Who Am I?

Who am I? To my friends and family at my gym, I am the noisy, meathead incapable of performing a set of deadlifts without a single grunt. To my fellow classmates, I am sure I resemble the quiet kid who belongs at the back of the class. To my parents, I am the simple farm boy, always around to tackle to tasks of the day. However, if you were to ask me the same question, I would have to reply that I am simply a soldier.

Okay, I am not of the military personnel, but I represent many of the same qualities a soldier should have. Discipline, pride, a fighting spirit, and many other similar qualities are all characteristic of my personality. I owe those qualities to my career as a high school wrestler and the coaches of Compound, a wrestling facility in South Conyers, Georgia. The coaches of Compound, particularly Lee Roper, the head coach, ran the practices as close to a military grinder as I can envision, and in the process developed a class of particularly proud individuals. The endless practices, gallons of sweat, and excruciating pain that came with Compound molded me into the “soldier” I am today. I have Lee to thank for that.

So, you see, my friends may see a meathead, but all I see is a relentless lifter, who would rather die than fail. My classmates may see a quiet kid, but all I see is interminable student, who embraces silence to gain concentration. My parents may see a farm boy, but all I see is an industrious worker, bent on achieving all goals. I am the product of my wrestling experiences. I am a soldier.