Julia Vidallon You Are Enough
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT PROFILE Faces of LIFE
2020 got off to a great start for Julia Vidallon . The Life University wrestler from Virginia Beach , Virginia won Nationals and qualified for the Olympic trials .
Originally , Vidallon started wrestling guys in middle school , and it just seemed normal to her . “ My first practice was in my hometown . It was a national team , and they were getting ready for a big tournament in Fargo , North Dakota ,” Vidallon recalled . “ The tournament is a freestyle , which is a different type of wrestling , and I learned it was Olympic style wrestling . When I first actually wrestled girls it was amazing because I learned girls actually do wrestle too .”
Vidallon is now a sophomore at LIFE . “ My coaches found me at a national tournament called Super 32 , and I signed right then and there . I didn ’ t know what I was going to do after high school , but I knew I wanted to wrestle for sure ,” Vidallon said .
Vidallon initially chose LIFE because it gave her an opportunity to continue both her education and her wrestling career . Over time , she became even more convinced of her decision after getting to know the team . “ I was drawn to the family factor that I didn ’ t really have in high school as much as I do here ,” she said .
Vidallon credits Women ’ s Wrestling coaches Ashley Sword and Christian Flavin with creating that positive atmosphere . “ The reason that our team is so much better this year is because they instill confidence and believe in us every single day ,” she said . “ They say things like , ‘ You guys are the number one team in the country ,’ ‘ You guys are enough ,’ and that really does go a long way . I don ’ t think they realize how much their words impact us , and I am thankful every day for that .”
After Vidallon won a National Championship at the WCWA Championships in February , Sword credited Vidallon ’ s work ethic for her success and highlighted how she motivates her teammates .
“ Julia capturing a National Title and the Wrestler of the Tournament Award […] was a direct reflection of the work she has been putting in , not just this season , but all summer prior ,” Sword said in an interview after the tournament . “ Her goal has been clear , and it has shown in her training . Early in the season we asked the team , ‘ Who do you look to when you ’ re struggling in the room ?’ More than half said Julia . She ’ s continued to grow through each match and adjust , and her finals match was just finishing the work she had already started .”
Originally upon coming to LIFE , Vidallon wanted to pursue a degree in biology and work in some way to help people , but she wasn ’ t exactly sure of the way she wanted to help . “ I was kind of one of those [ people ] who was like , ‘ Well , we will see what happens ,’” Vidallon stated .
However , after taking more classes and gaining more perspective in her personal life while at LIFE , her desire has become more clear . “ I want to be a mental health therapist , but I also want to continue wrestling and see where it gets me ,” explained Vidallon .
She said that last year , her first as a college student , was one of the hardest years of her life , having to figure out things all by herself . “ I had to work on my confidence and loving myself again .” After that experience , Vidallon said she wants to help people realize that they can make it through difficult periods of their lives .
“ If you are in a dark place and you ’ re an athlete , or even if you ’ re not an athlete , you can come out of it and find the sport again . If you feel like you ’ ve lost love for your sport , remember why you even started ,” she said .
Although her freshman year was a learning process , Vidallon has enjoyed her time on the team . “ I wasn ’ t used to getting along with everyone ,” she recalled . “ Through all the hard training I ’ ve done , I made amazing friends . I ’ ve literally made a family — girls I can call my sisters .”
With the goal of winning Nationals in mind , Vidallon created a simple cardboard sign as an inspirational daily reminder . “ It helped me think ,
“ If you are in a dark place and you ’ re an athlete , or even if you ’ re not an athlete , you can come out of it and find the sport again . If you feel like you ’ ve lost love for your sport , remember why you even started .”
‘ You are enough ; you can achieve these things ,’” she recalled . “ Winning [ a national championship ] was really special to me because every single day , I was working so hard toward that goal . It was definitely an amazing experience for sure .”
Vidallon usually focuses on one match at a time , so much so that she completely forgot about the qualifier for the Olympic trials . Even so , her extensive training gave Vidallon confidence . “ It ’ s nothing surprising at this point , so [ the trials ] are going to be fun for sure .”
Life University has helped Vidallon set goals and hold herself to a high standard , whether it is school , work or just seeing coaches pop in every day and check on her . “ It is a constant reminder to be great , to be greater than yesterday . It is fun being around athletes that are working their hardest because we aren ’ t a D1 school , but we train like a D1 school , and one day the NCAA is going to fully support women ’ s wrestling .”
Alumni . LIFE . edu | 2020
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