The 21-year-old captain of the NYU wrestling team and Paramus Catholic grad has spent years facing challenges on the mat. But now, Bautista, of Montvale, NJ, is up against something even tougher: Grade 3 Oligodendroglioma, a rare and aggressive brain cancer.
Despite the diagnosis that came just after New Year's, Bautista's unwavering spirit and selflessness have not faltered. For his teammates, Bautista is more than just a leader—he’s the glue that holds them together.
"When I think of altruism, I think of Benny," said Danny Lightfoot, team co-captain and Benny's apartment-mate of three years. "Even through all this, he’s been more worried about how other people are feeling than about himself."
Benny’s journey took a sudden turn last summer when he suffered a seizure at the airport before a family vacation. Doctors initially thought it was caused by a parasite, but after months of uncertainty and a biopsy in December, Benny received the devastating diagnosis just after New Year’s.
After a 10-hour awake brain surgery, Benny is already focused on his next steps: starting chemotherapy and radiation at Sloan Kettering and finishing his final semester at NYU to graduate this spring.
"And I think that's probably what's going to happen," said Lightfoot. "It all depends on how his body responds to the treatment. He won't be wrestling but he'll still be with the team."
During the 2023-24 season, Bautista posted an impressive 22-6 record, competing exclusively at 125 pounds. He captured titles at the Ned McGinley Invitational on Nov. 4, 2023, the Racich Rumble on Nov. 11 2023, and the UAA Championship on Feb. 17, 2024. Bautista finished fifth at the NCAA Division III Northeast Regionals held on March 2-3. Over the season, he produced nine technical falls and was named an NWCA Scholar All-American for his excellence both on the mat and in the classroom.
Off the mat, Bautista is a cornerstone of the wrestling team, and according to Lightfoot, is the driving force behind improvements to the program — never missing a meeting of NYU’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC).
"He goes to every meeting," Lightfoot said. "Benny is a mediator between us and the athletics department."
Kruczynski described Bautista as a "silent leader."
"I have never seen someone so positive about a diagnosis before," he said. "If I was in his shoes I would be scared but this kid is joking around with us and saying he is going to beat this thing — and it is super inspiring."
The NYU wrestling team launched a GoFundMe for Bautista, having raised more than $51,100 as of Saturday, Jan. 11.
"Anyone who knows Benny would describe him as one of the most selfless, kind-hearted people they’ve ever met," the campaign reads. "As a captain of the NYU Wrestling Team, Benny has always been a leader both on and off the mat.
"Even in the face of this diagnosis, Benny’s positive outlook continues to inspire everyone around him. He embodies resilience, strength, and kindness — he’s the guy who would give a stranger the shirt off his back or a kidney if they needed it. Now, it’s our turn to give back. Benny has always been there for others, and now he needs us to stand by him."
"Benny is one of the greatest humans I have gotten the opportunity to be around," said Associate Head Coach Corey Luce, "and I can tell with all the outreach that many others feel the same."
Click here to donate to Benny Bautista.
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