Brighten Your Day

What This Wrestler Did After Losing The Match Was So Beautiful... There Wasn't A Dry Eye In The Crowd

March 10, 2014

The Class 3A state high school wrestling championship in St. Paul, Minnesota this week ended with a standing ovation and few dry eyes.

Sophomore Mitchell McKee learned there was no match for his dad's terminal cancer. So he practiced hard and he prayed.

Mitchell with his family / Photo: Vanessa Schuleter

He wanted to make his dad proud in his final months. Before every match he prayed and said, "God help me win this match so I can go win a state title for my dad."

Vanessa Schuleter

McKee pinned his opponent Malik Stewart, winning the title. And then something remarkable happened...

Vanessa Schuleter

"He won," said Stewart. "He was pretty proud, and his dad was pretty proud. So I went over there and I shook his hand, embraced him a little bit, and told him to stay strong and everybody loves him."

Then Stewart went over to McKee's father and shook his hand too.

Vanessa Schuleter

"I got a little teary because I lost the match, and I knew the hard times he was going through. The crowd went wild and I heard a couple people say after I did it - that was pretty classy - but I just did it straight from the heart," said Stewart.

When it was McKee's turn to hug his dad, onlookers cried, stood and clapped. 

Vanessa Schuleter

"The whole crowd gave a standing ovation, not just for the STMA wrestler and his father, but for Stewart, who understands what true sportsmanship is. Thank you for making your athletes into what they are today, Mr. Stewart is a model wrestler that we can all use in our examples of what a true athlete is," said T.J. Anderson, Assistant Wrestling Coach, Dassel-Cokato Middle School in a letter to the Anoka Hennepin School District.

Vanessa Schuleter

While only one of these wrestlers won the title, they both walked off winners.

Source: Kare11.com