Anthony Robles Keynote

Born with one leg, 2011 NCAA Champion Anthony Robles’ willpower, grit and dedication propelled him to become a force in college wrestling who now shares his strategy for success—a limitless belief in self with a mindset to do things other people wouldn't have thought possible.

Motivated and charismatic, Robles credits his ability to succeed in the face of overwhelming challenges to a belief instilled in him by his mother from the time he was born—that he could do anything and could overcome any obstacle that came his way.

Robles, a three-time all-American wrestler, has received numerous awards including “Jimmy V Perseverance Award” at the ESPN ESPYs and has been inducted into several Hall of Fames, most recently, ASU’s Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2013, President Obama appointed Robles as a member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, he was also a member of the Presidential Delegation to the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Games.

His is one of sports’ most inspiring stories and Anthony will share the struggles and triumphs that ultimately put him on the mat and led him to be a champion, survivor, and motivator – in wrestling and in life. He will offer practical strategies and best practices on how to increase self-motivation, build a meaningful support community and improve tenacity both within yourself and your team.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss emotional toll of having a birth defect labeled as insurmountable and the difficulties that can have on one’s life.

2. Investigate how support and community can impact one’s mental health and belief in self.

3. Outline leadership development strategies to improve your team’s tenacity to never give up on your organization’s goals and vision.

4. Identify best practices to increase self-motivation and belief

About Anthony Robles:

Anthony Robles is a three-time all-American wrestler who won the 2010-11 NCAA individual wrestling championship in the 125-pound weight class despite being born with only one leg. A graduate of Arizona State University with a degree in Business Communication, he was also awarded the 2011 NCAA “Best Wrestler of the National Tournament Award”.

Robles is the recipient of the “Jimmy V Perseverance Award” at the ESPN ESPYs and he has also received the NFL “Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award”. Robles is a Nike athlete, the first signed to an agreement after having retired from active participation in a sport. He is currently ESPN's NCAA wrestling analyst and expert and is the wrestling analyst for the Pac-12 Network as well. He was inducted to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012 and is the author of Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion. In 2013, President Obama appointed Robles as a member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. Additionally, Robles was a member of the Presidential Delegation to the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Games.

In 2015, the National Wrestling Media Associated awarded Robles with the "Broadcaster of the Year" award, and then he was inducted into Arizona's Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. Between 2018 - 2021, he became the Guinness World Record Holder for 3 different pull-up records. Most recently, Robles became inducted into ASU's Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame.

Robles lives in Chandler, Arizona. The script for a feature film chronicling his life story has been completed and the film is currently in pre-production.