Wrestling hasn’t always been just a sport to Ariana Farr; through wrestling, she has learned to face her challenges and continue on with her career, no matter the injury or hurdle.
The injury that Farr endured was tearing her ligament in her left arm. She figured out this information by booking appointments to get an x-ray and later on getting an MRI. She then eventually was able to have Tommy Johns surgery, which helped put a whole new ligament back into her elbow. The doctors later let her know that the entire healing process would take about a year. Farr had taken this injury last season (‘23-’24) during her Junior year. The tournament she had gone to was the Griswold varsity tournament, where she wrestled girls and guys from other high schools in her weight class of 114.
“I tried to save myself from falling [during my match], I posted my arm out and then it popped. I thought I just hyperextended it, so I wrestled on it the next day [and placed first at the tournament for my weight class],” Farr said. She not only kept wrestling the day after she was injured, but she even placed first at the all-girls Griswold tournament. Showing her strength and dedication to a sport she admires.
The process of recovery has been hard, especially after needing surgery on her arm.
“For 8 months,” Farr said, “I had gone to physical therapy and was approved to work out on my own, and now I am just waiting to be cleared for wrestling.”
Mentally, Farr struggled, especially since she had been, “working at other clinics to better myself and improve my techniques.” Farr was ready to keep going in her wrestling career, but had to stop due to her injury and focus on getting better.
“It was really upsetting to make a mistake like that, which cost me the rest of the season when I had good competition I could’ve gone up against,” said Farr.
She wanted to have a speedy recovery, so she kept working and never stopped giving up.
Since she has participated in the sport since freshman year, she has many fond memories of her team through the years. Farr reflected on one of her most significant wins in her career, “my [favorite memory has to be the] very first win in freshman year when everyone in the crowd was cheering, especially since I had gone up against a guy from Fairfield prep [which is a very good team].”
At that moment Farr said she was proud of herself, but also shocked at the audience’s reaction to it all, she loved it.
Farr is proud to see how far she has come with wrestling, especially keeping up with her confidence.
Originally, she was introduced to wrestling by her rugby coach at the time, James Lewis. Who is now the current head coach of the wrestling team. In the past (before Farr was in high school), he had recommended her to try out wrestling and once she did, she fell in love with it. Now, Farr said she is proud to make a comeback soon in the current wrestling season.
Currently, for the ‘24-’25 season, there have been two new girls welcomed to the Morgan Wrestling team; sophomore Savanah Stewart, and freshman Eliose Rancho. Farr was happy to see new girls, especially during her senior year, when she would be able to teach them her techniques.
“It feels great. I mean, being the only girl for three years has been a lot and also a big challenge for me. So being able to get more girls on the team makes me pleased to know that they are able to come out of their shells and continue on with the sport. Especially since it can be intimidating and seems like a more male dominated sport,” Farr said. Farr was also proud to mention not only helping teach/coach the new girls on the team, but also volunteering her time with the wrestling youth group, called Sled Dogs.
After senior year, there can be many ideas of what to do and where to go. Farr mentioned that she knows what she is going to do for her major, and the college she plans to go to, “[I would like to major as a] PA, Physician’s assistant. Growing up around it, my mom has worked at a hospital most of my life and also my aunt too,” Farr continued and said, “I hopefully [plan on going to] Marist College, but am open to going anywhere.”
Farr hasn’t only been involved with wrestling during high school, she also participated in the, “Shoreline Spartans club, I did it for three years, mostly in middle school and then my freshman year.” She mentioned she helped start the high school girls team with her friend Aleia Aleman. “I also helped manage the football team for two years for my sophomore and junior year,” Farr commented.
