Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Every once in awhile, Tony Gonzales allows the anger to well up and spill over.
It happened earlier this year at a wrestling match in Bowling Green. Gonzales, a senior from Paulding, was born with no left hand. He noticed his next opponent obviously pointing and laughing at his disability.
“I went out and had an 11-second pin on him, “Gonzales said yesterday, smiling. “That kind of fired me up. I want to prove to people that I am one of the top wrestlers, and you don’t have to have two hands to do it.”
Point taken. Gonzales qualified for the Division III state tournament, where he won his opening match yesterday in the 275-pound class in Value City Arena.
Most of the time, he doesn’t carry a chip on his shoulder. His parents, Tony and Chris, won’t let him. Chris has spent 25 years working with the mentally disabled. She set the tone for her only son very early in his life.
“Our philosophy has been, ‘Don’t say you can’t do anything,’ ” Chris said. “You may do it a little differently, but you can do it. So we’ve always encouraged him to try anything he wanted to do.”
Tony began wrestling at age 5. He later played football in middle school, has lettered twice in cross country and also is a standout baseball player.
He recognizes the role his parents’ encouragement has played in his accomplishments.
“If I didn’t have the support of my parents, I wouldn’t be here, I’d be down on myself, “he said. “They don’t give me any leeway. They push me harder than a lot of kids, and at times it gets frustrating. But I really respect that out of them, because they know what I need to do more than me sometimes.”
He said he doesn’t think there are any wrestling moves he can’t perform. His coach, Josh Riedy, said he has worked with him to accentuate his strengths and figure out what moves work best from what side.
Riedy also appreciates the effect Gonzales has had on his teammates.
“The other guys, at times they might want to make up an excuse, ‘He was stronger than me,’ or, ‘He was quicker,’ ” Riedy said. “And Tony makes it difficult for them to make up an excuse.”
Tony has been accepted to Heidelberg College, where he hopes to wrestle and study to become a speech pathologist.
Chris said his choice of careers fits in with Tony’s desire to help others less fortunate. He seems drawn to others struggling with disabilities or problems.
“At Cleveland State this past summer, there was one autistic boy at the summer wrestling camp, “Chris recalled. “Kids were making fun of him, and Tony went over and took that kid under his wing and worked with him.”
Chris said Tony got a call from a boy in Texas who had been in a car accident. He had read an article about Tony.
“(The kid) said, ‘I’ve even thought about suicide,’ and he said, ‘You don’t want to do that, there’s so much out there in life,’ ” she said. “They talked for a very, very long time, and they still keep in touch.”
But before college, Tony has the state tournament to finish. He narrowly missed a state trip last year but had little trouble in winning 3-1 yesterday and advancing to the quarterfinals today.
A win this morning guarantees a podium finish (top eight). But he’s shooting for more, and his mother has learned not to doubt him.
“He told me last week before districts started, ‘I’ll be in the championship round,’ and I said, ‘You’ve got a tough district,’ and he ends up in the championship round, “she said. “I don’t ever underestimate him. He’s got his focus and he’s got goals set, and he’s out there to conquer the world.”
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