My daughter overcame seizures to wrestle in opposition to girls and boys … and win

“Siena, are you listening to what I’m saying?” 

My daughter simply stared as if she was wanting via me. 

Not once more. 

ARIZONA WRESTLER BECOMES FIRST GIRL TO WIN HIGH SCHOOL STATE TITLE

I hugged her and checked out her mother. We knew what was coming. Seconds later, she had a seizure. I guided her to the ground, maintaining her airway clear. Dad and mom, coaches and teammates surrounded her, blocking onlookers. 

Siena Palmisciano overcame well being points to show she could possibly be a winner in wrestling.  (Photograph by Kelly Ianello )

The seizure lasted 36 seconds, with about 90 extra seconds till she woke. Absolutely alert quarter-hour later, she had no reminiscence of her latest North Carolina wrestling state match win. 

Two years in the past, at this second within the state match, my daughter had certainly one of her first seizures. She had simply upset a ranked opponent and wanted another win to make the rostrum. When she got here to, she begged me and her mother to let her wrestle. We stated no. 

A 12 months later, medicated to forestall seizures however scuffling with mind fog that affected her education, and mat efficiency, she positioned fifth, dropping matches to a two-time state champ and this 12 months’s state champ at 114 kilos. 

Now, with higher meds and having a stellar season, her solely loss was to the eventual state champ, and he or she was combating to the comfort finals when her seizures returned. 

I fought again tears, holding my fierce little lady, as soon as once more robbed of alternative by one thing past her management. 

And this child has fought. 

Siena first entered a wrestling competitors in sixth grade on the Center College State Championships. She competed within the women and boys division so she would get essentially the most matches doable. At that time, she had solely wrestled in a category I taught at a jiujitsu college, so everybody within the match had extra expertise.  

She completed 2nd in women and 4th in boys. After a 6-5 loss within the women’ finals, a biased referee who disagreed together with her competing within the boys’ division minimize her relaxation time earlier than her boys’ match. With solely two minutes of relaxation, she gained that match as effectively. 

Siena Palmisciano stands with a poster celebrating her 100 wins wrestling. Her coaches Rebecca Mathewson and David Cureton stand together with her. (Photograph by Kelly Ianello )

In seventh grade, she lastly was allowed to wrestle on the college workforce. She solely misplaced as soon as that 12 months within the end-of-year match finals. COVID-19 took her eighth grade 12 months. 

When she reached highschool, her selections had been to cease wrestling or to wrestle boys. She selected to wrestle boys. 

Whereas a number of groups had women on the workforce, nearly none wrestled varsity, so it was a giant shock to lots of people when she gained over half her freshman matches. Her wins took a bodily toll. Not like in center college, she was weaker in each match and needed to adapt with ability, flexibility, and her strongest attribute: grit. 

Aside from the uncommon faculties that embraced women’ wrestling, for essentially the most half, the women who wrestled at the moment had been in an analogous scenario to my daughter. They had been in it for the love of the sport. They had been talked about, mocked and seemed down upon. Nothing had meaningfully modified for the reason that ’90s once I wrestled and the worst factor you could possibly do was “lose to a woman.” 

It harm me to look at her therapy. I can solely think about how she felt. For essentially the most half, she was stoic, desirous to be embraced by her wrestling group. I keep in mind a uncommon time I noticed her “competitors face” break initially of her sophomore season. We overheard the opposite workforce speaking: 

“Bro, I get to wrestle the lady. Straightforward day,” stated her opponent. 

“Dude, that ain’t no lady. That’s that Siena ‘Parmesano’ chick. She’s no joke,” his buddy replied. 

“Oh, rattling. OK.” 

Siena and her father Nick Palmisciano in a quieter second. (Photograph by Kelly Ianello )

She pinned him. 

That very same week we came upon that women’ wrestling can be accredited as a sport in her junior 12 months. This was unimaginable information. 

It was at the moment, when she lastly had an actual alternative to compete, the seizures began. They robbed her of the possibility to podium at her sophomore state championships, leaving the match tied for seventh. And now, two years later, as I held her as she convulsed on the ground of the Greensboro Coliseum, the seizures about to remove her senior 12 months as effectively. 

“I’m wrestling my subsequent match, dad.” My daughter wasn’t asking, however she knew my concern earlier than I even voiced it. 

When she reached highschool, her selections had been to cease wrestling or to wrestle boys. She selected to wrestle boys. 

Not like two years earlier than, she was now 18, however I additionally knew what this meant to her. She wished to exit on her personal phrases. 

After a seizure, she is athletically slower for 2 to a few days. Nonetheless expert sufficient to beat a lot of the discipline, however she and I each knew that this was a giant handicap. 

She went out and battled an in depth match. Within the final 22 seconds, down on factors however nonetheless not quitting, she managed a reversal and nearly turned her opponent to her again. 

She misplaced, however she completed on high, combating to the bitter finish. 

This piece began as a non-public observe of recognition for my daughter. Then it grew to become catharsis by expressing what it’s wish to be a dad with no management of an unfair scenario. And eventually, it grew to become an acknowledgment of the younger ladies who might not share my daughter’s well being challenges however doubtless have shared a lot of the others. I’m happy with all of you. 

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Once I wrestled, there have been 112 women wrestling nationwide in highschool in comparison with 250,000 boys. At present, there are 64,000, with most of that progress occurring in the previous couple of years and carried on the backs of some very robust younger ladies. 

Once I was a child, “Wrestle Like a Woman” was an insult. However after years of watching this technology of ladies wrestle boys, be disrespected and at last acquire their very own place of esteem, it means one thing very totally different to me. 

Siena Palmisciano throughout certainly one of her wrestling matches. (Photograph by Kelly Ianello )

And after watching Siena get off the bottom after a seizure with hearth in her eyes and dictate that she was going again on the market, I wish to inform you one thing else. 

I might by no means, “Wrestle Like a Woman.” 

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I’m not robust sufficient. 

I’d have give up.