Rocklin Girl Has Olympic Wrestling Aspirations
ROCKLIN (CBS13) - A Rocklin teen with dreams of seeing Olympic gold is getting some last-minute training from former Olympians before she heads off to college on a wrestling scholarship.
Athletes between the ages of 8 and 19 started their first day of World Class Wrestling Camp at Sierra College Thursday. It's run by some of the most elite wrestlers in the world.
Olivia Seppinni, 18, knew it was only a matter of time before she found the right sport to satisfy her raw competitiveness and natural athleticism.
"I was like, 'why don't I go try it?' My friend was supposed to go with me. She didn't. I did and I was like, 'this is it.' I loved it," she said.
Seppinni started wrestling in the 7th grade and became a standout wrestler at Rocklin High School. Her talents earned her a full athletic scholarship to McKendree University in St. Louis -- a startup program headed by one of the best wrestlers in the country.
Having exposure to some of the world's best coaches at Sierra College helped Seppinni realize her goal of becoming an Olympian no longer seemed like a dream. Hopefully now it's just a matter of time.
"Save Olympic wrestling because it is a foundational sport," said Seppinni.
She is one of five girls participating in the World Class Wrestling Camp, which is mostly made up of guys. But thanks to athletes like Seppinni, wrestling is no longer just a guy's sport.
This is the camp's 10th year with proceeds benefiting Sierra College's wrestling program, and have never turned a camper away who could afford it.
