Anthony Shifflett NE - The Essence of Character
Anthony Shifflett NE
The Essence of Character: Wherever Life Takes You, You Will Struggle
By Bill X. Barron
How would you respond if the very activity that you love – a sport that you live for and you are best at performing – was eliminated from your life by a force over which you had no ability to control?
Would you have the courage or the stamina to do everything possible to get it back?
The essence by which character is forged reveals how a person responds to the challenge when one comes face-to-face with adversity. Character is what best describes 14-year-old Anthony Shifflett of Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
As a six-, seven-, and eight-year-old, Anthony’s natural drive and the ability to learn quickly were on display as he captured Nebraska USA Wrestling state titles in 2016, 2017, and 2018. In 2017-18, he won the Tulsa Kick-Off, placed second at Tulsa Nationals, and was a Reno World Champ.
The Nebraska 2018 Wrestler of the Year also took home first place at the RMN Monster Match and repeated championships in the AAU Winter Nationals and Montana Open. In the RMN Grand Canyon Nationals, Anthony not only won the title but was named Outstanding Wrestler.
Most recently, in 2023 Anthony won Huskerland State, started on Nebraska’s national dual team, and took first at the AAU State Meet. This winter, Anthony has thus far conquered RMN at Who’s Bad (CO), New Mexico Nationals, and Wild West (WY), where he is a repeat champion, along with a runner-up medal in Reno.
So, what happened between 2018 and 2023? At age eight, Anthony learned how uncommon ability can collide with a rare condition formally called Legg-Calve-Perthes.
Most often, this disease attacks the blood supplied to the head of the thighbone, cruelly afflicting children between 3-11 years. Not only does Perthes limit mobility, but the rapid bone deterioration also results in great pain, making it difficult to even walk, never mind wrestle.
The only cure is a total hip replacement, but even at age nine, the doctors thought it might be too late to work on a growing adolescent. It takes as long as 2-5 years for the femoral head to regrow, and for Anthony, it meant spending months in an uncomfortable half-body cast.
From today’s vantage point, Anthony’s peers set sail by what they glean from his current success as the reigning youth state champion. In the past, they have seen him travel all over the country, earning trophies and tournament honors.
Yet they may never appreciate all the sweat and labor it took for Anthony to fight off his own demons in returning to the mat. At school in 2020, he had to do the mile run in a wheelchair. He would ask himself: “Will I ever be as good as I was?”
And he did not want to return if it meant not meeting the high standards that people had come to expect of him. He was torn between loathing and loving the work he had to put in order to achieve or surpass his own heightened expectations.
After two years of exercise therapy, Anthony tried to return to the sport that had captured his imagination at such an early age. Reluctance led to fear, and that fear froze him until his middle school coach, Josh Gomez, talked him back into it, at first getting him to help those new to the sport.
Anthony realized that what he was fighting was not his opponents but his own state of mind. Frank Ybarra, his Federation coach at age five, and his current coach, Colton Adams, each helped him look beyond the struggle. Instead of being sad, get mad. Learn how to fight back.
From Native American times, the geological enigma of Scotts Bluff has served as a lifelike landmark for those journeying from the East to the West Coast. Just as this monolith towers above the Midwest high plains, Anthony’s courage stands out against the landscape of a society that has lost touch with the art of turning obstacles into learning opportunities.
This resurgence of spirit was noticeable not just on the mat but in the classroom as well. In a 6th grade ceremony now on YouTube, Northfield Elementary’s principal, John Weideman, recognizes Anthony as Star Student of the Week.
“He was nominated for his hard work, tenacity, willingness to help classmates, and always earning good grades.” Anthony acknowledges how much he truly likes helping others.
Father and coach Cory wrestled as a youth and for Gothenburg High in Central Nebraska. On the present state of the sport, he comments: “It’s insane how much kids travel every weekend and wrestle year-round. To keep pace, we knew we had to do the same. Fortunately, our family has the ability to travel widely to stretch Anthony’s horizons.”
At matside, Mom Brittania is not too far from the action nor hard to miss, “as I am rambunctious, always hollering and screaming.” She enjoys the intensity of the tournaments, particularly with all the hype, music, and show that comes with RMN, in addition to the “amazing awards.”
For now, Anthony is all back with a whole life ahead of him. Just the same, those who have recovered from Perthes in their early life are more likely to have osteoarthritis and potentially degenerative joint disease in their 60’s or 70’s.
Anthony’s youthful inspiration comes from not being scared to face the challenge of living. He had to learn how to not give up before he could learn how to win again.
In his words, “Wherever life takes you, you will have your struggles. Eventually, you will thrive and come to understand what success means.”
Footnote:
Anthony won three Nebraska USA Wrestling State titles before his operation and once afterward, only missing the years from the operation and his recovery.
2023 - 7th Grade (in the 7th-8th grade division) at 75 lbs.
2018 - 3rd Grade (in the 3rd-4th grade division) at 50 lbs.
2017 - 2nd Grade (in the 1st-2nd grade division) at 45 lbs.
2016 - 1st Grade (in the 1st-2nd grade division) at 40 lbs.