Olympian Haley Augello is fueled to achieve high success this year

Haley Augello at the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com.

Olympian Haley Augello seems to be running the course of a full year of nonstop wrestling, but nothing is stopping her just yet.

It’s been just over a year since Augello made her first U.S. Women’s Olympic Team and a year since she officially punched her ticket to the Olympics after qualifying her weight in Mongolia. In less than a week, Augello hopes to repeat her success at the World Team Trials in Las Vegas and make the Senior World Team.

Through Augello’s Olympic experience she has grown not only as a wrestler but also as a person.

“It was at times overwhelming but it was a really great experience and I grew up a lot from it. I went into the Trials a girl and came out a woman. I learned a lot about myself and how to stick up for myself through the experience. I learned a lot of characteristics that you need in the real world, and maybe I didn’t have that before because I was so sheltered by wrestling,” she said.

After placing ninth at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. in the Rio Olympics, Augello made her way back to King University where she is a student athlete and got back to training. With her recent Olympic experience tagging along with her, her adjustment getting back into a team setting was hard.

“When you make an Olympic team it’s like who’s YOUR training partner, who’s YOUR coach, it’s constantly you, you, you. Without even realizing it, you start to become selfish which you need to be at that level. Getting back in the college room, sometimes when my coaches eyes weren’t on me, I was confused about it. After a whole year of you-you-you, it was hard,” she said.

During Augello’s college season, she claimed her third WCWA Women’s College National title, now with a 42-1 career record. She suffered her first loss of her college career this past season against Megan Black from McKendree University, competing up a few weight classes.

“I wanted to be a four-timer with all techs and pins. This year, I lost, which was heartbreaking because I set this high goal for myself, but I think it’s really humbled me. I plan on going back next year and dominating my way through nationals and bringing home that fourth title for King and our fifth team title,” she said.

Augello has gone from the Olympics to the college season and now she’s heading right back into Senior freestyle season. From the outside, it seems that she hasn’t stopped wrestling since making the Olympic Team last year, but taking breaks is what is most important for Augello during her training.

“It’s important to let not only your body but your mind heal. Wrestling is a very demanding sport  and there can be very highs and very lows. I have great coaches and a great support system so when I do start to feel mentally defeated or physically worn I will communicate that and we will figure out a plan that’s how I’m able to transition from season to season,” she said.

Augello first experienced burnout when she was in high school, a time when stress sets in for many athletes. It was that experience that helped her to build the knowledge she has today to prevent it.

“In high school, I was always go-go-go and found myself getting burnt out a lot. Now I’m more responsible about the time I take off, and what I’m doing in between training cycles for a big tournament,” she said.

During her time off, she spends time with family and vacationing. She makes it a priority to take time away from the mat to refresh.

In 2004, when Augello was eight years old she stepped on the mat for the first time. She immediately fell in love with the sport and was welcomed by the coaching staff and her male teammates. Lucky for her, the gender differences that were in the room were far from recognizable. Everyone was there to wrestle and the boys didn’t care that she was a girl.  

She was fortunate not to have to experience the gender adversity that many female wrestlers are dealt. When people chimed in to state their opinion on Augello wrestling, her teammates and coaches shielded her from what was being said. They protected her and allowed her to retain her confidence in wrestling.

Being protected from the gender divide is what helped Augello stick with wrestling. It was when she was almost too welcomed that she considered quitting.

“Not being separated and really welcomed helped me stick with it. When I entered high school, I started to be iffy about sticking with wrestling not because I was being treated badly but because I thought if I’m always treated as one of the guys when am I ever gonna get a boyfriend and do all these normal girl things?” she said.  “I saw the gender gap when they treated me so much like one of the guys I started to question if I should stick with it because I wanted those normal high school things.”

But her teammates stopped her before she could follow through with quitting.

“They didn’t want to see me quit. When they found out I was gonna quit they were like no we need you, you’re our 103-pounder. It wasn’t like okay, let’s get rid of her we can do our guy things now,” she said.

Augello got back on the mat and made her first Cadet World Team, following it with a World Championship in 2011. Without encouragement from teammates, coaches and family Augello would have never experienced the success she has as a wrestler since she considered quitting.

Coming home from the Olympics short of medaling set a flame inside Augello that won’t be going out until she reaches the top.

“It fueled me to want to go again; it gave me purpose in wrestling. I know what I want now and I’m not going to stop until I get that gold medal,” she said.