Who is Zion Clark: The inspirational wrestler with no legs
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Zion Clark (Image Courtesy - Insider)
If you are looking for a story to inspire you, this is it! The story of Zion Clark, the athlete that was born with no legs will give you a different perspective on life.
Zion Clark also known as Zion Zachariah Daniels was born on 27th September 1997 in Columbus, Ohio. Clark has recently gone viral for making his debut in the sport of mixed martial arts. This is not the only time he has won over the world of sports with his brave participation. The athlete who was born with no legs has not let his disability come in the way of achieving his goals in life.
The American has now aced in professional wrestling, and wheelchair racing, and is now looking to make it big in mixed martial arts. Zion Clark has a rare disorder called Caudal Regression Syndrome. The athlete has inspired many with his efforts and he is only 25 years old. Clark has not only been successful in his sports career but has done it in what many would consider the most physically demanding sports.
Zion Clark’s impressive wrestling career
A young Zion picked up the habit of wrestling at the age of two and spent most of his free time playing wrestling. When in grade two, Clark’s wrestling teacher turned inspired the athlete to take up the sport of wrestling seriously. Zion ended up taking the advice of his arts/wrestling teacher and began training in wrestling.
While attending Massillon Washington High School in northeast Ohio, Zion signed up for the school’s wrestling team and qualified to be a member. He lost all his games in his junior year; the determined young man trained harder and made it to the semi-finals in the championships in his senior year. Despite losing his match, Zion gained nationwide recognition and finished high school with a good wrestling record to his name.
Zion was later approached by a Paralympics official who encouraged him to try wheelchair racing. With the same winning spirit, he qualified for the Paralympic Nationals at UCLA in California where he competed using a specially designed wheelchair. Zion went on to become Ohio’s fastest runner and won the 2016 100-meter and 400-meter state titles. He also placed third in the 800-meter race.
Zion Clark sees success in his first mixed martial arts fight
If wrestling wasn’t a challenge in itself for Clark, the professional athlete decided he would train to become a mixed martial arts fighter. Arguably the most physically demanding sport. Clark used the words of his naysayers as fuel and finally made his debut as an MMA fighter very recently. Not only did Clark do well in his fight but also tasted victory on his debut.
Clark took on Eugene Murray, who was not disabled, and still fought a tough fight to earn him a unanimous decision victory. The fight took place at Gladiator Challenge: Seasons Beatings. Zion Clark is now `1-0 in his professional MMA career but is heavily criticized by the fans for taking part in combat sports. However, Clark received the biggest validation from the biggest star in mixed martial arts. Conor McGregor praised Clark for his debut and gave him words of encouragement to pursue his dream.
Also read: Top 5 UFC comebacks of 2022
The Netflix documentary on the life of ‘Zion Clark’ is an interesting watch if you want to be inspired by the fighter’s hurdles in life to achieve his dreams. It can feel easy to rest on our limitations and default to resignation when we fail. Clark has clearly utilized any perceived “limits” and turned them into ways to make his dreams a reality.
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