Robert L Long III was born in Florence, South Carolina. After over 20 hours in labor his mom gave birth to Robbie and their lives would never be the same. Robbie's dad, knew from the beginning that his son was going to be special. Robbie's parents recall a time when Robbie, then only a 1 year old, climbed up on the kitchen table. As his father went to get him, Robbie slipped, but before falling Robbie grabbed the table and pulled himself up, laughing Robbie was age appropriate in his development until the age of 3, when his parents noticed some delays and regression in his behavior and speech. Eventually the family had Robbie evaluated and it was then discovered he was on the autism spectrum. Dad was devastated and Mom was emotional but they were determined that Robbie would have all he needed to live a normal life. Fast forward to high school at Mt Carmel. At first, his wrestling coach didn't know how Robbie would fit in. As it turned out, his coach was able to get him plenty of matches. Every time an opposing wrestler went out on the mat with Robbie they were sure to make each match "competitive". After every match, regardless of the score, Robbie would raise his own hand. It soon became apparent that it was Robbie's way of showing appreciation for the 'struggle'. The sport of wrestling helped Robbie have a positive high school experience. But, Robbie's contribution to his team and wrestling at Mt Carmel can't be overlooked. Every day his actions showed other members of the team and coaching staff what it means to be appreciative and to value the experience.