Joining wrestling for the first time as a junior in high school already gave me a disadvantage but continuing gymnastics at the same time as wrestling made it even harder for me. It forced me to only be able to practice half the amount of time everyone else got. I had to work extra hard to be able to catch up to my teammates and become the best wrestler I can with the little time i had. I tried my best to be at every practice I possibly could be at. I’d stay late or show up early to get extra practice in. I’d show up to all of our open room practices where most team mates wouldn’t show up too. I tried my best to be in the room as much as I possibly could. My biggest struggle was my practice partner and team mate. I hated that she was my biggest competition. We knew each other's every move. We knew what each other struggles with and what wish each other had to move. We could read each other like a book. but she had an upper hand. She had wrestled her whole life and I had just started. For sections since we both are eye to eye we had to wrestle off for our spot. We’ve done it so many times and I’ve lost every time because of how uncomfortable I am with wrestling her. This time was even worse. They had us wrestle each other off during a tournament, in a gym paced with our family friends, teammates and other people. We’ve never wrestled each other off in front of people before so it was nerve racking. The whole gym was silent for our match. We were eye to eye like always, but like always I lost. It was a tough match and an even tougher loss for me not only because I just lost in front of everyone but because I just lost my section spot. It broke my heart because that was my one goal. After our boys coach heard about the tough loss he gave me an option to continue my season a little longer. He offered me our boys 107 section spot. I was hesitant at first since I’ve never wrestled a boy before but after talking to my parents and coaches we decided it was a great opportunity for me. I took each match one at a time. I wanted to achieve my goal and with every match I got closer and closer. My placement match was my toughest. I was nervous and he was a good wrestler. I happened to catch him and I won. I accomplished my goal but I wasn’t done yet. I fought all the way through the tournament. Everything after my placement match was a gift from all the hard work I put in. After the season ended I still wasn’t done fighting. I joined a club and did as much wrestling as I could. I competed at nationals and became an all American, I wrestled at national duals in Tulsa, and I competed at Fargo which was the toughest tournament I’ve ever done. As a first year wrestler I feel like with all the work I put in I’ve not only caught up with my teammates but I’ve passed some. I’m very proud of myself and all the hard work I’ve put in but I'm not done yet. My wrestling career has just started and I'm ready to put in the work to become the best I can.

If you were to tell me three years ago that in three years I would drop everything for a sport and community I didn’t even know existed I would have laughed at you, but here I am and I’m the happiest I’ve been. Wrestling was thrown on me out of nowhere. Wrestling came into my life by accident. It was introduced to me by an old friend who convinced me as a gymnast to “just manage” which is how it started until the last month when they threw me into a practice. From that day on after gymnastics ended I'd be in the room wrestling with the girls. Once wrestling season finally came to an end after a month of me practicing with them I decided maybe I would try it out. Better now than never right? I came up with a plan to do both gymnastics and wrestling. I calculated the perfect set up to be able to do both. At the beginning it worked out great. I prioritized gymnastics and still worked it out with wrestling. I loved all of it. I started getting better and better at wrestling but I started to feel stuck in one place with gymnastics. While struggling with my love of gymnastics, I was growing my love in wrestling. I was still getting better and I was winning a lot. I knew towards the ending of the season I would have to make a hard choice. Gymnastics and wrestling sections were all in the same week. I came up with what I believed to be the best plan anyone could come up with in my situation. Two weeks before section week I explained to both coaches exactly what my plan was all the way down to the last minutes of practice. They both agreed with my plan. Monday of sections week i had wrestling practice. I showed up and got my shoes on. I was in my workout gear ready to go. When my gymnastics coach texted me, knowing the plan she knew I was at wrestling today. I calculated it exactly so everything would work out. When I responded she then gave me an ultimatum “ come to practice or you won't compete at conference” she knew I couldn’t come, because I was already at wrestling practice. I didn’t know what to do. I was torn between the two things I loved most. I had to make a decision so I did. “I won't be at the gymnastics meet then”. I made a choice and I think it was the best choice I’ve ever made. I proceeded to compete at boys team sections that week. I then had to make a second decision: do what I love or do what I'm comfortable with? This was Stressful time for myself because I felt awful for leaving my team for a new one. I sent a text to my gymnastics coach. A text I'd never think I'd ever send. “I quit” it was harder than you think to say that to a sport that you loved for so long but it was what had to be said. I competed at our boys individual sections and placed 4th. Being in that gym with all eyes on me throughout the whole tournament was a whole different feeling. I loved it. Now today I can’t see myself not doing it. Wrestling has taught me self confidence, self control, and self discipline. There’s no other feeling than stepping on that mat knowing everything that happens in the match is because of you, no one else.