SPORTSbyBROOKS.com (via The Orange County Register) has an inspirational story about a high school wrestler named Cullen Fitzgibbons. The young man went 0-28 on the mat this year, but that’s not the real story. The real story is how Cullen didn’t let Down syndrome keep him off the mats.
Even before Cullen was diagnosed with the disease, he had medical problems from the start. He was born with a hole in his heart, which required open-heart surgery before he even turned 1 year old. His mother Dana recalled the pre-surgery blood work: “I remember him screaming – horrible screaming – for hours. It was heart-wrenching.”
His medical & mental condition didn’t help his education, as teacher & schools resisted putting Cullen into normal classrooms: “In eighth grade, Dana discovered, they were still asking her son to trace his name and connect the dots in class.”
Now a senior at Los Alamitos High, Fitzgibbons finished 0-28 on the mat, including a gut-wrenching one-point loss in his final match. But in no way is Cullen seen as a loser – especially by his high school classmates:
“Who does the wrestling team carry atop their shoulders into the annual pep rally? Cullen. Who do the cheerleaders rush to hug first? Cullen. Who do the fans cheer loudest for – even in defeat? Cullen.”
It’s nice to step away from Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee’s bickering to read a real sports story.
