Johnston helped pave way for female wrestlers
By Samantha Gianulis
The East County Californian
There are some things immediately obvious about Afsoon Johnston (pictured, right, with Clarissa Chun and Katie Brock). Her radiating smile equals instant approachability, she’s a mom with commanding knowledge of the sports her kids play as she roots them on from the sidelines, and her tenacity goes far beyond where other people would just give up. Spend a little time in her company and it is not surprising to learn, she is a two-time world wrestling medalist. Her 1989 World bronze medal was the first World medal for the United States in women’s wrestling. That’s one of the main reasons why she was assigned as one of the 2016 US Women’s Wrestling coach for the Olympics in Rio.
“There is always a way,” Johnston has said. That philosophy has carried her from one hurdle of life to another. From a young girl growing up in war-torn Iran to a teenage girl in America fighting for the chance to wrestle on the boys high school wrestling team, to becoming a ground-breaking world championship medalist, now a renowned USA Women’s Wrestling coach, Johnston just has an inherent winning mentality.
“Other families played board games,” Johnston remembered about her childhood in Iran. Her father, a winning wrestler in their home country, would move aside their living room furniture and teach his only child, Afsoon free style technique and wrestling moves. In her family, it’s what they did. Once he
r family moved to the USA, her acquired wrestling knowledge and skill met with opportunity. In 1986, Johnston approached the coach of Independence High School in San Jose, what she called a powerhouse of wrestling, and asked to join the team.
“Here’s this 98 pound little girl, freshman that shows up in a cheerleading outfit, and says ‘Hey, I want to join your wrestling team’.”
The coach refused, called her father expecting a rebuke, but got the opposite. With her parent’s approval and a fearless attitude, Johnston joined the team. She had less to fear in America, she said, because she didn’t have to worry about getting shot for participating in a men’s sport. Still there was a barrier to be broken down, and the stage was now set for her to break gender barriers not only at the high school level, but later, on larger, international stages.
Read Full Story
The East County Californian
There are some things immediately obvious about Afsoon Johnston (pictured, right, with Clarissa Chun and Katie Brock). Her radiating smile equals instant approachability, she’s a mom with commanding knowledge of the sports her kids play as she roots them on from the sidelines, and her tenacity goes far beyond where other people would just give up. Spend a little time in her company and it is not surprising to learn, she is a two-time world wrestling medalist. Her 1989 World bronze medal was the first World medal for the United States in women’s wrestling. That’s one of the main reasons why she was assigned as one of the 2016 US Women’s Wrestling coach for the Olympics in Rio.
“There is always a way,” Johnston has said. That philosophy has carried her from one hurdle of life to another. From a young girl growing up in war-torn Iran to a teenage girl in America fighting for the chance to wrestle on the boys high school wrestling team, to becoming a ground-breaking world championship medalist, now a renowned USA Women’s Wrestling coach, Johnston just has an inherent winning mentality.
“Other families played board games,” Johnston remembered about her childhood in Iran. Her father, a winning wrestler in their home country, would move aside their living room furniture and teach his only child, Afsoon free style technique and wrestling moves. In her family, it’s what they did. Once he
r family moved to the USA, her acquired wrestling knowledge and skill met with opportunity. In 1986, Johnston approached the coach of Independence High School in San Jose, what she called a powerhouse of wrestling, and asked to join the team.“Here’s this 98 pound little girl, freshman that shows up in a cheerleading outfit, and says ‘Hey, I want to join your wrestling team’.”
The coach refused, called her father expecting a rebuke, but got the opposite. With her parent’s approval and a fearless attitude, Johnston joined the team. She had less to fear in America, she said, because she didn’t have to worry about getting shot for participating in a men’s sport. Still there was a barrier to be broken down, and the stage was now set for her to break gender barriers not only at the high school level, but later, on larger, international stages.
Read Full Story
Our Mission: To honor the sport of wrestling by preserving its history, recognizing extraordinary individual achievements, and inspiring future generations