Neuqua's 'toughest kid' wrestles with own CP

One of the toughest people in whatever gym he enters is Nathan Proctor, and he never competed in a sport a day in his life.

"He's our toughest kid," Julie Proctor said.

Neuqua Valley junior Nick Proctor proved himself to be one of the best wrestlers in Illinois recently, placing second at 160 pounds at this year's state finals. He also earned a third-place medal as a sophomore.

Nick is one of the three sons of Joel and Julie Proctor. His older brother Neal - now a student at Illinois State - also wrestled for Neuqua Valley.

Nathan, the Proctors' middle son, is 19 years old. He is confined to a wheelchair, born as he was with cerebral palsy, specifically spastic quadriplegia, which affects all four of his limbs.

"He's smart, he can talk and he knows what's going on around him," Julie said. "His battle is controlling his body to do what he wants it to do."

Speaking is difficult, but Nathan obliges. For this story he answered a list of questions submitted to him via e-mail.

"A lot of little kids come up to me and ask what's wrong with me," Nathan said. "I think it's funny, but I'm glad they ask because most adults don't. Cerebral palsy just means my muscles don't work the way I want them to. All my movements are a struggle, but I do what I can."

The effort required in negotiating the physical world is constant for Nathan, but then so is his family's support. It starts with his mother.

"She's the hardest-working person I know," Neal said. "The stuff she does day-to-day is unbelievable."

Julie points to the compassion that Nick and Neal have always shown for Nathan, and Joel Proctor's working life is driven in large part by his concern for Nathan's future.

"My parents are awesome," Nick said.

The Proctors are quick to point out that they're nothing special, that they're acting just as anyone would in their situation.

"The neatest thing is that you can tell it's a family," said Neuqua coach Mick Ruettiger. "They're all for Nathan, and Nathan is there for them. You can see it in the family - maybe it's not what you want in life, but it's what life has given them, and they handle it."

The example that Nathan provides inspires them to handle it. Sometimes, his example flat-out requires them to handle it.

A while back, Nick had a sore tooth and was going on about not wanting to face the dentist's chair. His mother tolerated Nick's complaining to a point before putting a stop to it by reminding him of what Nathan goes through daily.

"Once she pulls that card, it's kind of hard to complain or say anything else," Neal said. "She'll say something like that in front of Nathan, and he'll be sitting there with that little grin on his face. He knows."

A wrestler's goal is to mentally push himself beyond his physical comfort zone, to the point of nearly embracing physical discomfort. Nathan meets that goal every day.

"He does it without any pain medication, which he can't take because of other complications," Neal said. "And he doesn't complain, so when he says his back hurts, you know it's bad."

Nathan has undergone difficult physical therapy sessions three times a week since he was 6 months old.

"I don't want to do therapy and stuff," Nathan said, "but I know I have to."

He also had titanium rods surgically implanted in his back a few years ago, to stop his spine from bowing, but rehabbing from that wasn't as painful as when the doctors had to go back in and remove those rods due to an infection they'd caused.

"That's the only time I remember his spirits really being down," Julie said. "Physically, he was just beaten down by it."

Nathan bounced back from that surgery, and he doesn't let his physical condition define him. He works a few days a week at North Central College in Naperville, he's a sports fanatic, and he's never happier than when he's wheeling around a shopping mall.

"He has his days, like everyone else, when he's moody," Neal said. "But you're never unable to talk to him, take him out and cheer him up. He's never down for very long."

For the past five or six wrestling seasons, Nathan has been a fixture at Neuqua Valley wrestling dual meets and tournaments. He was Ruettiger's team manager for a few seasons, and he travels far and wide to watch Nick wrestle.

"He never misses wrestling," Nick said. "I think all six minutes that I wrestle is sort of like his form of adrenaline rush. He views it like it's his competition, since he can't compete in anything."

On Feb. 21, Nick lost a heartbreaking 3-2 decision to Kyle Czarnecki on the title mat inside Assembly Hall in Champaign. Proctor family history tells us that Nathan probably took the loss even worse than Nick.

Nick will doubtlessly be in the hunt for another title-mat appearance next year, and with Nathan providing an ever-present example of true toughness, you can bet he'll put his work in.

"I think Nick's success at wrestling is awesome," Nathan said. "I love to go and watch him."

Nathan also finds room for a final, good-natured dig at his younger brother.

"He doesn't like to lose, ever. I wish he wouldn't lose," Nathan said. "So he needs to work on that."