He Came Out of Nowhere

Happy Easter! 🐰 

In today's edition...

Doctors said he’d never read, write, or speak.

Some even suggested sending him to foster care.

But that all changed when he stumbled upon his life’s passion and became a world champion no one saw coming.

Let’s dive in 👇

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How Robert Gagno Became the World Champion No One Saw Coming

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“I feel I was born into this world to be a natural at proving people wrong.”

His life changed forever at a burger joint.

While grabbing food with his father, 5-year-old Robert Gagno spotted something he’d never seen before.

A funny-looking box with flashing lights, vibrant sounds, and a shiny silver ball.

In that moment, the earth stopped spinning.  He was mesmerized.

“He saw the pinball machine over in the corner, and he forgot about the fries and the burger,” his dad, Maurizio, remembered.

“After that, he was hooked.”

It was a significant discovery because until then, Robert’s life was much different from his peers.

“He just didn’t feel right, it’s hard to explain,” said his mother, Kathy.

For Robert, just making it through the day was a task on its own.

He couldn’t communicate in words.  Hugs, kisses, and simple signs of affection freaked him out.  And if he was ever left alone, he’d run away.

“I really felt like I had no freedom,” Robert said in a documentary.

“I felt like I was trapped all the time…I didn’t seem to fit in with regular kids.  I seemed to be alone a lot during recess or lunch hour.”

People, including his parents, struggled to understand him, just as he struggled to understand them.

“He’d start screaming and say, ‘You don’t understand me,’ and what he thought was coming out as speech was all jumbled up.”

Eventually, doctors gave the Gagno family a name for Robert’s demeanor: autism.

"It wasn't well known back then,” Kathy said.

"He was a sweet and funny kid, but he needed a lot of supervision. We were always open about his struggles to other kid, saying things like, 'Sometimes it may not seem like it, but he is really happy to play near you.'"

Medical experts said he’d never read, write, or speak.

Some even suggested sending him to foster care.

“No way,” Maurizio and Kathy replied. “It’s not gonna happen.”

With time, his parents found things that calmed their son down.

Bright “EXIT” signs, light switches, and anything that spins – like a ceiling fan – would bring him joy.

And that’s what led to his discovery on that special day at Wally's Burgers in East Vancouver, BC.

The pinball machine was a perfect storm of electric lights, spinning wheels, and contrasting colors.

“It was something I’m into finally,” Robert said, “and I never get sad over.”

It became his way of connecting with the world around him.

What looked like a chaotic mess of pulsing light to everyone else became a puzzle Robert could solve – an environment he could control.

His sanctuary.

"It’s an activity where it's OK to turn your back on someone and play on your own, at least for a little while," Kathy said.

By age 9, other kids would surround him at the local ice skating rink while he played the Space Jam game.

Watching him arched over the machine, headphones on, hammering the flippers, they joked that Robert might be banned from the rink.

He’d play all afternoon on a single coin.

A year later, Maurizio bought his son his very own pinball machine to play at home.

The more he played, the more obsessed Robert became.

Before long, the child doctors said would never speak was opening up like never before.

His parents nudged him along, working on the sounds and words he made while racking up new high scores.

At age 13, he learned to write his initials.  It became his calling card.

On every machine in town, the high score was usually owned by REG.

In time, his letters became words, and words became sentences.  Soon, he was able to answer questions and hold a basic conversation.

“Pinball helps with my autism because my social skills get good practice,” Robert said.

“I have to practice talking to people and knowing when the right time is to talk and to figure out when not to talk.”

It helped him develop confidence and form friendships, too.

“To me, [autism] should be no big deal,” he said. “I want to be treated just as a typical individual who doesn’t have autism.”

But during all those years grinding at local arcades, Robert had no idea how good he really was.  Or that the world of competitive pinball even existed.

That all changed in 2008, when Maurizio took Robert along with him on a business trip to Toronto, with an ulterior motive.

He’d heard about the Canadian Pinball Championships and registered his son on a whim.

“There were over 100 competitors there,” Maurizio said, “And I saw Robert beat player after player…and these are pros!”

Robert Gagno came out of nowhere.

“They never heard of me, and it was like they got hit, like something just hit them in the head or something,” Robert said.

“Like, ‘What name am I seeing here?’”

He finished 12th in all of Canada.

When they got home, Robert and his dad scoured Craigslist for more games and spare parts.

Pretty soon, their entire garage was packed with pinball machines – Dirty Harry, Grand Lizard, World Cup Soccer, and more.

When he wasn’t practicing, Robert spent hours sifting through online manuals, watching YouTube tutorials, and learning about new strategies on pinball forums.

In 2011, Maurizio took Robert to Pittsburgh for one of the biggest tournaments in pinball, aptly named Pinburgh.

It’s a match-play tournament, meaning unranked players compete against the best in the world.

"The first time I saw him play, I was like, 'Holy crap,'" pro player Penni Epstein told ESPN.

"You felt your heart warm when he did something great. You live and die on every ball like nobody else."

Robert finished that tournament as one of four finalists.

“One thing I would tell anybody if they try new things is go for it,” Robert said, “because you never know what opportunities may present [themselves].  And heck, if you’re lucky, you may actually get addicted to this.”

Robert’s countless hours of practice paid off in 2016, when he beat out the best 500 players on the planet to win the World Pinball Championship.

“It’s just one of the most amazing feelings,” Robert said, “cause I just felt like I’ve hoisted the Stanley Cup.”

For pinball, it is their Stanley Cup.

“The moment he won,” Maurizio said, “it was very emotional for me.  He achieved his goal of being the World Pinball Champion, and now he has his name in the rafters of this 30,000 square-foot building.”

“Best in the world.”

After his major victory, Robert was ranked #1 in the world by the IFPA – the International Flipper Pinball Association.

And he stayed there for over a decade.

"Robert literally experiences the visual world differently than you and I," said Dr. Andrew Reeves, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic.

"He doesn't see the world like you and I see the world.  He just can't. I can't see where the ball's going to be like two bounces down the road. I don't know about you, but I don't do that. But he does that.”

Dr. Reeves concluded that where most people see a scrambled storm of moving parts, Robert sees one complete picture.

Fellow Pinball World Champion Bowen Kerins agreed: “He doesn’t move his head around to follow a pinball because he doesn’t have to…I watch Robert play and I’m amazed…I just can’t do the things that he does.”

As his game improved, so did his showmanship.

“Sometimes if things go really good, I like announcing it with a ‘half jacket,’” Robert said.

That’s when he rolls his jacket halfway down his back in the middle of a game.  When he does that, you know he’s locked in.

“It’s just a way of me communicating without talking.”

While his behavior might be viewed as quirky in other sports, it fits right in with the pinball community.

As ESPN’s Chris Koentges pointed out, “Few subcultures in America are instinctively wired like the culture of pinball to see autism as a gift rather than a disability.”

Now in his mid-30s, Robert Gagno is still active in competitive pinball.

He’s finished in the top 50 of every tournament listed on his IFPA profile since July 2023, and has taken 1st place in 143 tournaments so far in his career.

“Whatever you have a passion for in life, you have the right to shoot for it even if people don’t believe in you.”

“The thing I’ve learned is life always gives you challenges, and it’s up to you to fulfill every challenge life gives you…it’s not up to anyone else but you.”

🐶 

Today’s article was written by yours truly.

If you enjoyed it, check out these two other hand-picked stories:

• The Small-Time Shark Who Became a Pool Legend

• How a Blind Baseball League Helped a New York City Man Find Meaning

Thanks for reading!

If you enjoy stories like this, you’ll love my book – The Underdog Mentality: Sports Stories That Will Change How You See the Game (and Yourself)

Don’t just take it from me. Here’s what one reader had to say:

“If you are looking for inspirational content that will reinforce your belief in the power of positivity and what it can accomplish in life, please do yourself a favor and pick up this book.”

Have a great week 🤝 

Til next time,
Tyler

Extra Innings…

🌟 Trivia Answer: A) Seattle Mariners. They’re the only active MLB franchise that has never appeared in the Fall Classic.

🤝 His dream was to become an Ironman. His brother made sure that dream came true.

🫵 Subscriber Spotlight: New reader Roberto De Vido shared this awesome article about a marathon runner who never thought about stopping despite a dislocated knee and injured shoulder. Watch the 2-minute video. It’ll give you chills.