Dylan Martin, sophomore at Castle View High School lists off all the ways that wrestling is such a unique sport. From the physicality, self-determination, and even the confidence these athletes have just made it the sport it is.

     Dylan Martin explains his journey through wrestling and how he started this sport as a whole.

    “I’ve been wrestling for about three years now. I started wrestling for a mix of two reasons. I’ve always loved just to play-wrestle with my buddies, and the second reason is because my grandfather was a wrestler in high school I wanted to follow in his footsteps and make him proud,” Martin said.

  In sports, there may always be something that holds you back so we drove deeper into the wrestler’s Point of View.

     “The sport is very challenging. There is something holding you back every moment whether that be fear, lack of strength or lack of skill. It’s your determination to push through those two minutes of constant pressure that puts you with the winners or the losers,” Martin said.

    Through the things that pull Martin back, it isn’t just his mindset but also physical obstacles such as injuries and the aftermath.

    “Injury is inevitable in the sport of wrestling. From time to time you will strain your knees or your shoulders. My worst injury was last season when a heavyweight put their full weight on me and tore a muscle in my knee. Since rehabilitating it, I’ve felt a noticeable difference in strength,” Martin said.

    Martin doesn’t let these obstacles and injuries affect his emotion and mental goals as a person and an athlete.

    “The thing that pushes me through these challenges is my drive to be at the top and my enjoyment of the sport,” Martin said.

      For the gritty near-future competition that is ahead for Martin, he has made it clear what his overall goal is to be as successful as he wants to be.

      “My biggest goal is to make it on the pedestal for my weight class in state,” Martin said.

    Given that Martin is a high school athlete and has been involved in this sport for about three years, he wants to tell the younger generation of athletes or wrestlers an important message.

    “It is a rough sport, have fun and enjoy the grind,” Martin said.

    In sports, athletes have obstacles and challenges to overcome in order to meet their goals, just never forget to keep a good mindset to reach them and become successful as an athlete and a person!