Norwin student recovers from serious injuries to win martial arts crown

River Pendergrass could be considered the Norwin area’s comeback kid.

Less than two years after suffering severe injuries when he was hit by a vehicle, Pendergrass has become a national martial arts champion.

Pendergrass was an 11-year-old sixth grader when he was hit by an SUV on Nov. 10, 2023, as he was walking along Mockingbird Drive to Hillcrest Intermediate School in North Huntingdon. He was thrown into the air and suffered severe injuries — a concussion, skull fracture and internal trauma — said the now 13-year-old Pendergrass, an eighth grader at Norwin Middle School.

Doctors at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh were not certain he would be able to return to competitive karate.

After a day in the hospital, he began an extended recovery period, spending six months in follow-up care, said his mother, Ashley Cottone.

“The doctors did not think I would do it for awhile,” Pendergrass said.

But, he said, he was determined to continue doing what he loved. He was able to visit the Allegheny Shotokan Viola Karate Dojo, his training center in North Huntingdon, by April 2024.

Bill Viola Jr., operator and instructor at Allegheny Shotokan, said that Pendergrass’ coaches described him as a warrior with a heart of gold, who was determined and focused to get back in training.

Even when others would have given up, Pendergrass was practicing his techniques in his mind, Viola said.

Pendergrass described the martial arts in which he is involved as a lighter, controlled version of the popular mixed martial arts competition that is seen on television. Fighters wear boxing-style gloves and score points in above-the-belt hits with their hands and feet on their opponent’s torso and head.

“I’ve been doing this for five years and fighting for three years,” Pendergrass said, adding that he started when a few school friends began the martial arts training.

This past March, Pendergrass competed in the Arnold Schwarzenegger Sports Festival’s Kumite Classic Championships in Columbus, Ohio, winning gold and bronze medals in his sparring divisions.

He competed in the 2025 World Karate & Kickboxing Commission national championships in Detroit in early June after advancing from a regional contest in December 2024 in East Allegheny.

“I was a bit nervous, the first time doing it on a national level,” Pendergrass said of his victory.

He was able to win a gold medal, even after a competitor landed what Viola called a “cheap shot” that hit him in the head after a judge called for a break in the fight.

Pendergrass had to be evaluated for a possible concussion before being permitted to continue the contest, Cottone said.

Pendergrass followed that victory with another winning performance. At the World Karate & Kickboxing Commission world championships in Niagara Falls, N.Y., in mid-October, Pendergrass won a silver medal and two bronze medals in three out of four competitions in the 12 and 13 age division.

“This isn’t just about winning a trophy. River is the embodiment of what martial arts is all about — overcoming adversity, showing respect and never quitting,” Viola said.

Pendergrass’ love of martial arts and dedication to the sport has his inspired his younger sister, Kennedy Cottone, 5, to take up the sport, said their mother, Ashley Cottone.