South African Wrestling: CJ Gold inspires women to join
Updated 19:10, 07-Aug-2019
In South Africa, "C-J" Gold is one of just a few black female wrestlers in the country. Due to little investment, wrestlers find it hard to make it a career. But Gold is determined to continue and dreams of performing internationally and inspiring other women in South Africa to take it up. CGTN's Julie Scheier has more.
Meet "C-J" Gold, the wrestling dynamo from Soweto.
CJ GOLD PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER, "I am the new one, I am the baby, well not baby but I am the queen of Africa after all. So my moves are the 'D-TT', the "Blockbuster" and the 'Slice-straight' I take whatever I get."
KOBUS ERASMUS WRESTLING TRAINER "Her name says it all 'Gold', I like to call her the golden goose. She is so talented. She is just one of those African ladies that pops out of now where and she is gifted man. I definitely know she is going to be the next big thing."
Weighing in at 65 kilograms, Gold is on a personal crusade to get more women involved in wrestling.
CJ GOLD PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER "Why I chose to go this route because everything is male-dominated, so I feel like I wanted to prove people wrong that women can also do it. For professional wrestling for females to grow, we need sponsors first and we need to do more shows so that we can get exposure so that it can get to where we want it to be which is internationally."
To live her Champion Dream, Gold knows she must impress on wrestling's biggest stage.
CJ GOLD PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER "I first have to get experience and exposure in South Africa first after that I want to go for a try-out in hopefully America, because there is more recognition there, more money the quality is better. It's way-way-way better than it is anywhere else and they have got a lot of female wrestlers there. Women get recognition more. So hopefully I get accepted there."
With no other females in her weight category in South Africa, and very few professional wrestlers in Africa, Gold must wrestle much heavier opponents to stay active. But, the "Queen of AFRICA" believes she has what it takes. JS, CGTN, SOWETO, SOUTH AFRICA.