Tela O'Donnell
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Tela O'Donnell |
| Nationality |
 United States
|
| Born |
July 16, 1982 Homer, Alaska, United States |
| Height | 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) |
| Weight | 55 kg (121 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Wrestling |
| Style | Freestyle |
| Club | Dave Schultz Wrestling Club |
| College team | Pacific University |
| Coach | Terry Steiner |
Tela O'Donnell (born July 16, 1982 in Homer, Alaska) is a retired amateur American freestyle wrestler, who competed in the women's lightweight category. She picked up the 2003 U.S. national runner-up trophy in her respective division, and later represented the United States team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, finishing sixth in the process. Throughout her sporting career, O'Donnell served full-time as a member of Dave Schultz Wrestling Club, and also became a resident athlete for the development program at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
O'Donnell began her sporting career at Homer High School in Alaska, where she lettered in football and volleyball. In her junior season, she officially joined the high school wrestling team under her coach Pat Dagel (Maine state champ)and assistant coach Jesse Caraway went on to set her own record as the second female wrestler to place in the state wrestling tournament. After graduating from high school in 2001, O'Donnell enrolled at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, where she competed on the women's wrestling team for an annual season.
In 2003, O'Donnell was selected to enter the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she had turned her sights to the women's wrestling squad under head coach Terry Steiner. Additionally, she attended classes part-time at the University of Colorado, taking up a bachelor of science degree in psychology.
O'Donnell blossomed her sporting career with a 121-pound title at the Women's University Championships in St. Joseph, Missouri. She sought her sights to compete for the U.S. world wrestling squad, but missed a chance to grab a spot after her startling defeat from Tina George at the national trials.
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