There are two numbers that are believed to define an
athlete. The first, the amount of wins – times their hand was
raised, the number of games their points amassed their
opponents'. The second number, the defeats. But what
truly defines the athlete is neither the first nor the second number, but the
dash in between. The dash represents the unseen obstacles, the inner
triumphs, the work when no one was watching, the good days and the bad.
For Willie Burton, it meant surviving brain hemorrhages in the womb,
being born two months premature, an adoption, and a limited life in a
wheelchair with cerebral palsy. Although Willie Burton, wrestler from
Louisville, Kentucky, lost over one hundred matches during high school and won
just one, his legacy – his dash – emulates that of an undefeated career.
Born two months premature to a seventeen year-old mother, Larry
and Brenda Burton adopted Willie after his mother contacted a local church’s
pastor. Brain hemorrhaging resulted in a diagnosis of cerebral palsy – Willie
would have limited mobility of his right arm and little to none in his
legs. Growing up, he was unsatisfied with the competition his disabled
leagues offered and knew he encompassed the potential to compete at higher
level. With a strong upper body, Willie found his new home on the mat.
Fast
forward to 2010, Willie’s freshman year at Fairdale High School in Louisville,
Kentucky. Winter rolled around and Willie saw the opportunity to
join the school’s wrestling team, but not everyone was on board. His
parents and coaches feared for not only his safety, but also his ability to
succeed in such a physically demanding sport. Willie ignored the
boo’s and was on the mat that winter, wrestling in the 106lb weight class. He
competed in over twenty matches in 2010, not winning a single
bout. Then came 2011, and yet another winless season. 2012 was
all too familiar, resulting in not a single win. By the end of 2012, Willie had
competed in nearly 100 matches – nearly triple digits on the right side of his
dash, and a zero on the left.
The
winter season of 2013 hit and Willie Burton was now a senior wrestler at
Fairdale High School, with a new dedication to leaving a winner’s legacy
both off, and now on, the mat. Whether it was wheeling his chair two
miles around the track as his teammates lapped him on foot, or shoulder
pressing dumbbells from it in the weight room, Willie left no doubt that he
would not be denied a number on the left side of his dash.
February 11th, 2014 – senior night at Fairdale High
School. Willie weighed in with the help of his teammates, and
squeezed into his singlet. After being rolled to the edge of the
mat, Willie then crawled to the center to meet his opponent. The two
grapplers shook hands and the whistle blew. Dan Gable notoriously
said that, “The first period is won by the best technician. The
second period is won by the kid in the best shape. The third period
is won by the kid with the biggest heart.” The score was tied 4-4 in the
third period with little time on the clock, and Willie locked up a cradle.
He tilted his Pleasure Ridge Park challenger, as the referee motioned for
two near fall points. The gymnasium score clock buzzed, and the
crowd erupted. By a decision of 6-4, Willie Burton was the victor.
A few weeks later, he wrestled his last match as a Bulldog after falling
to his opponent in the regional tournament.
Although he only felt the sensation of having his hand raised at center mat
once in his career, his champion mentality rivals that of even the most
successful wrestlers. Though his record on paper shows one triumph
and triple-digit losses, his legacy isn’t defined by either. Willie
Burton’s legacy is defined by his dash – where he overcame adversity from the
moment he was born, never rested on his laurels, and inspired every athlete,
abled and disabled, to “view life’s hard times as an opportunity to better
yourself."
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