A Shot In The Dark: Wrestler, Skater, Motivational Speaker, Musician, and Blind.
“The only disability is a bad attitude.” — Anthony Ferraro
Anthony Ferraro is well known for being one of the most dominant high school wrestlers of all time…
Anthony Ferraro grew up in a small town named Spring Lake just situated along the Jersey Shore in New Jersey, with a population of just under 3,000 people. In and around the town of Spring Lake, and across the state of New Jersey, Anthony Ferraro is well known for being one of the most dominant high school wrestlers of all time.
After a dominant 8th grade season, Anthony went on to take the high school wrestling competition by storm…
Anthony bursted into the wrestling scene during his 8th grade year when he finished the season with a record of 24 wins, and only 1 loss on his way to winning the Tri-County Championship, a coveted award for any wrestler his age in the state of New Jersey.
After a dominant 8th grade season, Anthony went on to take the high school wrestling competition by storm and immediately cemented his name across the state as one of the premiere wrestlers to be reckoned with in the state that only crowned one champion per weight class at the end of each year, making the sport all the more competitive in the state of New Jersey.
Anthony’s talents set him apart from most people around him…
As a team captain for three years starting his sophomore year, Anthony would go on to win two district championships and finish with 122 career wins, second most all-time for his school.
Anthony capped off one of the most dominant high school wrestling careers in his school’s history with an incredible record of 36 wins and 4 losses during his senior year.
Anthony’s talents set him apart from most people around him who would not dare take him on in a wrestling match, however his wrestling skills alone were not the only thing that set Anthony apart from most of the people around him… Diagnosed with leber congenital amaurosis early on in his life, Anthony is blind.
As he continued to lose what limited vision he had throughout his childhood, Anthony quickly had to adapt to the fast moving world around him…
Anthony best describes his vision to a person with average vision stating that what they would see at 20 yards away, would seem like 1000 yards away for Anthony. As he continued to lose what limited vision he had throughout his childhood, Anthony quickly had to adapt to the fast moving world around him, especially being the youngest of 6 siblings, many of which were very athletic and competitive, and never treated Anthony any differently because he was blind.
“I grew up just figuring things out because [my family] didn’t treat me any differently which was a blessing and a curse,” Anthony stated. “I was skateboarding and surfing, riding bikes…until I hit parked cars one day, and then I was done riding bikes,” Anthony laughs.
“Anthony, you might be blind, but you are also overweight right now and you can control one of those things.”
Anthony was determined to keep up with his older siblings throughout his childhood. “I’d always played rec league soccer and baseball when I was a really little kid and I always loved sports and just being active,” Anthony recalled.
“However, once I got old enough to realize that I guess I’m really blind and can’t play some of these sports with all the passing, I finally transferred to St. Lucy Day School for the Blind in Philadelphia to learn braille, and then finally transferred back to the public school [in New Jersey] where I was the only blind person at my school.”
Growing up with six older siblings, Anthony seldom found himself being treated any differently by his family, and recalls his older brother telling him one day, “Anthony, you might be blind, but you are also overweight right now and you can control one of those things.”
“When I think of Anthony’s defining characteristic, he’s a survivor.”
It was this motivation and support early on from his family that gave Anthony the confidence to not allow the fact that he was blind dictate who he was and what he was capable of doing.
The people who know Anthony best have known from an early age that Anthony was a fighter who was not going to let anything stand in his way from accomplishing his goals. Anthony’s mother states that, “When I think of Anthony’s defining characteristic, he’s a survivor.”
Just weeks after he was born premature, doctors were letting his mother know that he may not make it more than a few more hours, as he battled E. Coli during the first month of his life. Anthony faced an uphill battle from the beginning, but never let that stop him from achieving his goals.
“My kid just wanted to play with the other boys, you know?”
Anthony’s father recalled after one of Anthony’s wrestling matches that, “[Anthony] just overcame the odds and worked so hard… My kid just wanted to play with the other boys, you know?”
Now, after transitioning from wrestling to judo, Anthony is a member of Team USA’s Paralympic Judo team, and hopes to earn a spot in the 2024 Summer Paralympics. Since transitioning to judo, Anthony has won gold in the 2017 USA Judo President’s Cup, two bronze medals in the German Open for the Blind & Visually Impaired and International Grand Prix Infraero, and gold in 2018 at the USA Judo National Championships.
Along with judo, Anthony has become a phenomenal motivational speaker and travels to schools and universities to help inspire others to go after their dreams and not let anything hold them back.
“The only disability is a bad attitude…”
No matter what obstacles have stood in Anthony’s way throughout his life, he has always found a way to make the best of every situation presented to him. I asked him where he gets his motivation. “The only disability is a bad attitude,” Anthony stated, mentioning that he knows people in wheelchairs, “that are figuring out ways to rock climb and climb mountains,” a feat that is quite impressive for anyone to take on. Anthony also stated that, “You don’t have to go climb mountains or skateboard…whatever you are doing, just try to get better everyday.”
Anthony also credits the support he has received from his family, coaches, and other people who have come into his life mentioning that, “My rope team through life has just been incredible… My parents, my family, now my wife, it’s just so many people that are there to help.”
“Whatever I do, I do my own way in my own style, and I’m not trying to emulate anyone else…”
When I asked Anthony how being blind has helped him throughout his life, he stated that, “being blind helped me meet a lot more people in my life in the sense that a lot of people judge other people on their first glance, but I had to really get to know people just actually getting to know them.”
He also mentioned that because he was never able to see everyone else around him, “Whatever I do, I do my own way in my own style, and I’m not trying to emulate anyone else,” Anthony said. “For instance, when it comes to skateboarding, I don't know anyone else’s style, so I do my own style and I have fun and don’t get flooded by trying to be like everyone else around me.”
Anthony credits the fact that he is blind with being able to make truly genuine connections with other people without quick judgement, and be his most authentic self in a unique way that most of us strive for in our own ways.
Anthony Ferraro is a perfect example of what we strive for here at Sports Are Universal because he refuses to allow things he cannot control stand in the way of achieving his goals and dreams. Anthony has shown us all that sports truly are universal regardless of one’s abilities, and we could not be more proud to have had the opportunity to sit down with Anthony to share his story. One love!
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