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“Siena, are you listening to what I’m saying?”
My daughter just stared as if she was wanting by me.
Not once more.
ARIZONA WRESTLER BECOMES FIRST GIRL TO WIN HIGH SCHOOL STATE TITLE
I hugged her and checked out her mother. We knew what was coming. Seconds later, she had a seizure. I guided her to the ground, conserving her airway clear. Dad and mom, coaches and teammates surrounded her, blocking onlookers.
Siena Palmisciano overcame well being points to show she may very well be a winner in wrestling. (Photograph by Kelly Ianello )
The seizure lasted 36 seconds, with about 90 extra seconds till she woke. Totally alert quarter-hour later, she had no reminiscence of her latest North Carolina wrestling state tournament win.
Two years in the past, at this second within the state match, my daughter had one among her first seizures. She had simply upset a ranked opponent and wanted yet another win to make the rostrum. When she got here to, she begged me and her mother to let her wrestle. We mentioned no.
A yr later, medicated to stop seizures however scuffling with mind fog that affected her education, and mat efficiency, she positioned fifth, shedding matches to a two-time state champ and this yr’s state champ at 114 kilos.
Now, with higher meds and having a stellar season, her solely loss was to the eventual state champ, and she or he was combating to the comfort finals when her seizures returned.
I fought again tears, holding my fierce little lady, as soon as once more robbed of alternative by one thing past her management.
And this child has fought.
Siena first entered a wrestling competitors in sixth grade on the Center College State Championships. She competed within the women and boys division so she would get probably the most matches attainable. At that time, she had solely wrestled in a category I taught at a jiujitsu college, so everybody within the match had extra expertise.
She completed 2nd in women and 4th in boys. After a 6-5 loss within the women’ finals, a biased referee who disagreed along with her competing within the boys’ division reduce her relaxation time earlier than her boys’ match. With solely two minutes of relaxation, she received that match as effectively.
Siena Palmisciano stands with a poster celebrating her 100 wins wrestling. Her coaches Rebecca Mathewson and David Cureton stand along with her. (Photograph by Kelly Ianello )
In seventh grade, she lastly was allowed to wrestle on the college staff. She solely misplaced as soon as that yr within the end-of-year match finals. COVID-19 took her eighth grade yr.
When she reached highschool, her selections have been to cease wrestling or to wrestle boys. She selected to wrestle boys.
Whereas a number of groups had women on the staff, virtually none wrestled varsity, so it was a giant shock to lots of people when she received over half her freshman matches. Her wins took a bodily toll. In contrast to in center college, she was weaker in each match and needed to adapt with talent, flexibility, and her strongest attribute: grit.
Apart from the uncommon colleges that embraced women’ wrestling, for probably the most half, the women who wrestled at the moment have been in the same state of affairs to my daughter. They have been in it for the love of the sport. They have been talked about, mocked and appeared down upon. Nothing had meaningfully modified because the ’90s after I wrestled and the worst factor you could possibly do was “lose to a woman.”
It damage me to look at her remedy. I can solely think about how she felt. For probably the most half, she was stoic, eager to be embraced by her wrestling neighborhood. I keep in mind a uncommon time I noticed her “competitors face” break initially of her sophomore season. We overheard the opposite staff speaking:
“Bro, I get to wrestle the lady. Straightforward day,” mentioned her opponent.
“Dude, that ain’t no lady. That’s that Siena ‘Parmesano’ chick. She’s no joke,” his pal replied.
“Oh, rattling. OK.”
Siena and her father Nick Palmisciano in a quieter second. (Photograph by Kelly Ianello )
She pinned him.
That very same week we discovered that women’ wrestling could be permitted as a sport in her junior yr. This was unimaginable information.
It was right now, when she lastly had an actual alternative to compete, the seizures began. They robbed her of the prospect to podium at her sophomore state championships, leaving the match tied for seventh. And now, two years later, as I held her as she convulsed on the ground of the Greensboro Coliseum, the seizures about to remove her senior yr as effectively.
“I’m wrestling my subsequent match, dad.” My daughter wasn’t asking, however she knew my concern earlier than I even voiced it.
When she reached highschool, her selections have been to cease wrestling or to wrestle boys. She selected to wrestle boys.
In contrast to two years earlier than, she was now 18, however I additionally knew what this meant to her. She wished to exit on her personal phrases.
After a seizure, she is athletically slower for 2 to a few days. Nonetheless expert sufficient to beat many of the area, however she and I each knew that this was a giant handicap.
She went out and battled a detailed match. Within the final 22 seconds, down on factors however nonetheless not quitting, she managed a reversal and virtually turned her opponent to her again.
She misplaced, however she completed on prime, combating to the bitter finish.
This piece began as a non-public word of recognition for my daughter. Then it turned catharsis by expressing what it’s prefer to be a dad with no management of an unfair state of affairs. And eventually, it turned an acknowledgment of the younger girls who could not share my daughter’s well being challenges however probably have shared many of the others. I’m pleased with all of you.
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After I wrestled, there have been 112 women wrestling nationwide in highschool in comparison with 250,000 boys. In the present day, there are 64,000, with most of that progress taking place in the previous few years and carried on the backs of some very powerful younger girls.
After I was a child, “Wrestle Like a Woman” was an insult. However after years of watching this technology of ladies wrestle boys, be disrespected and eventually acquire their very own place of esteem, it means one thing very completely different to me.
Siena Palmisciano throughout one among her wrestling matches. (Photograph by Kelly Ianello )
And after watching Siena get off the bottom after a seizure with hearth in her eyes and dictate that she was going again on the market, I wish to let you know one thing else.
I may by no means, “Wrestle Like a Woman.”
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I’m not powerful sufficient.
I’d have stop.
