Inspiration
The youngest of six kids, Amit Elor would tag along to her brother's wrestling practices. The coaches said she couldn’t train with the boys because she could get injured. Later, they said the boys shouldn’t train with her because she might injure them. Early in her wrestling career, her coaches also relied on negative reinforcement. This led to Elor viewing herself negatively, as well. Despite this, she continue to train, grow, and win. Now, she hasn't lost a match in five years. In that time, her cumulative score in 37 matches is 322-16. In the past two years, she has held the U-20, U-23, and Senior World titles simultaneously. Along the way, her present coach, Sara McMann, has helped Amor regain her love for wrestling.
Because the Olympics has fewer weight classes than United World Wrestling, Amor was forced to lose eight pounds for the Paris Games. As a result, she was unseeded. She was actually disappointed by her draw, as it required her to wrestle the number one seed. The disappointment, however, was due to the fact that it had taken her only 40 seconds to pin her opponent in their previous matchup. Elor rolled through her Olympic matches, winning in dominating fashion.
Elor's performance can credited to a strong mind and body. Dedicated to the pursuit of excellence, she regularly visualizes the execution of her matches. Her
intrinsic motivation to win for her supporters, not just herself, translates into an impressive drive. She says, "The more people watch me, the more I feel that urge to explode and fight even harder. And when I'm walking out and stepping onto that mat, instead of there being nerves and doubt, the second I hear everybody cheering, and I see those familiar faces, I just have this sharp focus that kicks in, and this desire to fight the second the whistle blows."
After her victory in Paris, she skipped around the wresting mat. While she takes her craft seriously, she doesn't take herself too seriously. She reminds herself to, “have fun throughout the process, to laugh, be silly, and to not stress over things too much. Wrestling is difficult, but should also be enjoyable.” Because Amit Elor refused to give up, she can now refuse to give in. Competing with joy, coupled with an intense competitive drive, makes her a great model for performers.