There’s a saying that a lion does not concern itself with the opinions of sheep. When Camdenton’s Abbey Fuglsang hits the mat, she considers herself the lion, roaring with confidence.
“The person across from me has the audacity to step on this mat with me and try to contend with me,” Abbey said with a smile.
Her unbeaten season is proof of the time and effort put into practice.
“It pays off and I know I’ve worked the hardest in the room,” Abbey said. “I know I’ve done everything I can to get better. Being confident in your abilities is exactly what is going to lead me to my victories.”
“She is dedicated,” said Camdenton wrestling coach Ryan Chester. “I don’t want to use the word obsessive, but you can. She is committed to the sport. She is committed to what she does.”
Abbey puts on a hair-raising performance, literally.
“I call it a mane, like a lion’s mane,” Abbey joked about her wild flowing hair. “I think it’s fun. I can’t see but you know it’s okay it’s like a femininity in my sports that’s primarily masculine.”
Even though Abbey’s “mane” sometimes makes it tough to see, this Lakers junior says it’s not always about what you can see in wrestling.
“You don’t have to see every move,” Abbey said. “If my hand is on your head and I’m pushing you down like I know where your legs are because I’ve felt that before.”
“It trains the muscles,” Chester said. “It trains the muscle memory. It makes you better. It makes your technique better and everything flows a lot richer.”
Her flow, like the flow on her head, is what makes Abbey the wrestler she is.
Next weekend, she will fight with the heart of a lion on the state stage for a third consecutive year.
