Clarke Central High School girls varsity wrestler Kimberly “Moon” Uriostegui, a junior, stands in the CCHS wrestling practice room on Mar. 26. Uriostegui became the first CCHS girls wrestler to win a GHSA Region 8 championship on Jan. 31. “I feel like I have to shoot higher right now because if girls see that (accomplishment) that’ll make the program bigger,” Uriostegui said. Photo by Wyatt Meyer
CCHS girls varsity wrestler Moon Uriostegui has continuously set high expectations for herself as she grapples with being a female in male-dominated combat sports.
Under the gym lights, the aroma of sweat fills the air. Kimberly Uriostegui, a junior, stands with the weight of history on her shoulders. Nicknamed Moon, she’s Clarke Central High School’s first female wrestler to win a GHSA Region 8 championship and the first to qualify for the state tournament under standard rules.
But before the gold medal, there were years of feeling like an outlier as one of the few girls in martial arts gyms. Her legacy wasn’t built instantly, it was forged in every moment she shot for the moon.
At seven, she laced up her first mixed martial arts gloves. She watched as the boys paired off, leaving her alone. It was then she gave herself the name Moon, a way to mask her femininity in the gym.
In combat, she found purpose. In challenge, she found drive. In every match, she fought like it was her last.
By the time other kids her age learned geometry, she had earned a first-degree black belt in Taekwondo. By 14, she had kicked her way to two United Taekwondo Alliance national titles. By 15, she started Muay Thai, craving a new challenge.
In combat, she found purpose. In challenge, she found drive. In every match, she fought like it was her last.
In high school, her ambition was no different. As a freshman, she walked into the wrestling room – once again one of only two girls in an entire room of boys – but this time, the solitude felt heavier. This was no longer just a pattern. It was a cycle begging to be broken.
She knew she had to stay, not just to wrestle, but to ensure no girl after her would step onto the mat alone.
For Moon, the fight isn’t over.
Now, she isn’t just reaching for herself when she shoots for the moon. She’s lighting a path so that one day those who follow won’t have to shoot for the moon, just stand on the mat.
