Wyoming State Champ Begins New Chapter at Colby Community College

For freshman wrestler Sammie Cyrus, the road to Colby Community College has been anything but ordinary. The Wyoming native, who was born with a rare form of meningitis that led to the amputation of both legs before he turned eight years old, is now stepping onto the junior college wrestling mat with a mission — to prove that no limitation can hold back determination.

Cyrus grew up in Dubois, Wyoming, where wrestling became the unexpected passion that would define much of his young life. “I actually didn’t even want to wrestle at first,” he said. “I wanted to play football, but my mom told me I had to wrestle if I wanted to play football. So I said, I guess I’m wrestling.”

It didn’t come easily. Cyrus wrestled a full calendar year before winning his first match. “I went a whole 365 days without a win,” he said. “But once I finally did, it lit a fire in me. I wanted to win so bad.” That hunger eventually led him to a state title as a senior, capping a career that included more than 120 wins and two trips to the state finals.

Now a freshman at Colby, Cyrus plans to compete at 125 pounds under Head Coach Joseph Cornejo, joining a revitalized Trojan wrestling program. “I want to make an impact in college,” he said. “I don’t want people to just see a kid with no legs wrestling. I want them to see a college wrestler who’s good — someone they expect to contend every year.”

That perspective comes from years of resilience. After losing both legs as a child, Cyrus spent years adjusting to prosthetics and learning how to balance on the mat. “It was rough at first, but I figured it out,” he said. “You can even ask my teammates — I joke with them all the time. I don’t know how you guys live like this, walking around with those toes.”

In practice and competition, Cyrus adapts by relying on technique, strength, and recovery. “I’ve got more pressure on my knees, so I ice, stretch, and take care of my body,” he said. “It’s part of the process.”

Cyrus chose Colby in part because of familiar faces. Fellow Wyoming natives Hunter Valerde and Louis Ramirez were already on the team, giving him a sense of connection far from home. “It just felt like the right place,” he said. “I wanted to be somewhere I knew people, somewhere I could grow.”

Outside of wrestling, Cyrus is studying visual arts with plans to become a graphic designer and eventually launch his own clothing line. “I’ve always been creative,” he said. “After wrestling, I want to start my own brand — something that reflects who I am.”

For now, his focus remains on wrestling and adjusting to life in Kansas. “The people are different here, and it’s hotter,” he said with a grin. “But I’m ready for it. I like challenges.”

As the Trojans prepare for a new season, Cyrus brings more than talent to the mat — he brings perspective, grit, and a reminder of what perseverance looks like. “Every day there’s that little voice in your head saying this sucks, let’s stop,” he said. “But you just keep going. That’s how you get better.”