joseph lawson's match with adversity
On the wrestling mat, there was never an opponent too formidable for Joseph Lawson. From the time he first donned a green and gold singlet as a 12-year-old 7th grader, he loved the challenge of wrestling and resolved to become a champion. If one day he were to realize his dream, he reasoned, he must study the fine points of his craft, train religiously, and bring a singleness of purpose to each workout and each competition.
He progressed steadily through the Collegiate program, and as a freshman, finally secured a spot on the varsity. That season, he won 26 of 41 matches and placed third in the Prep League. His success only whetted his appetite for greater accomplishment, and as a sophomore a year ago, his dedication to excellence elevated him to another level. He wrestled 35 matches and won 30. In February, he won both the league and state championships in the 103-pound weight class.
As his victory total increased, so did his self-confidence. There was no brashness, no swagger, no arrogance, however, just the quiet· recognition that if he prepared thoroughly he could go to battle with anyone and emerge the winner. Life was good. The future was bright. Then, without time to prepare, he met an opponent much tougher than any he had ever faced on the mat.
He was at Virginia Beach and on the evening of June 13 was visiting friends who were staying on the second floor of a duplex. Innocently, he leaned against the wooden frame of a screen porch. In an instant, the wood collapsed, the screen ripped, and he and his classmate Rishi Pahuja fell 15 feet to the ground.
Their friends told them to lie perfectly still, and the rescue squad, quickly on the scene; rushed them to Virginia Beach General Hospital. Pahuja suffered compression fractures in his back and remained hospitalized three days for observation. Late the night of the accident, Lawson was transferred toSentara Norfolk General where the next morning doctors removed part of his hip bone and fused together two broken bones (C6 and C7) in his neck and inserted a titanium plate for stability.
Thanks to the quick and decisive actions of his friends, the medics, and the doctors, the threat of paralysis was narrowly averted. His wrestling days, however, were over. There would be no more championships. His dream of becoming an All-American was gone. He was disappointed, of course, but philosophical.
"I've always been at peace with not being able to wrestle because I know how lucky I am to be alive, to be able to walk, and to still be able to help out with the team," he said. "When I was lying in the hospital bed, I thought, 'At least I went out as the state champion."'
Lawson returned to Richmond three days after surgery. He wore a neck brace, and his activities were limited. Soon, he began six weeks of physical therapy, but his real therapy was hanging out in the weight room, sharing the experience with his friends, and remaining part of the action as best he could. After all, wrestling season would begin before long, he was a team captain, and he had no intention of abdicating his responsibilities.
This winter, he's been a presence each day at practices and matches. He runs and lifts. He offers moral support. He videotapes matches. He assists with cub practices. He drills lightly - "I definitely know my limits," he says - with teammates. He also coaches in the K-6 club wrestling program which practices twice weekly and competes on Sunday.
"Joseph's influence is very powerful," said former Collegiate coach Wortie Ferrell. "The young kids think he hung the moon. He's spreading the contagion to another generation."
Watching from the sideline is not his choice, and he does have his moments-it's only natural-when he yearns to be on the mat. "Sure, I miss it," he says. "It gets frustrating at times, but I realize I can't wrestle and nothing will change that, so the best I can do is be around wrestling, teach the younger guys what I know, and do anything I can to help the program become better."
His role is different, but his impact remains strong, for in facing adversity without excuse or fear and wrestling it to the mat, he has quietly spoken volumes.
"Joseph has had the realization that bad things happen to everyone and you have to assimilate them and move on," said Frank Kiefer, his coach the last three years. "In the time since the accident, the same qualities that he displayed as a wrestler have enabled him to become a man."
