IF YOU’VE never seen Zion Clark wrestling, there comes a moment in nearly every one of his matches when he looks just like every other competitor: in the down position, flexing his broad chest, massive arms, and sculpted back as he fights to escape his opponent’s hold and gain the advantage. But once he does, it becomes clear how he’s different: Clark, 24, has no legs, due to a rare condition called caudal regression syndrome. The Ohio native is well aware that this makes him unique, but he’s adamant about not being treated differently because of it.
“What I’m doing blows most people’s minds,” says Clark, who now lives and trains in San Diego, on a Zoom call in October. “The And then next, it’s: ” But in Clark’s eyes, he’s supposed to do that. He’s developed the life philosophy of “Be greater than”—as in be greater than whoever you are today, or your last accomplishment, or your self-doubt. It may sound clichéd, but that mentality has kept him grounded and motivated as he works toward the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he hopes to become the first American to make both the Olympic and the Paralympic teams in two separate sports—wrestling in the former, wheelchair racing in the latter.
