FEATURE: Whitney Conder never backs down from a challenge

Whitney Conder has faced years of adversity being a female in a male-dominated sport. From comments like "you do not belong here" to "go back to the kitchen," she has put it all behind her and is making a name for herself in a sport where women are in the minority but growing.

Since she was eight years old, Conder has been wrestling with the boys. When she was not wrestling with her brothers at home, she was competing as the only girl on the Puyallup High School men's wrestling team in Washington.

"I like wrestling a lot," Conder said. "There were a lot of people who didn't like that I was wrestling against guys, but some people thought it was awesome. It was hard sometimes."

Although her start in the sport may have been challenging, Conder overcame the obstacles and has developed into one of the nation's top young Olympic hopefuls.

Her most notable and proudest moment in her wrestling career so far was at the 2007 Junior World Championships. She defeated Kumari Babita of India in the finals at 51 kg./112.25 lbs, and brought the gold home to the United States.

"Winning Junior Worlds was an awesome experience for me because my parents were in China to see me compete," Conder said. "Just seeing the American flag raised ahead of three other flags makes you in awe. It's an amazing feeling."

She has proven her ability to win on the international level. Conder was the 2008 Calgary Open champion, placed second in the 2008 Hargobind International and placed in the top five in several other international and national competitions.

"It's fun to go to international competitions," she said. "I like to see how other wrestlers are like instead of just the United States wrestlers. There are a lot of different styles that people have all over the world."

She does not plan to stop there either. Her goal this year is to make the U.S. Senior World Team and win gold at the Senior World Championships.

For 13 years, wrestling as been Conder's life. Day in and day out, she puts in many hours of training to reach her goals.

"In four years, I want to be an Olympic and World champion," she said. "It would mean a lot to me because I have been working really hard for a long time to get where I am at."

Conder credits her parents for her "never back down" spirit and being the main influence in her life.

"They made me hard headed but in a good way. If I'm not getting something, then I'm going to stay with it until I do get it," she said.

After high school, Conder went to Northern Michigan University in 2006, where she competed on the U.S. Olympic Education Center team. She has recently become a U.S. Olympic Training Center athlete in Colorado Springs, Colo., and is attending classes at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.

National Women's Coach Terry Steiner said Conder has developed quickly since she became part of the national women's program.

"It's a matter of being focused. The one thing I like about Whitney is she is very focused," Steiner said. "She is here for a purpose and has a competitive spirit. She wrestles hard. You know what you are going to get when Whitney steps in the mat. She's always going to give you 100 percent."

Conder is setting an example for young girls who want to enter the wrestling world but are too scared.

"If you really love wrestling then stick with it. Push yourself to get as good as you can," she said. "Every day, you can learn something new. I learn something new every day. Keep training for what the sport is and not what other people see it as."