The gym is loud as cheerleaders bang their hands against the mats, athletes come out one by one addressing their opponents. Brittany Ferrell walks out, stopping the crowd in their tracks. Brittany is not phased one bit, staying humble and doing what’s expected of her. As the only female wrestler last season, this was a weekly occurrence for Ferrell. But she had not even a shred of fear.
“I was there to compete and wrestle just like any other wrestler that was there,” Ferrell said.
Ferrell is a junior at East High, she was a wrestler last season. Although she will miss it, she is not going to participate this season due to getting a job to save up for a car and other expenses. Ferrell is definitely going to attend meets when she is able, and will support the team to the fullest. Ferrell talked about the pros and cons of being the only female on the team. Having a whole locker room to herself was probably the best, but there was a few cons. Ferrell admitted to being insulted, and made fun of from the boys on the opposing teams, but never her own teammates.
“Brittany was always a hard worker, just like all of us other teammates,” Adam March said.
Ferrell was not treated any differently than the boys on the team, she was not expected of less or expected of more. Ferrell was familiar with the coaches because her brother used to wrestle, prior to her.
“I’ve tried to be physically, and mentally tough my whole life. I always try to be the strongest and the best at everything I do,” Ferrell said.
Ferrell is seen as a bad ass by most at East High. She is a very driven young woman. Ferrell is always determined to work hard and be successful. Mikey Lopez, Ferrell’s boyfriend, is one of the closest to her. Lopez stated how Ferrell is always pushing him to do his best, and never lets him slack. Ferrell always tries to be as blunt, and real as possible. Ferrell says that she is not one to sit and dwell in her problems, instead she takes action and tries her best to defeat them. Ferrells favorite thing to do is prove people wrong. If somebody were to tell her she can’t do something she goes above and beyond to make sure she can.
“Britany has definitely changed my life for the better, she is my idol and I truly believe that no matter what she decides to do with her life she will be successful,” Lopez said.
A side of Ferrell that you can’t physically see would be that she is adopted. It has been a very long, emotionally draining process but she was adopted on Sept. 6, 2016. Before she was adopted, Ferrell was placed in a shelter. She was put into a foster home in Knoxville after being in the shelter for a week. After staying in the home in Knoxville for six months, she was placed in a home in the South side of Des Moines. Ferrell was not happy in this home, so she was put back into the shelter she was originally in. Shortly after this Ferrell was told that an old family friend wanted to take her in. Ferrell was placed in her now, permanent home on Jan. 29 of 2016, where they had to foster her for six months before they could have Brittany be their child permanently.
“I believe that the process through my adoption definitely had an effect on my mental toughness, it has made me stronger,” Ferrell said