Blind High School Wrestler Defies All Odds, Wins State Champion Title

Feb 26, 2019 by apost team

As this picture reel by Wired showcases, the sky is the limit for athletic dreams, even if you’re disabled.

Being a person with a disability doesn’t mean you don’t have dreams, and it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t achieve them.

In fact, for some with disabilities, like Jay Spencer, having and achieving dreams has only served to spur them forward in the most amazing ways.

According to AL.com, Spencer is a senior at St John Paul ll High school in Alabama. He’s a valued member of his high school’s wrestling team with a 35-2 season, and he just recently won the state wrestling finals. He’s been a Boy Scout, and he even played on his high school’s football team. He’s also legally blind. Yes, you read that right - he’s legally blind.

At the age of three, Spencer was diagnosed with Leber congenital amaurosis 10. The disease has left his vision limited to only the far corner of his left eye. Despite the challenges associated with legal blindness, Spencer took up wrestling at around five-years-old and defied all odds of success. Today, he can tout something no one else in the history of his school can - a wrestling state title win.

apost.com

What’s even more amazing is that Spencer moved from an established wrestling program in Virginia back in 2016 to a school in Alabama that didn’t even have a wrestling program.

At his father’s insistence and dedication, the SJPll wrestling program was born. Three years later - SJPll now has a state wrestling championship under their athletics umbrella.

Coach James Dowd, who first coached a wrestling team competing against Spencer and then went on the coach Spencer’s team, recently told AL.com, that he was one of the naysayers and doubters Spencer proved wrong.

Now, Dowd realizes that wrestling being a touch sport puts it right in Spencer’s athletic wheelhouse. Seeing isn’t necessary to wrestling.

Spencer does admit certain challenges and difficulties, but they really don’t sound like anything beyond a normal coaching and athlete scenario. Spencer asks coaching staff to point out what he’s doing wrong and work it out with him in practice. Coach Dowd, however, points out that it’s not always easy since Spencer is all about feel, not show.

Spencer says he’s unsure about his educational and wrestling future. He has division ll and lll schools very interested in him joining their wrestling program, but Spencer currently has a more pressing priority. He may have a chance to restore his vision.

Spencer is in phase two of the clinical trials for a gene editing program to ultimately remove the mutated LCA 10 gene, which would theoretically immediately and continually improve his vision. Surgery is the next step, which he postponed for the state championship.

The program has since been delayed, and Spencer is currently on standby to see if and when the trail will go forward.

What do you think about this amazing story of determination? Do you know of any similar inspiring stories? Let us know in the comments - and feel free to pass this along to your friends and family!