17-year old Filipino-American Liana Muntia of Millbrook High School is taking down life’s challenges with her optimism and positive energy.
She is a female wrestler competing in a male-dominated sport, and she is legally blind.
“I was legally blind for a couple of years, but it’s really this year that the eyes started to get bad,” Liana told wncn.com.
Liana’s first sport is judo, but she has turned to wrestling in search for a new challenge.
On the mat, there is no special treatment given to Liana. She trains just like her teammates with the condition that her opponent must always stay in contact with her.
“She’s a good teammate,” said wrestling coach Scott Saby. “She works hard and competes, and that’s what’s great about her.”
With a record of four wins and six defeats, Liana is proving that her blindness is not a reason for her to fail.
“Wrestling kind of distracts me from my eye sight,” she said. “It makes me feel pretty normal.”
Her only wish is to see how her teammates look like — for now, she’ll have to settle with bonding with them on the mats.
Courtesy of: Coconuts Manila
Photo: WNCN.COM