The Fuel for Tomorrow
As we are at the tail end of the 2017/18 Wrestling season, many wrestlers have already met the end of their high school wrestling career. This article is dedicated to those who didn't quite end it in the glorious fashion they may have planned.
Often times, a wrestler will get psyched up for their final year. As they're on the brink of
adulthood, their bodies are matured, and they've got years of mat experience, these wrestlers are ready to make their final statement and finish their last year of high school wrestling STRONG. However, sometimes, it doesn't always end on that note...
Whatever the reason, whether it's a situation at home making it difficult or a season-ending
injury, sometimes life itself just gets in the way, and you find yourself in a completely opposite
situation than what you expected. You feel like you've let those who've supported you down...
like you're never gonna live these moments down... and it hurts.
But let me tell you something, these low moments are merely just the start of your story. The greatest legacies are built from conquering your lowest moments. I recently watched an awesome highlight video of Drexel's Austin DeSanto... It started with him getting teched by superstar wrestler Spencer Lee. Throughout the video, they show his highlights, then finishes off with their finals rematch a year later where DeSanto defeats Lee in a very exciting match!
Just like him, you can use a low moment as the fuel for tomorrows goals. Instead of looking at this as the moment you let everyone down, look at it as the moment you inspired those same people to push through their own adversities. Instead of thinking about it as a low point, look at it as the humble starting point for the stories of the great moments you'll be living in years to come.
The greatest lesson learned here is that adulthood is going take you down as well. In school, in relationships, your job, all aspects of life are going to have their difficulties. Fortunately, just like wrestling, when you get taken down, we've learned how to get back control and fight our way back up... or even better, fight our way on top.
I'm writing this with a few wrestlers that I personally know in mind, but I know that unfortunately, there are plenty that will find themselves in this situation. I know you are more than just amazing wrestlers. You are smart, hardworking, and wonderful young men and women and one bad year of wrestling does NOT define who you are. Your brains and your work ethic will take you places in life and you'll continue to be an inspiration to those around you.
In short, I wrote this all to lead you to this one bit of advice:
Do not look at the past and think about what you could have been. Look forward to the future and focus on who you could be. Life is a wrestling match... never stop wrestling from start to finish.
- Eljay Pena, Brand Director of Tri-Titans
Dedicated to Uriel and Patrick
The Fuel for Tomorrow
