Chris Hollyfield continues to pump up crowds until now, even as he is 40 and retired from working as a professional wrestler for 20 years. Hollyfield may live in Orlando Florida but he travels around from state to state speaking to teenagers about bullying.
Hollyfield is 4feet and 4inches tall due to a rare form of dwarfism that has made both his arms and legs very short. With bowed legs, he describes his gait as “a little unusual.”
This may have given him the wrong kind of attention and he himself was bullied when he was younger.
"People mocked my bowed legs and how I walked. Kids didn't pick me for teams. Of course it bothered me, but I knew I had to deal with it the best I could. My father was in the military, so we moved around a lot. One day at school this guy came over and sat with me and we started talking. He lost a lot of friends that day," he said.
But through this he developed the determination to make a career for himself and become a success. His experiences in junior high began to look towards his way.
Now, along with former champion jockey Billy Klink, Hollyfield is a part of the 3-D TEAM (Dedication, Determination, Desire-Teasing Effects All Mentally). He shares his own stories with teenagers in order to discourage them from bullying others like the teen bullies he encountered during his youth.
Getting a chance to see his video of wrestling and bench-pressing heavy weights inspires many students.
He mentioned that bullying can affect anyone. "It's just a matter of someone lacking confidence in himself or herself and having to belittle others because of it," he said.
He encourages the teens to find someone who doesn’t have friends and be a friend to him or her. He also tells those who are victims of bullying to never let go of their strength to endure the pressure.
"My father always told me I'd have challenges because of my stature. He also said he'd never pick me up from school because I'd been suspended for fighting. I knew he meant it, so retaliation wasn't an option. I had to just walk away - a lot. But I can honestly tell you I never once thought about hurting myself because of my situation or hurting anyone else. I never thought about coming back to that school and hurting anyone else. What I did do was speak up," said Hollyfield.
Not only does Hollyfield speak to students all year round but he also owns a group home for troubled teenagers in Florida.
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