Brock Lesnar‘s impact on Mya Lesnar’s athletic career recently came to light when her coach, Brian Bedard, recounted a story about nearly overlooking a key phone call that would shape her path. Mya Lesnar, daughter of famed WWE and NCAA wrestling champion Brock Lesnar, is now setting her sights on winning Colorado State University’s first outdoor gold in women’s shot put at the NCAA Track and Field Championship.
An Unexpected Call Changes Everything
Brian Bedard, coach at Colorado State University, shared how his initial brush with Mya Lesnar was as unusual as it was consequential. He revealed that, at first, he did not actively recruit Mya out of high school, missing her talent on his radar until an unexpected voicemail arrived. As Bedard explained,
“I didn’t actually recruit Mya from high school. I get a call from this guy named Brock. My answer machine called, ‘This is Brock Lesnar, and my daughter is a pretty good thrower out of Minnesota.’ I’m thinking, I don’t know who the Brock is. I don’t follow WWE.”
—Brian Bedard, CSU Coach
Curious but unsure, Bedard waited for his staff to look up the mysterious caller. Discovering Brock Lesnar’s storied career in wrestling, they swiftly realized this was an outreach not to be ignored. Bedard continued,
“Yeah, I’m interested. I’d love to have you guys come out on a visit. Brock actually recruited me!”
—Brian Bedard, CSU Coach
Mya Lesnar’s Journey: From Volleyball to Shot Put Success
Before excelling in track and field, Mya Lesnar was a volleyball enthusiast at Alexandria Area High School in Minnesota. Her sporting journey took a turn in 2017 when she shifted her athletic focus, gradually moving from the volleyball court to the shot put circle. Reflecting on her evolution as an athlete during an interview, Mya shared,
“I actually started out playing volleyball, and I wanted to go to school actually to play division one volleyball, but I didn’t get any offers, and I did track on the side a little bit just to stay in shape for volleyball, but um, I don’t know, I just had a lot of people be like, hey, you could be really good at this, and I started taking it a little bit more seriously, and then, um, yeah, I started getting some offers for track, and I was like, okay, like I could really do do this thing, and yeah, I just fell in love with it.” [0:51 onwards]
—Mya Lesnar, Shot Putter
Mya Lesnar initially competed for Arizona State University before transferring to Colorado State. There, she rapidly established herself, securing the Mountain West Conference shot put title four times. In addition, she claimed the NCAA indoor championship in shot put, marking notable achievements for her school and herself.
Pursuing Gold and Olympic Dreams
As she represents her alma mater, Colorado State University, Mya is working hard to deliver their first gold medal in the women’s outdoor shot put at the NCAA Track and Field Championship. Last year, she participated in the US Olympic trials, though her best effort of 16.77 meters kept her out of the final roster. Despite this setback, Mya’s growth in track and field underscores the decisive role her father’s initial phone call, and her own determination, played in her athletic trajectory.
Looking ahead, Mya Lesnar’s pursuit of new milestones in shot put not only highlights her transformation from volleyball to track and field, but also exemplifies the lasting influence of Brock Lesnar’s impact on Mya Lesnar’s athletic career and the importance of recognizing talent, no matter how it presents itself.
