A high school wrestler in Pennsylvania was the embodiment of sportsmanship when he allowed himself to be pinned last Thursday.
Jacob Meister, a junior at Bradford (Penn.) High School, is a dedicated member of the school’s wrestling team, although he’s never actually competed alongside his teammates because he suffers from cerebral palsy.
According to the USA Today, Meister's teammate Dillon Keane stepped forward and offered to wrestle Meister at the end of Bradford’s first meet back from winter break.
Video of the bout was filmed by Keane’s girlfriend who posted it online.
Jake, a member of my old high school’s wrestling team suffers a physical disability. Tonight my boyfriend volunteered to have a wrestling match with him, making his dream come true. Amazing to see the joy it brought to his family and the community. My heart is so full. pic.twitter.com/BaeCvqclG3
— Brooke McGriff (@brookemcgriff16) January 4, 2019
“That match was so much more than just watching a child with disabilities. It was about a team, a team filled with heart. I will be forever grateful for the way they’ve embraced my son,” Mary Jo Corignani, Meister’s mother, told The Bradford Era. “Disability has never defined Jake. And, if anything, he’s proved different doesn’t mean less. He not only looks up to Dillon (Keane), Derek (Sunafrank) and the rest of the kids, he considers them friends.”
