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TROPIC, Garfield County — Payton Johnson wakes up each morning excited to go to school.
The junior at Bryce Valley High School loves his friends, can’t wait to take his date to the Junior Prom, and enjoys being one of the guys on the wrestling team.
Having Down syndrome hasn’t kept him from enjoying life as a teenager.
“Payton is awesome,” says his mom Tracy Johnson. “He thinks he can do anything.”
Life hasn’t been easy for Payton. His family almost lost him to a heart defect shortly after birth. He’s struggled through other ailments and the challenges that come with Down syndrome. Through it all he has attacked each challenge and that’s exactly what he does on the wrestling mat.
Payton is a member of the Bryce Valley wrestling team and took part in more than 30 matches this season.
Everyone buys into it and they see the impact he has on all of the kids that are participating in the sport and it makes the experience great for everyone.
–Jeff Brinkerhoff
“He’s been a huge part of the success of our program,” says Bryce Valley Principal Jeff Brinkerhoff.
With the help and support of administrators at other schools in their region, David Cluff at Milford and Eugene King at Escalante, Payton has been able to wrestle and compete against other schools in exhibition matches.
“Everyone buys into it and they see the impact he has on all of the kids that are participating in the sport and it makes the experience great for everyone,” Brinkerhoff says.
Fans not only at Bryce Valley, but at opposing schools as well are brought up off their seat and moved to tears when watching Payton compete. It hasn’t been hard to find opponents that want to wrestle him.
“One of the most rewarding parts is to see the effect it has on these young men when they wrestle him,” says Bryce Valley wrestling coach Carlon Johnson. “They’re a little apprehensive at first and then there is this magical feeling. Many have come up to me afterward and thanked me just for the privilege of being a part of Payton’s wrestling experience.”
Walker Lewis of Escalante has had the opportunity to wrestle Payton several times.
Payton made the most of the moment. He jumped up from the mat and flashed two thumbs up to the crowd. The referee raised his arm in the air signaling victory. He celebrated by flexing his muscles for the cheering crowd.
“I think we’ve all just seen how much fun Payton makes everything,” Walker says. “It’s always enjoyable to wrestle with him so everybody wants to try it. I guess I’ve been lucky enough to try it a few times.”
Lewis was asked once again by his principal Eugene King to wrestle Payton one more time. This time it would be at the state tournament. Coach Johnson and Brinkerhoff, along with the support of principals King and Cluff, asked the UHSAA to give the boy they call “Max” a chance to wrestle at the state tournament in an exhibition match. That request was granted.
When the match began fans at the Maverik Center drew their attention to the red mat at the center of the arena.
“As I looked around in the stands everybody was standing up,” Brinkerhoff remembers. “Everyone was focused on that mat. It gives you goose bumps.”
Payton pinned his opponent and the crowd erupted. It was a very emotional moment for many who witnessed it but especially for his family that have watched him overcome so much.
“I was crying and everybody was pretty emotional about it yeah,” Moyle recalls. “The family, we’ve seen the struggles over the years. It’s just crazy how great it was.”
Payton made the most of the moment. He jumped up from the mat and flashed two thumbs up to the crowd. The referee raised his arm in the air signaling victory. He celebrated by flexing his muscles for the cheering crowd.
“Payton, he likes to ham things up a little bit, but I’ve never seen him do that before,” says Moyle. “He was playing to the crowd big time.”
Payton celebrated a victory he will never forget and fans celebrated a moment of sportsmanship that they won’t soon forget.
