Takedown Report

Justina Di Stasio and Ana Godinez-Gonzalez on why wrestling is for everyone and making each other better

For a sport that is often stereotyped as requiring intensity and aggression, there is nothing but friendship and respect emanating between Team Canada wrestlers Justina Di Stasio and Ana Godinez Gonzalez. 

Throughout a recent interview, the veteran Di Stasio gushed with pride over 23-year-old Godinez Gonzalez’s rapid progress in the sport. Godinez Gonzalez affectionately calls Di Stasio “Juice”  as well as the “mom” of the team who keeps her and her sister Karla in line ahead of big meets.

In fact, there are quite a few misconceptions about wrestling that the teammates want to debunk–that it isn’t a social sport that can be done casually, that it’s not size inclusive, that it’s not a great sport for women.

But before we get to that–who are Justina Di Stasio and Ana Godinez Gonzalez?

Justina has the juice

Di Stasio is an accomplished wrestler. The 30-year-old has a long list of accolades, including gold at the last Pan Am Games in 2019 as well as the 2022 Commonwealth Games. In 2018, she earned the title of world champion. 

Despite being a recognizable name on the international scene, Di Stasio hasn’t yet made the Canadian Olympic team. The country can only send one wrestler per weight class, and Di Stasio has lost twice in domestic qualification to Erica Wiebe–who went on to win the Olympic gold medal at Rio 2016.

The challenge of not making the Olympics yet has made Di Stasio both determined and also resilient, in the sense that she recognizes keeping the bigger picture in mind beyond wrestling. … rest of the story at … Olympic.ca/justina-di-stasio-and-ana-godinez-gonzalez-on-why-wrestling-is-for-everyone-and-making-each-other-better

September 13, 2023 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized