MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon’s Alex Taylor is in Athens, Greece, where Friday he will wrestle in the World U-17 (Under 17) Freestyle championship quarterfinals.
Taylor already completed the Greco portion of the championships.
“I went one and one, so I guess I finished ninth (in the world),” the rising senior said.
For a young man who has not yet reached his 17th birthday, the challenges are many.
Taylor is nearly 6,000 miles from home, with a seven-hour time difference. He also must make adjustments on the mat.
“The rules are different, the refereeing is different, obviously,” Taylor said.
The challenges are present off the mat as well.
“You’re in a whole new area, so you have to get comfortable with that. This is my second time wrestling outside the country, so getting into a routine can be difficult. But I think I’ve got it down by now,” the wrestler said.
Less than a month ago, Taylor claimed the top spot in freestyle and second in Greco while grappling in Brazil.
Taylor is not taking any of his experiences for granted.
“I am excited to travel the world. I am in the U-17, so this is just the beginning, and I am beyond grateful for it,” he said.
Looking back on his matches reminds Taylor that there are three people involved in the battle: two wrestlers and a ref.
“Every ref is different, and when you are overseas, some situations tend to get scored differently. You have to figure out how to have the ref not be the one to control the match,” he said.
Adapting abroad, one match at a time
Taylor’s dad, Zach Taylor, along with the rest of the family, could not be happier for his son.
“As a parent, I am just proud of him. He has definitely matured. He has been out there traveling the world. For most of the summer, he has been globetrotting, so you have to grow up a little bit to do that,” Zach Taylor said.
The elder Taylor believes his son has built a solid foundation as he matures.
“He was already mature before, and so that is why we have been able to trust him with this type of stuff,” Zach Taylor explained.
Not only has his son put in the time on the mat and in the weight room, he has also worked on his mental focus.
“He has done a lot mentally. He has been doing a lot to prepare himself for his matches to just stay focused and calm and not make too much of the moment,” the elder Taylor said.
Zach Taylor credits some of his son’s success to guidance from an outside source.
“J’den Cox has been a great help to Alex,” Zach Taylor said.
Cox is a bronze medalist for the United States in freestyle wrestling.
According to his father, Alex has had to watch his intake of gyros.
“He looks great physically, lean and lean, but for the worlds he has had to wrestle at 242. When he won the state, he weighed 265ish,” Zach Taylor explained.
Anyone interested in keeping an eye on Mount Vernon’s hometown hero, and who is awake at 3 a.m., should check out FloWrestling, a website that covers international wrestling.