STEUBERVILLE, OH – In a new segment of Women Creating New Paths, the focus is on the mats—where from takedowns to trailblazing, one young wrestler is changing the game for girls nationwide.

Talea Guntrum, a standout wrestler at Steubenville High School, began her journey on a different mat—the gymnastics mat. However, everything changed when her brother needed a wrestling partner, and the rest became history. The young, humble athlete had no idea the impact she would have on the growing sport in the area.

“It’s actually awesome. I didn’t really realize how big of an impact it was until we had our duels at Edison. And then, like, middle school wrestled there too, and there were like five girls on the wrestling team that came out. I’ve never seen any of them before, and they were all like, oh my gosh. They ran up to me, and they all gave me hugs. And I didn’t even wrestle that day.”

For Talea, her main goal is to be a friend and role model to younger athletes, helping them build confidence in a rapidly growing girls’ sport. But for the young athlete, it all began as a family affair—a love for wrestling fueled by friendly competition at home.

“I think the only partner I had was my brother, and I was able to beat him at it. Being better than him made me confident, but I wasn’t better than the other people in the room, just him in general.”

Guntrum

And to this day, that love for the sport runs deep in the Guntrum household. Wrestling is a family affair—Talea’s brother and sister are now right by her side as part of the Steubenville High School team. But when Talea looks back on her journey, there’s one person who stands above the rest, someone she credits for being there every step of the way.

“Without a doubt, my mom, 100% my mom. I obviously like my dad and my siblings and my grandparents, like all my teammates and everything. But like 100% my mom. She’s fought for me and has been by my side the whole time. And we’ve had ups and downs and stuff and a rough past, and she’s stayed there the whole time.”

Guntrum

Talea is grateful to have been part of the growth of girls’ wrestling from the very beginning—from stepping onto the mat as a little kid to watching it become the fastest-growing girls’ sport in the nation. Living up to her name, her journey has become a story of success, perseverance, and progress.

Now, Talea hopes to see more schools across the Valley follow suit and create girls’ wrestling teams, giving the next generation the same opportunity she had. But in the meantime, her advice is simple: focus on yourself.

And in her first-ever OVAC Championship, Talea did just that, focusing on herself. Over the course of the two-day competition, Talea faced three opponents—and spent just 29 seconds on the mat across all three matches, securing three pins and the 138-pound OVAC title.

It’s clear that Talea’s wrestling career is booming just as fast as the sport. She continues to show her strength on and off the mat, not tapping out anytime soon.