BY ISABELLA CRUZ

Senior Clarissa Gaeta is finishing her last season on the wrestling team at West Covina High School. As it all comes to an end, Gaeta recalls when she first joined the team as a freshmen.

“My friend and I decided to try out together because she knew the coach pretty well. We both ended up liking it and stuck to the sport,” Gaeta said.

As well as wrestling, Gaeta is also involved in other activities on campus. She is treasurer of the Link Crew club, president of the wrestling club, a member of NHS and AVID, and also ended her volleyball high school career of four years as well.

“It is difficult to balance my school work with my other activities, but I use my in between times to get work done,” Gaeta said.

Gaeta explains that her overall motivation is her team because of the close bonds she has created with all of them.

“Wrestling is very family oriented. Just being there for your brothers and sisters is enough motivation for me,” she said.

Gaeta has a close bond with her coaches and she feels that committing to this sport is not something that she has to do, but something she enjoys and looks forward to.

This independent sport requires a lot of self discipline and motivation. One of the major challenges that Gaeta has overcome throughout her seasons on the team is maintaining her weight.

“To balance my weight I have to have self control to stay away from junk food,” she said.

Looking back on her wrestling career as a high school student, Gaeta believes that she has improved on her technique and gained more knowledge on the sport as a whole. She has been able to grow and progress as a wrestler.

Throughout her four seasons on the wrestling team, Gaeta’s biggest supporters have been her mom and uncle.

“My uncle really loves that I wrestle and he enjoys coming out to my tournaments,” she said.

To prepare herself before any tournaments or matches, Gaeta listens to her music and isolates herself from others. She also eats a candy or something sweet to give herself a sugar rush.

“Wrestling is a tough sport, but if you have heart and you are willing to do it, the outcome of it all is worth it,” Gaeta said.