The character arc of Anthony Robles

A life drawn by Character Arc from the public record

Born on 15 July 1988 with only one leg, missing all the way to the hip so there is no stump to attach a prosthetic to. Between then and now sit a prosthetic leg removed at three and never worn again, exercises invented to strengthen what he had, a school pushup record in the sixth grade, wrestling begun in the eighth after watching a cousin, a freshman record of five wins and eight losses and last place in his city, grip strength built from years on crutches, two state championships, ninety six straight wins, and a national title in 2011. The line below draws the story so far, in order.

Drag along the line to move, pinch or use the buttons to look closer. Tap the line to pluck it, or any mark for its card. Drawn from the public record of his life; the sources are at the foot of the page.

Who is Anthony Robles?

Ranked last in his city as a freshman. Then ninety six and nought.

He was born with one leg, for reasons the record does not give, and the missing one is gone all the way to the hip, so there is no stump for a prosthetic to attach to. He was given one anyway, and he took it off at the age of three. He never put it back on. What he did instead was work around it, strengthening the rest of his body with exercises he found himself, and in the sixth grade he set his school record for pushups.

He started wrestling in the eighth grade, joining in while watching one of his older cousins practise. As a freshman at high school in Mesa, Arizona, he had a record of five wins and eight losses and was ranked last in the city, disadvantaged by being ten pounds under his weight class.

Two things turned it. He had extraordinary grip strength, built from years of using crutches, and after intensive training he worked out that his unusually high centre of gravity could be used to defend against attack rather than being a liability. He developed several offensive moves, including one he invented himself.

In his second year he was ranked sixth in Arizona. Across his junior and senior years he went ninety six wins and no losses, took two Arizona state championships and won a national championship.

In 2011, wrestling for Arizona State, he won the individual national collegiate championship in the 125 pound class. That was not a category for athletes with a disability. It was the national title, against everybody. He published a book about it in September 2012.

The moments

Anthony Robles's timeline.

The 1990s

Jun 1991

He takes the leg off

Milestone, and it changed everything. Three years old, and he took it off and would not put it back.

~1999

A school pushup record

Milestone, and it changed his direction. Sixth grade, and the most pushups anybody at that school had done.

The 2000s

Sep 2001

He starts wrestling

Milestone, and it changed everything. He was watching his cousin train, and joined in.

Nov 2002

Last in the city

Setback, and it changed everything. Five wins, eight losses, and dead last in Mesa.

1 Jan 2003

Quit, or train harder

Crossroads, decided.

The paths laid out: train, and stay in, taken, or find another sport. He was sixth in the state a year later, unbeaten for two seasons after that, and national champion in 2011.

Jun 2003

The crutches gave him grip

Milestone, and it changed everything. The crutches had been building his grip for fifteen years.

Mar 2004

Sixth in Arizona

Milestone, and it changed his direction. From last in the city to sixth in the state, in one year.

~2005

Ninety six and nought

Milestone, and it changed everything. Two full seasons, ninety six matches, and he lost none of them.

Sep 2008

College wrestling

Milestone, and it changed his direction. Into the college system, against the best in the country.

The 2010s

19 Mar 2011

National champion

Milestone, and it changed everything. The open national title. Not a category. Everybody.

Sep 2012

Unstoppable

Milestone, and it changed his direction. The book, written the year after the title.

He speaks now, mostly to people who have been told what they cannot do. What he set moving is one line in a record book that does not carry an asterisk, because the title he won was the open one and he beat every other wrestler in the country to it.

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Anthony Robles: frequently asked questions

What people ask about his line.

What is Anthony Robles's character arc?

A boy born with one leg who removed his prosthetic at three and never wore one again, finished last in his city as a high school freshman, then went ninety six matches unbeaten and won the open national collegiate title in 2011.

Did Anthony Robles win a disability category?

No. He won the 2011 NCAA individual wrestling national championship in the 125 pound weight class, which is the open title, against every other wrestler in the country at that weight. No allowance was made.

Why does Anthony Robles not use a prosthetic?

His leg is missing all the way up to the hip, so there is no stump to attach one to. He refused a prosthetic and removed it at the age of three, and worked around it instead by strengthening the rest of his body.

How did Anthony Robles start wrestling?

In the eighth grade, by joining in while watching one of his older cousins practise. As a freshman at Mesa High School he had a record of five wins and eight losses and was ranked last in the city.

What was Anthony Robles's advantage?

Tremendous grip strength built from years of using crutches, and an unusually high centre of gravity which, after intensive training, he found he could use to defend against attack. He also developed several offensive moves including one he invented.

What book did Anthony Robles write?

Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion, published in September 2012, the year after he won the national title. He now works as a speaker, mostly to people who have been told what they cannot do.

Where does this timeline of Anthony Robles's life come from?

From the public record. Character Arc drew every moment on this line from the sources listed at the foot of the page, and the kind and weight of each moment are our editorial reading. Anthony Robles isn't a Member of Character Arc and has no connection with it, and no feeling is attributed to him.

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Sources

Anthony Robles, English Wikipedia biography, filed under living people.
NCAA records for the 2011 individual national championship in the 125 pound class.
Arizona high school wrestling records for the two state championships.