A Wrestler’s Struggle: Cutting Weight
One of the toughest parts of competing in the sport of wrestling would be the act of cutting weight. There is always a set weight a wrestler has to weigh in at hours before competing. In order to compete you have to be right on weight, if you are even .01 over you missed the weight. In order to get down in weight wrestlers put themselves through an unbelievable amount of struggle. Waking up, hopping on the scale and being disappointed is usually how the day starts. Depending on how much over you are, you may have to get a workout in before school. After a morning workout, attend school for a whole day, but be sure not to eat or drink too much. You still have to make weight. If anything, don’t eat at all. Immediately after school ends, layer up for practice, it is important to have multiple layers on in order to sweat. Hopefully after practice you are close to weight, another workout after may be needed. After all of this, you weigh in that Saturday morning, little to no food in your body, so dehydrated you can’t even create saliva in your own mouth, and you go compete at an elite level. Being able to get through one of those days is one of the most challenging experiences. You do it all with no food or water in your body, while still expected to participate in class and maintain good grades. It’s a tough thing to do, and only a select few can truly do it. But we do it for one reason. After all the hard work and sacrifices are put in, the results come. There is nothing better than winning. So, let’s win.
