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Arizona athlete defying all odds to play the game he loves

One athlete doesn’t let his limitations prevent him from competing in the game of cornhole.

PHOENIX — There’s nothing like a fun game of cornhole. 

"Everywhere we go, it's like a big tailgate,” Stacey Moore, Commissioner of the American Cornhole League said.

And that tailgate made a stop here in the Valley of the Sun over the weekend from June 3-5.

The ACL gave competitors a chance to play for more than $20,000 in price money. The event was held at Bell Bank Park with participants playing in both the ACL Pro Shootout and Open qualifying events.

While the event brought out all walks of life looking to take home the grand prize, Dayton Webber wasn’t your ordinary cornhole player.

"I got a bacterial infection called Streptococcus, and it gave me a 3% chance of living at 10 months old,” Webber said. “But I beat those odds, and I am living here to tell you all the story today."

Webber might have his limitations with both his hands and feet but doesn’t let that stop him from playing the game he loves and at a high level.

"My body was shutting down trying to protect my inner organs which caused my hands and feet to die,” Webber said. “My parents always raised me not to back down from anything, and I see every obstacle as a challenge and not an obstacle."

Webber hasn’t won a tournament yet and came up short at the event in Phoenix over the weekend, but knows his passion goes well beyond the sport of cornhole itself.

"All of this keeps me inspired just as much as I'm inspiring other people,” Webber said. “Them coming up to me and talking to me about how I've changed their life or made their day, that puts a smile on my face and keeps me going."

So regardless if Webber is the first to reach 21 in a game of cornhole, this competitor is striving to live his best life despite the limitations he may face in his day-to-day life.

“Don't let anything stop you,” Webber stressed. “My favorite thing to say is the world doesn’t stop for anybody. It doesn't matter what the case is, the world is going to keep spinning. Do what's best for you and your family, and just always shoot for the stars and always give it your all."

 

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