Yesterday I had the pleasure of watching a short Neftflix original documentary on a unique athlete who defied the odds to rise near the top of his sport.
Born without legs and recycled through the foster care system, Zion Clark admitted that he wasn't a good kid and had a bad attitude towards life. It's hard to blame him.
Instead of acting like a victim, Zion was determinned and destined for something greater. When Gilbert Donahue, Zion's future coach, first met Zion, the young man was struggling to navigate the school hallways on prosthetic legs he was forced to use. The prosthetics were creating sores on his body and making it difficult to feel like himself. And then he found wrestling.
On the wrestling mat, Zion not only equal to his opponents, in most cases, he was dominant. Developing his upper body strength and creating a custom technique from coach Donahue, Zion began beating the best wrestlers in the state. He ditched the prosthetics and began to feel like himself again, using his arms as his sole way of getting around other than occassionally using a wheelchair.
Today, Zion continues to wrestle, taking on opponents who are often twenty-five pounds heavier and at least two feet taller. He's a member of the Kent State University at Tuscarawas wrestling team, accomplishing his dream to become a collegiate athlete.
Tattooed on Zion's back is the phrase "no excuses," a motto he applies to every aspect of his life.
My Review of Zion
The short film, which lasts just over 10 minutes, was released by Netflix on August 10, 2018. I was familiar with Zion Clark due to several short highlight clips shown on ESPN several years ago, but getting a longer glimpse of his past, present, and future in an engaging way was fascinating.
The movie is wonderfully shot, touching, and inspiring. In short, I believe that this is the best 10-minute documentary you’ll probably ever see, and it’s well worth the investment of a few minutes of your time. Whether or not you're a fan of wrestling, this film is a must watch. Just have a Kleenex box nearby.
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