NY Student Who Survived Chimpanzee Attack Now Dominates At Wrestling Competition

A Long Island teen who, as a child, narrowly survived a chimpanzee attack in his native Central Africa is now showing his resilience by making a name for himself in high school wrestling.

Dunia Sibomana Rodriguez, a Long Beach High School student who survived a chimpanzee attack in his native Congo, has quickly become a force to reckon with in the world of high school wrestling.
Photo Credit: *The Schwartz Report*

Sophie Grieser

04/09/2024 9:00 a.m.

When Dunia Sibomana Rodriguez was only 6, his life was forever changed.

Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he traveled into Virunga National Park to play with his brother and cousin one day when the trio was attacked by a chimpanzee.

Sibomana Rodriguez’s younger brother and cousin were killed in attack and the 6-year-old suffered severe injuries to his lips and face.

In 2015, rangers from the national park helped arrange for Sibomana Rodriguez to travel to Long Island’s Stony Brook Children’s Hospital.

Speaking only Swahili and leaving behind his father and older brother, he underwent at least 15 reconstructive surgeries and two host families before he was taken in by Long Beach High School assistant wrestling coach Miguel Rodriguez and his soon-to-be wife, who eventually adopted him.

“[He had] 50, 60 staples in his face, hundreds of stitches, but not one complaint…[He] never, ever complained about anything,” Rodriguez recalled in an interview on ESPN’s “SC Featured.”

Now a student at Long Beach High School, Sibomana Rodriguez’s resilience can be seen on full display with his success in wrestling.

“If I could use one word to describe Dunia it would be 'warrior.' He never backs down,” said New England high school wrestling reporter Max Schwartz of The Schwartz Report. “You can tell he doesn’t quit. ... He’s go, go, go.”

As an eighth-grader, Sibomana Rodriguez won the New York State high school wrestling championship. The next year, he advanced to the state semifinals at 110 pounds and eventually finished in third place.

This year, he traveled to Virginia Beach, Virginia to compete in the 2024 NHSCA High School Nationals, which took place on Thursday, April 4.

“When Dunia stepped on the mat, the crowd gathered to it. Everyone wanted to see him wrestle,” Schwartz, who was in Virginia to cover the event, told Daily Voice.

“He’s without a doubt one of the top wrestlers at his weight in New York and the country."

While Sibomana Rodriguez placed fifth at nationals, it seems that his star power is only on the rise, showcasing just how much can be accomplished in the face of adversity.

“Watching someone that good is basically watching an artist at work,” Schwartz said, “You must appreciate every second of it.”

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