“Coach Webb and Coach Ross really believed in me. They told me over and over when I was in middle school and high school how good I could be and how much ability I had. They gave me their full support no matter what.”
For Columbia University junior grappler Sulayman Bah, a Gambian-born folkstyle wrestler from The Bronx, New York, mental toughness sits at the center of the blueprint he used to build himself into the athlete he is today. At age 11 and just 75 pounds, under the guidance of wrestling coach Tyrone Webb of M.S. 129, Bah began developing both his body and his mindset. Over time, his muscles became more defined, and his vision for the future sharper.
After a strong middle school wrestling run, his raw talent and natural ability caught the attention of Kiski School boys wrestling head coach Joseph Ross. From the moment the Bah family toured the Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, boarding school, they saw the vision and felt the values that their son would be taught, especially under the guidance of Coach Ross and his staff. By the time Sulayman finished his high school wrestling career, he was among the nation’s best.
At The Kiski School in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, Sulayman became a two-year starter in high school competition at 113 and 120 pounds. He earned the honor of being a two-time National Prep All-American, placing second as a sophomore and eighth as a senior, and also became a National High School Coaches Association Junior All-American, finishing sixth nationally, along the way becoming a four-time letterman.
Now 5’ 9” and 125 pounds, Bah reflected on a moment when he was in eighth grade that he wishes he could go back to, the semifinals at the National High School Coaches Association Nationals.
“If I could go back to my eighth-grade self and share any wisdom that I currently have or give my younger self any advice for that time, I would definitely tell myself to believe I can win and not be satisfied with [being an All-American].”
Bah, whose father, Dawda, is a Columbia alumnus, regularly reminds himself of the true purpose behind his wrestling journey. He often volunteers with the Beat the Streets program, a wrestling mentorship initiative for middle school and high school wrestlers. Through the program, he shares with young athletes a formula to succeed in sports and academics, a goal he continually pursues.