The Girl Who Wrestles Boys (and Wins!)

    Audrey Jimenez, 13, eyed the boy standing in front of her. She darted left, then right. Suddenly, she lunged at the boy’s knees and flipped him onto his back. 

    The boy dropped to the mat, pinned below her.  

    For Audrey—who lives in Tucson, Arizona—it’s just another wrestling match. But people always stop and stare when they see her competing. 

    Why? Wrestling has traditionally been a sport for boys. “They think I’m not going to be good, because I’m a girl,” Audrey says. “But that just makes me determined to prove them wrong.”

    Audrey Jimenez, 13, eyed the boy in front of her. She moved left, then right. Suddenly, she lunged at the boy’s knees and flipped him onto his back. 

    The boy dropped to the mat. He was pinned.  

    Audrey—who lives in Arizona—is used to wrestling. But people stop and stare when they see her competing.

    Why? Wrestling has traditionally been a sport for boys. “They think I’m not going to be good, because I’m a girl,” Audrey says. “But that just makes me determined to prove them wrong.”

    Audrey Jimenez, 13, eyed the boy standing in front of her. She darted left, then right—and then she lunged at the boy’s knees and flipped him onto his back. 

    The boy dropped to the mat, pinned below her.  

    Although Audrey—who lives in Tucson, Arizona—is used to wrestling, people always stop and stare when they see her competing.

    That’s because wrestling has traditionally been a sport for boys. “They think I’m not going to be good, because I’m a girl,” Audrey says, “but that just makes me determined to prove them wrong.”

    Audrey first got interested in wrestling two years ago. She was taking jujitsu, a martial art similar to karate. Her favorite move was something called a takedown. Her jujitsu teacher told her it was actually a wrestling move.

    Around the same time, her older sister, Alyssa, became the manager of her high school’s all-boys wrestling team. One day, she invited Audrey to go to a match with her. Audrey thought wrestling looked fun and competitive. 

    At that moment, Audrey decided she wanted to try it. She knew wrestling was mostly a boys’ sport, but that didn’t bother her. She had grown up playing football with all her boy cousins. 

    Audrey’s sister asked the coach if Audrey could come to a practice and try it. He said yes. Audrey was thrilled but nervous. Would the boys on the team accept her?

    Audrey’s interest in wrestling began two years ago. She was taking jujitsu, which is similar to karate. Her favorite move was called a takedown. Her jujitsu teacher told her it was a wrestling move.

    Audrey’s sister Alyssa was the manager of her high school’s all-boys wrestling team. She invited Audrey to go to a match with her. Audrey thought wrestling looked fun and competitive. She decided she wanted to try it. She knew wrestling was mostly a boys’ sport. That was OK with her. She had grown up playing football with her boy cousins.

    Alyssa asked the coach if Audrey could come to a practice and try it. He said yes. Audrey was thrilled but nervous. Would the boys on the team accept her?

    Audrey first became interested in wrestling two years ago. She was taking jujitsu, a martial art similar to karate. Audrey learned from her jujitsu teacher that her favorite move, known as a takedown, was actually a wrestling move.

    Around the same time, her older sister, Alyssa, became the manager of her high school’s all-boys wrestling team. One day, she invited Audrey to go to a match with her. Audrey thought wrestling looked fun and competitive.

    At that moment, Audrey decided she wanted to try it. She knew wrestling was typically a boys’ sport, but that didn’t bother her. She had grown up playing football with all her boy cousins.

    Alyssa asked the coach if Audrey could come to a practice and try wrestling, and he agreed. Audrey was excited, but she was also nervous. Would the boys on the team accept her?

    The first day at Sunnyside High School wrestling practice was the hardest. When Audrey walked in, the boys stared. The coach introduced her, but no one came over to say hi. 

    Audrey tried not to take it personally. “If they didn’t want to talk to me, that was OK,” she says. “I was there to learn about wrestling.” 

    Over the next few months, Audrey worked hard. She woke up at 5 a.m. to train. After school, she practiced with the boys. Every practice ended with a match against a teammate. They were all bigger and stronger than Audrey, so she usually lost. 

    But in tournaments—or competitions—Audrey was matched up against boys who weighed about the same as she did. And guess what? She started winning.

    The first day at Sunnyside High School wrestling practice was the hardest. When Audrey walked in, the boys stared. No one came over to say hi.

    Audrey tried not to feel hurt. “If they didn’t want to talk to me, that was OK,” she says. “I was there to learn about wrestling.”

    Over the next few months, Audrey worked hard. She woke up at 5 a.m. to train. After school, she practiced with the boys. Every practice ended with a match against a teammate. They were all bigger and stronger than Audrey, so she usually lost.

    But in tournaments (or competitions), Audrey wrestled boys who weighed about the same as she did. And guess what? She started winning.

    The first day at Sunnyside High School wrestling practice was the hardest. When Audrey walked in, the boys stared. The coach introduced her, but no one came over to say hi.

    Audrey tried not to take it personally. “If they didn’t want to talk to me, that was OK,” she says. “I was there to learn about wrestling.”

    Over the next few months, Audrey worked hard. She woke up at 5 a.m. to train, and she practiced with the boys after school. Every practice ended with a match against a teammate. The boys were all bigger and stronger than Audrey, so she usually lost.

    But in tournaments (or competitions) Audrey was matched up against boys who weighed about the same as she did—and before long, she started winning.

    Most tournaments had only boys, so Audrey usually wrestled boys. But if a tournament had a girls’ competition, she entered that as well. Her skills improved. She won medals in both the boys’ and the girls’ divisions. 

    Then last May, Audrey entered a women’s national tournament. And she won! It was her first national championship—but she refuses to take all the credit. “Wrestling with boys made me stronger and more competitive,” Audrey says. 

    Meanwhile, the boys on the team began to accept Audrey. They watched her wrestle and told her how to improve. They invited her to hang out with them after practice. And they even taught her to do a backflip.

    When she finally perfected the move in the gym one day, they all cheered. 

    Most tournaments had only boys, so Audrey usually wrestled boys. But if a tournament had a girls’ competition, she entered that too. Her skills improved. She won medals in both the boys’ and the girls’ divisions.

    Then last May, Audrey entered a women’s national tournament. And she won! It was her first national championship—but she refuses to take all the credit. “Wrestling with boys made me stronger and more competitive,” she says.

    Meanwhile, the boys on the team began to accept Audrey. They gave her wrestling tips. They invited her to hang out with them after practice. They even taught her to do a backflip. 

    Most tournaments included only boys, so Audrey usually wrestled boys. But if a tournament had a girls’ competition, she entered that as well. Her skills improved, and she won medals in both the boys’ and the girls’ divisions.

    Then last May, Audrey entered a women’s national tournament—and she won! It was her first national championship—but she refuses to take all the credit. “Wrestling with boys made me stronger and more competitive,” Audrey says.

    Meanwhile, the boys on the team began to accept Audrey. They watched her wrestle and advised her on how to improve. They invited her to hang out with them after practice. They even taught her to do a backflip.

    When she finally perfected the move in the gym one day, they all cheered. 

    Last October, Audrey competed in her first international tournament. It was in Panama, a country in Central America. She won every match and brought home the gold. 

    This year, she hopes to make it to the 2020 world championships. But her big goal is the 2024 Olympics. “I want to be the best,” she says.

    Audrey is also working to get more girls into wrestling. Sunnyside High recently agreed to start a girls’ team. Audrey did a wrestling demonstration to get other girls interested in the sport. 

    But Audrey won’t practice with the girls’ team. She wants to keep wrestling with the boys. She says she can learn more from them because they have so much experience. 

    Plus, her teammates have become some of her closest friends. “We teach each other, and we help each other—in wrestling and in life,” she says. “We’re family now.” 

    Last October, Audrey competed in her first international tournament. It was in Panama, a country in Central America. She won every match and brought home the gold.

    This year, she hopes to make it to the 2020 world championships. But her big goal is the 2024 Olympics. “I want to be the best,” she says.

    Audrey is working to get more girls into wrestling. Sunnyside High recently agreed to start a girls’ team. Audrey did a demonstration to get other girls interested in the sport.

    But Audrey won’t practice with the girls’ team. She wants to keep wrestling with the boys. She says she can learn more from them because they have so much experience.

    Plus, her teammates have become her close friends. “We teach each other, and we help each other—in wrestling and in life,” she says. “We’re family now.

    Last October, Audrey competed in her first international tournament. It was in Panama, a country in Central America. She won every match and brought home the gold.

    This year, she hopes to make it to the 2020 world championships—and after that, she’ll aim for the 2024 Olympics. “I want to be the best,” she says.

    Audrey is also working to get more girls involved in wrestling. Sunnyside High recently agreed to start a girls’ team. Audrey did a wrestling demonstration to get other girls interested in the sport.

    But Audrey won’t practice with the girls’ team. She wants to keep wrestling with the boys, she explains, because their experience with the sport means she can learn a lot from them.

    Plus, her teammates have become some of her closest friends. “We teach each other, and we help each other—in wrestling and in life,” she says. “We’re family now.”