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01/18/2017 11:00 PMHyunJin Lim entered his senior season with the Branford wrestling team as one of the squad’s top grapplers, in addition to being a senior captain for the Hornets. HyunJin started wrestling when he was in middle school and, initially, he viewed the sport as simply something to do during the winter.
“It started out as more of a time filler during middle school,” says HyunJin. “My friends were doing wrestling and I thought, ‘Might as well give it a try.’”
Despite being a newcomer, HyunJin’s early success on the mat bolstered his confidence and grew his interest in the sport.
“I won a few medals and tournaments, came in second place in a few tournaments, and I thought I was pretty good at the sport and continued on from there,” he says.
Branford’s Head Coach Chris Bonagiuso says that he recognized HyunJin’s potential as soon as HyunJin joined the team in his freshman year.
“Right away, I was like ‘You could really help us,’” says Bonagiuso. “Since freshman year, he’s really blossomed into an athlete that’s really gotten into wrestling.”
As a freshman, HyunJin was a quiet athlete who did what was asked of him. Now a senior captain, HyunJin is not only focused on his own progression, but his team’s improvement, as well. Coach Bonagiuso says that, even when injured, HyunJin has still helped the Hornets. HyunJin attributes this approach to the example that was set for him by previous upperclassmen whose commitment and camaraderie inspired HyunJin to dedicate himself more to wrestling.
Sophomore year was a defining time in HyunJin’s career, thanks in large part to Dakota Carden. Coach Bonagiuso paired up the two at practice and Carden became an effective mentor for HyunJin, who saw the training pay off when he took second place in the 220-pound weight class at the SCC Championship during his sophomore season.
HyunJin says that “[Carden] was the best thing that happened to my wrestling career,” and Coach Bonagiuso echoes those sentiments.
“It changed his game. He went more upper body and started thinking about throws, which was something Dakota was really good at, and [HyunJin] started winning matches with throws,” says Bonagiuso. “Without a doubt, HyunJin has bought into every facet of the training. He often gets [to the weight room] early and stays late for extra weight-room training.”
After having previously competed in the heavyweight ranks, HyunJin has slimmed down while adding muscle and getting stronger. Now, this year, he’s wrestling in the 195-pound weight class. Although this presents new challenges for HyunJin, both he and Bonagiuso agree that 195 is his optimal weight class.
HyunJin was named a captain for his senior season “mainly because he’s extremely responsible, driven, and he’s definitely someone we can count on,” according to Coach Bonagiuso. HyunJin does not take his responsibilities as a leader lightly.
“I take pride in that I’m in the position [the previous upperclassmen] were where I can motivate and encourage my underclassmen to achieve their full potential,” he says.
HyunJin has also achieved great success in the classroom and does an excellent job of balancing his academic and athletic workloads.
“People believe you have to pick one or the other, but that’s kind of a losing mentality when, in reality, you can do both,” HyunJin says. “Everyone has 24 hours in a day and it’s all about managing that time and I had to sacrifice a lot of non-essential activities to make room for studying.”
After high school, HyunJin is looking to attend a military school and he’s already received a Letter of Assurance from United States Naval Academy, as well as a Letter of Encouragement from the United States Military Academy—signs that both schools are interested in him. HyunJin believes that the dedication and discipline he’s learned from wrestling has helped prepare him for the physical and mental challenges of the military.
“I want to go into military service because I believe that military service is the only way to truly earn your citizenship in the United States,” says HyunJin. “It’s to earn the honor of living here.”
As he wrestles deeper into his final season at Branford, HyunJin expresses tremendous gratitude to some of the people who’ve helped him get to this point in his career. Along with Bonagiuso and Carden, HyunJin thanks assistant coach Jesse Hurlburt, along with fellow Branford wrestlers Kyle Zalewski and Jack Seward, for pushing him to do his best.
One of HyunJin’s favorite aspects of wrestling is how the sport blends the benefits of individual and team competition.
“You do everything as a team, but once you get on that mat, it’s all you,” HyunJin says. “Your team can’t take the other guy down for you and, knowing that whether you win or lose is based on what you did on the mat is a very rewarding experience, and it comes with the brotherhood of a team sport.”