Takedown Report

Helen Maroulis exclusive: “Wrestling helped me to heal”

In 2019, two-time Olympic medallist and three-time world champion Helen Maroulis was on the verge of retiring from wrestling after sustaining numerous concussions throughout her career. But the 32-year-old told Olympics.com that her focus on her mental health, dancing, and love of the sport, helped bring her back to the top of the wrestling world.
Helen Maroulis is on a spectacular medal-winning streak. In September, at the 2023 Wrestling World Championships in Belgrade, Maroulis won bronze in the women’s 57-kilogram class — her 17th medal at a major international tournament in the last 15 years. It’s an incredible achievement for the 32-year-old American, one that is testament to her skill, character and sheer force of will – especially when you consider all that Maroulis has battled through these past four years: anxiety, post-traumatic stress (PTSD), vertigo, light sensitivity, and suicidal thoughts. Several of these issues developed as a result of the numerous concussions Maroulis has sustained throughout her career, which would eventually push her to the brink of leaving the sport altogether … rest of story at … Olympics.com/Helen-maroulis-exclusive-interview-wrestling-helped-me-heal

And
Little sis Jaclyn Bouzakis is making a name for herself
By Mike Finn

As the youngest of three siblings in a well-known wrestling family, Jaclyn Bouzakis is neither a spoiled brat nor princess to her older brothers Nic and Vince. Even at age 15, Jaclyn already knows that she is her own person, especially on the wrestling mat. “Growing up, I was always referred to as Nick’s little sister or Vince’s little sister,” she said. “When I was little, that was OK because they were pretty big names and had accomplished a lot. But I want to accomplish my own goals and make a name for myself. I want to become my own person and not be referred to as someone else’s little sister. I am Jaclyn Bouzakis.” Jaclyn is a freshman at Wyoming Seminary, which sits five miles from her home in Shavertown, Pa. She has tons of respect for Nick — also a U20 World bronze medalist and 133-pound redshirt freshman at Ohio State — and Vince, a junior at Wyoming Seminary and ranked No. 3 by WIN at 150 pounds after winning a Junior national freestyle championship this past summer in Fargo, N.D.

This story appeared in the Nov. 2 issue of WIN Magazine. Click on the cover or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe. The next WIN will be printed Nov. 22.

On the mat, Jaclyn also has her accomplishments, including winning a U17 World bronze medal this past summer and most recently a Super 32 Challenge title at 95 pounds last month in Greensboro, N.C. She was also ranked No. 2 nationally in the USA Wrestling/Flowrestling/NHOF preseason poll. She also understands she is different than her brothers when it comes to wrestling. “Nick has always been like short, stocky and muscular,” she said. “Vince is the total opposite in that he’s more tactical and smoother. Growing up with them, I became a combination of both. When you see us wrestle, there are three different styles.”
She knows she has to stay grounded to find mat success. “I try to stay humble,” she said. “I know what I may be doing is pretty great, but there are so many more things I am working towards. Each thing I win and everything I succeed in is one more step in the big picture, which is wrestling at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. That is my biggest goal, but I can’t get there until I finish the smaller steps.” There is certainly a lot more to this young woman than just succeeding on the mat. She shows a maturity well beyond her years. “Growing up and watching my brothers and trying to do what they’ve done, it kind of made me snap into reality faster,” she said. “Especially when my other brother passed away from cancer on the brainstem.”
She is referring to her late brother Greco, who died in 2016 at the age of 5 from diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma; a story that has inspired many in wrestling, including Nick who continues to wear a stocking cap with the words “Team Greco” after many of his wrestling matches. … rest of story at … WIN-magazine.com/Little-sis-jaclyn-bouzakis-is-making-a-name-for-herself

November 10, 2023 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized