The most pivotal moment of my wrestling career, so far, happened at the 2022 CIF State Championship. I had made it into the quarterfinals and I knew this match would be against one of my close wrestling friends. We met at a wrestling camp the summer before and immediately bonded. The night before our match, my mind raced over the possible ways the match could play out. My respect for her as a person, as well as a friend, began to distract me from my own goal. It was a physically demanding match, but more importantly, it was mentally demanding. It required an entirely different type of compartmentalization than I was used to. It forced me to focus on MY feelings and MY goals only. At that point, it did not matter who was in front of me. I wanted to advance more than they did no matter what. That feeling of zeroing in, finding my focus is incomparable. It was as if the world faded away and the only thing standing between me and getting closer to my goal was her. My emotions ran high the whole match, I was pushing myself harder than I had ever before. With every score that went on the board, I could feel my dream becoming more and more clear. I could see myself on the podium; all my hard work having paid off. I will remember the feeling of that win for the rest of my life. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest. I felt like the air I was breathing was the first deep breath I had taken all year. Winning that match guaranteed my place on the podium, and nobody could take that away from me. The job was not finished, but I could breathe a little easier knowing that I had begun to accomplish my dream. I remember the quiet, the moment of peace I felt after the match, as what I had just done really sank in. I had just overcome one of my biggest flaws - letting my emotions effect my performance - and placed in the CIF State Championship. I remember looking at my father and seeing the relief mirrored on his face, and I will forever remember his look of pride clear as day. I had, for what felt like the first time, made my father proud. All my hard work, the struggles of the season, the tears shed; in that moment were all worth it. I finally felt seen by my father, and that moment changed me forever.

Wrestling during my high school years has made a large impact on the mat and in my personal life. My high school career brought me to my highest highs, and on the flip side, my lowest lows. Wrestling taught me to trust in the process, but more importantly, trust myself. Wrestling taught me to be patient and measure success in progress, not wins in matches. Wrestling also gave me the confidence that my long-time dream of wrestling in college was not farfetched and extremely obtainable if I worked hard enough. I have learned the true value of believing in myself and my self-worth. A successful recruiting season prompted me to widen my goals and encouraged me to think past more than just the next few months. Because wrestling is a fast-paced sport, it forces those involved to evolve and change alongside it. My growth as a person in high school would not have been possible without wrestling. Wrestling impacts my mindset, how I approach school and the stressors of life in general. I have created a healthier lifestyle for myself, physically and mentally. Wrestling kept me grounded. Wrestling taught me to be present, to focus on the task at hand and let everything else fade into background noise while on the mat. Wrestling also effects how I feel about myself as a person. I realized that I can achieve great things in school as well as on the mat. It helped keep me motivated in school and strive to be the best version of myself in the classroom. Wrestling gave me the courage to advocate for myself and use my voice for others when they could not. Wrestling helped me find a place at school when I felt like I didn’t belong. Wrestling taught me the importance of family and the value of hard work and sacrifice whether it was school, wrestling, or otherwise. Ever since I was a kid, I have wanted to wrestle in the NCAA. In middle school, unfortunately, I lost sight of that dream. My freshman year I was injured and unable to wrestle. It felt like my dream was fading away. It was not until the end of postseason my sophomore year that I realized that if I wanted to wrestle in the NCAA, I was going to have to find another level of focus and purpose. Wrestling helped me refocus and reestablish my desire to wrestle in the NCAA and to pursue a national title. Wrestling altered how I thought about my future and motivated me to continue to push myself to higher levels. Wrestling created opportunities for my future that I did not know were possible and allowed me to dream big. Wrestling brings me closer to my dad who introduced me to the sport. It gave us common ground during the pandemic and also helped us to come together in times of uncertainty. Wrestling continues to forge a path of understanding between my dad and I. He is my coach in every sense of the word. He knows my wrestling like the back of his hand and many times, knows what I want more than I do. Our relationship has grown and become stronger because of the countless hours we spent together during quarantine drilling and fine tuning my technique. Wrestling has shaped me as an individual. There is no doubt that I would not be the same person I am today without the experiences that I have had through my wrestling in high school. I have grown into a self-sufficient, disciplined, focused wrestler, as well as an organized and driven student.