Anthony Ferraro was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease at a very young age. His quest to be just another kid, led by his supportive family, set the stage for A Shot In The Dark, a new film documenting Anthony’s run at a state championship.
“Listen, I grew up blind and never let that stop me. I was denied to a school I was never able to go to. I used wrestling as an outlet to grow and learn things about myself,” Ferraro said.
Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft is the school Anthony is referring to. His older brother Oliver was a wrestling star at CBA and like the sport, Anthony wanted to follow in his footsteps. Film producer Chris Suchorsky decided to make A Shot In the Dark after watching a sizzle real made by Anthony’s brother Oliver.
“It was a long project. We started it in the summer of 2012. Literally today, I’m still making changes to it. It’s still going on with little tweaks happening. It’s been six years,” Suchorsky said.
A few cancelled matches due to Superstorm Sandy would prevent Anthony the chance to become the winningest wrestler in St. John Vianney history. After a series of setbacks in college, he retired from the sport. But Anthony has found other ways to pass the time.
“I play a lot of acoustic blues stuff," Ferraro said. "My dad plays trumpet, so I have him come in whenever he can. I have friends that play harmonica, flute, drums, guitar, bass, and keyboard. I have steady restaurant jobs. I really love it. Music is a big part of me.”
Outside of music Ferraro has taken up motivational speaking.
“I just got one for a wrestling team in Massachusetts and another one for a volleyball team in Montclair. I’m trying to do as much speaking as possible. I speak to schools, programs, and events about building teams, not giving up, overcoming adversity, challenges in life, and all types of things.”
The US Paralympic Judo team recently asked Anthony if he’d like to learn a new sport. He’s currently training for the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.
“The only disability is a bad attitude. I believe that we all have a story to tell and we all have a purpose. We all need to sit with ourselves and find that purpose.”