Dreams, redemption, and love often meet in the unlikeliest of places.
Last Friday they met on two inches of foam.

"When he's on the mat his record speaks for itself," says Danville coach Jeff Selby.

Elliot Porter didn't arrive at his first state tournament on dreams alone.

"He's a hard worker who shows up every day does what you ask him to do," says Selby.

"It's amazing to see him succeed. He puts all his heart into this," says Elliot's mother Mary Carol Porter.

For Mary Carol Porter, a mother's kiss is the only physical assistance she can provide.The heavyweight division is a little out of her weight class.

But dreams and love alone can’t pin down a win, nor can they even the playing field. The 280 pounder standing across the mat, has two good arms. Elliot has only one!

"I say that I suffered a brachial plexus injury at birth causing limited function in my left arm due to nerve damage," says Porter.

"He never really knew that he couldn’t, I pushed soccer in the beginning, he wanted football, he wanted wrestling."

It doesn't bother me I've learned to do everything with the one hand," Porter says. Why wrestle? "Because I'm not very good at basketball."

Perspective is something most learn with age. Elliot found it early on.

"I was not prepared for that conversation at three years old," says Mary Carol. " I'm in tears cause it's hard to tell your kid that he's different, he just pats my hand with his little hand and said God has a plan for me. From that moment, I haven't worried about him at all."

Elliot has not only overcome adversity but also excelled in it. He entered the state championships with a 46-4 record.

He's overcome a lot of adversity to be where he's at," says Danville assistant coach David Lanham. "He's just a great kid, you can root for him cause hes a great kid."

If anyone knows, coach David Lanham knows.

A state champion for Danville his senior year, he had his college career at Indiana cut short by an industrial accident.

"The main difference between me and him is he has no use of his hand, I can still use mine when I wrestle, still hook, which he can’t," says Lanham.

"I thought my whole life was over, thought my wrestling career was over. These boys have taught me a lot more than I’ve ever taught them," says Lanham.

One hand in the ring, one in the corner and two clutched together in the shadows.

"When people say he’s a great athlete, I boom with pride," says Mary Carol. "The best is when they say he’s a great human being, I’m proud every single day." He knows that’s not his purpose in life to be a star athlete, he knows he’s here to influence other people’s lives.