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Central Florida basketball star beating the odds
He is one of the best high school basketball players in Florida, and he's doing it with one arm all while breaking barriers on the court. Life Christian Academy senior guard Hansel-Emmanuel Donato lost his left arm in an accident when was just six years old, but he hasn't let that stop him from chasing his dreams.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Life Christian Academy senior guard Hansel-Emmanuel Donato has to dribble, shoot, and pass with his right hand. That’s because he doesn’t have a left arm.
But every day that he steps on the court, he proves playing without a limb doesn’t make a difference.
"It’s a lot of players with two hands, two arms that cannot do all the stuff that he’s doing," Life Christian Academy head boy’s basketball coach Moises Michael Cruz said.
Donato may only have one hand, but his skills have been putting him on the map.
"I love basketball so much because it is what keeps me moving forward. I’ll keep trusting in God. Thanks to him I’m the person who I am today," Donato told FOX 35 Sports.
Donato lost his left arm in a building accident, when he was six years old, but he hasn’t let that stop him. He’s unknowingly inspiring others along the way.
"He’s taught me that we cannot give up. We cannot complain about nothing because we as a human sometimes, we have a lot of things, and we don’t appreciate it," Cruz said.
College coaches have taken notice. He picked up his first NCAA Division I college basketball offer in August from Tennessee State. Donato’s coach believes he’s just beginning to tap into his potential.
"Remember, he’s only in high school. So when he graduates and he goes to college, he’s going to get better and better and better, and we don’t know," Cruz said.
Donato wants to play in college and also has dreams of playing in the NBA.
Watch FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida news.