Girls Can Fight!

Have you ever worked your whole life for something, been doubted, but kept going to be one of the best? Helen Maroulis worked her whole life to be one of the best women wrestlers in the world. She was a girl, therefore, everybody told her that she couldn’t wrestle because of her gender and to give up. To demonstrate, her first time wrestling, she only won 1 match, but, unfortunately lost the other 30.  Despite this, she kept working harder and learning.  After seven years of self-doubt, discouragement, and hatred towards her, she was invited to go try out for the U.S Women’s Wrestling team.  Her whole life, she had grown up wrestling boys, but then she had to adapt to wrestling with girls. Helen went off to compete at the Junior Olympics… and she lost… 2 times.  She was tremendously upset to the point where she wanted to quit wrestling.  Her coach persuaded her to keep going.  Next thing you know, Helen was off to the Olympics. After she won her first two matches, she was notified that she would be wrestling the best woman wrestler in the world from Japan.  Saori Yoshida was the best wrestler at the Olympics. She had never been beaten, and everyone was intimidated by her.  The most significant thing that I remember about her when I watched her documentary was before she went onto the mat, she told herself, “I can do this, just wrestle, do what you love, and have fun.” This is a quote that I will never forget.  She then stepped onto the mat and remembered all the haters who discouraged her from her dream… and she won.  She won the Olympics!  She won a Gold medal!  Helen Maroulis proved everyone wrong. Helen is an awesome wrestler, but more importantly, she taught the world that GIRLS CAN WRESTLE TOO!!!  Everyone thought she wasn’t going to even win a match, but there she was, being handed a gold medal.  Helen inspires girls all around the world, including me, that girls can wrestle and nothing should get in the way of your dreams.   Helen’s shining moment when she won the gold medal inspires me to be a champion wrestler like her.