VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (WTKR)- Wrestling runs in Destiny McKnight's family. Her father wrestled and it was something she'd always wanted to try, but had never hit the mat herself.
That all changed when she arrived at Tallwood High School her junior year.
"When I transferred here, I met Ferg (Lions' head coach Travis Fergunson) in the hallway," she recalled. "He just recruited me and I was like, I might as well just come out."
Destiny had played softball in the past, but had taken a hiatus from sports, one she says lasted about a year and half. But she decided to give it a try, joining the wrestling team.
"I was just like 'wow, this is really hard,'" she said. "But I like a challenge and I'm stubborn, so I stuck with it. If they can do it, I can do it."
"Last year, she came in at the heavyweight weight class," Ferguson remembered. "I thought she'd be great at that weight class. Then she got into the room, she just started dropping weight, kind of like too fast."
"I came in around 210 lbs," added Destiny.
The then-junior locked in, learning what it would take and getting to work. It did take her long to embrace the mat mentality.
"I have to be disciplined, I have to stay focused, I have to watch what I eat, watch what I do, exercise," she said. "I have to be prepared to wrestle. This is a hard sport."
As Destiny put in the work, she found herself dropping in weight classes. She shifted from heavyweight to 165 lbs. and once she became eligible, she joined the Lions in the state qualifier meet. It proved to be a key step in her journey.
"I came out and I didn't even know what I was doing," she said of her first match. "I went 0-2. That was kind of like a wake-up call , like 'OK, this is where I'm at now. Next year's my senior year. I need to lock in.'"
"She took the eventual champion all the way and she really gave her a great match," Ferguson added. "She came off that mat and I told her, I said 'girl, next year this is going to be you. You've got it. You've got something here!'"
Fast forward and she's proving her head coach right. The clock is winding down on her high school career, even though it feels like it's just beginning. The senior is making the most of it and finding her rhythm this year at the 132 lbs. weight class, sweeping her way to a Zone 1 qualifier victory last week.
"I feel good, I feel strong, I'm as healthy as I've ever been," Destiny smiled. "Wrestling, it's just really close to my heart now. It's really changed me in a lot of ways. I'm way more disciplined now."
Now there's only one thing left to do- finish out her career with a state championship win.
"It would mean a lot to me," she said. "For one, I'm such a new wrestler still. It's only my second year. But then also I'm a senior, so I won't have this chance again so I'd be really grateful for it."
When her high school career comes to a close, Destiny hopes to continue her career at the college level. The VHSL girls state wrestling championships begin Tuesday afternoon at Henrico Sports and Events Center.
