Fitness through Wrestling

By Kerry Schultz

The two wrestlers stood in a circle marked on the mat and stared intently at each other. This was the first time I’d seen a live wrestling match and I imagined the stare-down was an attempt by each of them to mentally take down the other—in effect, to make a pin before the struggle even began. It struck me that this was a sport in which not only physical skill and toughness but also psychological strength are immensely important. For the next few minutes, I gasped and clenched my teeth at the sight of bodies knocked down, and I peppered my best friend Kori with questions about the rules and point system. Her daughter was one of the combatants in this high school girls’ wrestling match, which until the previous day I hadn’t even realized was a sport offered to girls.

The day before, I had emerged from the Boise Airport terminal into brisk December air that chilled my face. I scanned the cars parked along the wide sidewalk. Ah, there she is, I thought, as Kori, dressed in a thick sweater and jeans, made her way towards me.

“How was your flight?” she asked as we made our way through the night air to her car. 

“OK, but b-rrr, it’s cold.” I zipped up my jacket.