Parachute’s Cody Pfau made some history in February. At the state wrestling tournament, she became the first Colorado girl to win a preliminary match.
Here’s the thing, the 18-year-old senior from Grand Valley High School sees her accomplishment as nothing special. Others though are starting to take notice.
Pfau is slated to be honored with award in the wrestling category at the 39th annual Sportswomen of Colorado awards taking place March 10th. Headlining the event is another accomplished high school athlete. Her name is one you’ll recognize, Olympic swimming medalist Missy Franklin.
Like Franklin, Pfau is a superb athlete who thrives on finding her limits and testing them. She trains hours every day solo and with team members at Grand Valley.
“Every day you find out where [they] are and you go past it. You can’t just stop there, you keep going,” says Pfau.
For someone her age, Pfau has a long list of accomplishments. She won silver at the girls 2012 Cadet Pan Am Championships in Venezuala. She has 2 national junior women’s wrestling titles under her belt.
“It’s all worth it for those two seconds when your hands are in the air,” she says.
Despite all of her accomplishments, it wasn’t until that match at the state wrestling championships that much of Colorado actually took notice of Pfau. It was then that she beat Fedinando Martinez in the 106 pound category.
If you ask her, she’ll call her accomplishment “nothing special.” Grand Valley Assistant Principal and Activities Director Dave Walck has another take.
“From her perspective, she sees everything she does as very matter of fact. I’m a wrestler. And that’s true. But from an outside perspective she’s accomplished a ton. She’s broken some gender barriers in my mind,” says Walck.
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Like Franklin, Pfau also has Olympic aspirations. But the sport is at a crossroads. Last month the National Olympic Committee removed the sport from competition—something that’s currently being appealed.
“It’s one of the original four sports,” says Pfau. “I don’t think they’re going to do it,” she says, remaining optimistic that the Olympic Committee will reverse its decision.
Men's wrestling first appeared at the ancient Olympic Games in 708 B.C., women’s wrestling is incredibly young in comparison. It was just added in 2004.
Off the wrestling mat? Pfau is just as accomplished. She’s at the top of her class and aspires to be a neurosurgeon. After graduating in May, Pfau plans to attend Oklahoma Baptist University.
On a partial wrestling scholarship of course.