South Lake Tahoe's Ryan Wallace wins international para-athlete tournament

A South Lake Tahoe man won gold in the Heavyweight Para-Division of the Abu-Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu Tournament recently in Los Angeles.

Ryan Wallace, who we've written many stories about over the last four years, competed against para-athletes from around the world for the second consecutive year at the tournament. In 2017 Wallace won the silver medal and he spent the last year working tirelessly to improve, capping his 2018 performance with a hard fought 7-0 victory.

"I was grateful for the opportunity to demonstrate that improvement," said Wallace.

"This gold medal was not won September 22 at the tourney. It was won weeknights in the gym, and it was not won by me, it was won by para-fighters before me who paved the way and it was won by all the people in my loving, loyal support system. Thank you all. Be excellent to each other."

While there he also participated in the UCLA para-jiu-jitsu experience day in their world-class athletic facility.

Next up for Wallace is WFC 96 at MontBleu on November 3, 2018. He has a submission only fight against Alex Diaz, one of the area’s toughest combatants. The two will join many other local fighters are on the card.

He won't have any time to rest as the South Tahoe High School wrestling season begins right after the WFC so Wallace will be focusing on the goals of his students on the team.

He also has his sights set on defending his gold at future Abu-Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu tournaments.

Wallace's goals don't stop there. Between fight camps he continues to aggressively pursue the goal of powerlifting in the Paralympic Games. Additionally, para-jiu-jitsu’s bid to be included in the games is gaining tremendous momentum.

"Contending on behalf of USA on an Olympic staged is one of the primary ambitions for me as well as many members of the US Para Jiu Jitsu Association team," Wallace told South Tahoe Now.

Wallace is a lifelong local who had a rare form of bone cancer which led to the amputation of his leg when he was just 19. In 2014 the South Lake Tahoe community rallied behind him and raised $25,000 for a new prosthetic leg after he became wheelchair bound with a broken human foot and a broken prosthetic.

In 2016, Ryan competed in the Endeavor Games and became aware of Amputee Blade Runners (ABR), a non-profit organization that provides running legs for people who wish to live an active lifestyle. At that time Ryan began training and rebuilding his life and started pushing towards satisfying the requirements to owning a running blade. Those requirements included participating in three 5k events, something that was a stark contrast to the life he was living before his new prosthetic, being essentially wheel chair bound with a broken human foot and broken prosthetic.

"I qualified and my life has been positively been impacted forever," said Wallace.

And now the South Lake Tahoe man is showing his work ethic and determination to the world.

"If anyone reading this has any interest in trying para-jiu-jitsu, I strongly suggest giving it a try," said Wallace. "There are 18 different classifications, meaning it really is for anyone and everyone. After meeting a multitude of para-fighters from around the world the impact it has on lives is unrivaled as is the comradeship. It would be my pleasure to introduce and guide new athletes."

Ryan has been guiding and training young wrestlers on the South Shore for over a decade.

As he prepares for the WFC, Ryan offered encouragement to those reading this.

"Be ambitious and seek challenging goals, there are many reasons to play it safe but they are so small when weighed against the rewards," he said.

Wallace is donating all proceeds from his ticket sales from the WFC to Amputee Blade Runners, the group who helped change his life. He is seeking sponsors who like to have their logo on the fight T-Shirts for all six of the Escobar Training Grounds fighters who will be participating November 3.

Contact Ryan if interested in being a sponsor or learning jiu-jitsu, SLTWrestling@yahoo.com or 530-318-9112.

Tickets for WFC 96 are available through Wallace (contact info above) or at https://www.worldfightingchampionships.com/events/wfc-96/.