Be the Inspiration: Tayla Ford

Repetition may sound monotonous to many, but wrestler Tayla Ford treats it as fundamental to her success. Even if it means mimicking the same move 100 times a week.

The 2014 Commonwealth bronze medallist knows that without accuracy, she could not compete on the international stage.

If you dont have accuracy with your technique, you cant execute, and you dont get points. You need to execute your moves with perfection - a foot in the right place, a shoulder low enough, she says.

Achieving the level of accuracy needed at the top of her game comes from experience and practice.

There are hundreds of wrestling moves, and with any one particular move, we practise it over 100 times a week, she says. If you dont have the right position, she says, you cant execute a move.

In her endeavour towards perfection, Ford will often go over a fight eight or nine times in the days afterwards. She studies exactly what she did, to create a mental picture of what she has to work on.

Ford constantly strives to better herself technically to improve her momentum, to attack when her opponent is distracted, and know exactly when to sprawl and defend.

Once the ref blows the whistle, then I want to be the one who attacks first, put them on the back foot; basically lower their confidence and I dominate.

She makes it clear: shes not out there to wrestle, shes out there to win.

Although Nelson-born Ford has been competing for 15 years, she doesnt consider herself overly experienced. Shes always open to learning more.

She now works with a Ukrainian coach and has adopted a distinct European style in her wrestling.

Ford, who is of Tainui heritage, was introduced to the sport by her father; initially dragged along to wrestling, reluctantly training alongside her brothers. But by the age of 13, she began to enjoy the sport, and excel in it too.

She holds the rare honour of being a double international, having also represented New Zealand in rugby sevens (a sport making its debut at this years Rio Olympics), and was the only New Zealand woman wrestler in a team of six at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, where she won bronze in the womens freestyle 58kg event.

She sees representing her country as an honour, and uses the knowledge that New Zealanders are behind her, as a spur.

Its quite positive knowing that whatever I do internationally I just know theres someone there supporting me whether its the whole country, my coach or my family. It just drives you on.