Three Generations, One Mat: Triumph Over Adversity
Last week I was inducted into the Pennsylvania (D3) Wrestling Hall of Fame. My dad presented me with the award. My son Severus was in my arms. Three generations standing on a wrestling mat. That moment meant more to me than I can put into words – but I'm going to try. I started wrestling when I was 5 years old. My dad was a D1 wrestler coaching our high school team. He'd bring me to practice and let me run around the room. The guys on his team were my heroes. They'd carry me on the pool deck during sprints. Let me sit on their laps at dual meets. I didn't understand what was happening – I just knew I wanted to be like them. That's how the sport found me. I got pretty good throughout my youth. By 7th grade I was wrestling at PJW States for a top-six finish. During that match I got suplexed onto my head, lifelined to the hospital, fracturing my C1 vertebrae. The doctors told me there was a chance I'd never wrestle again. In the hospital, my dad asked what I wanted for my birthday – the following week – trying to take my mind off everything. I told him the only thing I wanted was to become a Pennsylvania state champion. Months of rehab followed. My dad was there for every bit of it. Once I got cleared, he surprised me by converting our garage into a wrestling room. When we stepped on that mat he told me if I was serious about becoming a state champion, he'd train me to become one. And he did. Every morning at 5 AM before school. Every day after school. He didn't just coach me – he was my main partner. Every pushup. Every takedown. Every drill. He did it all with me. Beat the crap out of me day after day & made me better because of it. Fast forward to my senior year. State championship match. High level, technical wrestling. Tied 2-2 in the third. Clock running out. I hit an escape with 7 seconds left to win it. Pennsylvania state champion. That earned me a scholarship to wrestle D1 at the University of Virginia, where I qualified for the NCAA tournament four times & climbed as high as #3 in the country. Standing on that mat last week, holding my son, with my dad right next to me – it all came full circle. I think about the kid who was 5 years old getting carried around by wrestlers at his dad's practice. The kid in a hospital bed who told his dad the only thing he wanted for his birthday was a state title. And the man standing there now with his own son in his arms – the next wrestler in our family. NONE of this happens without the people who invested in me along the way. My teammates who pushed me. My coaches who believed in me. And most of all, my dad – who didn't just tell me what was possible. He got on the mat and showed me. Every single day. Never underestimate the impact one person investing in a young person with unconditional love can have on the trajectory of their life. My dad was that person for me. And I intend to be that person for Severus.
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