Tina Teresa Pihl

Olympic Hopeful * Community Builder * Life-Long Learner * Wrestler

 tpihl@yahoo.com

Tina Pihl is described as having the smile of a child and the heart of a lion.

Indeed, behind Tina Pihl’s infectious grin is a superb athlete with a fierce

competitive edge and aspirations for Olympic Gold in Beijing, China in 2008.

The sport of women’s wrestling was the newest women’s sport in the 2004

Olympic Games, providing some of the world’s finest female athletes another

arena in which to demonstrate their athletic prowess. Tina Pihl seized her chance

to achieve a lifelong Olympic dream by refocusing her athleticism away from a

stellar career in soccer to the individual sport of wrestling.

After a short three years at this task, Tina is a nationally ranked women’s wrestler and has

tremendous potential to climb the ladder from fourth to first by the 2008 Olympic Games.

But there is more to her story:

Accomplished as an athlete, community builder and student, Tina has consistently pursued excellence –

with impressive results. From her childhood experiences that include foster care and adoption to an

impressive educational pedigree at two of the nation’s finest institutions – demonstrate Tina’s drive to

succeed in any environment. Add to that Tina’s tireless work as a community volunteer, even as she

pursues her Olympic dreams. A champion for those less fortunate and skillful at bringing people together,

she has been the creative force behind many charitable efforts.

Tina’s Volunteer Work

While attending Yale University in 1991, she was the Founder and President of the Appalachian

Volunteer Corps, a non-profit organization that motivated Yale students to get involved in public service in

rural communities. Upon graduation, Tina became a VISTA*Americorp Volunteer, working at Habitat for

Humanity in New Haven, CT. At Habitat, she co-founded and co-directed the Habitat Bicycle Challenge,

now the largest single student fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity International. Tina then became the

Logistics Director for the Washington, D.C. AIDSRide, a $5 million fundraising event with 2,500

participants and 400 volunteers.

Tina’s Wrestling Achievements

In 2002, at the age of 31, Tina made a life-altering choice to compete in her first wrestling tournament,

just five-weeks after graduating with a master’s degree from MIT. Although that first foray into wrestling

did not provide a win for Tina, the only female wrestler in the event, she was encouraged that she was

able to compete against her male competitors. Five months after her inaugural tournament, she placed

second at the New York Athletic Club International Open finishing behind the eventual silver medalist at

the 2004 Olympic Games. A wrestler was born.

In February 2003, Tina moved to Colorado Springs, CO to train as a “walk-on” athlete at the Olympic

Training Center (OTC). She quickly excelled, placing 4th at the 2003 Canadian Olympic Team Trials, 2nd

at the 2004 Northwest Regional Olympic Team Trials Qualifier, 8th at the U.S. Wrestling National

Championships, and 7th at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Because of her achievements, Tina was

accepted as an off-campus athlete into the National Resident Training Program at the OTC.

Since 2004, her achievements are no less remarkable. She recently won Gold at the 2006 Vehbi Emre

Golden Grand Prix tournament in Turkey, and placed 2nd in the 2005 U.S. World Team Trials, Challenge

Tournament, missing a spot on the U.S. National Team by one place. As a result, Tina moved up five

places to become 4th ranked in the country at the 55kg weight class. Among other accomplishments, she

placed 1st at the Rocky Mountain Regional World Team Trials Qualifier where she was decorated with the

“Outstanding Wrestler Award.”

On the mat and off, Tina is a snapshot of greatness and continues to excel. Through her actions, Tina

has given back to those in need and inspires others to tap into their fullest potential and motivates them to

re-focus on their dreams. She encourages those around her to be of service to people who are less

fortunate. To this day, Tina continues to challenge herself to strive for excellence – extending all the way

to Beijing - and she needs your support to make this happen.

How To Help Tina

To help, a tax-deductible contribution can be sent to: Tina Pihl, One Olympic Plaza, #97, Colorado

Springs, CO 80909. Checks can be made payable to: W.O.W., Inc. a 501(c)3 wrestling club and Tina’s

fiscal agent. Please don’t hesitate to contact Tina at 719 229 5805 or tpihl@yahoo.com to discuss

sponsorship opportunities in more detail.

***

Olympic Games Creed: "The most important thing in life is not to win but to take part, just as the most

important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered

but to have fought well." - Baron Pierre de Coubertin