| Hi, my name is Zyon Trujillo, and I am 15 years old, born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. I am the oldest of 6, currently a sophomore for an online private academy and I wrestle for Silverado high school. My career in wrestling began much later than most; I didn’t have any sort of competitive wrestling experience until a little under a year and a half ago, at the beginning of my freshman year. |
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| When I was 7 years old, my dad decided to sign me up for Jiu-Jitsu at Xtreme Couture MMA. At the time, my family was going through a tough time with my brother being in and out of the hospital due to him being diagnosed with infant leukemia. It was at Xtreme that I met my first coach, mentor, and now friend–Justin Jaynes. While my baby brother was going through chemotherapy treatments I focused on learning as much as I could, and I started competing at local tournaments. Training there, let me immerse myself amongst world class wrestlers and fighters. Coach Justin himself, wrestled at a collegiate level and always included his knowledge in our practices. I loved competing; I enjoyed winning and took each loss as a slap to step up my game. |
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| As time went on, I was too big and advanced for the kids’ class, so other coaches let me join the adult classes. There I started working with Coach Rich Castro who helped me develop my skill in a different way. As I grew, so did my opponent’s skill, and I needed to continually be in search of new techniques while always using that pressure heavy culture that Coach Justin had instilled in me. |
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| At the beginning of 2020 I broke my foot, that put me out for three long months, longest of my life–or so I thought because then Covid hit and gyms would be closed until after mid-year. When they finally reopened, I felt a shift, a new chapter of my journey began, and I met coach Jamie Homampour. He had a different style that I hadn’t explored yet, and he recognized my intense wish to know more. I was able to join him and the rest of his team, and while sometimes I felt I was merely catching up; I was also growing my skill in ways that surprised a lot of my peers. |
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| In 2021, I competed in my first National Tournament and unfortunately, I fell short and didn’t even place. But I did not let that hold me back, and I went back to the gym and trained harder with my goal in mind. In September, I had the chance to reap the results of my hard work. I participated in an International Jiu-Jitsu tournament, and my resilience paid off. I placed 1st. I feel being enrolled in an online school gives me the freedom to train more than the average high schooler and that helped me accomplish that goal. |
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| At the beginning of my freshman year, I was faced with the decision to wrestle for my zoned school or just continue developing my Jiu-Jitsu. After debating with the pros and cons of the choice, I went ahead and reluctantly joined the team. I felt like a fish out of the water, while I knew the basics, I was nowhere near the level some of some of my teammates and opponents. Again, I found myself catching up, but my time was limited as the season was just around the corner. Finally wrestling season came, and I did not feel anywhere near ready, mentally or physically. |
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| My first high school meet I got pinned. I wanted to quit. I was ready to, but my family and coaches, did not let me. I started something and I would finish it. So, I looked at my training with a different mindset and then went on not lose again, until Regionals. With every dual meet my understanding of the sport grew more, I started to enjoy the process, and I found myself making plans about my future that included wrestling. Then, just like that, the season was coming to an end and I made it to Regionals where I took Second Place. Qualifying for States was something that I wasn’t expecting, going against kids that wrestled our whole lives was an experience like I never had before. |
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| The atmosphere was something completely new to me–the adrenaline, the pressure; it was bigger than myself. This tournament meant something special for me. I made it to the Finals after a very tough Semi-Finals match. My final opponent was the same person who beat me at Regionals, and knowing that, took a toll on my mental strength. I ended up as the 4a State Runner-Up as a Freshman. That experience changed me. It ignited a desire to be better, to accomplish what others couldn’t. It lit a fire in me. My drive to win is higher than ever. |
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| In the off season, I went back to competing in Jiu-Jitsu while training for wrestling, and my best friend and I went on a tear throughout the year. I competed in the Adult Division for Jiu-Jitsu and found success in many tournaments. It wasn’t until recently that I started training at Gold Rush Wrestling Academy with coaches Chase Pami, Max Rohskopf, Ed Sorgani, and AJ Guardado. The high-level coaching and wrestling partners are definitely a blessing and something that I don’t take for granted |
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Just this month I competed in my first National wrestling Tournament, Freakshow 2022, and I placed Third out of 104 people in the bracket and received Freakshow All-American Status. It was a great way to gain momentum for this upcoming season. I am excited for what life will look like in the future and plan to continue fighting hard to accomplish my dreams. |
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| Id like to take this opportunity to thank the many people who have supported me throughout the years. Starting with my family for everything they have done for me, my coaches for their endless support and for helping me get to where I am today, as well as all my teammates, partners, and friends. |
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| “To say Zyon is talented, or even one of a kind, is a severe understatement. His drive to be the best is more akin to an unrelenting storm with all the beauty and chaos that comes with it. Off the mat he’s very much an everyday teenager. Still learning about life, and trying to navigate coming into adulthood. I think the blending of these traits is why I invest so much time with him. What makes him so good goes well beyond his drive. He can be shown a technique or sequence once and replicate it. What might take a normal student months or years to perfect, he can do in weeks. Because of this his game is ever evolving becoming more and more dangerous with no signs of slowing down. He wrestled competitively for the first-time last year. One year later he’s a Freakshow All-American who’s taken 3rd in a National Tournament–something kids who have wrestled their entire life might never do. While that might sound amazing, the crazy thing is at 15 years old he’s just getting started”-coach Jamie. |
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| “I have been very fortunate to work with Zyon Trujillo over the last eight years. Zyon demonstrates the ideal image of an All- American Folkstyle wrestler. His heart, his grit, and his everlasting want to win and improve himself, on and off the mat, separates him from the competition. The sky is the limit for Zyon Trujillo”-Coach Justin |
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