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The wrestling team at WHS, captained by Dalton McKenzie and Raif Horswill, proudly sports just two female wrestlers. Weighing in at 113 and 120, Claudia Promshmidt and Abigail Johnson, a sophomore and freshman respectively, have both been wrestling since middle school

. Abi Johnson, 15, has been wrestling for 3 years. Claudia Promshmidt has been wrestling for 4 of her 16 years. I had the pleasure of interviewing the two of them over dinner and got to know about them as wrestlers as well as people.

What is it like being one of just two girls on the team?

Abi: It’s weird being treated so differently compared to all the other guys. When we go to tournaments away we are separated, it feels almost like a quarantine. I wish that we were seen as wrestlers first, rather than girls. But it can be nice because we get our own locker room.

Claudia: Last year I was the only girl which was really lonely. Having another girls helps but I still feel out of place. I always feel like I don’t really belong, like I’m not really accepted.

What is your favorite part of the sport?

A: I get to prove myself to the guys.

C: You have to work hard, it keeps me in check. It is a really mental sport, you have to be strong but it is honestly all in your head. You have to keep faith and that can be really hard sometimes. Wrestling teaches you how to do that, you get broken down but you can push through that.

Has Wrestling changed you as a person?

A: It has helped me become more mentally strong. It also gave me more confidence than I used to have.

C: I would say yes. It has a huge impact on your life when you take it seriously. It keeps you positive, you put so much work into a sport that’s so hard. It is a lot like life, everyone goes through all these struggles and its how you deal with them and your mental toughness. Using wrestling to get mentally stronger has helped me in life to push through.

* Some answers have been edited for fluency purposes.