Fifteen years ago, Puyallup's Whitney Conder made history at the state high school wrestling championship when she became the first girl to medal. Now she's trying to make history again, and become the first female wrestler from the state to compete at an Olympic games.
Conder, 32, already is one of the most decorated wrestlers in Washington state history.
"When I'm on the mat, I'm out there on a mission. I'm out there to win and like my coaches say, you don't step out on that mat, unless you think that you're going to win," Conder said.
And she has won a lot. She's a junior world champ, a six-time U.S. Open champ and a two-time gold medalist at the Pan-American Games.
But in 2016, with a trip to the Olympics on the line, Conder took second place. The U.S. only sends one wrestler per weight class to the Olympics.
"That’s a pain that I never want to feel again. It has put so much fire in me, that I was like, 'I don't ever want to see this, I don't want to ever feel this ever again.' Because it's not a fun feeling, but it definitely put a drive in me where I'm like, OK, if I'm going to go another time, if I'm going another round, I'm definitely coming out where I'm wanting to be that Olympian," Conder said.
Conder grew up in Puyallup in a wrestling family. Her dad grappled in college and her older brothers wrestled too. She loved watching her brothers and once she hit the mat she was hooked.
"I was most interested in it when I was 8-years-old and I just wanted to try it and just wanted to see how it was. And when I got on that mat, there was nothing that could hold me back anymore, it was just like so amazing and just the best feeling to be on that mat," Conder said.
But she wasn't always welcomed with open arms. When she wrestled in high school there wasn't a girls' division, so she had to wrestle against the boys.
"There was a dad talking to his boy, he told him if he beat me, he'd give him five bucks, if he pinned me he'd give him $10, if he made me cry he'd give him $15 and if he pinned me and made me cry he'd give him $20, and I actually went out there and I pinned him and made him cry. So, my mom tapped him on the shoulder and asked him, I'll take that 20 bucks please, my daughter just pinned your son and made him cry. The dad said, oh that was your daughter, I'm so sorry,” Conder said.
For the past decade Conder has wrestled for the U.S. Army World Class Athlete program. She's wrestled in 40 countries and takes pride every time she represents the USA.
So, one more trip to Tokyo would be the perfect way to wrap up her career
"It would mean the world because, I mean I've wanted this goal since I was a kid, just wanting to be part of an Olympic team. And standing on that podium and have an Olympic medal would mean everything to me. I mean, I put in so much work and so much time. I love this sport, it's part of me, part of my life, it's definitely made me who I am today," Conder said.
When she's done wrestling, Conder says she plans to return home to the Pacific Northwest and help coach at the Puyallup Wrestling club with her brother and she'd also love to help work with special needs children.