| Hi, my name is Billie Bonwell. I am 15-years old, and I have been wrestling for a year and a half now. I am born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. I got into wrestling because my dad introduced it to me, because Jiu-Jitsu can’t get you a scholarship but Wrestling can. I am a 12 year Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. I have always enjoyed doing sports that are male dominate because then I have to work hard to show others what I’m made of. My dad is the one who introduced me to the sports of grappling, and ever since I stepped on the mat I have completely fell in love with both Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling. I’ve realized that a physical contact sport like Wrestling takes a lot of physical and mental dedication. |
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| I’ve done Jiu-Jitsu at Cascão Jiu-Jitsu for 12 years, and I have known my coaches since I was a day old. I was introduced to Coach Bill Sullivan through one of the boys teams coach, Jake Rollans. I went to a school practice and then realized I needed more work, so I joined Legends of Gold Las Vegas under Coach Bill Sullivan. I am currently training there. This is my second year wrestling and I can see huge improvements from last year. |
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| I am a Six-Time Pan American Champion for Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I am a Nevada Wrestling State Champion. I got my State Champion Achievement my first year Wrestling. I am also currently ranked 19th in the Nation. I have wrestled in big tournaments, and have done, well but haven’t placed yet. On October 15th-16th I placed 4th in Freakshow and was deemed an All-American Certificate too. |
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| This wrestling season, and year, I plan to start traveling Internationally for competitions. I am very excited for these opportunities that are yet to come. I was first completely amazed to see how many young women/girls are in a sport that is considered “male dominate”; it’s amazing to see the number continue to grow and grow. Especially since now colleges have opened their doors to Women’s Wrestling. |
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| I would like to give a big thank you to my dad William Bonwell; he has been by my side since literally day one, pushing me past my limits. He is my biggest supporter and fan, and I appreciate how much he has sacrificed for me to have great opportunities. I would like to say thank you to my Jiu-Jitsu Coach, Walter Vital, he and my dad have been my coaches since I first started grappling, and I wanted to say thank you to him for always helping me throughout my journey. A huge thank you to my grandfather Bill Bonwell for being my sponsor and providing me with the utensils I need. I also want to give a big thank you to my Cascão Jiu-Jitsu family who have supported me since day I started wrestling; they help me better my technique and better my mindset as a athlete overall. Finally, a thank you to my family and best friends for sticking by my side throughout all of my injuries and hard times. |
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