East wrestler hosts wrestling clinic to benefit injured Aaron Cepeda

Columbus East graduate Aaron Cepeda is recovering in a rehab facility in La Jolla, California, after sustaining injuries in a car accident.

Submitted photos

COLUMBUS, Ind. — Columbus East wrestler Tristan Statler is hosting a fundraiser for former teammate Aaron Cepeda, who was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident last month while stationed with the Marines near San Diego.

For his senior project, Statler is hosting a wrestling clinic from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday for youth wrestlers through eighth-graders at East High School. There will be sessions from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and 3 to 4:30 p.m., with lunch from 2:30 to 3 p.m. Pulled pork sandwiches, pulled pork nachos and baked goods will be available for sale.

The clinic is free, but donations will be accepted to help find housing for Cepeda. All proceeds will go to Cepeda and his family to help find suitable housing once Cepeda completes rehab and returns to Columbus.

Cepeda, a 2020 East graduate, had been stationed with the Marines at Camp Pendleton. His mother Jennifer, an English teacher at Central Middle School, flew to San Diego to visit him over her fall break, and Aaron had the accident on his way to pick up his mom at her hotel.

Aaron’s spine was severed, and he underwent a four-hour surgery to repair his spine, and 10 permanent pins were placed. He spent about a week in a hospital before being transferred to a rehabilitation facility in La Jolla, California. He is scheduled to remain in the rehab center until Jan. 19, then will be in the Wounded Warrior battalion until the Marines medically discharge him.

Aaron arrived at Camp Pendleton in June and was to be there for three years. He is a Private First Class and could be promoted to Lance Corporal.

The Cepedas moved to Columbus from Speedway prior to Aaron’s sophomore year. Aaron, who also was in the band at East, wrestled mostly junior varsity as a sophomore and senior, but was on varsity as a junior and was a regional qualifier at 195 pounds as a junior in 2019.

For more information on the fundraiser, contact Statler at [email protected].

For more on this story, see Friday’s Republic.