Double amputee high school wrestler has BOTH prosthetic legs stolen from gym ahead of state championships
- Brett Winters, who was born without tibia bones, said it ‘hurts to even practice’
- He said the theft has left him ‘not knowing’ if he will wrestle ‘at all this year’
- ‘This was the one sport that I was able to do very well’, a devastated Winters said
- Winters is a senior at Pacific High School in San Bernardino, California
- He had his legs amputated when was a baby and has been wearing prosthetic legs ever since. One of the legs he uses for wrestling has since been returned
- And the school district has also has said they will replace the prosthetic legs
- But that will take a long time and Brett fears they will not arrive in time
A double amputee wrestler who had both his prosthetic legs stolen from his high school gym closet fears the callous theft will jeopardize his hopes of a California state championship.
Brett Winters, who was born without tibia bones, said it means that it ‘hurts to even practice’ and leaves him ‘not knowing’ if he will wrestle ‘at all this year’.
The senior at Pacific High School in San Bernardino had both his legs amputated when he was eight-months-old and has been wearing prosthetic limbs ever since.
Winters, who uses different pairs for different activities, told ABC7: ‘Out of all my sports that I did at Pacific High School, this was the one sport that I could actually do and this was the one sport that I was able to do very well.’
One of the legs he uses for wrestling has since been returned but that is of no comfort to Brett, pictured, who said the disappearance of his legs has left him ‘bummed out’
Brett Winters, pictured, who was born without tibia bones, said it ‘hurts to even practice’. He said the theft has left him ‘not knowing’ if he will wrestle ‘at all this year’
He added: ‘I was planning on going to CIF this year again or possible state championships and winning it all, but I can’t because my wrestling legs are gone.’
One of the legs he uses for wrestling has since been returned but that is of no comfort to Brett, who said the disappearance of his legs has left him ‘bummed out’.
The school district has also has said they will replace the prosthetic legs.
But that will take a long time and Brett fears they will not arrive before his wrestling career at the school comes to an end.
Brett, who was set to be a team captain, added: ‘Right now, practicing? It hurts to even practice.’
Brett’s mom made a decision to amputate his legs after doctors said he would otherwise spend his life in a wheelchair.
He said: ‘So, I was amputated at eight-and-a-half months old and I got my first set of legs at 10-and-a-half months old.
Winters, pictured, is a senior at Pacific High School in San Bernardino, California He had his legs amputated when was a baby and has been wearing prosthetic legs ever since. One of the legs he uses for wrestling has since been returned