Help Yannis on His Journey to the Olympics
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Yannis Charles is on his way to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. He is the 1st South Carolina High School wrestler to be considered for the Resident Athlete Program.
Yannis Charles began exploring the sport of wrestling in January 2019. He joined a wrestling club and quickly took to the sport. He was a very quick learner and became the 1st freshman state qualifier at Clover High School with the help of Coach Jason Tolbert, a 3-time Olympic Festival Gold Medalist. He made it to the state competition that year. He broke his arm in his 1st match and spent 6 months in recovery. Then the pandemic hit and there was very little wrestling going on except what he could do at home. Yannis' dad looked for opportunities outside of the state to wrestle since SC and NC were shut down.
Yannis wrestled at the Killer Duals tournament in IN and the Bear tournament in Gatlinburg TN where he won 1st place for his weight class at each tournament. Yannis finished his HS season and his 2nd year of wrestling placing 2nd at the state tournament, losing only to a 3-time state champion. He would then go on to wrestle as a cadet at the Iowa Folkstyle Nationals, his 1st national tournament, making it all the way to the semi-finals and falling to his competitor. He secured All-American at this national tournament placing 6th as a 2nd year cadet wrestler. Afterwards, Yannis went on to attend Fargo where he participated in Olympic style wrestling, competing in both Freestyle and Greco as a cadet. As a 3rd year wrestler he made it to the blood round in Freestyle and would take 8th place in the nation and achieved All-American status in Greco.
In his 3rd year of wrestling and as a junior Yannis would wrestle up a weight class his entire HS season to help his team. While wrestling up he met with a 2-time state champion opponent on the mat who was considered the pound-for-pound best wrestler in South Carolina. Yannis had the option to wrestle down and dominate at 138 pds, which was his ideal weight, and would have likely won a state championship. Instead, he he continued to wrestle up at 145 pds and take on the challenge to face a stronger, more experienced opponent. He took 2nd place again but Yannis would not be denied. Shortly after Yannis returned to the Iowa Folkstyle Nationals. As a 3rd year wrestler he entered the tournament in the junior category. The competition at this level is much greater than at the cadet level, which was his level he wrestled the previous year. He took 4th place and achieved All-American status, improving on his placement from last year.
Recently, Yannis attended an invite-only world team trials camp in WI. It was there that he was discovered by the Greco head coach of the USA Wrestling Olympic Team. This introduction opened up an opportunity for Yannis to attend an exclusive PanAm Championship Camp in CO.
Yannis is the oldest of 6 children. As a family we have encouraged and supported Yannis through his journey as best as possible. His father has been an integral part of Yannis' overall conditioning, training and exposure to wrestling coaches nationwide. Yannis is now entering a new level of opportunity in this sport that will require more traveling, more training, more commitment, more money. We would love for him to reach his goal and will continue to support him all the way to the upcoming World Team Trial, Fargo and eventually his long term goal of the Olympics. However, we can humbly admit that it truly does take a village to raise a child.
We are reaching out with hopes that you can also help Yannis with his journey to prepare and fulfill his goal to become the youngest and 2nd South Carolina wrestler to represent the USA in the Olympics. Any amount laid upon your heart to donate will bring Yannis a step closer to the ultimate reward of becoming an Olympic medalist.
Yannis Charles began exploring the sport of wrestling in January 2019. He joined a wrestling club and quickly took to the sport. He was a very quick learner and became the 1st freshman state qualifier at Clover High School with the help of Coach Jason Tolbert, a 3-time Olympic Festival Gold Medalist. He made it to the state competition that year. He broke his arm in his 1st match and spent 6 months in recovery. Then the pandemic hit and there was very little wrestling going on except what he could do at home. Yannis' dad looked for opportunities outside of the state to wrestle since SC and NC were shut down.
Yannis wrestled at the Killer Duals tournament in IN and the Bear tournament in Gatlinburg TN where he won 1st place for his weight class at each tournament. Yannis finished his HS season and his 2nd year of wrestling placing 2nd at the state tournament, losing only to a 3-time state champion. He would then go on to wrestle as a cadet at the Iowa Folkstyle Nationals, his 1st national tournament, making it all the way to the semi-finals and falling to his competitor. He secured All-American at this national tournament placing 6th as a 2nd year cadet wrestler. Afterwards, Yannis went on to attend Fargo where he participated in Olympic style wrestling, competing in both Freestyle and Greco as a cadet. As a 3rd year wrestler he made it to the blood round in Freestyle and would take 8th place in the nation and achieved All-American status in Greco.
In his 3rd year of wrestling and as a junior Yannis would wrestle up a weight class his entire HS season to help his team. While wrestling up he met with a 2-time state champion opponent on the mat who was considered the pound-for-pound best wrestler in South Carolina. Yannis had the option to wrestle down and dominate at 138 pds, which was his ideal weight, and would have likely won a state championship. Instead, he he continued to wrestle up at 145 pds and take on the challenge to face a stronger, more experienced opponent. He took 2nd place again but Yannis would not be denied. Shortly after Yannis returned to the Iowa Folkstyle Nationals. As a 3rd year wrestler he entered the tournament in the junior category. The competition at this level is much greater than at the cadet level, which was his level he wrestled the previous year. He took 4th place and achieved All-American status, improving on his placement from last year.
Recently, Yannis attended an invite-only world team trials camp in WI. It was there that he was discovered by the Greco head coach of the USA Wrestling Olympic Team. This introduction opened up an opportunity for Yannis to attend an exclusive PanAm Championship Camp in CO.
Yannis is the oldest of 6 children. As a family we have encouraged and supported Yannis through his journey as best as possible. His father has been an integral part of Yannis' overall conditioning, training and exposure to wrestling coaches nationwide. Yannis is now entering a new level of opportunity in this sport that will require more traveling, more training, more commitment, more money. We would love for him to reach his goal and will continue to support him all the way to the upcoming World Team Trial, Fargo and eventually his long term goal of the Olympics. However, we can humbly admit that it truly does take a village to raise a child.
We are reaching out with hopes that you can also help Yannis with his journey to prepare and fulfill his goal to become the youngest and 2nd South Carolina wrestler to represent the USA in the Olympics. Any amount laid upon your heart to donate will bring Yannis a step closer to the ultimate reward of becoming an Olympic medalist.
Organizer
Haydee Charles
Organizer
Clover, SC
