Kai Willcox '25 Recruiting Profile

As a Military family, we have moved around a number of times, and my Dad was often gone. To help provide stability and academic opportunity, my Mom homeschooled me and my brother in a classical educational approach through 8th grade. I was definitely blessed with unique experiences in each location that taught me valuable life applications for learning. We moved to Colorado in 2017, and I had the opportunity to join Falcon Aerolabs, a homeschool augmentation program where I was able to fly solo in a non-powered plane and obtain my student pilots license. On top of all the academic and practical skills I gained learning about flying, science, engineering, and the logistics of aviation. However, on the day I soloed my Mom was diagnosed as Stage 3 with a rare aggressive form of cancer. Needless to say, everything was about to change. My Mom started, what would be years, of radical treatment, and we had to start at a new school. It was a lot to process that everything that had been my foundation was being turned upside down in a matter of weeks. My grades dipped and I struggled to find my way. Football provided a healthy outlet for me for a time but my teammates weren't as committed as I was, but then I found wrestling and it quickly became my focus. A sport where I got out of it what I put in, I was personally responsible for the outcomes and it was a way to vent negative emotions, on top of that a personal goal to chase. Wrestling changed my life for the better. My junior year I finished with a 4.26 GPA, a massive difference from 2.5 my Sophomore year. 

Through hard work and dedication, a good support team, and great coaches I placed 3rd at Regionals and made it to State my first year of wrestling. My Mom and Dad were there to cheer me on and it was deeply satisfying to bring my family together around something so positive. Now, my second year, I am ranked top 10 in the state (currently 6th), and I am more driven then ever to work hard and be healthy in all aspects of life. My wrestling philosophy is to do what you know your opponent isn't, to choose a great attitude in everything, and to keep focused on what I can control. I am always looking to improve, evolve my wrestling and grow as a person overall, and I am sure that these values will transfer to many things in life.