Man at arm wrestling

I was born in 1973 with mild cerebral palsy. Compared to others affected by wheelchair confinement, I have only slight hip unevenness and a lesser sense of hand-eye coordination.

In high school, I began lifting weights at a local gym. I started out as a typical 98-pound weakling, but after a while I grew confident enough to wrestle and arm wrestle. In college, I discovered an official arm-wrestling tournament at a sports bar and won my first match. I soon joined a competitive circuit, and in 1996 I won the Ontario (Canada) Provincials at 180 pounds. In 1998, I placed third at the Canadian Championships--all this against "normal," able-bodied opponents.

Jeff's Message >> Today, after a few brief comebacks and retirements, I coach arm wrestlers out of my home, and they've encouraged me to return to full-time competition. The most notable and recent win of my 11-year career was in the 198-pound left-hand class at the biggest pro tournament in Canada on March 27. (I can only arm wrestle left-handed because of my cerebral palsy.) At the time of this writing, I am undefeated in 2004. I'm also finishing up my personal-trainer certification and will be testing for my black belt in the art of aikido after nine years of study.

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