Black River Falls wrestler is living her dream as she heads to Slovakia to compete for Team USA | Sports

BLACK RIVER FALLS, Wis. (WXOW) – A Black River Falls girl will compete against the best wrestlers in the world in her age group after qualifying for the U20 World Championships in Slovakia.

Riley Hanrahan started wrestling seven years ago with no specific goal in mind. She competed week in and week out, and it quickly became apparent she was a natural.

“I could tell right away that she’s very talented and she can—when she reaches full potential, she might be one of the best in the world,” said Nazar Kulchytskyy, Riley’s coach and owner of Nazar Training Center.

Her talent and drive for success made her stand out, often making her the best wrestler in the room. That made her hungry for more competition, getting her first real challenge four years ago.

“I did get a little beat up and it kind of felt good for once,” Hanrahan said. “Because here, I’m like always the best in the room. So, it felt good to like be in a new room with people who actually push me.”

After being exposed to championship-level competition, she continued to prove she belonged among them. Kulchytskyy said Riley has a championship mindset.

“When things are not going well, obviously it’s sad, it’s tough, but as soon as she gets home, she’s going back to work and work hard and she already sees what’s next in front of her,” Kulchytskyy said.

Riley found herself back at that stage last year when she fell in the finals. The loss tested her mental toughness.

“It kind of did change something in me,” Hanrahan said. “Maybe if I work harder, maybe if I change my mindset—which was a big part of it. So, I came back and immediately started focusing on how to get myself better than I was last year.”

Just one year later, Riley entered with a different approach.

“This year, I was just enjoying the journey and having fun with it,” Hanrahan said. “And it’s helped a lot. Like, going out there and being calm no matter what the outcome was. I just kind of enjoyed it instead of stressing about it.”

Now she will travel to compete against some of the best in the world.

“I’m going to wrestle for the team USA,” Hanrahan said. “So, it’s just crazy to think about. I’m only 17, wrestling in the U20 bracket. It’s just crazy to have these opportunities.”

The U20 World Championships are set to take place in Slovakia from Aug. 17-23.

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