In 2010, I met a girl while doing a show in West Virginia that informed me that she was inspired by my story. She seemed very shy and reserved. She struggled to make eye contact with me. Over the years, she would periodically send me messages on Facebook, which I replied to.
I made my way back to West Virginia for the first time in several years on Saturday. Like I usually do, I posted the flyer on social media earlier in the afternoon to hype the event. I noticed a comment on the flyer, and I instantly recognized her. It was the girl that I met in 2010. She commented with, “You inspire me. I want to thank you tonight if I’m not too bashful.”
I kept her comment in mind as I headed into battle for the night. Zach Gowen and myself were in Tag Team action against a young duo by the name of Pretty Dangerous. They gave us a run for our money, but we were successful in that contest. As we walked to the back, Zach and I noticed wrestling legends Stan Hansen and Bobby Blaze going nuts for our performance, which was pretty surreal.
We headed out to sell merchandise, and interacted with tons of appreciative fans. The last person we saw before we prepared to pack up for the five hour drive back home was this shy girl from Facebook. Recognizing her immediately, I addressed her by name, gave her a hug, and told her how nice it was to see her again. She was quiet, as I sort of anticipated. She quickly purchased a Handicapped Heroes bracelet, and her smile illuminated the room as she clenched it in her hand.
She was with her mother, who asked us if we could take a photograph with her daughter. Without hesitation, we agreed, and snapped a photo together. Before the girl sneaked silently away, I demanded that she give me a hug, and said, “It was awesome seeing you. You don’t have to be so scared of me.” She giggled and walked off, staying close to her mom.
The following morning, I received a message from that same girl. What I read nearly broke my heart:
Greg,
Thank you for your hug, your niceness. I adore you so much. I wanted to tell you how you inspire me. I have a bad back, and suffer from migranes and sinuses. I was diagnosed with autism, which had taken my ability to walk on my own– hence why you saw me holding on to my momma’s purse string as I walked away.
Greg, I cry when I’m alone because I feel different, like a circus freak. But when I see you with your one arm– right now I’m crying, yet smiling– you don’t let that stop you. You make me so proud. You inspire me. You are truly my hero. I wanna be “normal”– is that’s the word for it? Seeing you do what you do comforts me.
You are my hero. Love ya, my friend. Clutching my bracelet and smiling through tears.
How overwhelming. I couldn’t reply immediately. Not that I didn’t want to, but I just didn’t know how to. So, with all of that said, here is my attempt at doing her incredible message justice with my reply:
Dear A.C.,
It’s hard for me to comprehend how something that I do can have such an incredible impact on someone else’s life. When I started wrestling, it was 100% about proving people wrong. As time went on, I began to see the bigger picture. What I do in wrestling is so much bigger than wrestling. Zach and myself are truly blessed to be able to make deep personal connections with people, much like I have with you.
Don’t ever look at yourself as a circus freak. The circumstances for which you have to live with are beyond your control. However, how you deal with those circumstances is entirely up to you. I used to be an angry young man. I hated the fact that I was forever stuck with one fully functional arm. Then one day, I had a thought that changed everything.
I have one life, as far as I know. I can never change my disability, and so I have two choices. I can continue to live with this angst and hate the world, or I can take my negative and somehow turn it into a positive. I can make the best out of what I have. I started lifting weights. I wrestled. Why? Because I was passionate about those things. And guess what? Along the way, I discovered that sharing my passions and my story could make a giant difference in the lives of people that feel the way that I once felt– which is what has brought us to this moment, right here and now.
A.C. Believe in yourself as much as I believe in you. There is nothing in this world that you can’t be if you want it enough. Next time I see you, you had better be telling me how high your self esteem is, and how much your life has changed since reading this. You never know– maybe one day you can be writing to someone to share your story and change their life.
I wish you nothing but the best.
-Greg
