Travis is a junior at Freeport High School and has been playing football for eight years. As a right guard and defensive end, Travis says he enjoys the competition and the outlet for aggression. Watching people play and hearing stories inspired Travis to get into sports. “It just looked like a lot of fun,” he said. 

 

Travis has been wrestling for three years, and he still remembers winning his first match. “Nothing feels better than getting your hand raised after all the hard work and dedication you put in to be better,” he recalled. His words of advice to upcoming athletes are simple: “Never give up, and don’t lose heart no matter how hard it gets. Once you give up, you truly lose.”

 

Travis is also interested in race car driving and admires two “crazy dudes and really good drivers” — Ken Block and Travis Pastrana. Their cars inspired Travis to someday build his own car. 

Tyler is a sophomore at Freeport High School who has been playing football for nine years and wrestling for three. He started playing sports to get stronger mentally and physically. In football, Tyler plays linebacker and fullback, but he really likes wrestling. “I enjoy the adrenaline rush of the whistle being blown that starts a match and the fast-paced movement of the match.” Like Travis, Tyler still remembers winning his first match a few years ago.

 

Tyler uses his wrestling losses to become better. He has accepted the physical toll it has on his body and strives to meet his goals no matter the cost. “I inspire myself for the most part because when I look inward at myself, the more that I see wrong with me, the more I’m inspired to change and fix it,” he explained and added, “when I lose, I get mad, and I use that anger to drive me forward to a specific goal.” The goal then becomes the be-all and end-all for Tyler. “No matter what happens, that goal will be achieved.”

 

Tyler’s words of wisdom to athletes working hard are this: “Push to be the best; ignore or take down anyone who tries to stop you from reaching your goal. The more you struggle, the better the result. Keep struggling.”