The Lucha Wrestling Club in New York City is rapidly changing lives and futures for young women in the Bronx and beyond. Founded on the belief that wrestling builds resilience, confidence, and leadership skills, the all-girls freestyle program has become a powerful pathway to college scholarships and personal growth for athletes who previously lacked access to such opportunities. This isn’t just about sports; it’s about breaking barriers in a historically male-dominated arena and equipping these girls with skills that extend far beyond the mat.
From Struggle to Strength: The Origins of Lucha
The story of Lucha begins with Josh Lee, a former walk-on wrestler at the University of North Carolina who later became a special education teacher in the Bronx. After years of advocating for a wrestling team at William H. Taft High School, he finally secured funding for two programs: one for boys and one for girls, launching in 2013. This decision was largely coincidental, but it quickly proved significant. Taft was the only school in the city to launch girls’ wrestling alongside its boys’ program, creating an immediate opportunity for female athletes who previously had no formal training options.
Lee and his colleague Robert Carrillo created a recruiting video to attract students, but the girls’ stories – navigating homelessness, deportation fears, and systemic barriers – quickly became the film’s focal point. The result was Lucha: A Wrestling Tale, a documentary that captures the struggles and triumphs of these young athletes.
A Documentary That Sparked Change
The film, released in 2023, won critical acclaim and sparked a wave of support for the Lucha program. Donations poured in, enabling Lee to establish the Lucha Wrestling Club as a nonprofit organization. This expansion provides expert-level training, academic support, nutrition education, and leadership development to girls throughout New York City, with a specific focus on empowering athletes from the Bronx and northern Manhattan, where resources are scarce.
The timing couldn’t be better. Girls’ wrestling is the fastest-growing high school sport in the U.S., with over 74,000 participants last year, a 15% increase from the previous year. The NCAA will officially recognize women’s wrestling as its 91st championship sport in January 2025, further solidifying the sport’s future.
The Power of Coaching: Enas Ahmed’s Impact
A key ingredient in Lucha’s success is coach Enas Ahmed, a two-time Olympian from Egypt. Ahmed brings not only technical expertise but also a deep understanding of the mental fortitude required to excel in wrestling. Her approach focuses on building a connection between mind and muscle, teaching girls to execute techniques with speed and conviction.
“Some girls believe wrestling is not for them. They are afraid to try,” Ahmed explains. “When I show them that a supportive environment is here for them at Lucha, they feel safe to fail and try again—and that’s when the real growth happens.”
Ahmed’s presence is particularly impactful given the scarcity of elite female coaches in the sport. She actively cultivates an environment where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities, encouraging girls to push their boundaries and discover their inner strength.
Beyond the Mat: A Pipeline to Opportunity
Lucha isn’t merely about athletic achievement. The program aims to be a consistent pipeline out of poverty and into higher education. Athletes like Shirley Paulino, a former captain of the Taft team, have used wrestling as a stepping stone to college, graduating from Lehman College in the Bronx with a bachelor’s degree in physics and math.
“The only thing [wrestling] didn’t do is provide a roof over my head, and that’s because it couldn’t,” Paulino says. “But it gave me purpose, it gave me direction, it gave me family. It taught me how to love again. It was more than just a sport for me.… It gave me a place to thrive and be myself.”
The Lucha Wrestling Club represents a powerful shift in youth development. By blending athletic training with academic and personal support, it empowers young women to defy expectations, build resilience, and unlock their full potential. The program’s motto, “If you can wrestle, you can do anything,” encapsulates the transformative impact of this unique initiative.
