Breaking gender roles harder than she hits the mats, junior Christina Martinez will bring a different dimension to Manhattan High wrestling this season. She will be the sole female grappler displaying an Indians singlet.     

“I’m a hard worker and I won’t quit,” Martinez said. She has a certain familiarity with wrestlers. “I wrestled when I was younger. My dad was a wrestling coach and my two brothers wrestled.”

Grown and fed wrestling because of her family, Martinez is no stranger to the male-dominated sport. Although she has not competed for MHS before, or during middle school, wrestling culture has always been around her. The culture is in her.

“I would say [wrestling] was a part of my childhood,” Martinez said. “My dad always wanted me to wrestle. I always went to all the camps and tournaments with my brothers and stuff. I was in gymnastic at the same time so I didn’t do it during middle school. My whole family wrestled so that always inspired me to do it.”

She will take her place on the J.V team, facing other more experienced wrestlers, but more  importantly the taboo of being different as well as new.

“There was always a lot of girls wrestling so I always wanted to do it in high school,” Martinez said. “It wasn’t really supported here that much. You had to be a certain weight and I’m heavy enough now so. They didn’t really like it but they kind of have to deal with it now.”

Among her rivals will stand a myriad of different individuals, the majority male.   

“It just feels normal,” Martinez said. “It’s harder wrestling guys but I prefer it because it is harder, you just really have to know the sport especially because you are wrestling guys. The only difficulty is that they’re built differently and they’re usually stronger,”

Martinez hopes to grow as a wrestler and to remain healthy throughout the season. Her future as a wrestler depends on it.   

“My goal for the season is to go the whole way without getting injured,” Martinez said. “Depending on how this year goes I’m hoping I will wrestle next year too and then we’ll see.”