Rob Sulkoski's seventeen. He was born to young parents who were unable to care for him, and he has lived in eleven different foster homes since the age of three when he was diagnosed with what he describes as a mild case of cerebral palsy. At age eleven, Rob underwent the first of eight surgical procedures on his legs. Tendons were lengthened, bones manipulated, and muscles moved around. After several months of immobility, Rob was able to discard his leg braces, walkers, and wheelchair. Rob found wrestling while attending the Junior High School at Queensbury. We'll let him speak for himself: "When I was in seventh grade, I really wanted to play football, however I couldn't run fast enough or manipulate the ball well enough. So, my good friend John Payne (who now wrestles varsity at 112-pounds for Queensbury) told me to try wrestling. Well, I talked to the modified coach and he said no way, it was too dangerous. So I went to the school nurse and again the answer was no. So I tried an intramural program called Mat Rats and liked it. So next year, I asked again, and the answer was still no. So on the first day of practice, I just showed up and he gave me one scrimmage with a team-mate. After that, I was immediately given a spot on the team. However, I rarely got a match. So after a long, boring season, I quit my wrestling career." Rob moved to a couple of new foster homes, and new schools, winding up living in Milford and attending high school at Oneonta. This was not a good period for Rob. His grades slumped; he goofed off; he became depressed. Then he began to tum things around. "My junior year was very successful. I got my life back on a fairly good track. I did pretty well academically also. In late October, I decided to restart my wrestling career, and I found that I enjoyed it most of the time. The running and training was very hard on me due to lack of good cardio-conditioning. But I am starting to run months before this coming season starts. For me, wrestling does many things. It helps me with: physical conditioning, building physical, emotional, and mental strength, focus, frustration, social life, and much more. "I started up again, wrestling at the JV and varsity levels at Oneonta. I didn't win much except for forfeits, but I learned a lot this past season. I learned that no matter how boring that first season on modified was, I never should have quit, but I'm glad I started again, and I plan to keep wrestling throughout college. I feel that I was very successful this season, however, this coming year is my senior year, and I need to try harder this year." Every coach wishes for a young man like Rob Sulkoski. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame proudly awards the Medal of Courage to Robert John Sulkoski.