I used to run away from my parents before wrestling practice. I would run, cry, and hide in my room. I hated wrestling. I was the only girl in my club until I joined the middle school wrestling team in 7th grade. I didn’t win a tournament until 6th grade, 4 years into my wrestling career. I hated wrestling boys; I hated going to practice; I hated competing; and I hated losing. Wrestling became something I dreaded. If you saw me compete now, you would never know that is how my wrestling career started. Wrestling is my greatest teacher and has become a place for me to grow as a person, student, and athlete. The biggest lesson wrestling has taught me is how to grit it out and work hard, no matter your opponent, the score, or who’s in your corner. My opponent may be a national champion or a girl at her first tournament, or it can also be a test or other struggle to overcome. Because of wrestling, I don’t look at any situation as something to breeze through; I always give my best effort. I could be down by nine points or winning by 20; it doesn’t matter. I know I can push through discomfort and perform to the best of my abilities, no matter how I’m doing in comparison to others. I have had to learn to focus on the match in front of me, not who’s in my corner or who is cheering or booing from the stands. Wrestling has taught me to focus on myself and my efforts, regardless of external factors that might affect my performance, whether it is on the mat, in the classroom, or among peers. I used to view wrestling as an obstacle in and of itself, but through overcoming the challenge of loving the sport, I gained the skills to overcome any hardship I may face in life. My attitude changed when I placed fourth at AAU state as an eighth grader. I never did well at meets, as I panicked and cried from the pressure I put on myself to win. This AAU tournament was different. I was winning matches, and when I lost, I was able to come back and wrestle my next matches. To this day, I don’t know what sparked this period of transition, but I am forever grateful for the shift. Through my four years of high school wrestling, I have grown only more confident. At this year’s Dan Gable Donnybrook tournament, a tournament comparable to our state championship, I had one of the most challenging brackets. I had to face off against three state champions, two from Iowa and one from Nebraska, to win gold. I was nervous as I am not yet a state champion, but I knew that the least I could do was battle and fight my hardest in each match. In the end, I won. I overcame my own nerves and outside skepticism to achieve my goals, and I have the wrestling mentality to thank. Wrestling means the world to me, and it has taught me the most important life lessons. I know I can grit through tough situations, work hard to create my best self, and pass those lessons on to others so they can also find success. Even though I hated wrestling and was quite bad for a very long time, I would not trade the sport for anything, as it has given me everything.