Clarksville Student Gianna Munifo Balances Elite Wrestling and Academics Through Homeschooling

Clarksville student Gianna Munifo is no stranger to competition. Recently returning from the California Freestyle State Wrestling Championship in Fresno, Gianna continues to establish herself as one of the top young wrestlers in the country. Competing in a new weight class across both Cadet and Junior divisions, she regularly practices against advanced opponents, including out-of-state medalists from Georgia and Russia.

Her accomplishments already reflect years of dedication and discipline. Gianna is an 8-time All-American, National Finalist, 12-time California State Champion across Folkstyle, Freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling, a Fargo Qualifier, and a three-time Team California National Duals member.

Behind all of these achievements is a demanding routine, one that homeschooling helps make possible.

Gianna’s days are structured around intensive training, travel, and recovery. She typically begins her mornings at the gym before moving through strength training, conditioning, sauna recovery, swimming, and evening wrestling practices with coaches at Sacramento City College. On many days, schoolwork is completed between practices, during travel, or late in the evening after training sessions.

“It gives me a lot of flexibility, especially because I travel a lot for wrestling meets,” Gianna explained.

Homeschooling gives me a lot of flexibility, especially because I travel a lot for wrestling meets.

-Gianna

Homeschooling allows her to build academics around a schedule that often includes nearly five hours of training per day. To stay organized, she focuses on completing one subject at a time while prioritizing assignments based on deadlines. Among her favorite courses are forensics and Russian.

Her interest in Russian developed through years of training with coaches who immigrated from Russia and have worked with her since she was eight years old. That curiosity for learning extends beyond athletics. Gianna is currently dual enrolled in a college-level introductory forensics course and already has clear goals for her future.

She hopes to pursue a career connected to criminal science and technology, with particular interest in forensic pathology and forensic ballistics. Looking ahead, she plans to apply to the FBI Academy and is already taking steps to prepare academically before graduating high school.

While wrestling demands intense physical preparation, Gianna emphasizes that the sport is equally mental. This makes her dedication to her schoolwork even more impressive. 

“You have to make space for your work,” she said. “You can’t put everything into your sport. Make sure you have time for both.”

You can’t put everything into your sport. Make sure you make space for your work.

-Gianna

What continues to motivate her is her passion for the sport itself. Gianna enjoys the personal challenge wrestling brings and appreciates the respect shared between competitors. Training co-ed, she frequently wrestles college-aged men as a 16-year-old athlete and views the experience as an opportunity to improve.

Outside of competition, Gianna is also creative and highly involved in hobbies far beyond athletics. She enjoys gaming, crafting, and building projects with her 3D printer. She recently designed a cosplay helmet inspired by the video game series Fallout. She also spends time creating handmade crafts, including bouquets built from pipe cleaners and ribbon work. These creative outlets are just some of the ways she mentally decompresses after an intense match or practice.

As she continues competing at the highest levels of wrestling, Gianna is proving that discipline, curiosity, and the flexibility provided by homeschooling open doors far beyond the mat.

Gianna competes head-to-head against an opponent during a wrestling match.

After practice, Gianna takes a moment to celebrate the strength and discipline required to elite-level competition.

Gianna visits Spokane, Washington, while traveling for a wrestling competition.