|
 I am Julieta Okot, a multicultural female wrestler who was originally born and raised in Bulgaria.
My mother is Bulgarian and my father Kenyan, which should explain my exotic Eastern European look.
I have been involed in athletics from an early age back in Bulgaria-- a former communist country. Being an athlete was a privilege and an honor, as well as a great responsibility. The government supported its athletes financially, so being amongst the top tier of athletes in the country was highly respected.
I attended an athletic institution, where I ran track and field (400m hurdles). I graduated from high school in 1989, the same year I was accepted at the National Sports Academy in Sofia, formely known as Higher Institute for Physical Culture.
Not having the influence of my track and field coach Emilo Benekov, I joined the University's Olympic weightlifting team and participated in weightlifting for 5 years until my graduation from the Academy.
When I graduated 1994, I was searching for what path my life was going to take. One day the University wrestling coach Nikolai Dimitrov -Kaplan appoached me and if I would consider wrestling. Bulgaria at the time had no active female wrestlers, and because the country was hosting the 7th World Championships in 1994 we needed to form a team to represent Bulgaria.
Nikolai Dimitrov told me that I was strong and fast and should learn few moves. Most importantly, I would have free room and board at the University campus. I needed a place to stay at the time and I love challenges. So I accepted.
I started wrestling the next day. When I went there, everybody was already training . Half of the girls were judo players and the rest of the girls were Olympic weightlifters. The first time I wrestled a whole match, I thought I would not make it to the end. I did, and it made me have a great appreciation for one of the most difficult and demanding sports in the world.
After two months and learning one good leg attackvery well, I earned the spot for the first ever Bulgarian National World Team at 59kg.
After the World Championships, I was determined to continue with wrestling and get better. I love the sport. It matched perfectly with my personality.
I started training in the Army Club (CSKA) in Sofia. My first coaches were George Yanchev and Sotir Gotchev. Being the only women there , I got the great support from the kids there, who ranged from 5th to 12th grade.
I got slimmer, trimmer, faster, and stronger. My efforts paid off. Things began working out well for me. In 1995 I won my first Bulgarian National Wrestling title at 53kg. I also won the first ever TV contest for Miss Fitness Bulgaria. Afterall, wrestling does sculpture your body!
Lastly, I received a full wrestling schorarship to an institution in the United Kingdom. I believe I was the first women ever in the world to recieve such an honor.
While getting ready for the 8th World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Moscow, I dislocateded my shoulder and missed the event. But I traveled to United Kingdom to attend the University of Surrey in Surrey.
The United Kingdom was not a country with traditions in wrestling. So I had to find a way to keep up my wrestling and searched for wrestling partners and coaches. I traveled to London 3 times a week and trained with Iranian wrestlers living in the country. They treated me with respect and appreciation for what I was doing .
After graduating from the Surrey University in 1997, I moved to the promised land-- The
United States of America. I settled in San Francisco, CA.
My best friend Olga Lara (an American wrestler) introduced me to the 1984 US Olympic Greco-Roman coach Lee Allen, and head of the San Francisco Penisula Grapplers women's wrestling team. I was happy to help coach the girls there and train at the same time. I found a new family, who also helped me through a very tough time.
I was not able to compete on the international scene for almost 4 years due to the processing of my resident status in the USA, but I kept training and participating in a tournaments within the United States. Patience and determination and good friends helped me to continue.
In 2001 I moved to the Big Apple -- New York City-- and joined one of the most powerful club in the world: The New York Athletic Club (NYAC).
I made the 2001, 2002, 2003 world teams....
To be continued soon.........
Julieta Kliford Okot
E-mail julietaokot@gmail.com
tel # from USA 917 734 5148; :: from outside of USA 001 917 734 5148
Mailing address
2790 Broadway, Apartment 2B
New York, New York 10025
| 
