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My name is Isabelle Tamondong, and I am currently a junior at Douglas High School. My martial arts journey started when I was about 5 years old, practicing Jiu-Jitsu in Carson until my parents opened their own gym, DC Jiu-Jitsu. As my Jiu-Jitsu journey came to an end, my parents introduced me to wrestling in the 6th grade. |
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| Now going into my junior year of wrestling, I look back at my freshman year when I wasn’t a very good wrestler. I didn’t put in much effort, relied on basic moves (I was a “head and arm demon”), and lacked true passion for the sport. Then, I joined wrestling clubs! The first club that I stuck with was Wildcats. I want to thank my coach, Jake Fair, for being a huge part of my wrestling journey; he pushed me to win, taught me the right moves, and made me a better wrestler. Later on, I explored almost all the wrestling clubs around me. Two clubs that have really improved my wrestling, just like Wildcats, are Gold Rush Wrestling in Reno and Mountain Wrestling in Carson. Even though I only drop in to wrestle every once in a while, the intensity is always high, and the coaches have helped me and many others become great wrestlers. Thank you, Coach Antonio and Coach Tommy! |
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| When my sophomore year started, after putting in extra work in the off-season, I began to win. I placed at many tournaments, beat opponents I had previously lost to, and more. However, everyone talks about the wins but never the losses. After suffering an elbow injury right before regionals, my season ended with a hard loss in the blood rounds at regionals. My goal now is to prove to everyone that I can move past this setback and place at state. I will use my struggles and losses to fuel my drive and understand how much I want to succeed. |
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| Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I am deeply thankful for God, who taught me that I can do anything with Him. I always prayed before every match to help calm my nerves and focus. I wasn’t praying to win; I was praying for Him to lift me up and help me wrestle the best I could. He has taught me that He will sometimes allow me to stumble just to see if I will fight to win. As the saying goes, “God will bring you to your knees just to lift you higher than you’ve ever been before.” I know the Lord has a plan for me, and as Isaiah 60:22 reminds us, “When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make things happen.” |
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| Finally, I am forever thankful and have so much love for everyone who supports and believes in me: my parents, who guide me through everything, attend every single tournament, and invest so much time and money; my sister Jasmine, who understands me and whom I inspire to wrestle; my sister Madi, who came to every tournament even when she didn’t want to; my friends and practice partners, who push me to my limits and make the sport fun through the toughest practices; and my coaches, who have all pushed, conditioned, and strengthened me, allowing me to improve both my wrestling and my mindset. |
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