20 QUESTIONS WITH... Veronica Carlson
Veronica Carlson enjoyed a breakthrough season in women’s freestyle wrestling. She earned spots on the U.S. University World and Senior
World Teams this year at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Carlson placed fifth at the World University Games before fin- ishing 10th at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Carlson, 23, a past Junior World silver medalist, took time out of her busy schedule to talk recently with USA Wrestler: 1. Favorite movie? My recent fixation is Gatsby. Love the artsy integration of modern pop culture and the roaring twenties! 2. Favorite TV show? Do Netflix documentaries count?
3. What do you listen to before you compete? Intense "prep for battle" soundtracks from movies like 300 or Gladiator. Gets me PUMPED!
4. Favorite food when not watching your weight? I love smoothies! My latest concoction is a heart healthy mix of almond milk, flax, oatmeal, PB2 (peanut-butter in powder form), spinach, bananas and other fruits. Yummmm. 5. Favorite sport other than wrestling? Swimming. I competed for 11 years and loved it. 6. Favorite athlete to watch in another sport? Have you seen my boyfriend lift weights?! Easy favorite. American weightlifter Jared Fleming. 7. Favorite wrestler and why? Seiko Yamamoto! Seiko is a four-time World champ from
Japan. Her skills in wrestling and her attitude are inspirational. 8. Best piece of advice you've received? Last summer, Kyle Dake spoke after one of our camp prac- tices. Essentially he said, “Forget about pressure. There’s no such thing as pressure. Who puts pressure on you? Your fami- ly? Your family will still love you regardless of whether you win or lose. Your coach? Your coach will still be your coach after the day's over. Yourself? You're not going to die if you lose the tour- nament. Wrestle because you love it, because you have fun doing it, and for the opportunity to be something great.” 9. What kind of advice would you give a young wrestler? The strongest, fastest, most-technical wrestler doesn't always win; sometimes it's the kid crazy enough to think he/she CAN. 10. Best moment as a wrestler so far? Last year at the Golden Grand Prix in Azerbaijan, I beat the Swedish girl that I lost to in the Junior World finals. 11. Name three people you would love to invite to dinner? Dr. Seuss, The Crocodile Hunter, and Fat Amy. 12. What is one thing you are afraid of? Childbirth. Or death.
13. How did you become involved in wrestling? In 7th grade, I joined on a whim. As a kid, I was scrappy, mean, and didn't care what anybody thought. Little did I know then that it was the perfect recipe for a wrestler. 14. How were you able to adjust to the Senior level? I took it in stride, just like any new challenge. It was where I knew I needed to be. Competing at the Senior level put me one step closer to my ultimate dream, so I embraced the opportunity. 15. Any idea what you will do when you stop competing? The cage is calling my name! I see a future in MMA as long as my body is healthy enough to keep battling. Other than that, I
Veronica Carlson made U.S. World University and Senior World Teams this past season. Tony Rotundo photo.
am finishing a degree in graphic design, and who knows, maybe I'll do something crazy like have a baby. 16. What is the best part about training at the Olympic Training Center?
Everything is completely centered around training, which is awesome. I don't have to worry about commuting to and from practice, paying rent, cooking my own food, or finding a doctor or chiropractor to aid my injuries. The U.S. Olympic Committee also offers schooling opportunities. The benefits are unmatched. 17. What are your goals for international wrestling? Rio 2016! Olympic gold has always been the goal. 18. Coolest place you've traveled to and why? Even though it was freeze-your-face-off cold, I thought Mongolia was awesome. Great team trip, and I was walking on the same ground that Ghengis Kahn ruled! GK is the man. 19. What do you like about the international style of wrestling?
The rules as they are now cater to the aggressor. I like that!
Wrestling should be a battle, and the new rules force people to do just that.
20. Funniest girl on the team and why? Duh... yours truly. Kidding. I would have to nominate my roommate, three-time Junior World medalist Erin Golston. Everyone thinks she's so nice and sweet because she only weighs 46 kilos, but watch out, she is FEISTY! Plus, her laugh is the kind of laugh that makes everyone around her laugh.
21 USA Wrestler
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