Unfinished Business (My Wrestling Life)

  We didn’t usually run in the gym. We ran around the wrestling room; heat cranked up and our bodies emitting sauna-like humidity. That day was different though. I can’t remember why we were in the bigger area. It felt good at first; a little refreshing. But after three or four laps around, my asthma was kicking in and I slowed down. Just after I passed Coach Goetz, I stopped. Hands on my hips, bent over and wheezing. Coach Goetz noticed and scolded me. “No breaks! Let’s go! Run!” I looked at him. I knew what he was saying made sense to him. I said nothing in return. I started to jog. I could feel the heat rising up my neck to my face. The door was on the opposite wall. I took a quick look back at the coaches gathered near each other and my team mates circling the gym, then I turned and ran out the door. My adrenaline was up, endorphins flowing through my small frame. I was thinking, “I did it.” It was not a particularly liberating thought, but it was a statement of fact. I did...