| Hello! My name is Isabella Casprowitz, and I am turning 18 in October. I am a Senior in high school attending Advanced Technologies Academy (A-TECH). However, I wrestle for Chaparral High School, my zone school, because the Academy does not have an Athletics Program. I am a major in Cybersecurity and minor in Biomedical. The upcoming 2024-2025 season will be my third year competing in wrestling. |
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| When COVID hit in 2020, I began Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu just so that I could get out of the house and get into shape. At my first class, I was scared to take my glasses off and not be able to see what I was doing. Then I would get thrown around like a rag doll most of the time. I had so much fun working out and sweating all my stresses away. Since then, I have been competing and been immersed in the culture of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I am currently a Three Stripe Blue Belt at my gym, Cascao. I owe so much to my coaches, Walter Vital and William Bonwell, for always pushing me to be the person that I am and pushing me to compete. |
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| In my Freshman year, my friend Billie Bonwell, would always rave about wrestling while we were at Jiu-Jitsu practices, and she would tell me all the positive experiences that she was having. With some convincing from my Jiu-Jitsu coaches, I started attending practices at Chaparral High School with Coach Velazquez and Coach Hernandez during my Freshman summer, and wrestling began to grow on me. I was nervous when I first started wrestling because of the fast pace compared to jiu-jitsu. I got new perspectives on wrestling and how the competitions work during my first season. I began to like wrestling a lot, but my first season didn’t end like I wanted and that motivated me to become better. I joined club wrestling during the summer of my Sophomore year with Legends of Gold LV. That’s where I learned about Freestyle wrestling and the sport of wrestling outside of high school |
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| My first out-of-state competition was Western States in 2023. It was my first time getting any travel experience with my team, and it was memorable. The girls on the team made me feel at home and so welcomed. Coach Mackey and Coach Sullivin were incredibly supportive. They have given me, and continue to give me, many opportunities to grow within the sport. Last season, my hard work paid off. I was performing better and was embodying the overall wrestler mentality. I was excited for the off-season because of all the learning it was going to bring. Western States came around toward the end of the summer, and I proved to myself that I have grown as a wrestler. I saw big changes! I had gone 0-2 the year before, then medaled the next year. It feels really satisfying that my work has paid off. |
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| I could not have begun this winning journey without my amazingly beautiful mother. My mom taught me to be the person that I am today. Whenever I had doubts about continuing my journey, she was adamant about pushing me to continue. She is always there for me whenever I can’t find my voice, advocating for me and my wrestling opportunities. My mother joined jiu jitsu to be closer to my sister and I. I’ve been blessed to have many amazing practice partners, family, and friends surrounding me. My journey and this sport has been tough. Wrestling is such an emotionally involved sport. Wrestling is a physically risky sport. For me the emotion and the physicality are worth it, in the end, to be able to say that I tried my best. To be able to say I put my heart and soul into my matches. |
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| I’m excited to see what my Senior season will hold and what I am going to accomplish. I am also hoping to wrestle in college, and pursue my Academic goals. A few of the schools I am looking at are; the Naval Academy, the University of Nevada Las Vegas and Baldwin Wallace.
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