I was born with a rare condition. Living with no hands and no feet has made me who I am today.
My parents helped me develop tools to overcome my challenges. When I was two, my dad decided that my family would stop helping me eat. He knew that one day I'd live on my own, so I'd have to look after myself. I learned to eat with a spoon, and then with a knife and fork. It gave me a huge sense of achievement.
My darkest moment fell when I was 10. My family had moved from Indiana to Georgia. In Indiana, friends treated me as normal. But in Georgia, it was different. I felt very aware of my disability. I worried I'd have to live at home forever. I felt hopeless about the future.
My world changed when I got into sports. I started playing football. Everything came together when I made my first tackle at age 11. It was my first real achievement.
Everyone I played against was able-bodied. At first, I struggled. But I threw everything I had into learning to be the best player. I turned my lack of height into a weapon.
Then I decided to start wrestling. I lost 35 games, but then I had a breakthrough. I had an amazing coach who helped me invent moves that took advantage of my strength. My different body type was a psychological advantage-opponents didn't know how to handle it. I eventually finished 12th in the103-pound weight class in the championships.
I keep going in the face of difficulties. Instead of thinking about the final goal, I focus on the near future. I just figure out how to do the best I can with the next few feet in front of me.
