I grew up with a lot of "you can't do this because you're a girl." I smiled and did it anyways. I didn't care what people said, I just did it. So what if I was a girl? Why should my gender limit my potential?

My parents, although supported my career, where a bit hesitant in letting me participate in this brutal sport. Starting out young meant I would wrestle against boys, which meant I could also get hurt. I did a few times, but that didn't stop me.

Since 1994, the sport has dramatically grown from 804 women wrestlers to over 11,496. Numerous states now sponsor an all girl's state high school championship such as California, Washington, Texas, Hawaii, Alaska, Tennessee and many more.

The WCWA has grown just as much with over 30 colleges providing a Women's wrestling program. The sport has sky-rocketed and continues to grow.

Wrestling is a tough sport for both men and women wrestlers. It teaches the athlete about self discipline, hard work, dedication, a tough mentality, sportsmanship, and competitiveness. This is a sport where anybody can wrestle. It doesn't matter what body type you or or if you have a disability. Anybody who is willing to work hard can wrestle.

There's a lot about this sport and I have yet to answer the question why is women's wrestling important. It is important because it shows that no matter what sex you are, you can go out on the mat and wrestle.

There are plenty of states where high school girls are still competing with boys. I trained with nothing but the boys in my program. It shows us that we are capable of competing in the same sport as males and we are treated equal. Once we step on that mat, we are not just a girl. We are their opponent. There is no holding back.

This sport builds character. It makes you not just physically tough, but mentally as well. I can't tell you how many sports I've played and still find wrestling to be the hardest. As a woman, it's difficult to lose weight as quickly as a man. Managing our weight is tough, but doable. We have to learn what foods we can eat, how much we need to workout and how low we can get to make the weight. Occasionally, there's at least that one tournament where it seems almost impossible to lose those last two pounds. Most people would give up. Us? We don't stop until we know we've made weight.

We learn that hard work is what makes a better wrestler, not talent. I've heard this countless of times that the little things you do become big things in the end. Those ten extra shots you hit after practice becomes 50 shots more that you've practiced during the week. Then it turns into 200 more shots you've practiced than your opponent. It's these small things that we push ourselves to do to be the best. People don't realize it, but that mentality can be applied in the classroom and in your field of work.

Mentality, to me, is so important. As women, society portrays us as mentally weak. They believe we break under pressure. Women Wrestlers prove that wrong on so many levels. In many ways, the odds are against us. I can't tell you how many times I've heard "Oh, she has him? She's gonna get her ass beat."

I've heard that and I let that fuel the fire. It would motivate me to break them, to prove everyone wrong. When I see those girls give it their all and come out with their hand raised, I immediately turn to those people and watch their shocked expressions. Oh, yes. That just happened.

The media blasts all these other women sports that anyone can identify: softball, volleyball, tennis, cheer. I enjoy those sports as much as the next person, but I look forward to the day we can see women's wrestling on television. As I look at all the successful women wrestlers, I can't help but be inspired by them: Augello, Maroulis, Campbell, Pirozhkova, Mensah, Gray and so many more. (These names are the 2016 Olympic Trial Champions.) Each and every one of them have their own story of doubt, struggle, success and inspiration. I want my own daughters to be inspired by these women.

My fellow female wrestlers, I raise my hat to you. We are breaking the stereotype of women and of the image of women's wrestling. As our sport continues to grow, we are showing that women are capable of competing in physically and mentally tough sports. We are showing that we are not dainty and weak, but strong gladiators. We are showing that women's wrestling isn't just some sexualized image of rolling around in jello and mud, but a physically demanding sport full of defeat, victory, glory and dreams.

This sport is so much more than what people think. It is a sport full of more downs than ups. It's a sport that will break you, but demands you to fight back. Keep on wrestling, girls. Don't let anyone tell you you can't do anything just because you're a girl. Show them you can, and do it with a smile.