A wrestle to the top

Bay of Plenty teenage wrestler Merinda Bramley is proving girls are just as tough as boys, as she competes in one of her biggest competitions that could see her qualify for the Youth Olympics today.

Weighing a petite 46kg, the 16-year-old is in Pago Pago, America Samoa, to represent New Zealand in her weight division at the Oceania Wrestling Championships.


Merinda Bramley is wrestling in Pago Pago.

Competing in the championships means Merinda could also qualify for the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games on August 25-27, depending on available spots and her performance.

'I'm really excited and nervous,” says Merinda, who joined Mount Maunganui Wrestling Club at age 11.

In competitions, Merinda wrestles against girls her own age and weight – but at the club she wrestles against boys because she is the only girl currently enrolled.

While girls have come and gone at the club, Merinda says girls shouldn't let stereotypical assumptions get in their way.

'Just try it and just do it. There's no holding back just because you're a girl.”

Merinda's fighting spirit surfaced five years ago when she had finished her soccer practice and was waiting for her younger brother Reece to finish wrestling practice at Gordon Spratt Reserve and she was invited to join in.

Since then Merinda has competed in the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney, where she won bronze.

'I just love winning and pinning people. It's like a drive to try and win and overpower someone.”

Training twice-weekly with national coach Mark Grayling, Merinda hopes to compete in the Commonwealth Games in 2018.

To help with her journey of becoming an Olympic wrestler, Merinda is fundraising to help cover travel and accommodation costs.

To donate, email brabey@xtra.co.nz or call Merinda's father Martin on 021 238 8335.

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