Roger Stewart is a hearing-impaired amateur wrestler and a high school wrestling coach in Virginia. Last year he won The Deaf Olympic wrestling trials in his weight class and thereby earned a place on the team selected to compete in Melbourne, Australia in 2005. Later, however, he would be advised that because of inadequate funding of The Deaf Olympics he would have to bear the expenses of his stay in Melbourne, an expense he could not afford. He would, therefore, not be able to compete in the Olympics. He was devastated.

Fortunately, in November, Mr. Stewart called Great Neck resident Joshua Mattana, a 10th-grader and member of the Great Neck South School wrestling team. He informed Joshua that he would be competing in a wrestling tournament in New York in December and added that he would not be competing in the Melbourne Olympics. He explained why.

Joshua and Roger had become acquainted last summer at a wrestling camp. Roger served as a counselor and was impressed with Joshua's wrestling skills and his enthusiasm for the sport. They agreed to remain in contact with one another.

Joshua reacted to Roger's plight with a combative determination to rectify matters. He decided to seek sponsors who would contribute the necessary funds and fulfill Roger's dream of being an Olympian wrestler. He mailed more than a hundred letters. The response was gratifyingly successful. Among the responders was Donald Rumsfeld, the Secretary of Defense, an aficianado of amateur wrestling. Enclosed with his personal letter was a generous check. Joshua received commitments to donate $3,000 dollars to the United States Deaf Sports Federation for Roger's expenses. Roger competed in Melbourne.

He did not win a medal but he did take sixth place out of 70 wrestlers competing in his weight class. He described his experience as the greatest in his life.