Olympic gold medalist and wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock’s patriotism is refreshing after an Olympics mired in protests.
Since San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started kneeling during the national anthem, protests have become more common in sports, much to the dismay of fans. And this year’s Olympics have not been immune from athletes’ demonstrations.
As Zachary Faria wrote in June, U.S. Olympic hammer thrower Gwen Berry gained notoriety during the Olympic trials when she claimed that the playing of the national anthem was a “setup.” And as Lawrence Richard reported in July, the U.S. women’s national soccer team took the knee before suffering a shocking 3-0 defeat to the Swedes.
Judging by the legacy media’s coverage, it might seem that all athletes are flaunting their activist credentials while demonstrating against the country they claim to represent. But this is not the case.
Contrast Berry’s frown with Mensah-Stock’s glee following her first-place victory over Blessing Oborududu of Nigeria. While others may actively protest the flag, the wrestler embraced the Stars and Stripes.
She told one reporter, “I love representing the U.S. I freaking love living there. I love it! And I’m so happy I get to represent the USA!”
Congratulations Tamyra Stock for being the first black woman to win a wrestling gold medal. I love your energy, I love your positivity, and we couldn’t have a better representative of our country. pic.twitter.com/NE2S2tpBe0
— danawhite (@danawhite) August 3, 2021
Like those of many athletes, Mensah-Stock’s story is truly remarkable. According to USA Today, she started wrestling in 10th grade in her high school in Katy, Texas, a city with a population of about 20,000 people. Through perseverance, Mensah-Stock earned a bronze medal at the 2018 world championships and the title the following year. And now, she is an Olympic gold medalist.
In addition to showing great perseverance, Mensah-Stock values her family. Growing up, she looked to her sister, who was a fellow wrestler, as a role model. And during her post-win press conference, the wrestler promised to give her mother $30,000 of her gold medal earnings to start a small business.
“So my mom’s gettin’ her food truck! She’s gonna have her little cooking business. She can cook really, really, really well,” Mensah-Stock said.
With activist athletes using the Olympics as a platform for social justice causes, Mensah-Stock is a welcome change. Her smile, love for country, and commitment to family make her an athlete the country can root for.
