Antoni Walters grew up in Amityville, NY without much; he and his sister often shared clothes during their early years of school. Tony’s lifelong friend, Warren Wellington, took him to his first kid wrestling practice at Amityville High School in the fourth grade. While thoughts of joining the WWF floated around his young head, his reality turned out much differently. Once Tony reached middle school, his world perspective began to change. Joining the middle school team, he quickly fell in love with the sport of wrestling, losing only one match during that time. Enter Amityville High School Wrestling Coach and Hall of Famer, Norm Maisel, the man who changed his life. Coach Maisel taught Tony more than wrestling and showed him that not all white people were out to get people of color. Tony finished high school as the 1989 Section 11 177lb. runner-up.  To this day Coach Maisel’s immortal words, “Pull the trigger!!!” still ring in Tony’s ears. 

In 1989, Tony enrolled in West Virginia University.  This is where he met Assistant Coach, Charlie Heard, another man who saved his life. Coach Heard was instrumental in shaping Tony’s development during those college years, as he was not a scholarship student. Often treated differently than most of his white peers, and especially because of the relationship they developed, Tony and Coach Heard would spend some nights training from 11pm to 2 am.  His senior year, Tony broke into the lineup and received a $1000 scholarship that spring semester acknowledging his efforts.  

In the fall of 1995, Tony began training for the Olympics with Tyrone Abercrombie, another lifelong friend. They became brothers in battle, traveling all across the country together. Tony became an U.S. National Champion in Greco-Roman Wrestling, a runner up in freestyle, 3x All-American and 2x World Teams Qualifier, ranking as high as 4th and 5th in the country. It was then that he started his illustrious coaching career at St. Anthony’s High School with his best friend, Bill Maisel, while also working on a Dual Master’s Degree in Elementary and Special Education. Bill left St Anthony’s three years later and was kind enough to recommend that Tony take over the program which Tony then went on to mold into one of the best programs in New York State. 

His 29 years of coaching at St Anthony’s have not come without controversy.  As one of a handful of black head wrestling coaches in the state, Coach Walter’s knowledge and expertise have been constantly challenged. Despite all the challenges he has endured, he has coached 11 NY State Finalists, 32 Overall NY State Place Finishers, 14 NY Catholic State Championships, 112 Catholic State Champions, 1 HS National Champion, 1 Runner Up and 14 NHSCA All Americans. Coach Walters was voted Coach of the Year nine times, and was inducted into the St. Anthony’s Hall of Fame in 2018.  Tony is thankful for the people in his life who have kept him grounded, especially his wife Trudi and their three children: Tori, Ryan, and Sydney. Without their encouragement and support, none of his many successes would have happened.  

Through all the hardship, challenges, and prejudices Tony faced, Living the Mentality and Quiet Storm East Wrestling Club were born. Over the years, more than 1,500 kids have passed through his high school and club doors.  Through their time spent with Coach Walters, these young wrestlers learned that the path to become not just a champion, but a productive human being is long and hard, but as the saying goes in Tony’s wrestling room, “If you don’t believe, you don’t belong!” 

Tony’s immense impact on countless individuals during his tenure at Saint Anthony’s and Quiet Storm is evident as seen in the overall success of his wrestlers and the men they become. Tony is constantly reminded of this fact when they return to the St Anthony’s wrestling room just to see their coach!