Wrestler wins states with no legs; Overcoming the other opponents

Student Adonis Lattimore wrestled his way into states and won. Lattimore goes to Landstown High School in Virginia Beach. The wrestler was born with no right leg, his left leg ends in the middle of his thigh and he has just one finger on his right hand. 

          “It[winning states] has been my goal for about six years,” Lattimore told ABC news. He defeated Lake Braddock’s High School student Korlan Tran 5-1 at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. 

     Freshman year Lattimore was a regional qualifier but he didn’t stay with it then and then ended up missing regionals as a sophomore. He improved to 37-7 during this season. 

     Sophomore Clay Lawrence who placed top 8 in states for the Hawks Nest was inspired by Lattimore.  He added that the athlete “shows that no matter what problem life deals you, you can make something out of yourself.” 

     Lawrence didn’t believe it at first and looked further into it when he saw a Facebook post about it, “I was shocked and had to look it up myself.” 

     Lattimore winning “shows people that wrestlers are the hardest workers and the most driven athletes no matter what they are going through in life” according to wrestler Lawrence. 

     Junior Cruz Cespedes placed top eight as well in states. Cespedes found out about Lattimore winning states on Instagram and his reaction was “very proud that he brought a new view” about wrestling.

     Cespedes has been competing for 11 years and felt Lattimore’s winning was “heartwarming and exciting,” and it inspired him “to work harder because he did something that not a lot of people can do.”

     Lattimore got emotional during an interview with Wavy TV 10 and started crying while saying “years of work, perseverance, pushing through” made who he is today and helped him win. He almost lost in the Class 6 semi finals when he “trailed his opponent by one point” says Wavy TV 10. With 7 seconds left on the clock he got two more points winning the match sending him into states where he won.

     All his life he wanted to “leave a mark.” Lattimore plans to wrestle in college after he finishes up his senior year in high school.