From Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the hardwood to Eric Dickerson on the gridiron, goggles have given athletes an iconic look across sports history. But in wrestling? Seeing bespectacled grapplers like fifth-year American University captain Maximilian Leete, SPA/BA ’25, MPA ’26, is far rarer. 

Leete, a 133-pound wrestler from Danvers, Massachusetts, only started wearing goggles last season. With few examples in his sport to look up to, he admits he “genuinely didn’t know it was an option” before then. 

“With the goggles, I’m now a double threat,” Leete says. “I had all the skills when I couldn’t see; then I added vision. It put everything together.”

Leete was diagnosed in childhood with degenerative myopia, a severe genetic form of nearsightedness that strains the eyes and progressively worsens vision. Since he was 18 months old, Leete has worn increasingly thicker glasses; his high prescription (-13 in one eye, -14 in the other) makes contact lenses impossible. Consequently, he had to remove his glasses before stepping onto the mat.

For the first 16 years of his career, Leete learned how to outmaneuver opponents primarily by feel. In high school, he wrestled under the “touch rule,” a provision requiring opponents to maintain contact with him at all times. Despite this hurdle, he committed to AU, compiled a dominant 170–5 record, and won three high school state championships. 

Leete continued under the touch rule for his first three years on campus. However, aiming to compete internationally for the Dominican Republic (through his mother’s lineage), he knew he eventually had to adapt; while admissible in high school and the NCAA, the touch rule is banned in international competition. 

Following a standout season where he qualified for the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships, Leete made the difficult decision to redshirt. 

“It was the most mature decision this boy has ever made,” says his mother, Pamela Leete. “He was coming off a really good junior year—but he wanted that much more of himself.” 

Stepping away from team duals last year brought clarity. He got in the best shape of his life and competed in open tournaments nationwide. With improved vision, he developed his lower-leg attacks, adding a new tactical element to his uncanny upper-body strength.  

“We’ve been able to add a whole other layer to his game that he wasn’t able to do wrestling in contact,” says AU assistant coach Joey Dance. “Max was restricted. He’s not restricted anymore.” 

Now entering the home stretch of his final season and holding the seventh-most falls in program history, Leete has his sights set on becoming an All-American in March. 

Regardless of the outcome, he has already made an impact. Fellow visually impaired athletes have reached out both online and in person. At Virginia Tech last year, a father and daughter waited after a meet to share how much they appreciated his example. 

“I’m hopeful more youth can see [goggles] as an option for them,” Leete says. 

The support from fans has reminded Leete why he dedicated his life to this sport. 

“My favorite part about wrestling is how many different people can wrestle, how many different bodies can wrestle,” he says. “Every year, there’s a champion at 106 and at 285. Anyone, at any size, can be a champion. It’s really a sport where anyone can succeed.”