KRISTIE DAVIS, Continued from page 14
team. In fact, it wasn’t until this past summer when she decided to actually be on the team. It first started with the marriage to Link that got her to Oklahoma City. “The majority of it (coming back to school) is because Link
was out here,” said Davis. “But I decided I wanted to go back to school for nursing and found out OCU has a top nursing school. It’s really good and it was all the more reason to pursue going back to school. “After I had Lily, it wasn’t about going back and wrestling in college, but about getting back into shape,” she said. “My main goal was to get back into shape and the only way I
know how to get into shape is wrestling,” said Davis. When July rolled around and she was in the room working
out, Davis plainly states she, “got the bug again.” Sometimes wrestling girls 14 years her junior, Davis goes
where she’s needed – whether it’s 63 kg, 67 kg or 72 kg. “There’s no method to the madness,” said Davis about her insertion into the Stars women’s wrestling lineup. And when Davis is wrestling, she doesn’t let the nuptials inter-
fere with her performance. “I don’t look at it like (Link) is my husband when I’m wrestling,” said Davis. “It’s not my number one thought that’s going through my head. I have to listen to my coaches to get stuff done.” But while wrestling and getting in shape to make a run toward
the 2012 Olympic Games in London, there’s still a balancing act. A typical day for the Davis clan involves a 5:30 rise and shine,
then to practice at 6:30. Sometimes, Kristie will do back-to-back workouts, wrestling with the OCU men’s team. When practices and workouts end around noon, it’s time for
class Monday through Wednesday. Then she’ll come back for a second workout, be home when Kayla gets home from school, then it’s homework. “It’s pretty funny, Kayla and I do our homework together, and
when we’re doing homework, it’s a matter of keeping Lily con- tained until Link gets home,” said Davis. “We have dinner around 6:30 or 7, and the girls get ready for bed.” Then there’s the chores, too, which Davis describes gets
done by whoever is home. “Every time I Skype my mom, she says it looks like a tornado
has gone through my house,” said Davis. “We probably get the house cleaned a lot for the amount of time we spend at home, at least I like to think so.” With a greater focus on time management, Davis’ spontaneity
still dominates. “I’m not a planner, it’s just one of those things where I have to
go with the flow. I have to be prepared for everything,” said Davis. “If I have something extra to do for school, I can’t let it bother me.” The biggest reward for Davis, even with the increased responsibility of school, family and sport, has been the fact she’s doing what she wants with her family, since Kayla and Lily are always close by, even in wrestling practice. In fact, during one of the U.S. Women’s Training Camps
before the World Championships, Lily sat watching cartoons on a portable DVD player away from the mat and periodically, Link and Kristie would come over and check up. Even during practice, there’s always an eye on the kids. “When it was just me, I felt it took a lot away from Kayla. She
made some sacrifices,” said Davis. “This time, I don’t feel like that. The biggest reward in all this is being able to pursue my career, pursue wrestling and spend time with my family. “We’re always doing it together, even if it’s an extra practice.”
31 USA Wrestler
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