NORFOLK, Va. - A local kid from Virginia Beach, all Richardson knew was wrestling. In his sophomore and junior years of high school at Cox, Richardson captured two state championships before traveling to New Jersey to wrestle for the prestigious Blair Academy, where he became runner-up in the National Prep Tournament. Richardson was a well-sought out recruit in 2011, his future path would not be like any other, though. Plagued with injuries dating back to his youth wresting days, Richardson would go years wrestling in pain and unhappy.
The pain was a common issue for Richardson for as long as he could remember and was becoming unbearable. After a misfired back flip that tweaked his ankle in 2012, Richardson felt all sorts of pain. His shoulders were misaligned, his foot shrunk a size, his calf muscle dropped, leaving his health at an all time low. It was a turning point for him. Later on, surgery was in store for Richardson and he thought this could have been the answer to his problems.
“It through me so far off balance, I just didn’t feel right anymore,” said Richardson.
After a short stint wrestling for Cornell, Richardson spent time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. His skills were elite and he didn’t want to settle. Landing at Penn after sometime between splitting time at home and Colorado Springs, Richardson finally found his home for the next four years.
Unlike many other freshmen, Richardson entered Penn as a 21-year old.
At this point, Richardson could barely get up from the mat during practice. Physically, he never felt weaker, emotionally, he never felt more distraught. Walking to class was a daily struggle. His back ached endlessly.
“I’d be screaming in the practice room and it was getting dangerous to wrestle people in matches, it just wasn’t worth it.”
He continued to battle through severe back pain and had his best season as a sophomore going 26-11 overall. Richardson also managed to qualify for three NCAA Championships while with the Quakers.
Doctors continued to preach resting and time off was the answer to all Richardson’s problems. The continuous time off did not help his skill set or his health issues.
Medically redshirting his senior year at Penn, Richardson felt there was no other option but to call it quits after the years of pain and failed treatment.
There were only so many options left.
Just days after a CT scan, the Penn team doctor and coach approached Richardson to notify him of a benign bone tumor in his back. To his luck, the tumor was removable and at that moment, Richardson knew there was much more in store for his wrestling career.
Richardson underwent two surgeries to remove the tumor and was back on the mat in just a few months.
“The biggest win for me is that I’ve never quit. I could’ve hung it up by now but I didn’t. To me, that’s the real win or loss in my whole wrestling career,” said Richardson.
After years of pain and undergoing three surgeries, Richardson graduated from Penn with a degree in Health and Societies. The hard part was over, Richardson was ready to flip the page onto a new chapter.
“When I look back on it, that’s tougher than any other accomplishment. Those battles that I’ve faced by myself and upset thinking, ‘why is this happening to me’ that’s what is important.”
The summer of 2017, Richardson turned it into overdrive and started to train pain-free. The Virginia Beach native returned back home and committed to wrestle his final year of eligibility at Old Dominion.
“He has the skill set that he needs to use and is capable of being All-American. If he gets confidence early on he’ll use that to steam roll through,” said head coach Steve Martin.
His parents were both student-athletes at ODU, his father wrestled and his mother a field hockey player under long-time coach Beth Anders.
That wasn’t the only factor in his decision; head wrestling coach Steve Martin has known and coached Richardson since he was seven. Richardson knew his biggest support system was right in front of him in Virginia, specifically ODU. His selection fit the puzzle perfectly.
“We need to pace him so he doesn’t hurt himself. It’s a balancing act in order for him to be successful,” said Martin.
“This is the first time I’ve ever felt that everyone is really in it with me, including myself. This is the first time I can say National Champion is my main goal, knowing that I’m really putting my best effort out there, that’s the most important thing,” said Richardson
Richardson is now in the Exercise Science & Wellness Graduate Program at Old Dominion. He has an undergraduate degree from an Ivy League school, won two state championships in high school, but most importantly, he finally feels confident about being able to win an NCAA title as a healthy athlete, and what better place to do it, than his home at ODU.