| Hi, my name is Alina Bardoni. I’m currently a freshman in high school and I wrestle for Centennial High School here in Las Vegas. I started my wrestling journey in 6th grade with Goldrush Wrestling Academy after six years of jiu-jitsu. Wrestling has helped me grow in many ways and has shaped me into the person I am today. |
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| I wanted to start wrestling in my sixth year of jiu-jitsu just to give it a try because I would watch my sister wrestle. I also wanted to wrestle to help develop my jiu-jitsu better, but I ended up falling in love with wrestling and committing to just that. When I first started, I knew it was going to be tough, but also really fun and rewarding. I was one of the only girls in the room, so I would practice with boys. Although at times it got tough, it was still very fun, and I knew it would push me to get better. I knew from then on that this was where I wanted to be. |
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| I had many small tournaments, and no matter the outcome, I always had so much fun. Every single one of my teammates made me feel welcome and became like family to me. After folkstyle season, I gave freestyle a try and competed at the US Open in an all-boys bracket, where I ended up taking 6th place. Competing became more and more fun to me each time, and I couldn’t wait for what the future held; I just knew all it would take was hard work. |
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My 7th grade year was also very fun. I began to see a lot of success not only at tournaments but also in practice. Then freestyle came, and I wrestled at Women’s Nationals, where I took 6th place, which I was very proud of. I began to realize I loved freestyle a lot more. My 8th grade year was about the same, except I placed 7th at Women’s Nationals in an older age group. My confidence slowly began to grow throughout these tournaments. |
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| As high school came, I started focusing more on wrestling, and I knew there would be many sacrifices made to see success throughout my journey. I am very thankful for everyone who has been on this journey with me and everyone who pushes me to keep going, whether I’m motivated or not. I love wrestling and I love to see my passion for it grow more and more over the years. |
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| No matter the outcome of anything, wrestling has done so much for me and has shaped me into the person I am today. I couldn’t be more thankful for every opportunity it has brought to my life and how it has pushed me to be a better and more confident version of myself. I want to thank the Lord for where I am today and the beautiful blessing He has given me. I am so thankful for the loving family I have. With their love and support, they motivate me every day to keep going and always believed I could do it when no one else did. They have always been there for me, and for that, I will continue to work as hard as I can and push myself to my fullest potential. |
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| I’d like to give a special thank you to Kage Mir as well. He spent hours studying film and making sure I was on track for my 2026 Nevada StateTitle and pushed me through some of my toughest times on my journey. And of course, a very special thank you to my parents for everything they do for me and how much they support me through every single moment. I hope only to make them more and more proud every day. |
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| Thank you for picking me as NVSportsLocal Women’s Athlete of the Month. |
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