On Los Osos Campus, in dedication to the Boys and Girls Wrestling team, a new mural organized by one of our own grizzlies has been completed. The new mural can be found in the school foyer, up the stairs leading into the second story of the gym where the school’s wrestling takes place.
The mural, put together by Senior Lauren Frame from April Chertkow’s Art class, features a grizzly bear peering its head and claws through the wall facing the first landing of the staircase, and a large set of scratch marks stretching down the corner opposite of the grizzly bear. On the top of the staircase, a banner, donned with the school colors navy blue and gold, bears this inscription: “Wrestling isn’t easy…nor should it be. For the greatest gift this sport will ever give is who you will become as a result of it.”
The creation of the mural was requested by the wrestling department, with Larry Cutbirth the current head coach. The planning of the mural came more specifically from the former wrestling head coach, Jeffery Brehmeyer. He states, “[The mural was] mostly her [Frame’s] work in terms of taking a small vision that I had, and then she blew it up.”
When it came to the creation of the mural, Brehmeyer’s and Frame’s visions of school spirit and creativity came together to create the mural. The objective was to motivate and inspire grizzly wrestlers going up the stairs and reading the banner as they head to their main area. The inscription, Brehemeyer believes, carries the essence of wrestling as a whole.
He testifies, “Wrestling, as a sport…requires so much dedication and effort and discipline that builds you a better version of yourself…it can be very humbling. There is no wrestler that ever goes undefeated.”
This sentiment shared by Brehemeyer is shared by many wrestlers, including Sophie “The Dog” Sharp, known for her tenacity and persistence in wrestling. She also has posted the same quote that is found on the banner in the mural to inspire future grizzlies to continue their pursuit and passion going into the sport. Now, this sentiment is echoed through this inspirational work that can be seen right here on campus.
When asked about how she wishes her work would impact wrestlers, Frame responded, “I hope it’s something that they can see every day, that they can be inspired either for a match or for practice…[that] they can remember that school spirit going into a match or just having fun.”
In addition to the creation of the wrestling mural, Frame has also contributed to the multi-cultural mural which is found in the C building, in the Southeast language hall. She worked alongside Preston, Juliet Macias, Sarah Ketchem, Aiden W., Jingning Wu, and Kharlee Fish. Her outstanding creativity and skill are shown in these works.
Now, with the addition of the new mural in the gym staircase, the hope is that the school spirit rises and brings more spirit into the sport of wrestling. As the mural reflects, the hardship of any pursuit transforms any individual, regardless of where they may be. For our grizzly wrestlers and for Frame, thank you for making our campus brighter.