A legally blind high school student who just won a state wrestling championship in Alabama is speaking out for the first time since his inspiring victory.

Jay Spencer, 17, became the first blind student to ever win the Alabama state championship when he came out victorious this year. James Dowd, Jay’s coach at John Paul II High School, admitted that he questioned whether or not a blind student could do well at the sport at first.

“I always thought it was a hard thing for him to do,” James said. It didn’t take long for Jay to prove his coach wrong.

“He proved me wrong wrestling against him,” James continued. “As his coach, I’ve seen his work ethic. He’s made it work. It is a touch sport. It’s right in his wheelhouse. You don’t have to see to wrestle.”

Jay was only 3 years-old when he was diagnosed with the degenerative eye disease known as Leber congenital amaurosis 10. Though he can now only see out of the left corner of his eye, Jay has never let this hold him back from pursuing his favorite sport of wrestling.

“Out of all the sports I’ve tried, this is probably the least challenging to pick up because wrestling is a feel sport,” Jay said. “I was able to pick up on that rather quickly.”

Jay has certainly found lots of success in the sport, winning three consecutive AHSAA state tournaments before he won his state title. He is hoping that his story will inspire others to never let their disabilities hold them back in life.

“Don’t let what anyone thinks about you change how you think,” he said. “As long as you believe you can do something, then you can.”

Find out more about this amazing young man in the video below!