Adonis Lattimore is the Virginia Class 6, 106-pound high school wrestling champion.
The Landstown High School (Virginia Beach, Va.) senior has no right leg, a partial left leg and his right hand only has one finger, according to the Charlotte Observer. He inspired the crowd by capping his excellent season at the top of the podium with a 5-1 victory on Saturday, finishing his senior season with a 32-7 record.
“I’ve been dreaming of this since I knew what it was, and to finally have it happen is just — I don’t know how to explain it,” Lattimore said to the Virginian-Pilot. “Really if you work hard, you can do anything — even win a state championship without legs.”
Lattimore had success as a freshman, reaching the region qualifier, but didn’t qualify for the tournament in his sophomore year. The wrestling season last year was canceled due to COVID-19.
As a senior, he has turned dominant, entering the postseason ranked second in Hampton Roads. He was a runner-up in the Region A tournament last week but won 7-0 and 12-1 decisions to get to the state semifinals, according to the Virginian-Pilot.
It’s been a long road since Lattimore started wrestling as a second-grader. In January, he told 3WKTR that he after a long slump he hit his stride in middle school and kept his performance strong in high school. Now, Lattimore at the top.