by Dan Ninham, Contributing Writer
Arturo Churro Rangel is Oneida and a freshman at Walden Grove HS in Sahuarita AZ. He is a varsity wrestler at 113lbs.
Wrestler accomplishments started arriving in the middle school. “In middle school I took third place in state,” said Arturo. “As a freshman entering high school I had to wrestle off older classmates for the spot. I wrestled off a junior first and I won then I had to wrestle a sophomore and I won again and that was how I earned the varsity spot.”
“I also placed at the Mountain View Marana tournament and the Salpointe Catholic tournament. I was not able to wrestle in the other tournaments due to an injury so this was exciting for me to come back from injury and produce for my team,” added Arturo.
Indigenous varsity athletes represent their indigenous communities. “To represent the indigenous community as a varsity athlete and being so young is an honor,” said Arturo. “I take pride in who I am and I believe that this honor signifies resilience. We must stay true to who we are, work hard and demonstrate that we can accomplish anything we set our minds to. The best way for me to get this message out is by my actions and my voice.”
Elite athletes have rewarding experiences that may not be material. They are real and make lifelong memories.
“The most rewarding moment of my athletic career is about giving back,” said Arturo. “I had the honor to help train my sister in our garage and to help train younger wrestlers and just talk to them and answer any questions that they have.”
“I worked with one younger gentleman that is in 7th grade and when his family sent me a video of him hitting the move it was very rewarding or to see my my older sister do extremely well is a reward within itself. No it is not something I accomplished but to know that I am part of someone else’s success is a reward for me.”
It is close to the end of the regular season with the post-season starting very soon. Training continues. “I am currently training for the state title,” said Arturo . “Honestly to place in the state tournament would be a huge accomplishment for me.”
“I wake up every morning at 5am and my parents drive me to JET Sports Training in Tucson. I have amazing and dedicated trainers that have helped me prepare for the state tournament. I work with Sam Medina, Michael (TATA) Bravo and Jesus Garcia.”
“I then go to school and after school I have school practice. When this concludes I then go to my club practice with the Tucson Cyclones Wrestling Club or I go home and train in my garage. Then it’s shower, eat and homework. I have missed many family gatherings to train for this moment and my family support has been huge during this process,” added Arturo.
Indigenous core values come into the competitive arena dealing with winning and losing. “My core values come in to play when I win, lose and in everyday life.”
“My core values are strong mental discipline, respect and my cultural identity. Mental discipline is very important to me along with mental health. I have lost family members and friends due to mental health and discipline so I carry this very close my heart.”
“It is important that I respect others on and off the mat and that I also respect myself and my family. By doing this I am able to win and lose with pride which helps me have a positive and focused mindset,” added Arturo.
Arturo chooses to work with the younger generation of local and regional wrestlers. He provides learning through lessons. It begins with who they identify themselves as.
“Advice that I would like to give to young indigenous athletes is take pride in who you are,” said Arturo. “Know that your pride will carry you through so much more than your sport. Represent your family and your community with honor and integrity and set your goals.”
“Goals are meant to be reached and you are more than capable of accomplishing these goals with a little hard work,” added Arturo.
Good Luck Churro