To Battle in Bratislava
Photo Credit: Tony Rotundo
BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA — August 2026
Another chapter of the Wrestling for Peace (W4P) 2026 Global Campaign is closed. Just hours before the opening of the U20 World Championships, the USA’s Women’s Freestyle Team and young men from two group homes gathered for an exciting wrestling outreach at the Lohyňa Wrestling Academy, owned by Slovakian wrestling legend, Jozef Lohyňa.
Lohyňa is an Olympic bronze medalist and 1990 World Champion whose career represents one of the great traditions of Slovak wrestling. He has been a long time friend to USA Wrestling over the years. His academy provided the perfect setting for a meeting on the mat.
The event was built around W4P’s simple message: Everyone wrestles.
On this day, some of the best young female wrestlers in the world did more than represent the United States. They became teachers and friends to the young people of Bratislava.
Led by W4P Project Manager, Nicole Tyson, a Junior World Champion and Women’s Coach at Campbellsville University, the W4P delegation enjoyed watching Team USA demonstrate techniques, answer questions, sign posters, and share the joy of the sport that has taken them around the world. Initially, there was an awkward silence between the female athletes and the crowd of young men, but by the time the event was over, the delegation had captured the hearts of these youth.
They wrestled. They found community.
Nicole Tyson
The most powerful part of the afternoon was watching the U20 Women interact directly with the youth. They laughed, encouraged, and celebrated the efforts of these young men, most whom had never wrestled. At the conclusion of the program, each young man received a signed USA U20 Women’s Team poster, a gift bag of treats, Wrestling for Peace t-shirts, and Wrestling for Peace medals. On and off the mat, every child deserves the opportunity to belong, to be seen and to believe that their future can be bigger than their circumstances.
Team USA’s U20 Women’s World Team
Coming home with a team fourth place finish, the USA Freestyle women are among the finest young wrestlers in the world. Leydecker brought home the gold, while Turner, Graber and Fernandez each grabbed a bronze medal. All ten ladies finished in the top ten. A first for Team USA. Keep your eyes on these young athletes as we approach the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles!
50 kg — Morgan Turner (Bronze Medal)
53 kg — Taylor Whiting
55 kg — Everest Leydecker (Gold Medal)
57 kg — Karlee Brooks
59 kg — Caley Graber (Bronze Medal)
62 kg — Bella Williams
65 kg — Riley Hanrahan
68 kg — Taina Fernandez (Bronze Medal)
72 kg — Gretchen Donally
76 kg — Piper Fowler (5th)
Photo Credit: Tony Rotundo
World-Class Wrestling Meets Peace-building: A Dream Team
The Wrestling for Peace delegation in Slovakia included a diverse group of wrestlers and supporters.
Jessica Medina Bunker, USA Wrestling's National Women's Freestyle Development Coach, is a six-time U.S. Senior National Team member, a 2009 and 2010 U.S. Senior World Team member and a 2006 Junior World bronze medalist. She also won two WCWA national titles at the University of the Cumberlands and later served as head women's wrestling coach at Ferrum College before joining USA Wrestling.
Clarissa Chun, a World Champion and Olympic bronze medalist, joined the Wrestling for Peace team for the second year in a row. Now head women’s coach at University of Iowa, Chun won the 2008 World Championship and Olympic bronze in 2012 and has become one of the leading figures in the development of women's wrestling in the United States.
Nicole Tyson, Wrestling for Peace Program Manager, coordinated the logistics and transportation necessary to bring the program together.
Joy Russell, Wrestling for Peace Strategic Lead, helped guide the broader strategy behind the Global Campaign and its emphasis on using wrestling to build relationships across borders.
Darryl Colbert, Wrestling for Peace 2025 Volunteer of the Year and Team USA Chaplain, brought his experience and heart for athletes and young people to the project.
Dan Russell, W4P Executive Director and Board Chairman. Dan was a 2-time World Cadet Champion, 4-time NCAA Champion, the 1995 Pudubbny Champion and 2004 Olympic Coach.
Steve Grant, a former Indianapolis Colts linebacker who spent six seasons playing in the NFL, appearing in 83 games and starting 47. Grant was drafted by Indianapolis in the 10th round of the 1992 NFL Draft and later signed with Tampa Bay.
Beyond wrestling, Grant brought a new perspective for the young US and Slovakia participants — the perspective of someone who knows what it means to pursue a dream, overcome obstacles, and understand that success is ultimately measured by what we do for others.
Also playing an important role was Elizabeth Blumenthal, Public Affairs Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Slovakia. Blumenthal helped connect Wrestling for Peace with the group homes and played an important role in making it possible for the youth to participate. Her involvement represented another important dimension of the Wrestling for Peace mission:
Sports diplomacy can create relationships between people and institutions that last far beyond a single competition.
Finally, award-winning wrestling photographer, Tony Rotundo, was there to document the experience. Rotundo is one of the most respected photographers in wrestling, having documented Olympic Trials, World Championships, NCAA wrestling and major international competitions. But in Bratislava, his camera captured all of the special moments at the event. These photographs will tell the story of Bratislava long after the tournament is finished.
Bratislava is a wrap!
For W4P Executive Director, Dan Russell, this project represented exactly what W4P hopes to accomplish through its 2026 Global Campaign: “Collaborating for the good of others is a simple way to find purpose beyond the podium. Let’s not focus on the BIG and miss the beautiful. Let’s wrestle together for PEACE!”
P.S. DON’T FORGET TO BUY YOUR TICKETS TO OUR ANNUAL FALL GALA!
www.wrestlingforpeace.org/events/fallgala2026