Blind since birth, the Coventry senior has pursued his dream of wrestling at the state tournament with a relentlessness drive and unrelenting faith.
View full size"I hear people say the word 'inspirational' all the time," says Coventry wrestler Jesse Gunter, "and it's really neat and all, but that's not the way I think."CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jesse Gunter never lost faith.
Blind since birth, the Coventry senior has pursued his dream of wrestling at the state tournament with a relentlessness drive and unrelenting faith.
No one would have blamed Gunter if he had given up, and not because of his physical impairment. Rather, it was a string of misfortune on the mat that might have derailed other wrestlers.
But Gunter made it. He made it to state last Saturday, winning the so-called "go-to" match that has been his Achilles' heel. Gunter's consolation semifinal victory at the Alliance district tournament clinched a 120-pound berth in the Division II state tournament beginning Thursday at Ohio State.
"Words can't describe the emotion," Coventry coach Keith Shinn said. "It had nothing to do with his handicap. It had everything to do with the fact he lives and breathes wrestling.
"But believe it or not, Jesse was very subdued. He was a little emotional, but he didn't want to show up his opponent."
That's because Gunter had been there before -- and suffered three devastating losses. He wrestled in the district "go-to-state" match each of his first three years, and lost each by a point -- twice under unusual circumstances.
When a wrestler is blind, by rule, both wrestlers must maintain physical contact. As a freshman in his consolation semifinal, Gunter caught his finger in his opponent's headgear and yanked it away. The official ruled Gunter intentionally broke contact and penalized him a point, even though he was at the disadvantage. It cost him the match.
Gunter's sophomore "go-to" match was memorable for a different reason. His opponent was Crestwood's Paige Nemec, and the match went into overtime. Gunter was called for an illegal scissors hold, and Nemec received a penalty point and the victory. She became Ohio's first female state qualifier.
Last year, Shinn said Gunter simply was outwrestled in a one-point loss.
Gunter said each loss motivated him to work even harder. Shinn said Gunter is a workout beast, and is the strongest wrestler he's ever coached. Gunter owns several team workout records, such as running a mile in 5:45, doing 120 push-ups in two minutes, doing 120 sit-ups in two minutes and doing 64 consecutive pull-ups.
His career wrestling record is 170-23.
Gunter acted Saturday as though winning in his last chance to go to state was all part of the plan, which he firmly believes it was. Gunter realizes he can be an inspirational figure because of his impairment, but he doesn't dwell on it because he said that's part of the plan, too.
"It's something I believed I could do," he said. "I always thought, 'If can do something, then why can't other people?' You continue trying and never give up.
"I hear people say the word 'inspirational' all the time, and it's really neat and all, but that's not the way I think. Whatever happens is God's will, not mine. If people think I'm an inspiration, then that's God's will."
Gunter suffered severe nerve damage during a difficult birth, and doctors told his parents, Debbie and Tony Gunter, he might never walk, speak or see. Only his sight was not restored.
"He's a miracle," Debbie Gunter said.
Some would call Gunter disabled. He feels blessed.
"My point is: 'This is how God made me, and you might see me differently. I see myself as unique,'" said Gunter, who carries a 3.68 grade-point average while taking classes at the University of Akron.
Gunter is as thoughtful as he is motivated. It should come as no surprise his plan is to study psychology and theology and become a preacher.
"My faith is very important to me to me because it's something I've been raised with, and it's always in my heart," he said. "It never goes away, and it never will."
On Twitter: @TimsTakePD
