LAS VEGAS — “That’s a good question,” Nanea Estrella says with a smile when asked what she enjoys most about wrestling.
Starting Friday in Coralville, IA, Estrella will compete for a National Championship at the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships. Estrella is confident she can prove this week that she’s the top female collegiate wrestler in the United States, but her love of the sport is about much more than collecting medals and adding to her impressive resume.
“I enjoy the hard work, the grit, and the payoff that you get from wrestling,” says Estrella, who will be representing Iridium Sports Agency and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes on the mat.
“Beyond the specific outcome, when you get to the end of the season or your training cycle, you get the opportunity to go out there and shine. That’s the payoff. With all the hard work that I’ve put in on the mat, I can go out there and be my best self.
“No matter what happens, I’m going to be my best self. That’s my favorite part. I’ve grown so much, and I still have so far to go.”
Estrella has been competing for nearly two decades to be crowned a national collegiate champion. She hopes to win it all and represent her immense support system atop the podium. She isn’t looking past this week’s action in Iowa, but this is just one step on her journey in wrestling.
“I want to make the World Team at the senior level and the Olympic Team — those are my long-term goals,” she says. “I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m going to keep pursuing my dreams for as long as it takes.”
ABOUT IRIDIUM SPORTS AGENCY
Iridium Sports Agency is a full-service professional management firm for the world’s best combat sports athletes, including former UFC World Champions Alexa Grasso, Brandon Moreno and Sean Strickland, and many other athletes currently in the UFC’s Top 15 rankings. Founded in 2009 by attorney Jason House, Iridium represents more than 100 athletes in the UFC and Professional Fighters League, as well as many of the world’s best wrestlers, including Olympic Gold Medalist David Taylor. Iridium's world-wide team of industry-leading agents is devoted to assisting athletes in all aspects of their professional lives, and consistently setting new standards for sports management.