reason”, so he believed he could do anything he set my mind to. Anthony walked onto the Arizona State University wrestling team to prove to the haters, and the world, anything was possible.

Through trials and hardships, both on and off the wrestling mat, Anthony Robles ended his college career on March 19, in Philadelphia, at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship vs. Matt McDonough the defending 125lbs national champion, of Iowa, in the final Anthony Robles was a national champion, and he was named the tournament’s outstanding wrestler. Anthony finals win-loss total in his college was 122 wins and 22 loses, going 36-0 in his senior year and was a 3-time All-American and of course 2011 NCAA National Champion.

Anthony Robles has become a motivational speaker, specifically for those who face similar handicaps like him which was one of his goals to tackle once his career was over but watch out for him because the 2016 Olympic games could happen Anthony is still training and could very well be apart of the games. Last year he won the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance and Best Male Athlete with a Disability, The Jimmy V Award is given to a “deserving member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles through physical perseverance and determination. Anthony gave thanks to his family and supporters and left everyone with his message: “Every soul who comes to earth with a leg or two at birth must wrestle his opponents knowing it’s not what is, it’s what can be that measures worth. Make it hard, just make it possible and through pain I’ll not complain. My spirit is unconquerable, fearless I will face each foe, for I know I am capable. I don’t care what’s probable, through blood, sweat, and tears, I am unstoppable. Works Cited American Entertainment International Speakers Bureau. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. aeispeakers. com/speakerbio. php? SpeakerID=430 ESPN. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://sports. espn. go. com/espn/page2/story? id=6754598 USA TODAY. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. usatoday. com/sports/college/2011-03-21-anthony-robles-retires_N. htm Youtube. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=m3TdwPW9lrI