MEEKER | At an elevation of more than 10,000 feet, 44 wrestlers and six coaches gathered at the second annual wrestling summit hosted by Athlos Life.
Dr. Justin Grant compiled a program designed to build lifelong athletes by instilling a philosophy of positivity through mindset sessions and world renown inspirational speaker Thomas Blackwell, through exercise and wrestling skills sessions, and sessions designed to build character.
“I have been working with Dr./Coach Grant for almost two years now and this camp reinforced the need to be consistent in everything you do,” commented Meeker senior Judd Harvey. “Not just practice or the fun things, but consistently try to be better and improve. I think I was the oldest camper but that didn’t mean I didn’t learn new skills both for ways to remain positive and not lose focus, but also skills on the mat.”
The design of the camp made it possible for the campers to range in age from 4-18, and while they separated the smaller campers from the bigger ones during the wrestling sessions, the smaller campers were able to participate alongside the more experienced older athletes.
“There were more mature and experienced kids who proposed a challenge,” commented Kael Overton, seventh grader at Barone Middle School. “This made the camp harder and helped me get better. If there was no challenge you would get worse because you cannot stay the same you either get better or you get worse.”
Dr. Grant can be heard often saying that he enjoys doing hard things and being uncomfortable and through that discomfort we grow mentally and physically.
The staff at the camp were all experienced and accomplished wrestlers, all wrestled in college or are wrestling in college, and provided a unique perspective on their wrestling style and how they found ways to win both on and off the mat.
“This is my second year and once again another great experience,” began Tytus Coombs.
Coombs was a graduate of Rangely High School and now wrestles at CSU Pueblo.
“I feel like I get just as much or more out of hearing and being around such great godly men, seeing the kids have fun and learn to be great men on and off the mat as they grow up is an amazing thing and I’m blessed to be a part of it!”
The culmination of the camp was final mindset talk, but this time in the chilly water of Meadow Lake.
By Tiffany Jehorek | Special to the Herald Times
