The news came in March.  The day that I found out that I was accepted to live at the OTC, I was at a loss for words. I was so happy I could have cried. At that moment I didn’t know whether to sit down, stand up or run around in circles yelling in excitement. I was so excited because I knew that this was a once in a life time opportunity.

I knew that this was going to benefit my future in so many ways.  I’d be able to travel the world participating in a great sport that I love. I would meet many people.  New doors would for me.  I also saw it as another way to help others, such as doing motivational speaking engagements at schools and just being an inspiration to someone going through a hard time and who needs a positive role model in their life.

Dartanyon on campus at the Olympic Training Center

But as the time I had at home grew shorter and my leave date grew closer, I started to become kinda nervous.  I had never been away from Cleveland.  I knew I would miss my family and friends.  The day that I left was bitter sweet.  My sister, my dad and my girlfriend took me to the airport.  There was not a dry eye in the car, as I said my good-byes going into the airport, wishing deep down in the back of my mind that I had one more week, one more day, to spend with my family and friends.  But I knew that getting on the airplane was the most important thing I could ever do to help myself and my future.

The very first weekend I was living in Colorado Springs in April, I had my first tournament.  It was a small tournament in Boulder, Colorado.  I took first place in the novice division, winning every match.  I couldn’t have been more excited.  I knew I was in the right place.

Next time I’ll tell you more about my daily life at the OTC and college in Colorado Springs.

Lastly I want to give a BIG thanks to everyone for the support and donations, because with out them I would not be where I am today.  I couldn’t have paid for school or food.  I could not have paid for my move.  Nothing.  It scares me to think of where I could have ended up without you.  

Episcopal Wrestling team

The brotherhood of wrestling extends far beyond the mat, and Leroy and Dartanyon found an extended family at Episcopal High School in Jacksonville, Florida.  Deeply touched by Carry On, Episcopal head wrestling coach Norm Wein showed the segment to his team, and together they desired to help.  The team of 40 wrestlers organized a Push-Up-A-Thon.  For more than a month, they trained and secured pledges for each push-up they would do in a minute’s time.  The big day came last November –  the Episcopal wrestlers busted out hundreds of push-ups and collected $7300!!   Needless to say, we are all humbly blown away by their generosity, their creativity and their commitment to give of themselves to help another.  Kids helping other kids is a beautiful thing!

Please take a look at the Florida Times-Union’s article on the event, as well as Leroy and Dartanyon’s personal thank you notes they wrote to the Episcopal wrestling team.

Newspaper link:  http://jacksonville.com/news/columnists/mark_woods/2009-11-13/story/high_school_wrestlers_push_ups_carry_a_purpose

Letters from Leroy & Dartanyon

Mr. Norm Wein,

Thank you for keeping your kids in shape and doing it for a good cause.  During our high school careers,  physical fitness was and still is a very important thing to us.   I wish Dartanyon and I could come and do push-ups alongside you all.  It is an honor to have your athletes looks to us for motivation. Feels like a dream actually.

We also would like to thank you for conducting this fund raiser for Dartanyon and my education.  Getting to go to college is another dream I wasn’t sure would come true but now it is.  On our high school team, we had many wrestlers who couldn’t afford their own wrestling shoes.  So we would switch shoes with our teammates in between matches.  Still, we felt richly blessed because of the bond of brotherhood we all shared.  I hope the wrestling team at Episcopal knows that bond too.  Even though Dartanyon and I have graduated, we feel like we are still receiving so much from the wrestling world thanks to your fundraiser.

We send our strength to you all from Cleveland.    We want to thank you .  Keep up the good work .

-Leroy Sutton

Dear Mr. Norm and Wrestling Team Brothers,

First of all I want to apologize for not being in touch sooner.  I’ve been having computer problems.  I have wanted to thank you all for your amazing support of Leroy and me.  I also think it’s awesome that you’re using an athletic event to do so. Words cannot describe my gratitude for your desire and for how much effort you have been putting into the Push-Up-A-Thon. It’s not just because you’re making a contribution to our education that I am so grateful, it’s much more than that. You’re helping to give Leroy and me a chance that very rarely comes for teens our age especially coming from a Cleveland public school. You are giving us a chance to go to college, something most of my classmates will never get to do.  You are giving us the chance to reach our goals and make our dreams into a reality without the worry of how we can pay for them.  And for that, thanks again from the bottom of my heart.  We can’t wait to hear about the event.

Yours Truly,
-Dartanyon

Life been great here in Arizona, and I love my classes.  My first term, I took Intro to Drawing and Design.  A sample assignment is to draw a picture of a square, then draw it 3d, then draw it in perspective.  It is not as challenging to me as it might be for some because my brain just works that way.

Leroy & Dylan Birthday

The other class I found fun was Intro to Game Design. In that class we learned the history of video games. Did you know the first video game was titled “Tennis for two” and it was first created in the year 1958?  That is where Pong got its idea.  For two weeks of the class, my classmates and I tested video games to study how they were made and look for glitches.  I got to play video games in class.  Sweet!

I also had a Life Skills & College Transitions class.  There actually is a lot of written work in that.  Writing is not my favorite thing.

My second term was harder.  A lot of computer classes using programs that I didn’t know.  So I had to learn to use the programs at the same time I was learning to do the assignments.  A lot of kids already knew them, but I’ve done all my design work on paper up to this point.  But I stayed late a lot to get extra help and I made it through.

As for my life outside of class, that is going really well too.  I decided not to have a roommate, and it was a good decision.  I love living by myself and having a space of my own.  I have two bedrooms and made the second room into an office where I have a drafting desk and where I do all of my design work.  I love the fact that I can go to class and not worry about a roommate eating my pork chops.  Ha ha ha.  I have made a lot of friends from all over the world, and I have them over to work on our group projects.

All my grades are good so far.  I hope to publish some of my art on this website.

Thanks for keeping up with Dartanyon and I.

My first semester at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland was great. I met a lot of interesting people and made a bunch of new friends. I did well in all three of my classes – Philosophy, English and Algebra. Philosophy was my favorite class by far. I love asking thinking through deep questions and issues of life.

My Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays were wonderful. I spent a lot of time with my family and got the chance to go to a Cavs game with Leroy while he was home. It was my first professional basketball game. I couldn’t really see everything that was going on down on the court, but it was a pretty cool atmosphere. It was good to witness Cleveland’s last winning season. (Thanks, LeBron!)

In my second semester of college, I took Ethics, Intro to Logic and Criminal Justice. I liked them all a lot. I am still very determined about getting my law degree, and there’s nothing that can stop me from achieving my goal.
In addition to school, I started training in the sport of judo. After my trip to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado last fall, I was inspired to give it a try. There is some cross-over from wrestling, but also a lot of new things to learn. I trained three times a week at a club that was nice enough to waive my dues. I really love it. In January, I earned my green belt. It’s a long way from a black belt but it’s a start. I made the goal of participating in Paralympics competitions one day. Little did I know that goal was closer than I thought. Keep reading!

Listen to the program here:

Below are Leroy and Dartanyon’s first person accounts of what it was like to appear on the show. By the way, a special thanks goes out to Lincoln West High School Wrestling Coaches Mr. Robinson & Mr. Hons for continuing to be there for Leroy & Dartanyon.

Leroy’s thoughts…
Dar and I had a trip to the A-T-L with Coach Robinson. That was an awesome trip. We went down to be on the Mo’Nique show. When I got there, I knew I was going to meet my favorite female comedian – Mo’Nique.  But,  I didn’t expect to meet my favorite male comedian — Kevin Hart.  I also got to meet multiplatinum artist Musiq Soulchild. Meeting those three was one of my dreams. To be told that we were an inspiration by Kevin, Mo’Nique, and Musiq, well that just made my soul tickle. I got moments that people would die for –  to joke with Kevin Hart and to sing to Musiq Soulchild and to be on Mo’Nique show. I feel like so lucky to have that moment and hope I can have it again one day.  I also hope someday I can help make other people’s dreams come true.

Dartanyon’s reaction…
The past couple of weeks have been just wonderful. Words cannot explain how great my experiences were, especially on the Atlanta trip. It was the first time I was ever star-struck. We met Mo’nique, who is an actress and comedian. She flew Leroy and I out to Atlanta to be on her new BET talk show. It was amazing. Mo’nique is a wonderful person.  She is totally hilarious. We also met Kevin Hart and Musiq Soulchild.  Those two are great!  Music Soulchild is down to earth and easy to talk to.  Atlanta is great as well.  I hope I can go back and spend more time there one day.

Later that same week, Mr. Hons took Leroy and me to a health care conference in Columbus, Ohio.  We were invited by the organizers.  They showed our video and then brought us on stage to surprise the crowd.  We got to tell more about our lives and answered a lot of questions.  It went pretty well, and a lot of people took pictures with us.  It was a fun day.

Reading this passage made me think of the struggles that I had to face to get to where I am today. There were many obstacles that I had to face along the way, including discouraging authority figures and even family members who truly believed that at one point I wouldn’t amount to anything. The disability that I have made me somewhat of an outcast when I was a lot younger. Through it all it still made me the person I am today.

The people that believed that I wouldn’t amount to anything taught me a tough and very valuable lesson in life. In life people will say some of the most hurtful things, and some or even most of those people will be the closest ones to you. That’s why you have to stay true to who you are. You can’t let what anyone tell you that you can’t reach you goals or turn your dreams into reality. No one can dictate where you will end up in life that’s up for you to decide.

I honestly, for a time never thought I would that I would ever make it this far. There would be points in my life that I would ask myself, “Where do I go from here?” and, “What do I do now?” At one point I thought school would be the hardest part of growing up; however, it was actually the easiest. It was like a short escape from the life that I had; the life that I didn’t want, but looking back on it now, the trails and hardships that I faced made me much stronger.

Life was hard growing up, it’s hard even now; however, when I was growing up I learned that you won’t gain anything if you don’t put in hard work. Through all the pain and struggle, the love and memory of one person is what kept me in my right state if mind. That person is my mother. She passed when I was eight years old. For a while I used to think I would never make it without her, but I realized that her love and spirit lives on within me. Knowing that she wanted the best for me and wants me to never give up, or give in to life’s temptations and cruelty’s, that is what kept me strong.

I still had people along the way that would help me, but my mother was my main inspiration. That’s why I cannot fail. I won’t fail. I also learned that failure comes to those who let it, but greatness comes to those who want it. If you don’t have faith in who you are and what you believe in, and ready to give up when life gets hard then you will surely fail. Life is a vigorous journey with many twist and turns ups and downs, for some it comes easy, as for others like me it come terrifyingly hard. That why at times, you have to struggle to get to where you want to be in life.

The Colorado trip was incredible! It was beyond explanation.  The day that I was scheduled to fly out, I was extremely excited and eager to go. The flight there was amazing.  It was my first time flying. I was more excited than nervous while on the plane. The view from the plane was astonishing. While we were flying I took a few pictures with my phone.

When we got to Colorado I was almost at a loss for words. I really couldn’t believe where I was and how beautiful mountains are in person.  The air smelled so good.  I wasn’t even sure I woke up that day, but if it was a dream I didn’t want anyone to wake me up.

I can’t even explain how awesome the Olympic Training facility was.  It was like a heaven for athletes.    Leroy and I met so many amazing athletes.  Then they told us we were going to practice with the Olympic judo team.  At that moment, I was…….. I don’t even know what I was…I just didn’t know what to do with myself.  I have never experienced such elation.  Judo is awesome.  It was my first time, but it’s so similar to wrestling.  A lot of the moves are basically the same, so I caught on quickly.

The day I spent in Colorado Springs is the best day in my life so far.  I never wanted to leave.  After practicing with the Olympic judo team I decided I wanted to be a part of it.  There is a chance I may get to start learning judo here in Cleveland with the goal of training for the Paralympics Judo Team.  I hope I can do it.

School is going great as well. My classes are good so far, and my instructors are cool. I love school for the most part.

Read more about Dartanyon & Leroy’s trip

View photos from Dartanyon & Leroy’s trip to Olympic Training Headquarters

Here’s what Leroy has to say about his trip.

My first flight was the most wonderful thing ever, next to the rest of the trip itself. I had it a little easy in the airport with Mr. Hons with me through from the baggage check and boarding the plane. I was not nervous at all. I thought I was going to be, but it all turned when the engines roared. I had a window seat for starters.  People say that’s a no-no for a first timer. Well, I say get a window first timers.  It’s the most beautiful thing you will see.  Cartoonish but beautiful. I always watched Bugs Bunny as a child, and when Coyote falls from the sky and you see the land is in a square formation –  that’s how it looks to me from the airplane window. I feel that I will travel a lot in the future so I have to get use to the feelings of flying.

When we landed, we were in Arizona to see Collins College. That school is so awesome. It is a new building. It is designed for students that are interested in interior design and media arts, so the interior pops out at you. I will know where the restrooms are wherever the neon lights are. Mr. Hons and I also saw the motion capture room. Motion capture is a program used to get all the right movements in a video game. It is truly a video gamers Shangri-La. The teachers seem like they will help as long as you’re willing to try. It seems like the school for me. I will be learning about the video game past and the present. Now that I seen the school, I am for sure I want to go there. If I were going to Collins without seeing what I saw on this trip, I would have been surprised at how good it looked.

Arizona….. Arizona… Arizona. That place is beautiful! I didn’t get to see much but from what I saw, the city is spread out so it’s nice and roomy.  Not like Cleveland at all. It is hot year round — just the way I like it. If it does get cold, it won’t snow so I don’t have to worry about my wheelchair getting stuck in the snow any more. But I will find out what I didn’t see of Arizona when I start school in November.

From Arizona, Mr. Hons and I were headed to Colorado Springs. After seeing our story on ESPN, the U.S. Paralympics invited Dartanyon and me to visit their training center and learn about their teams. So Mr. Hons and I caught a flight to Denver to up meet with Dartanyon and coach Torry. From there, we took the most meaningless flight ever from Denver to Colorado Springs (up and down in just a few minutes). As I awoke from my slumber the next morning, the day started with a bowl of fruit at the Hilton Antlers Hotel. Then we headed off to the Olympic Headquarters for the greatest day of my life! We were taken on a tour of the campus. I got to meet not only some great athletes but some great people. Dartanyon and I got to meet the USA Greco-Roman Wrestling team, the USA Women’s Wrestling team. It was fun and funny because we were taking pictures of them they were taking pictures of us like we were the celebs, but in true we aren’t. Then we learned some moves from two of the top fighters on the US Judo team. The campus of the Olympics HQ everything is all in a 5 min walk between buildings. The place is like a palace for athletes. Weight room, Judo room, Pools for the fish people, room for male Wrestlers, and a room for female Wrestlers. Later that afternoon, I took a ride with Jon Register to the most heavenly place ever — The Garden of The Gods. The Garden of the Gods is a rock structure that is surrounded by trees.  It is a life changer if you see it. It is on my must see list, along with Collins College and the view of the mountains in Colorado from the Hilton Colorado hotel.

Now to add to the goal of getting my bachelors degree, I have a goal to lift as a part of the U.S. Power Lifting Team and maybe throw for the U.S. Track and Field Team. It looks like I may be able to train in Arizona. This is good for me because this is a reason to stay in shape. Without Wrestling and Power Lifting I am nothing. Without Wrestling or Weight Lifting I would not be typing this. I would not have been anywhere. I probably would not be friends with Dartanyon or any of the other wrestlers and lifters on the team. That’s what I mean when I say nothing. And I capitalize Wrestling because to me it is a place.  It is a state of mind.  It is where people can settle the difference of strength and technique, where people strain each other then get up and shake hands also become friends and rivals. It a world of its own.  It is my UTOPIA.

Read more about Leroy & Dartanyon’s trip

View photos from Leroy & Dartanyon’s trip to Olympic Training Headquarters