6-Year-Old Barely Survived a Chimpanzee Swarm Attack That Killed His Cousin. Now He’s a Teen Wrestling Champion

A Long Island, N.Y., high school wrestling champion who survived a chimpanzee attack at 6 years old is about to start another chapter in his incredible journey.

In March, Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez won the National High School Coaches Association title at 123 pounds, his latest achievement in a stellar high school wrestling career. The 18-year-old, who announced his plans to go to UNC Chapel Hill in November 2024 on a scholarship, has a story unlike any other wrestler who has stood alongside him on any podium.

“I don’t think I would have ever thought I’d be here, coming from my country and ending up being a good wrestler,” Sibomana-Rodriguez told WABC in an interview published on Wednesday, April 15.

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When Sibomana-Rodriguez was 6 years old and living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he, his cousin and his brother were attacked by a swarm of chimpanzees. His cousin died, while he and his brother were injured. Sibomana-Rodriguez suffered traumatic injuries to his lips, face and right ear, according to the New York Plastic Surgery Group. He also lost a finger in the attack.

Sibomana-Rodriguez was brought to the U.S. at 8 years old and underwent facial reconstruction surgeries at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. The procedures were performed at no cost thanks to help from the Smile Rescue Fund for Kids.

“I’ve had about 16 surgeries now,” Sibomana-Rodriguez told the New York Post, which reports that he also speaks softly due to the lasting damage done to his mouth.

Sibomana-Rodriguez, whose birth parents have died, lived with foster families in Brooklyn and Long Island after arriving in the U.S. He only knew Swahili and had never wrestled before.

“It took a little while to fit in, meet people and get people to like me,” he told the Post.

Sibomana-Rodriguez’s life changed when he arrived in Long Beach, N.Y., Long Beach assistant wrestling coach Miguel Rodriguez told the Post that he and his son, who is also a wrestler, learned about Sibomana-Rodriguez through Isaiah Bird, a wrestler who was born without legs. Rodriguez, whose family adopted Sibomana-Rodriguez when the teen was in middle school, then introduced him to the family sport.

“Even though I didn’t know much about it, wrestling was just the right one for me,” Sibomana-Rodriguez told the Post.

Sibomana-Rodriguez has excelled at wrestling. Before picking up a national title in March, he earned five Nassau County titles and three state championships. He’s also excelled at academics and has dreams of working in finance after school, the Post reports. He also coaches youth wrestlers in Long Beach with his dad.

“Life is good. I am very happy,” Sibomana-Rodriguez told Newsday in a 2022 profile. “I’ve made so many friends in Long Beach. I’m just a regular guy who wants to be with the guys. I know it’s a long road ahead with more surgeries, but I trust my doctors and I know they’ll do what’s best for me.”

His high school teammate, Ethan Andrueli, told WABC that Siboamana-Rodriguez has been an inspiration.

“He always kept like a smile on his face, kept ignoring like the bad stuff, and he always kept working hard and doing the right thing,” Andrueli said.

Sibomana-Rodriguez hopes his own story will inspire others to never give up on their dreams.

“Don’t let people determine who you are,” he told WABC. “And you should make your own story.”