Name: Aaliyah Grammer
Grade: Senior
Sports Involvement: Grammer has finished 1st at multiple wrestling tournaments this season and she currently plays a key role in the success of the girls wrestling program at Lafayette.
What are your greatest accomplishments this season?
“This season I got 2nd at a KCI tournament. it’s a multi-state tournament, so it’s pretty big. I went down a weight class, so I had to lose 30-40 pounds over the summer and then I had to keep my weight down, so that was difficult at first cause I never had to do it. I would also say getting used to the new 190 [weight class] style, like it’s different from wrestling bigger girls. You have to be quicker and more agile,” Grammer said.
What adversity have you faced coming up as a wrestler?
“it’s really difficult to find practice partners as a girl wrestler because there either isn’t enough girls or the guys that are in your weight class don’t necessarily like wrestling girls all that much so it’s hard to find a practice partner,” Grammer said.
What motivates you to wrestle?
“I am motivated by self improvement. I want to be better mentally, physically, in any type of way I can be and I feel like wrestling has opened that gateway to make myself a better person,” Grammar said.
What do you think about when you wrestle?
“I would say I’m going to beat this girl up no matter what it takes even if I strain something, I don’t care. I’m going to keep going until she’s broken down, and that’s my goal is to break them down to where they can’t wrestle anymore,” Grammer said.
Who is your role model?
My role model would have to be a Lafayette alumni, [Jayla Jones], she goes to Quincy University and she wrestles wonderfully. She was my first practice partner and she was a senior and she taught me everything I knew, and she continues to inspire me,” Grammer said.
What is your favorite team-bonding activity?
“I really like it when we go to one of my teammate’s house and we played hide and seek in their house because their house is humongous so that was really fun and I like playing games like board games with the team they always make it exciting,” Grammer said.
What are your future plans after high school?
“I’m planning on trying to go to Quincy University like Jayla. I’m hoping to do aviation mechanics and I’m going to wrestle, and then I’m hoping to go to the military after that,” Grammer said.
