Born without a right leg, Tony Robles is a champion college wrestler from Arizona State University. In 2011, his senior year, he may well win the NCAA collegiate championship. Last year he was an All-American placing fourth, up from seventh the year before.

On a human level, Tony is certainly an inspiration facing life from birth without two legs on which to stand (he has crutches and a prosthetic). I doubt I have that courage. You might expect Tony to plan to spend his life in a wheelchair, and never imagine him competing (much less excelling) in an intense physical sport which requires strength and balance, and usually two legs.

UNEXPECTED ADVANTAGES
Nearly all wrestling starts with both competitors facing one another, on two feet. The photo above shows how Tony starts competition on the mat with his hands and knee for support. That turns out to be a huge advantage as his opponent is forced to assume a position in which he is not familiar, and Tony is.

A second and dominant advantage is relative weight distribution. Wrestlers are classified by weight limits: 125 lbs, 133 lbs, 141 lbs, 149 lbs, etc. Tony’s class is 125 lbs. Since his right leg weighs zero, this allows his upper body to have extra weight in his weight class. Tony’s trunk, shoulders, and arms are those of a 149 lb wrestler: massive relative to his competitors’. In strength, Tony has the advantage every time! And Tony has a defensive advantage as well, there is one fewer place where an opponent can grab on to Tony. See photo on the right!

Perhaps Tony’s major advantage is his mind. He has thought about how to use his unusual “shape” in ways his competitors can’t match and can’t simulate in their pre-match preparation.