Anthony Robles with his mother Judy, at the Wiggle Your Toes Winter Event in which Anthony was the keynote speaker.

For nearly 20 years, Anthony Robles’ body carried his chiseled frame on one leg. Born without a right leg, Anthony hopped around on his left leg with the aid of crutches for most of his life.

Now, thanks to the help of the Wiggle Your Toes Foundation and the 2011 NCAA champion wrestler’s determination, Anthony’s left leg doesn’t have to do all the work anymore.

After winning the NCAA Championship at 125 pounds and tearing through Arizona State’s wrestling record books, Robles was able to check off another one of his life goals, getting a prosthetic leg and walking on two feet.
 
“Putting the leg on for the first time and seeing myself standing on my own two legs was really cool,” Robles said. “I was really nervous at first. I had expected it to be heavy but my doctor told me to just swing my leg forward and I remember it being real easy to move. It kind of made me a little taller, too."

Finally getting to put on his new prosthetic and take his first steps was the culmination of Anthony’s hard work and focus, a possibility that might not have been possible had it not been for Wiggle Your Toes (WYT). 

The organization was founded by Aaron Holm and his wife, Amanda, in 2008 after Aaron lost both of his legs in a car accident a year earlier. Based upon his personal experience, Aaron decided to create WYT. The organization helps people who have suffered limb loss or deficiency, providing a variety of services including product consultation, purchasing products, home modification and helping cover the cost of these expenses.

Robles capped a 36-0 senior year at Arizona State with a victory over returning NCAA champion Matt McDonough of Iowa that captivated the nation. He retired from competition and turned his focus toward getting a prosthetic leg.

“When I was in college, my focus was school and getting my degree and wrestling,” Robles said. “Wrestling was my life and I didn’t want anything to take away from it. I had wanted to win a national championship and once I did, I could move onto the promise I had made of getting a leg. I just got the harder one out of the way first.”

The first obstacle for Robles wasn’t necessarily finding a leg or prosthesis practitioner, which he found in Dr. Ray Fikes in Arizona, but rather convincing his insurance company to cover his new Helix Hip Joint and C-Leg, made by Otto Bock.

Despite applying to his insurance company several times, Robles was denied full coverage of his prosthetic. The insurance company would pay for some of the leg but not all, claiming that it wasn’t a necessity for Robles because he had gone 20 years without it. 

It was through Dr. Fikes that Robles found WYT.  The organization would help Robles with the insurance company and make up the difference to pay for his prosthesis.

“His insurance said they would cover the leg itself but not the hip,” Aaron Holm said. “It’s kind of comical because that’s what he needs. It’s like having the keys to a new car, but not having a steering wheel. You can’t have one without the other.”

With the help of WYT and some additional financial assistance from Otto Bock, Robles was on his way to a new prosthesis. Robles flew out to Minnesota where WYT is located and was fitted for his new leg. 

“I was really impressed with him. He listens and applies what the practitioner told him,” Holm said. “It’s difficult. I know from my own experience. You listen and learn and you might fall along the way but you’ve got to get back up and continue to apply those same motions. Anthony was able to take what the doctor told him and apply it right away.”

Although Robles had his new leg, he wasn’t necessarily off and running in the literal sense.

“It’s a process and (the prosthetic) isn’t always comfortable and we have to make adjustments daily,” Robles said. “I’m just trying to get better and more comfortable with it. Basically, I learn to walk every day, trying to condition my muscles to adjust to the different levels of stress on them.”

Right around the time Anthony was getting fitted for his new leg, he was also preparing for the ESPY Awards later that month in Los Angeles. He was the recipient of the 2011 Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. In addition, he took home some other hardware at the ESPYs, winning his second Best Male Athlete with a Disability award.

Anthony’s dream of one day walking across the stage and standing at the podium would have to wait a little longer. That day finally came this past weekend, back where it all started last summer, in Minnesota.

As the keynote speaker at a WYT fundraising event, Robles walked up to the microphone and addressed the crowd for the first time while standing on his own two feet. 

“That was my goal. I had set out to walk out there and I was able to check off another one of my goals. Wiggle Your Toes definitely made it possible to do it,” Robles said. “It was pretty neat to walk out on stage and do that.”

Although physically, Robles might have slowed down a step or two getting used to his new prosthetic, his ambitions are up and running. Robles’ book - Unstoppable - is scheduled to hit bookshelves in the spring. A movie is also in the works.

In addition to touring as a motivational speaker, Robles would like to start a boot camp for public speaking, a program that will help fellow athletes tell their stories. He has also stayed on as an assistant wrestling coach at his alma mater, Arizona State.

“There are a lot of athletes out there with great stories and they want to share them,” Robles said of his business venture. “It will help them with speeches and preparation. I want to be able to help my fellow athletes.”

Robles’ endeavors don’t stop there. Eventually he hopes to start up his own foundation to help single parent families and kids in underprivileged areas. 

“That’s basically how I grew up and I was given a shot and it changed my life,” Robles said. “I want to give those families a chance to succeed.” 

The families will have a great role model for success, as Anthony Robles has made overcoming obstacles a way of life.

To make a donation to the Wiggle Your Toes Foundation, visit 
www.wiggleyourtoes.org/donate