Photo by Garrett Curtis ’23/The Choate News
Sachi Mehra ’23 made history as Choate’s first female All-American wrestler at the 2022 National Prep Wrestling Championships, where she ranked fifth in the female division. This year marked Mehra’s first season as a wrestler, but this was not her first time competing in a male-dominated sport. In the fall, she’s a wide receiver, corner, and kickoff for Choate’s football team.
Rather than playing basketball as she had done in the past, Mehra was encouraged by her friends to join the wrestling team. “By doing football in the fall, it made me more open to the idea of wrestling,” said Mehra. Mehra’s openness gave her a straight shot to victory. She began her first season with a fiery motivation to learn the sport and devoted time to refine her skills outside of the intense practice schedule. She had a team full of supportive teammates and coaches who guided her throughout the season, many of whom she knew from football. “Football guys are very supportive; as I progressed through the season and as I improved, they were there to support me, be there for my victories, console me if I lost, they pushed me to get better,” Mehra remarked. The team created an environment where Mehra was able to thrive and succeed in tournaments, leading to her accomplishment of making Choate wrestling history.
Mehra has set the tone for young girls at Choate who aspire to compete in male-dominated sports. “I still can’t process; it doesn’t process in my brain that it’s a title that’s mine,” said Mehra. She said she encounters “imposter syndrome” here at Choate, an anxious feeling of doubting your abilities and belonging. She described the experience of finding wrestling — something new and succeeding — as overwhelming. “Being able to do this was crazy for me.”
We are in an environment of success, with academically inclined students, athletes, and musicians; Choate students can be afraid of failure at times, leading them to veer towards familiar extracurricular activities and away from new things. “I think by being a junior, and this being the first season I was doing two of the most male-dominated sports, and showing a willingness to try a new thing, it shows underclassmen and younger girls at Choate that you can be part of male-dominated sports here. It’s not the wildest thought to encourage young girls to do that,” said Mehra.
On paper, the wrestling season for Mehra may look like a piece of cake. She has quite an impressive record, taking fourth place in the all-girls Andover tournament, placing sixth in an all-boys Class A wrestling tournament and placing fourth at the Girls New England Championships. Despite her remarkable record, her ability to pursue her passions and embrace her authenticity regardless of gender stereotypes in sports demonstrates her dedication and diligence as an athlete. Many athletes will look up to Mehra’s accomplishments, becoming inspired to try out things they are passionate about, despite the norms that try to limit their success.
