TAYLOR MILL, Ky. -- When 8-year-old Sarah Augur told her father she wanted to wrestle competitively, he was afraid to let her do it. Ed Augur, who wrestled in high school while dealing with mild cerebral palsy, worried that other coaches wouldn't be willing to accommodate Sarah's deafness in the ring.
"I was like, 'Eh, I don't know how the other coaches will be. If somebody gets disrespectful to her, I'm going to get upset,'" he said.
But Sarah was determined to compete with the rest of the Taylor Mill Eagles. When she takes out her cochlear implant and puts on her Wonder Woman headgear, Ed and her coaching team use sign language to direct her through her matches.
According to Sarah's aunt, Shannon Augur Crawford, other coaches have also been understanding and worked to ensure competitors don't have an unfair advantage because they are hearing.
"Nobody treats her differently," another of her coaches said. "Doesn't matter that she's deaf or she's a girl. She handles herself just as good as, if not better than, the boys."
Ed Augur said Sarah's performance in the ring put all his initial fears to rest. He practices with her four days every week, teaching her takedowns, double legs and signs to communicate during the match.
"I love watching her," he said. "She enjoys the sport just like I do."
