Athlete of the Month
Marco Romero

Pictures and Content courtesy of The Romero Family and Coach Overlie

I started wrestling at the age of four. I was always energetic and hyper, causing my parents to look towards a sport that could help calm me down. They found the sport of wrestling and decided to have me try it out. I really enjoyed the sport and continued to wrestle. I had some great coaches to help me in my youth; Coach Cruz, Coach Dan, Coach JD, and Coach Pearson. They all saw the great potential in me and pushed me to my limits to help me become a better and honorable wrestler.
As I got older I looked towards putting my great efforts into the sport, but I always seemed to fall short. I would lose and lose over and over again. One year I would be doing good, and the next I wouldn’t do so well. I remember the drop in my confidence, however, I also remember the motivation it gave me to push a little harder every practice so I could learn and grow. Along with this struggle I also had to face the severe obstacles that came with being bullied and thrown as an outcast from those whom I called my friends. I was bullied for many things such as my height, size, work ethic, and appearance. I changed my hairstyle in 6th grade and didn’t stop hearing the bullying comments or remarks until my Sophomore year in high school.
This continued for many different aspects of my personality, and I always remember the hurt and pain that I had to overcome during many long nights. However, during my 8th grade year it seemed that everything “clicked”. I had another terrible night from the bullying, and I couldn’t sleep at all. I felt hopeless and didn’t know where to turn, but I remembered the wise words my great-grandma told me. “If you ever feel alone, remember to always pray and ask for the Lord to save you and stick by your side.” I remember getting down on my knees and praying for forgiveness and for the love and comfort from Jesus Christ, and from that instant I felt a weight drop from my shoulders.
The relief that overcame me as I was able to feel the warmth and comfort from my Lord and Savior and I knew from that moment on, that he would never leave my side. I then worked harder than I ever had and saw the progress expand in the sport of wrestling. I started winning more and more, and I was also being complimented for my sportsmanship and work ethic. I broke records, won prestigious awards, and I was able to leave a legacy for my name. I did this all in my years of high school. I was coached and greatly influenced by Coach Overlie, Coach Sellers, Coach Fry, and Coach Slater to keep on pushing and working hard, even when it seemed hard or tiring. Due to that, I was able to win Three State Championships. I won my Sophomore, Junior and Senior years, and I also won the Regional Championships for those years of high school as well.
I disappointedly wasn’t given the opportunity my Freshman year due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. However, I took that free year as an opportunity to practice constantly and became a more lethal wrestler on the mat. This is my Senior year in High School and I was awarded the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, for the state of Nevada. I also was awarded two Academic Letters for both my Junior and Senior years. With all of these events I feel so honored and excited to be able to take my skills to the next level. I have been accepted to wrestle and pursue my Civil Engineering degree at Colorado School of Mines.
I can’t wait to set the bar for myself, and I hope to be a great asset to their already great team and great coaches. I am so grateful for the accomplishments in my life as I know that I had many people here to motivate me, including my family. They stood by my side and watched every match and helped me improve on moves, technique and strength and conditioning in order to become the best wrestler I could be. I am also forever thankful for the blessing I have received from my Lord and Savior as he helped to carry me through some of my hardest battles in life, and he has given me a view on my purpose here on Earth, and I will never forget the sacrifice he made to help save me from being such an imperfect man.