| Hi, my name is Sandilynn Tuinei. I am 15 years old and currently a Junior at Centennial High School. I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii (where my wrestling career began at the age of 4) but moved to Vegas at 7 (where my wrestling career continues to grow). Wrestling became a part of my life due to my two older brothers, Jj and Tai. I would watch them every practice eager to get on the mat, but what really got me to join was the cartwheels. Funny, isn’t it? I asked my dad to join so I could do the cartwheels during their warm ups! What started as wanting to do cartwheels, quickly became wanting to be an Olympic Wrestler. Once we moved to Las Vegas, my brothers and I wrestled with The Gladiators (Arbor View’s Youth Program) for two years; then once they started high school I joined House of Centennial (Centennial’s Youth Program). |
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| Throughout both of these teams, I had Jose Sosa and Mike Egbalic as coaches, who sparked my passion for the sport. They looked after me as one of their own, and I will always consider them family. I know throughout my career, I will always have them (my tallest uncles) supporting me no matter how far. Growing up in this sport, my older brothers were my biggest examples. To me, there was no one cooler. I aspired to be like them in every way. As a little girl, I would watch their matches every night to study their styles of wrestling just so I could go to practice and try my best to reenact their every movement. Supporting them throughout high school gifted me the women I still look up to today–Peyton Prussin and Tehani Soares. Little did I know how much these women would impact my journey of wrestling as a young woman. From 4 years old through middle school, I had a great amount of success. Then, I had an inspirational man–Chase Pami, come into my life and introduce me to a whole new level of wrestling. That’s when I joined Gold Rush Wrestling Academy. |
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| At the time I started at Gold Rush, I was dealing with a lot of home struggles as my parents were going through a messy divorce. I was more concerned with finding a way to make money, when my next meal was, and how I was getting to practice, etc. I started falling behind in school and wondering if wrestling was really something meant for me. For a bit, I was contemplating on quitting, but I had coaches (Chase Pami, Max Rohskopf, Jake Rollans, Ed Sorgani) that continued to believe in me and reminded me of the good things I had in life. A reason to keep going. A reminder of why I do what I do. They kept me on the right track and continued to fill my heart with love and my mind with wisdom. Gold Rush felt like destiny. Forget destiny, it was God’s blessing, and I am forever grateful. The people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had–thanks to Gold Rush, have taught me not only how to be a good wrestler but a good person. Now, I just try my best to be an example to those around me and those after me. It’s only right for me to spread the love and wisdom that was bestowed upon me. |
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| Last but not least, I can’t talk about myself without mentioning my other half, my dad (James Passi). There are so many things to thank this man for, that I don’t know where to start. My father is the most hardworking and selfless man I’ve ever known. No matter how bad life gets he always manages to make ends meet, always putting others before himself. He works early mornings and late nights just so I can be able to focus on school and wrestling. It does make me worry about him, but it just gives me drive to keep my head on straight and not let his hard work go to waste. Dad, I know you’re going to read this so I just want to say, thank you. I acknowledge and appreciate everything that you do for our family. I love you more than anything in the world. |
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| Thank you to all my loved ones who have supported me along the way. I’m grateful to have been able to develop my character, grow closer to God, and help others do the same. Thanks to this sport and the people in my life, I can confidently say that I am growing into the woman I want and know I can be. As I confide in my Lord and Savior, I will continue my journey with a mind of wisdom, heart of courage, and a soul of unwavering faith. |
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| “Sandilynn has shown tremendous growth and development. We have seen her struggle through ups and downs. But, she continues to persevere and show that she is one of the best girls in the country.” -Chase Pami |
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