The ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER has the inspiring tale of Cullen Fitzgibbons, a high school wrestler who finished his career without a win.

How is that inspiring? The wrestler didn’t let Down syndrome keep him from competing.

Even before Cullen was diagnosed with the disease, he had medical problems from the start. He was born with a hole in his heart, which required open-heart surgery before he even turned 1 year old. His mother Dana recalled the pre-surgery blood work: “I remember him screaming – horrible screaming – for hours. It was heart-wrenching.”

His medical & mental condition didn’t help his education, as teacher & schools resisted putting Cullen into normal classrooms: “In eighth grade, Dana discovered, they were still asking her son to trace his name and connect the dots in class.”

Now a senior at Los Alamitos High, Fitzgibbons finished 0-28 on the mat, including a gut-wrenching one-point loss in his final match. But in no way is Cullen seen as a loser - especially by his high school classmates:

“Who does the wrestling team carry atop their shoulders into the annual pep rally? Cullen. Who do the cheerleaders rush to hug first? Cullen. Who do the fans cheer loudest for – even in defeat? Cullen.”

Jason McElwain approves.