Zion Clark started wrestling in elementary school. But the miracle did not happen, he did not win a single match in the first years. It wasn’t until high school that he met a coach who saw his enthusiasm and determination to work on himself. Daily hard work combined with tailor-made tactics began to bear fruit. In 2016, his senior year of high school, Zion almost made it to the Ohio State Championship. He was eliminated only in the final of the qualifying tournament.
A few months later, Zion won wheelchair races. He also entered the Guinness Book of Records several times – he ran 20 meters on his hands the fastest, jumped the highest on his hands (83.8 cm) and did the most diamond push-ups (248 in less than 3 minutes). In addition, he also skateboards, climbs and plays drums in a band.
He will also make his MMA debut on December 17. His opponent will be Eugene Murray, who has yet to win any of his five fights in the cage.
Now you might be thinking that there is no way Zion could go into a tight match with a non-disabled opponent without his legs. But since he’ll be grounded throughout, Murray won’t be able to kick him much, and he’ll have to get in close to land punches, risking the fight going to the ground, where Clark should probably have the upper hand.
However, even if Zion loses, he deserves respect for pushing the boundaries and motivating others. Although he would not be the first successful disabled fighter in combat sports, MMA fighter Nick Newell made it all the way to Bellator, and Jake Peacock became the champion of the prestigious Thai boxing association Lion Fight. Both are missing a piece of their hand, which cannot be compared to Zion’s disability, and his indomitable spirit is truly inspiring. You can learn more about him, for example, in a documentary on Netflix, and below we attach a video clip from his training sessions.
