Dearborn teen with rare medical condition wrestles undefeated

Wrestler with rare disability is pinning doubts, goes undefeated

Hussein Elmokdad, 17, was never expected to wrestle — let alone win. But this Dearborn teen is defying the odds, pinning down victories, and proving anything is possible.

(FOX 2) - Hussein Elmokdad is proving every time he gets on the wrestling mat that limitations don't mean anything.

He's undefeated in conference competition. 

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Hussein Elmokdad has made waves in the high school wrestling world, proving doubters wrong and racking up quite the win total in the process.

Competing for Edsel Ford High School, Elmokdad has earned an undefeated 8-0 record, despite living with a rare medical condition that only seven people in the world have, according to his father.

Even while doctors haven't been able to figure out the disease, Elmokdad hasn't let it stop him from taking charge on the wrestling mat.

"This isn't anything new to him - he's a really tough kid," said his brother Mohamad Elmokdad. "He's definitely special and we couldn't be any more grateful for him."

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The 17-year-old competes under the mentorship of Johnny Borg, who coaches wrestling at EFHS.

A giant during his own tenure in school, he now helps guide future wrestlers himself. And Hussein is one of his brightest pupils.

"At the beginning of the season, we had 50 to 60 guys and a lot of them quit and we ended up with 30 kids. He was one of them," Borg said.

Borg told his wrestlers at the beginning of the season he didn't see anyone in the room that would go undefeated. To his surprise, Hussein has proven him otherwise.

"I think the first kid let him win and he was upset about that actually and I tell the kids now ‘give him your best’ and he still beats them," said Borg.

For Hussein, the lesson is simple: "Don't ever give up."

Local perspective:

Hussein's story is also a story about the community. 

The conference that Edsel Ford High School is in accommodated Hussein's physical limitations by modifying some of the rules. That includes a different starting position. 

His family was also there every step of the way.

"This is really a family affair and I couldn't be happier with how much they support each other," said Borg. "They came into the wrestling room every day and they were his partners."

For anyone interested in following Hussein's journey, they can go to his Instagram here.