Tamyra Mensah-Stock

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Tamyra Mensah-Stock

| image = Tamyra_Mensah_(USA)_2021.jpg

| image_size = 250px

| caption = Tamyra at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships

| headercolor =

| fullname = Tamyra Mariama Mensah-Stock

| ethnicity =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|10|11}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| hometown = Katy, Texas, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = 1.65m

| weight = {{convert|69|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

| spouse = Jacob Stock

| country = United States

| sport = Wrestling

| event = Freestyle

| collegeteam = Wayland Baptist University

| club = Titan Mercury Wrestling Club

| team =

| turnedpro =

| coach = Terry Steiner
Izzy Izboinikov

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women's freestyle wrestling}}

{{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}}

File:Olympic rings.svg

}}

Tamyra Mariama Mensah-Stock (born October 11, 1992, {{née}} Mensah) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she wrestles on the LFG brand under the name Tyra Mae Steele.

Mensah-Stock previously competed in women's freestyle wrestling, winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics on August 3, 2021, and became the first black woman to win gold in women's freestyle wrestling.{{Cite web|title=Wrestling Results Book|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/resOG2020-/pdf/OG2020-/WRE/OG2020-_WRE_B99_WRE-------------------------------.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807164330/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/resOG2020-/pdf/OG2020-/WRE/OG2020-_WRE_B99_WRE-------------------------------.pdf|archive-date=7 August 2021|access-date=8 August 2021|work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics|publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.iat.uni-leipzig.de/datenbanken/dbwrestling/daten.php?spid=6500903814924BD7ABD809999B8E21B9|title=International Wrestling Database - Tamyra Mensah|last=|first=|date=|website=www.iat.uni-leipzig.de|access-date=2019-09-21|archive-date=July 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719163825/https://www.iat.uni-leipzig.de/datenbanken/dbwrestling/daten.php?spid=6500903814924BD7ABD809999B8E21B9|url-status=dead}}

Early life and education

Tamyra was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. Her father was a Ghanaian who lived in Ghana until the age of 30, and her mother is from Illinois.{{cite news |last1=Wagner |first1=James |title=Tamyra Mensah-Stock becomes the first Black woman to win a wrestling gold. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/03/sports/olympics/tamyra-mensah-stock-wrestling.html |access-date=9 August 2021 |work=New York Times |date=3 August 2021}}

At Morton Ranch High School in Katy, Texas, her twin sister, Tarkyia, joined the wrestling team their freshman year while Tamyra pursued track and field. She joined the wrestling team her sophomore year, at age 15, after her sister and the wrestling coach, Mark Balser, convinced her to take part in a wrestling practice session.{{Cite web |title=Tamyra Mensah - 2016-17 - Women's Wrestling|url=https://wbuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/tamyra-mensah/4081|access-date=2021-08-03| website =Wayland Baptist University Athletics|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Vype|first=Dennis Silva Ii|date=2021-07-14|title='A Heart of Gold:' Former Katy Morton Ranch High star Mensah-Stock bound for Olympics|url=https://www.click2houston.com/sports/2021/07/14/a-heart-of-gold-former-katy-morton-ranch-high-star-mensah-stock-bound-for-olympics/|access-date=2021-08-03|website=KPRC|language=en|archive-date=August 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803125722/https://www.click2houston.com/sports/2021/07/14/a-heart-of-gold-former-katy-morton-ranch-high-star-mensah-stock-bound-for-olympics/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|date=2 August 2021|title=Is US wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock the most upbeat athlete at Tokyo 2020?|url=http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/aug/02/tamyra-mensah-stock-wrestling-freestyle-tokyo-2020-olympics|access-date=3 August 2021 |work=The Guardian|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Tamyra Mensah-Stock: USA wrestler is a pescatarian and has a zombie alter ego|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/tamyra-mensah-usa-wrestler-zombie-pescatarian-champion|access-date=3 August 2021|website=Tokyo 2020|language=en-US|archive-date=August 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804185342/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/tamyra-mensah-usa-wrestler-zombie-pescatarian-champion|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|title=Meet the Athletes: Tamyra Mensah-Stock | NBC Olympics|url= https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/meet-athletes-tamyra-mensah-stock|access-date=3 August 2021|website=www.nbcolympics.com|language=en}} However, she almost quit after her father's fatal car accident, on his way home from one of her high school wrestling matches.{{Cite news |last=Bumbaca|first=Chris|title='How I always am': Karaoke machine in tow, Tamyra Mensah-Stock dominates, sings way to wrestling finals|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2021/08/02/tamyra-mensah-stock-wrestling-gold-karaoke-tokyo-olympics/5451855001/|date = 2 August 2021| access-date= 3 August 2021|work=USA TODAY|language=en-US}} She blamed wrestling for her father's untimely death. She saw him as her biggest supporter.{{Cite news|last=Barron|first=David|date=15 July 2021|title=Olympic wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock equal parts hunter and hugger |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/tokyo-olympics/article/Olympic-wrestler-Tamyra-Mensah-Stock-equal-parts-16316994.php| access-date=3 August 2021|work=Houston Chronicle|language=en-US}}

In 2010 and 2011, she became the Texas High School Girls Champion having finished second in 2009.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200406175256/https://www.teamusa.org/usa-wrestling/athletes/Tamyra-Mensah Tamyra Mensah] Team USA In 2010, she became the U.S. Junior National runner-up.

After high school, she attended Wayland Baptist University (WBU) where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise and Sports Science. As a student wrestler, she became the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) Nationals Champion in 2014 and 2017. She also took third place in the 2013 at the U.S. Universities Championship and first place in 2015.

Amateur career

Although she won the 68 kg class at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, none of the athletes from the United States secured a spot to compete in relevant 68 kg weight category at the 2016 Rio Olympics, so she spent her time in Brazil as a practice partner for teammates who were eligible in other weight categories.{{Cite web|url=https://www.teamusa.com/news/2021/february/24/wrestling-helped-tamyra-mensah-stock-find-her-confidence-and-her-calling|title=Wrestling Helped Tamyra Mensah-Stock Find Her Confidence And Her Calling|date=February 24, 2021|website=www.teamusa.com|accessdate=December 2, 2023}}

She won the gold medal in the women's 68 kg event during the 2019 World Wrestling Championships and also qualified to represent United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics.{{Cite web|url=https://www.iat.uni-leipzig.de/datenbanken/dbwrestling/daten.php?wkid=033FCEC7CFDE48BF83FBE48EDE2C5078&gkl=8|title=World Wrestling Championship|access-date=2019-09-21}}{{Cite web|url=https://unitedworldwrestling.org/event/world-championships-36|title=2019 World Wrestling Championships|last=jeandaniel|website=United World Wrestling|language=en|access-date=2019-09-21}} She was one of the three gold medalists for the United States in women's freestyle category at the 2019 World Championships, which also marked the first instance where U.S. delegation claimed three gold medals in women's wrestling event at a single World Championships.{{Cite web|url=https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2019/09/20/tamyra-mensah-stock-wrestling-world-championships/|title=Tamyra Mensah-Stock caps historic wrestling worlds for U.S. women|last=OlympicTalk|date=2019-09-20|website=OlympicTalk|language=en|access-date=2019-09-21}}

Tamyra also claimed a bronze medal in the women's 68 kg event at the 2018 World Wrestling Championships.{{Cite web|url=https://unitedworldwrestling.org/event/world-championships-33?tab=results&weight-category=7a0a29c5-d2d9-11e8-8b8f-080027548b1b|title=2018 World Wrestling Championships|last=|website=United World Wrestling|language=en|access-date=2019-09-21}}

In January 2021, she won the gold medal in the women's 68 kg event at the Grand Prix de France Henri Deglane 2021 held in Nice, France.{{Cite web|title=Grand Prix de France Henri Deglane 2021 Results Book|url=https://cdn.uww.org/s3fs-public/2021-01/results_01_nice.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023195336/https://cdn.uww.org/s3fs-public/2021-01/results_01_nice.pdf|archive-date=23 October 2021|access-date=23 October 2021|website=United World Wrestling}} She also won the gold medal in the 68 kg event at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series 2021 held in Rome, Italy.{{Cite web|title=Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series 2021|url=https://uww.org/sites/default/files/2021-03/final-book_matteo_pellicone_2021.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321221706/https://uww.org/sites/default/files/2021-03/final-book_matteo_pellicone_2021.pdf|archive-date=21 March 2021|access-date=21 March 2021|website=United World Wrestling}}

On August 3, 2021, she won the gold medal in the women's freestyle 68 kg, after defeating Nigeria's Blessing Oborududu 4–1, at the 2020 Summer Olympics.{{Cite web|title=Tamyra Mensah-Stock Takes Gold in Wrestling|url=https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/sports/tokyo-summer-olympics/us-wrestler-tamyra-mensah-stock-going-for-gold/2577857/|access-date=2021-08-03|website=NBC Chicago|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|date=2021-08-03|title=Olympics-Wrestling-Mensah-Stock wins women's freestyle light heavyweight gold medal|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2020-wre-idUSKBN2F41FK|access-date=2021-08-03}} She became the first female African-American and the first Black wrestler to win Olympic gold,{{Cite web|title=Tamyra Mensah-Stock wins women's freestyle 68kg|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/golden-night-for-tamyra-mensah-stock-in-women-s-freestyle-68kg|access-date=2021-08-03|website=Tokyo 2020|language=en-US|archive-date=August 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803200519/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/golden-night-for-tamyra-mensah-stock-in-women-s-freestyle-68kg|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|title=Mensah-Stock 1st first Black U.S. woman wrestler to win gold|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/mensah-stock-1st-first-black-us-woman-wrestler-to-win-gold/2021/08/03/d8fa189c-f468-11eb-a636-18cac59a98dc_story.html|access-date=2021-08-03|issn=0190-8286}} and only the second female American to win gold, after Helen Maroulis in 2016.{{cite news | url=https://sports.yahoo.com/tamyra-mensah-stock-becomes-second-030706637.html | first=Erica L. | last=Ayala | title=Tamyra Mensah-Stock becomes second U.S. woman to win Olympic wrestling gold | publisher=Yahoo! | date=2021-08-03 | access-date=2021-08-04 | archive-date=August 5, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805024200/https://sports.yahoo.com/tamyra-mensah-stock-becomes-second-030706637.html | url-status=dead }} Two months after the Olympics, she won one of the bronze medals in the women's 68 kg event at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships in Oslo, Norway.{{Cite news|last=Burke|first=Patrick|date=7 October 2021|title=Helen Louise Maroulis wins third title at Wrestling World Championships in Oslo|work=InsideTheGames.biz|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1113939/maroulis-uww-wrestling-world-champs|access-date=7 October 2021}}{{Cite web|title=2021 World Wrestling Championships Results Book|url=https://uww.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/results_10_oslo.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016114828/https://uww.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/results_10_oslo.pdf|archive-date=16 October 2021|access-date=16 October 2021|website=United World Wrestling}}

She won the gold medal in her event at the 2022 Tunis Ranking Series event held in Tunis, Tunisia.{{Cite web |title=2022 Zouhaier Sghaier Results Book |url=https://cdn.uww.org/s3fs-public/2022-07/final-book-zouhaier_sghaier_0.pdf?VersionId=7Eym.guK9SHiyC6Bsh3Jnsong8qK_Syt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220719112138/https://cdn.uww.org/s3fs-public/2022-07/final-book-zouhaier_sghaier_0.pdf?VersionId=7Eym.guK9SHiyC6Bsh3Jnsong8qK_Syt |archive-date=19 July 2022 |access-date=19 July 2022 |website=United World Wrestling}}

Professional wrestling

On May 3, 2023, it was announced Mensah-Stock had signed with WWE to become a professional wrestler.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/wwe/story/_/id/37316360/olympic-wrestling-champion-tamyra-mensah-stock-signs-wwe|title=WWE signs wrestling gold medalist Mensah-Stock|date=May 3, 2023|website=ESPN.com|accessdate=December 2, 2023}} She is the third Olympic wrestling gold medalist (after Kurt Angle and Gable Steveson) and the first female Olympic wrestling gold medalist to sign with the company. On the taping of the July 5, 2024 edition of NXT Level Up, she made her in-ring debut under the name Tyra Mae Steele, in a losing effort against Wren Sinclair.{{Cite web|url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/spoilers-for-this-weeks-nxt-level-up-7-5-24/|website=411Mania|first=Jeremy|last=Thomas|title=Spoilers For This Week’s NXT Level Up|date=July 2, 2024|accessdate=July 3, 2024}}

Personal life

In 2016, Mensah-Stock married Jacob Stock, who wrestled alongside his future wife at Morton Ranch High School and at Wayland Baptist University.{{Cite web|last=Finn|first=Mike|date=2021-05-06|title=Making of a Superhero|url=https://www.win-magazine.com/2021/05/06/making-of-a-superhero/|access-date=2021-08-03|website=WIN Magazine|language=en-US}}{{cite news |last1=Goodman |first1=Claire |title=Bond between Olympic gold medalist Tamyra Mensah-Stock, ex-Katy ISD coach carries on beyond the ring |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/neighborhood/katy/article/He-was-like-my-second-dad-Bond-between-16367883.php |access-date=9 August 2021 |work=Houston Chronicle |date=6 August 2021}} Mensah-Stock is a pescatarian.[https://olympics.com/en/news/tamyra-mensah-usa-wrestler-zombie-pescatarian-champion "Tamyra Mensah-Stock: Five things to know about the wrestling Olympic champion"]. Olympics.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.