At a very early age, Arian Carpio knew she was fighting for something bigger than a single wrestling match.
Competing against boys since the age of 6, she would hear dads telling their sons not to take it easy on Carpio, who would bring Barbie dolls to matches.
"I didn't want anyone to take it easy on me," she told Nikki B in the latest Play Like a Girl podcast. "It was always more than a match for me. I always thought I was fighting for something bigger."
Now 21, the three-time age-group national champion sits down with Nikki B to discuss her trailblazing path towards a possible 2020 Olympic spot.
She talks about her family's inspiration, overcoming eating disorders and how as a high school wrestler at
Beamer (Federal Way, Wash.) she felt the girls were treated like second-hand citizens and how she went about to change that.
She also shares the remarkable story of her becoming just the second female to make a men's Division I wrestling team at Arizona State.
Nikki Bondura — aka Nikki B — embraces the change.
That's a big reason she began the "Play Like a Girl," podcast.
The upbeat former collegiate athlete from Northern California wants
to build confidence of females who play sports by offering vital life
skills and advice in order to enhance their athletic careers, and
overall lives.
In her weekly podcasts, Nikki B brings in
expert guests to discuss a plethora of topics, ranging from and dealing
with teammate drama to peer pressure to social media to relationships
to inappropriate coaches.
A
winner on the Golf Channel's "Shotmakers," Nikki B is a former captain of the
Sacramento State golf team. She is a leader in the fields of blogging, social media, marketing, networking and branding.
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