Not every wrestling journey feels confident or successful all the time.There are days where you feel behind, doubt yourself, or wonder if you should quit altogether. But those moments don’t mean you’re failing — they’re part of the process.The athletes who grow the most usually aren’t the ones who never struggled. They’re the ones who kept showing up anyway.Because sometimes the biggest win isn’t getting everything right. It’s refusing to give up on yourself.

A lot of girls grow up feeling like they need to be smaller, quieter, or take up less space. Wrestling teaches the opposite. It shifts the focus from how your body looks to what your body can do — becoming stronger, more confident, and more resilient with every practice. Over time, that strength starts showing up everywhere: in school, friendships, challenges, and the way you see yourself. Because strong isn’t just physical. It’s a mindset.

With ivari’s support, Beat the Streets is helping over 100 youth in Toronto build confidence, resilience, and lifelong healthy habits through wrestling and sport-based programming—part of a growing impact that has already reached more than 400 young people.

Gen shares her wrestling journey—from high school beginnings to the 2016 Olympic Trials—highlighting resilience, mindset, and empowering the next generation of girls in sport.