19-year-old Jake ‘The Snake’ Beckmann has always dreamed of being an MMA fighter and grappling with his heroes. And finally, after years of hard work and training – he achieved that goal in stunning fashion, defeating UFC legend Nate Quarry. Okay, so it might not have been the most competitive fight you’ve ever seen, but it’s quite the story. Only Jake has Down Syndrome. But he doesn’t let them limit his life. As seen in this incredible video…
Kudos to Nate ‘The Rock’ Quarry here for being part of making one young fella’s dream come true. It’s a special moment for the guy and it shows that sport doesn’t have to be the big serious thing it always seems.
Quarry said this after the fight: “He was told his whole life, ‘You’re not capable of those things; those things aren’t for you,’ because he was born with Down syndrome. Well, that wasn’t good enough for me.”
“From the time I was very little, I was told exactly who I was supposed to be, what was expected of me, and I hate being put in a box”, Quarry continued. “I hate even more to see other people put in a box and be told what they’re supposed to be and who they’re supposed to be. So I said if I can help this young man achieve his goals, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
Check out what happened:
