of him in a weightlifting class . The coaches suggested he come out to a practice , but while Elmore had always liked watching wrestling , he didn ’ t think he could compete in any sport .
Elmore was born with severely clubbed feet and Charcot-Marie-Tooth ( CMT ), a disease inherited by about 1 in every 2,500 people in the United States . CMT affects the function of peripheral nerves outside the brain and spinal cord , and while it is not considered a fatal disease , it causes muscle weakness , especially in the legs .
Elmore also has a condition called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita ( AMC ), which refers to when multiple joints become permanently fixed in a bent or straightened position before birth . Elmore had several surgeries on his feet and hip to help him walk , and he has one elbow joint that prevents an arm from fully straightening .
Despite all that , Elmore ’ s parents always told their oldest son that he could do anything . He might just have to do some things differently , they said .
But his parents had their doubts about wrestling .
“ When he said he wanted to wrestle , I was terrified ,” said Jennifer Elmore , Christian ’ s mom . “ I didn ’ t understand how it would work .”
Lower-body strength is important to the sport , after all , and Elmore can ’ t use
his legs when he wrestles . He compensates with upper-body strength that is rarely matched in his 113-pound weight class , and he is also creative in finding new moves he can use .
Most of all , Centennial coach Jake Jackson said , Elmore is tenacious . He ’ s driven to be successful , and it ’ s Elmore ’ s drive that Jackson noticed immediately .
“ He asked me so many questions . He was relentless – in a good way ,” Jackson said . “ You could see from day one that the kid was going to be special .”
Elmore got clearance from his doctor to wrestle , but his mom still worried . She asked Jackson to keep a close eye on him
Centennial High School Wrestling Coach Jake Jackson ( right ) says “ it ’ s been a blast ” to watch the journey that Christian Elmore ( left ) has been on since freshman year . during his first workouts , and Centennial ’ s coach promised he would . A week later , Jackson reported that Elmore was doing fine .
Better than fine , in fact . He was progressing rapidly , and his passion for the sport was obvious .
“ When he finally found a way to compete , it was like he found his home ,” Jennifer Elmore said . “ He had his wrestling family . He found his missing piece .”
That missing piece helped put some other pieces together , too . Elmore said he ’ s more confident about everything now and takes more pride in his schoolwork . He ’ s thrilled to be a role model for his 8-year-old brother Henry , and after watching his wrestling coaches teach in the gym and in the classroom , Elmore is planning out his future .
“ I want to be a coach someday ,” he said . “ I want to be a teacher and help kids like I ’ ve been helped . I don ’ t think I would ’ ve had that dream without wrestling .”
One of Elmore ’ s other dreams was fulfilled a year ago when he attended a wrestling camp at Colorado Mesa University , an NCAA Division II school in Grand Junction , Colo . After competing well at the camp , Elmore was offered a spot on the wrestling team .
He called his parents to give them the news , and according to his mom , they were “ literally dancing on the couches .”
The call to Coach Jackson was also an emotional one .
“ I had tears in my eyes ,” Jackson said . “ It was one of those moments as a coach when you know this is what it ’ s all about .” •
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