It’s taken Zeus Sequeira a lot of determination and patience to get to this point. At the age of 31, Sequeira is no stranger to fighting hard, it’s become a way of life for him since the day he was born.
“I think around three years old my parents noticed that I wasn’t sitting up straight,” recalled Sequeira, an amateur boxer.
“I had complications during delivery, they took me to the doctor and they diagnosed me with quadriplegic cerebral palsy.”
He said he’s not letting anything stand in the way of pursuing his dream of becoming an amateur boxer. Between major surgeries and physical therapy, Sequeira has become fairly mobile.
“I think we are all attracted to things that appeal to our inner nature and I have always had the nature of a fighter,” he explained.
“Boxing is a very tough sport … Zeus is not scared he’s actually the opposite. I’m impressed with him to be honest,” said coach Ilias El Bouazaoui.
Growing up in India, Sequeira said he was often reminded he was different.
“One of my teachers in third grade said that if the other kids misbehaved or didn’t listen to her, they would be made like me, by God, like it was a sentence or a punishment,” recalled Sequeira.
“From a very young age, I have learned to have an idea of myself in my mind that doesn’t change based on what people think of me.”
“He wants to show everybody that he is a warrior and he is a real fighter and I believe that to be true,” said El Bouazaoui.
“It’s a long process and it will happen with more training and patience.”
“At the end of the day I can’t control the end result, but I have more than taken that first step,” Sequeira said.