For most players it takes years to master the game of basketball, but a teenager at Roanoke Catholic is making it look easy in his second season.
What makes his story so amazing is that he has one arm.
Cheng Qian Sullivan is not just a great basketball player with one arm.
He's a teenager who has an incredible amount of determination, energy and an outlook on life that's one-of-a-kind.
Coaches say his basketball ability this year is off the charts.
The first time Cheng Qian Sullivan walked onto the court to play basketball, his teammates and coaches were caught off guard.
But the moment he got the ball, everyone was shocked.
Roanoke Catholic Basketball Coach Al Connelly describes the first time he saw Sullivan play. "The first time down the court he got a pass and drained a three-point shot. The second time, they passed him the ball and he drained another three-point shot. I knew immediately we wanted him on the team!" said Connelly.
Sullivan is originally from China.
He came to the states as an orphan who didn't speak any English.
On top of all that, he was born with one arm. Sullivan explains some of his struggles. "Tying my shoes, buttoning my shirts and it’s a little hard catching the ball. I like swimming but it’s a little hard for me to do the motion," explained Sullivan.
Despite all of these challenges, Sullivan loves to play basketball.
His teammates say he's one of the best on the team. Point Guard Paddy Cotter explains, "He shoots three-pointers better than anybody else on the team. He drives to the hoop like nobody's going to stop him. This kid can throw like one-hundred yards at one-thousand miles per hour."
Sullivan says his determination to succeed comes from his mother, Kathy Sullivan, who adopted him. "She tells me to not be shy doing stuff and if other kids are looking at me saying you have one arm, just ignore them."
But its not just his mothers advice. Sullivan says its also the fact that she never gives him special treatment.
Though Sullivan may look a little different, he wants to be treated like any other teen; just a kid with one heck of a three-pointer!
