Kapolei's Shandon_Ilaban defeated University High's Joseph Fong in the 126-pound final to win his first state title. Steve Erler | SL

Purchase image 1 of 1

Although he was born with radial club hand, Shandon Ilaban's perseverance helped him earn his first individual wrestling state title Saturday night.

With limited functionality in his left arm, Ilaban has had to work harder than his peers to get to the top. Radial club hand, also known as radial dysplasia, is a condition where the wrist is bent inward towards the thumb and the forearm is shortened. 

"Sometimes I don't have much grip strength in my left hand, so I have to kind of hook it in a different way when I wrestle," said Ilaban. "I just don't have much strength on my my left arm as everybody else."

But instead of viewing his condition as a curse, Ilaban thinks of it as a blessing.

"I actually look at is as a gift from God because he probably wants me to have this arm to push myself to greater limits," said Ilaban. "It just motivates me to work harder than anyone else. They was born with two hands while I was born with this hand. People take it for granted that they have two hands and I just want to show that I can be as good as them."

The Kapolei junior's belief came to fruition when he defeated University High's Joseph Fong in the 126-pound final of the Chevron/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Wrestling Championships at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center Arena.

"I felt great because all summer I was lifting and going all over to train," he said. "It was just one of my goals. I really wanted to be a four-time state champion, but I actually broke my ankle my freshmen year and took fourth in my sophomore year. I just wanted to come out stronger and work harder than all those other years."

Ilaban, who also trains with Grapplers Hawaii, pinned Fong at the 1:39 mark of the first period for the victory.

"I snapped him down into a front head lock, and then I hit an ankle pick and then I drove him into a near-side cradle," described Ilaban. "I actually just started to hit it in OIAs last week. I usually don't use cradles, but I felt stronger doing them than before."

Kapolei coach Sean Salter spoke highly of Ilaban's work ethic when reached by phone Sunday night.

"Shandon, he comes to work," said Salter. "He never complains, never does less than anyone else. He's always looking to do more. He's always picking my brain, whether it be before, during or after practice, and he's always looking for ways to prepare himself."

"He's just such a joy to watch and behold," he added. "In his matches, he's not just out there trying to win, but he's also enjoying himself. It's not just a chore for him. It's what he's passionate about."

When asked of his plans for the future, Ilaban said he wants to wrestle collegiately somewhere in California, or anywhere that's willing to offer a scholarship. Outside of academics, Ilaban hopes to become a firefighter when he grows up. He also said that he is studying some fire science and is actually part of a firefighter program in Makakilo right now.

At the end of the day, we all can learn a thing or two from Ilaban's story. Instead of complaining about the things that we don't possess, be thankful for the things that we do have. Ilaban's story should serve as an inspiration and a reminder that hard work leads to success.