Blindness problems can't stop wrestler
Coventry senior "an inspiration to all"
AKRON - Neurologists and pediatricians told Debbie and Tony Gunter that their son suffered brain damage at birth and would never be able to take part in sports.
"Most of the doctors told us he'd never be able to walk or even talk, that he wouldn't be able to do much of anything," his mother said.
Jesse Gunter has surpassed those meager expectations. He's 15-1 on his high school wrestling team and has a 4.0 GPA, despite being blind in one eye and having only limited vision in the other.
Debbie believes she is witnessing a miracle every time he wrestles. "We never had the courage to dream that he could do what he's doing," she said. "He's an inspiration to all of us, especially those of us who were there when he was born."
It was a problem delivery. After 16 hours in labor, Debbie had an emergency Caesarean section. A few hours later, Jesse began having seizures. After numerous tests, doctors told his parents that their baby suffered brain damage. For three years, the Gunters took Jesse to neurological and pediatric experts who said there was little anyone could do. After moving to Virginia, they found a pediatrician who offered hope. "She just told us that whatever we do, don't baby him, treat him normal like every other kid, and he'll grow up to be like every other kid," Tony Gunter said.
Jesse is blind in one eye and has had two surgeries on his other eye to help stabilize it. But he has no peripheral vision. That ruled out most sports. "I can see a basketball, but the players in a game are a blur," Jesse said. "I can pitch a baseball toward a hitter, but I can't catch or field a ball. ... I was disappointed, but I didn't give up because I always wanted to do a sport."
The family moved back to the Akron area in 1996. He started wrestling three years ago as a seventh-grader at Coventry Junior High.
"The thing I love most about wrestling is that I can really push my body. My body can support me in wrestling, and it's a thrill for me," he said. He was 22-8 as a seventh-grader and 23-2 in eighth grade. As a freshman, he has a 4.0 grade-point average taking a regular academic schedule. In matches, opponents must maintain contact with Jesse. Jesse has ambitious goals. He wants to be a state champion wrestler and to compete in college and the Olympics. "I can't see, but I can dream," he said. "And I'm determined to live those dreams."
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