Wrestling is all about the family for Katherine Fulp-Allen

It all started as playtime in the wrestling room for 2014 World Team Trials runner-up Katherine Fulp-Allen.


“I was really little, around six years old. My sister Sara and I started wrestling because of our dad. We went to all of his practices, and some days we would wrestle and others we would just play around in that atmosphere,” said Fulp-Allen.


The two daughters of Coach Lee Allen grew to love the sport, taking a full interest in it during their middle school and high school days. Soon, they were completely invested in wrestling and all of the challenges that came with it.


“We had our fair share of sibling rivalry, which was good for us,” said Fulp-Allen. “It helped us to push each other a bit, and it helped us to be supportive of one another. Having Sara kind of lead the way for me, especially when women’s wrestling was still pretty young, was very helpful for me. She helped set the path and helped me see the steps that it took to be where she was. It gave me an opportunity to know what was in store for the future. I know that she was one of the girls that helped pave the way for women’s wrestling now. Just like how we have Tricia Saunders, who was kind of the beginning for some of the ladies who competed in the 90s and the early 2000s. That’s kind of what Sara was for me.”


Wrestling wasn’t just an interest of the Fulp-Allen daughters, but a focal point for the entire family.


“I grew up in a big wrestling family. My dad coached forever; he competed in the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games and then coached. A lot of our family foundation was wrestling,” said Fulp-Allen.


That supportive family base was combined with a wonderful environment for growing up in a diverse area of California. There, she believes, is where her character truly developed.


“We were just really lucky to be in an area of California that has a lot of different people and cultures. I feel like I had a really well rounded upbringing because of where we lived. It kind of set me up for being able to travel well and interact with others better,” said Fulp-Allen.


Throughout her youth career in California, she focused on the road to success. Her time on the mat wasn’t centered on the big accomplishments; her best memories remain in those smaller memories.


“There were definitely the big moments, like placing high at my third Nationals. It was different for me though, I feel like, because I just kind of kept plugging away at where I was in the moment. I didn’t have all of those targets to look forward to or look back on. I think now we have more things that the girls can see their progress at. If they do well at one competition they’ll move on to another. My mentality just wasn’t the same as girls who wrestle today. The biggest thing for us was the California State competition. Winning Girls State twice was definitely exciting as well. I always seemed to be in the finals in California competitions from my freshman to senior year of high school. I think the wins and losses affected me more at the time, but I was kind of more focused on just where I was at the time rather than the big wins,” said Fulp-Allen.


Her positive mentality, as well as a passion for life off the mat as well, sent her on a search for the perfect college after high school. Although her father was the head wrestling coach at Menlo College in Atherton, Calif., he encouraged her to find what was best for her.


“It was definitely a combination of both. We definitely looked at different options so I could kind of do what I wanted to. I had been doing a lot of art in high school, and I was hoping to look at an art school and continue wrestling as well. In the end though, I just really wanted to wrestle. It was kind of engraved in me, and I knew that I was going to take my wrestling as far as I could,” said Fulp-Allen.


In the end, however, the choice was clear. With a strong desire to continue wrestling, as well as a want to stay near her roots, there was no question about it-Menlo College was the place she would continue her career.


“The decision to go to Menlo wasn’t because I felt like I had to. Honestly, the fact that my dad coached there just made it extra special. We looked at a lot of different schools to try and see what would be the best fit. We really tried to work on finding a place that had it all, and we decided that it made the most sense to not have to drive from San Francisco to the Palo Alto area. It came down to choosing the life that I wanted to live, and wrestling just happened to be it,” said Fulp-Allen.


The move to Menlo proved to be a positive one. She found a special kind of team dynamic, combined with the leadership from her father, which she knew she wouldn’t find anywhere else.


“It was really amazing. I think a lot of people might be surprised, but I loved it. He has a style that I was used to, and the level of technique that I needed to have from a coach. Because my dad was my coach, I ended up taking on a lot more responsibility than most athletes do in their college careers. I did a lot to help out with the program, usually contacting the girls for various things, or helping out with our fundraisers. I think because of that combination, it not only helped his team be stronger, but it helped my bond with my own team be stronger. My teammates became my best friends, and because my dad was our coach, it was almost like my dad was their dad too. It was a really special connection that we all had, and those relationships have carried on throughout the years,” said Fulp-Allen.


She credits much of her success, as well as her opportunities as a women’s wrestler, to her father. In a time where women’s wrestling was still developing, Lee Allen made a strong impact on the sport for his daughters and other women across the country.


“I feel like he was truly one of the driving forces behind getting women’s wrestling onto the track that it needed to be on. You never know who would have stepped in there and said ‘Hey, we need to have a Women’s Trials, and they need to move on to Worlds.’ We would have never known who would have done that if it weren’t for him. He was definitely a part of a kind of old school generation, so it was very rare for him to be so female-proactive. I guess I could attribute that to the fact that he had daughters. It would be interesting to know how things would have turned out for women’s wrestling had he not been there. Getting women’s wrestling into the mainstream wasn’t easy, and I think having him being one of the driving forces was important. It wasn’t easy, and it took his headway and his absolute stubbornness to not give in and give up on the cause. It took the entire family to support it all, which was great because we had support from every direction,” said Fulp-Allen.


Her career reached one of many high points in 2008 with a gold medal performance at the World University Championships in Thessalonki, Greece. There, she defeated Russia’s Olga Gileva 4-0 to capture the top spot.


“Winning the 2008 University Worlds was huge during my college career. Sara and I made the University World team together as well. We were the first sisters on a University World team for the U.S., so that was very special to me,” said Fulp-Allen.

Her sister Sara went on to finish second at 48 kg/105.5 lbs in the same competition, winning her first two matches before she was defeated by Japan’s Nami Vchida in the championship.


Although she sees this as one of her most cherished wins, she still finds her real successes in the smaller moments of being an athlete. For Fulp-Allen, it isn’t all about the medals. It’s just about building up to bigger and better places.


“I strongly believe that there are so many different aspects that go into making a great wrestler. It doesn’t always have to do with one factor or one competition. I feel like my successes, as much as my hardships are what truly made me a great wrestler in college. It helped me learn to properly deal with wins, as well as losses. Of course, as athletes it’s necessary to have those small boosts of confidence to know that we’re doing the right thing. But without the smaller moments, with the highs and lows of competition and training, it all wouldn’t seem as great,” said Fulp-Allen.


On the heels of her older sister, she arrived at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. in May of 2010. Already having been acquainted with the program, she found that the decision to train with the national team was an easy one to make.


“With Sara training with the national team at the Olympic Training Center, it made it so I didn’t have to really seek that kind of path out. I always knew, especially coming into college, that I had no doubts about wanting to take my wrestling career as far as it could go. Having Sara already there at the OTC really set me up to go ahead and set my sights there. I knew that it was what I was going to do, and I had already been acquainted with the program through my sister and by training there on my own here and there. By the time I needed to make a decision at the end of college, I had already decided that I was going to take that path and head to Colorado Springs,” said Fulp-Allen.


Her time at the OTC has developed into more than just about training, but also about growing as a person. Today, she believes she has really tapped into a positive cycle of living and training in Colorado Springs.


“I think it has evolved. Every year, combined with the Olympic cycle, it’s definitely changed. Now, I feel like I’m having a lot of fun with the team dynamic here. I’m having a great time with a lot of the girls and getting closer with them. Now it’s all about just coming into my own with the way I want to train. I also love getting to have a great working relationship with the coaches. It’s come to the point that I can get all of the things that I need from them, and they can structure things for my training that work well for me. The best part about being at the training center is that you’re so close to every aspect of your training: your food, your medical and your training. There is no combination like it,” said Fulp-Allen.


During her training at the OTC, she has found that working on all facets of her wrestling is important. While she strengthens her mindset, she has found that her wrestling has improved tremendously.


“Communication and focus is something that has been positively affected during my time here at the OTC. Honing these things have helped me to work on certain parts of my technique. It’s important to have all facets of your mental and physical being in place, and I have been working on putting those together while I’ve been here,” said Fulp-Allen.


There have been a number of significant times during her career with the national team. She finds that trying for the 2012 Olympics at 55 kg/121 lbs though was one of her most proud moments yet.


“As tough as it already is during an Olympic year, it was a big deal for me during the 2012 season. I completely changed weight classes and was by far the smallest girl out there at 55 kg. As difficult as it was to not be the Olympian, I couldn’t be more proud of the work that it took to get me to that point. There was a lot involved in changing weight classes and getting where I needed to be in order to be successful. It was extremely important to me just to have succeeded in getting to that point,” said Fulp-Allen.


She ended up placing third at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, defeating Shauna Isbell (Flagstaff, Ariz./Lindenwood) 3-1 in the bronze medal match.


In the middle of her Senior career, she still finds that her family has been a huge factor in her wrestling. After the passing of her father in June of 2012, she has worked to find a purpose for herself in her career. It has been a tough, yet positive time of growth for her and her family.


“Being at the World Championships with my sister and my dad coaching us, and our mom came, it was huge as well. A lot of my experiences with wrestling just come down to family. The trips that I got to go on with my father, and the times that I got to spend with him are truly some of the biggest driving forces that I have in my career. It’s taken a big shift since his passing, and it has been extremely tough to adjust. I had to take a moment to figure out why I was doing this sport, since it was so family-based for me for my entire life. It’s been a journey for me to find my own personal reasons, and I’m really glad to say that I have found it,” said Fulp-Allen.


With the next Olympic year on the horizon, she continues to maintain an ‘in the moment’ mentality. She realizes that while there are big things ahead of her, she cannot lose sight of where she is now.


“I take my training and my competing day-to-day. I want to make sure that I continue to focus on the moment that I’m in. I think it’s important for everyone to find their personal mantra that helps them focus on that, and focus on what’s next. Whatever comes next for me, a lot of it is out of my control. I just have to be prepared, but looking so far into the future isn’t usually what I do. For now, I just want to take advantage of the opportunities that I have right in front of me,” said Fulp-Allen.


Her life outside of wrestling also reflects the attitude that she keeps about her training. With her husband Mike Shai, she intends to make the most of the time she has here in Colorado Springs.


“Typically, my life is very family oriented. My husband and I spend a lot of time together. We want to take advantage of where we’re living right now, what with us both being from California. We want to take advantage of the landscape and just get outside as much as we possibly can. When we’ve got free time and we aren’t outside, we’re spending time with our family since we both live so far away from home. For now, though, we are really doing our best to adjust and truly enjoy where we are living right now,” said Fulp-Allen.


While she is uncertain about the future of her wrestling career, she remains positive about what it might be. For Fulp-Allen, she sees no right or wrong way to direct her life.


“My husband and I want to look at having our own business. There is just no way that I couldn’t be around wrestling though. It’s hard to say where I will be going toward 2020. We certainly want to start a family, and for women athletes it a totally different ballgame. I’m not going to give myself an end date. This sport has been such a big part of my life, and people have made long careers out of it. You can’t pull the wrestler out of a wrestler, and because my husband wrestled too, he understands,” said Fulp-Allen.


Doubts set aside, she is certain about one thing-her life would not be the same without wrestling. She believes that her biggest strengths and her best memories have all been due to the sport she grew to love. It is something she never plans to give up.


“There is no sport like wrestling that tests your reaction in tense situations. Nothing else tests you like that. Your focus is everywhere, whether it’s on yourself or your opponent that’s trying to hurt you or take you out of position. I can see it in girls’ eyes sometimes, the look that says ‘what am I doing out here’, but nobody has ever said they regret trying. Wrestling shows what you’re capable of and how tough you can really be. It makes you learn a lot about yourself, and I think that carries over into a lot for a person,” said Fulp-Allen.