DEMING, Wash. — Emma Bruntil is not only a former state wrestling champion, she's also a two-time college national champion and a two-time US Open champ.
Now she's setting her sights on something even bigger, an Olympic medal.
"I've had nine surgeries and I've had two neck surgeries and so those things can definitely make it more difficult," Bruntil said. "I'd say overall the process is definitely demanding.
But Bruntil keeps getting up and keeps winning.
"Even though I've dealt with injuries and adversity, I've always loved wrestling itself," Bruntil said.
Her breakthrough moment came as a sophomore at Mount Baker High when she won state.
"I think winning my first state title was like, honestly, probably the happiest I've been to win any kind of title because it was just the first goal I ever had in wrestling," Bruntil said.
Bruntil would become the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the country in her weight class.
She won national championships in college and earned a spot on the US World Team at Final X in 2023.
Placing in the top five at worlds is a remarkable feat on its own, but for Bruntil, it was almost a miracle that she could stand on the mat.
"It was hard, the last two years I've been wrestling with basically a herniated disc and then I had a bunch of bone grow out to accommodate the disc and then from there on out it was just basically in my nerves all the time," Bruntil said. "So having like basically major weakness, numbness throughout my right arm. After every single practice I was having a ton of scapular pain and I was in treatment for like three hours every day, so I would be able to wrestle the next day. And then beyond that I developed chronic migraines. So, you know, I couldn't even walk into a room without assessing the lighting, changing glasses changing, you know, my contacts."
Bruntil said it took everything she had to compete at worlds, but she's now the healthiest she's been in a while.
"Luckily after this surgery, like things have improved a lot and it's just a lot more manageable and I think as the healing keeps going like I'll be able to be fully healthy and compete," Bruntil said.
In December 2023 Bruntil returned home to the Nooksack Valley, happy, healthy and excited to inspire a younger generation of wrestlers.
"Yeah, I love teaching kids and just seeing how much they love the sport and reminds me of the things I love about it," Bruntil said. "And I actually normally learn a lot from watching younger kids wrestle like sometimes we're going to be like, man, I'm going to have to use that you know, so it's always refreshing."
Bruntil said it would be the ultimate to represent the United States n Paris.
"That's the dream, you know, I've been chasing," Bruntil said. "Luckily I've put myself in a position where, you know, that's a possibility for me."
Bruntil will not be the only Northwest native competing at the US Olympic Trials.
Claire Dicugno and Shelby Moore, who are both state champions from White River High School, will also be at the trials.
The US Olympic trials will be on Friday and Saturday at Penn State University.