'It's definitely worth the fight'

Rocky Bernard wasn't sure how people would react to seeing his daughter on a wrestling mat. He had grown up in New Ulm, and he had wrestled for the high school team himself, compiling a pretty good record as a 185-pounder back in the day.

Still, this was his little girl, Ali. In a boys' sport. In a small town. "I was a little nervous at first," Bernard said. "Then I saw how she handled herself.

"Some people asked, 'Why would you let her do this?' I could never tell her no. And about six matches into her career, word got out that she wasn't going to back down."

Word also spread that Ali Bernard wasn't in this to get attention or show anyone up. She wrestled because she loved the one-on-one battle of wills and strength, testing her body and her mind and her limits. Bernard won with dignity, lost with grace and wasn't put off by those who did not approve of what she was doing.

That attitude made her one of the most popular athletes in New Ulm. Next week, her parents, siblings and the Ali Cats fan club -- created by mothers of her high school teammates -- will travel to Beijing to watch her wrestle in the women's 158.5-pound weight class at the Olympics.

"I was flying back from a USA Wrestling trip to New York, right after the Olympic trials, when it hit me," said Bernard, 22, a two-time U.S. champion and world junior champion. "I am an Olympian.

"Only eight [American] women have ever had the opportunity to wrestle in the Olympics. It took a lot of hard work, and there might be people who don't think girls should be doing this. But I've gotten so much from this sport. It's definitely worth the fight."

Negative comments fueled her

New Ulm officials wanted to throw a parade for Bernard after she made the Olympic team, but she vetoed that idea. Too flashy. They settled instead for a low-key reception at the city hall, which was more in line with Bernard's personality.

She did receive a hero's welcome at her family's rural home. Her sister Annie tacked signs to trees and to the front door, declaring that Olympian Ali Bernard lived there. Parents Rocky and Sue quickly erected a pair of flagpoles beside the driveway, so they could fly the Olympic and American flags.

As Bernard walked near the flags a few weeks after the Olympic trials, motorists on Hwy. 68 honked and waved. Though she was grateful for her town's longtime support, she felt slightly sheepish about her celebrity.

That is part of her appeal. "A lot of times in a smaller town, something like this would not fly," said Brandon Reichel, an assistant coach at New Ulm who continues to work with Bernard when she is in Minnesota. "But her mindset, and the way she handles herself off the mat, makes it easy to respect her.

"She never tried to prove a point. She wrestled just because she enjoyed it. She was just being Ali."

Bernard started wrestling when she traveled with her family to her brother's tournaments and decided she wanted to try it, too. Andy, the only boy of the Bernards' five children, wrestled in youth meets and high school. His adventurous sister often followed what he did, including crashing a dirt bike into a fence.

Strong, agile and independent, Ali started wrestling in the New Ulm Rolling Thunder youth program. Two other girls joined with her. They dropped out, but Bernard immediately took to the sport.

The coaches and wrestlers at New Ulm were won over by her appetite for hard work, her desire to learn and her insistence on being a good teammate. Sue Bernard recalls that most of the criticism came from New Ulm's opponents.

"From the time my girls were in the womb, I told them they could do anything they wanted," she said. "There was one match when I told Ali that scoring one point could be her goal. She looked at me like I was crazy. She wanted to win.

"I knew it would be tough, but when she heard negative comments, they just fueled her. That's the kind of person she is."

Mostly, Ali ignored the critics. She asked her family to do the same, even when they heard hurtful things. Sue Bernard once sat quietly in front of a man who yelled to his son -- Ali's opponent -- "Pin her and pull her around the mat by her hair!" When Ali pinned the boy, her mom turned around and said, "I don't think you'd like her to do that to your son."

Her parents remember many more tales about the fine impression their daughter made. Referees, coaches and athletes admired her dedication and love for the sport, as well as her ability to quietly succeed in a male pursuit.

"I think what got her through the guy-girl part of this was that she is extremely mentally tough," Reichel said. "She doesn't get scared under pressure."

Bernard's cheering section grew to include her grandmothers, Ann Bernard and Marie Steinberg, who wore New Ulm purple and came to matches early to study her opponents. Mothers of her teammates formed the Ali Cats and began traveling to see her wrestle outside of high school.

"She sets a great example for all kids with her work ethic and her passion for the sport," said Kathy Koob, one of four Ali Cats who will travel to Beijing. "She never expected to be treated any differently from the guys. To us, she was just always part of the team."

Dad knew 'she was going to make it'

Bernard won about half of her matches in high school. She also began building a national reputation in girls' tournaments. In 2003, she won the first of her two U.S. and world junior titles; the following year, she became a national champion, participated in the Olympic trials and was named the U.S. high school girls wrestler of the year.

In 2004, the year women's wrestling made its Olympic debut, Bernard accepted a scholarship to wrestle on the women's team at the University of Regina in Canada. She has been named the school's female athlete of the year three times and plans to return to school after the Olympics for her final season.

She also met Roger Alves, a wrestler who was visiting Regina on a recruiting trip. Alves and Bernard began dating, and he soon became her workout partner. When she committed herself to making the Olympic team, Alves committed with her.

"She really, really wanted to make it," said Alves, 23, who will wrestle at the University of Alberta this fall. "Since January, all we've done is train, train, train. We might get out for a walk or a movie, but she's dedicated herself to putting in the work."

Bernard's weight class at the trials included former world champions Kristie Marano and Iris Smith, as well as world bronze medalist Katie Downing, whom Bernard upset to win the U.S. title at 158.5 pounds in April. That earned her an automatic spot in the finals at the trials, where she defeated Downing again to earn the Olympic berth.

"I wasn't nervous at all," Rocky Bernard said. "I knew in my heart she was going to make it. When she did, I had to go outside and take a few deep breaths. It is an awesome thing."

The weight of her achievement settled on Bernard when USA Wrestling gave her business cards printed with her name and the title: 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Member. A few days later, she was taking her sister out for a pedicure and throwing out the first pitch at an American Legion baseball game.

"This is the biggest tournament I'll ever wrestle in," Bernard said. "I really want to medal. Wrestling comes naturally to me, but I've had a lot of great people helping me out and supporting me."