Winning Girl

Directed by Kimberlee Bassford

Teshya Alo is 16 years old and 125 pounds. But on the judo and wrestling mats, she throws women twice her age and pounds heavier. And she beats boys. Now, she has her sights set on taking gold at both the judo and wrestling world championships — and eventually the Olympics. But it won’t be easy. She is younger and less experienced than her opponents — and lives in Hawaii. The cost of traveling to mainland and international tournaments drains her family’s resources. Winning Girl follows the four-year journey of this teenaged judo and wrestling phenomenon and her family, and in so doing tells the dynamic story of an elite athlete on her ascent, a girl facing the challenges of growing up and an entire family dedicated to a single dream.