For ‘Iolani’s Tessa Taflinger, the frustrations and distractions of a newly jumbled life were a good deal worse than most.
That’s because in 2020-21, when Taflinger was an eighth-grader, she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder called mixed connected tissue disease.
To put it mildly, it threw her for a loop.
‘Iolani wrestler Tessa Taglinger and her father Thomas Taflinger.
“It attacks connected tissue and your whole body is full of connective tissue,” said Thomas Taflinger, Tessa’s dad and a Honolulu Police Department major. “In the beginning, we didn’t know what it was. We had to go to doctors and specialists and when it was finally diagnosed right, they still had to find the right combination of medicines, trying to find the right concoction. She was taking blood tests every six weeks. The poor thing, they couldn’t find her vein because she is so small. She was going through a lot, battling that. We’re dealing with three different doctors, including a specialist in child diseases and one for breathing and lung capacity things.”
Early during her recovery, which continues full-steam ahead with nine medications, Tessa said, “Dad, I want to wrestle.”
“I was like, wow,” Thomas said. “It kind of shocked me. I’ve wrestled and coached before. My feeling was that if you start something, you don’t quit and that you’re going to do this all the way. But I was worried. I didn’t want her to go out for the team and not be able to compete as hard as everybody else.”
Well, despite the worry and the concern from not only Tessa’s family but the whole ‘Iolani athletic department, Tessa was welcomed and just finished her first season with the Raiders’ intermediate team. And, what’s more, she has continued to wrestle as a member of the varsity team that has another month left in the season.
Tessa Taflinger: ‘It’s Gotten A Lot Better’
“It’s a lot do deal with, keeping up with the medications, but it’s gotten a lot better.” she said. “When I first got it, it was horrible. I had so many pains in my body, joint pain. I couldn’t do homework a lot of the time. I had no energy and always felt sick.”
Being persistent with her wrestling workouts has been a huge help for Tessa, who weighs in just under 80 pounds.
“Well, obviously, I can’t do as much as the other kids because I get worn out,” she added. “The coaches just want me to do my best. If I have to sit out, they’re fine with it.”
About one week ago, Taflinger’s lung capacity was only about 70 percent, which was quite a bit better than the approximately 50 percent when she began wrestling.
“I still get really out of breath and have to go outside to catch my breath,” she said. “I get exhausted really quickly. But definitely being active has helped. As I kept practicing I could keep going more each time, way better compared to my first practice. I’m active every single day because of it, compared to when my condition was bad and I didn’t do anything every single day. It’s definitely improved me physically.”
Coach Au remembers Tessa’s first practice.
“She needed to take a break often, but as days went on, she kept pushing and pushing and wrestling with teammates,” he said. “I applaud her for her attitude and effort in one of the most challenging sports we offer. I think very highly of this young lady. She is tiny, but she has a really big heart.”
Au said Tessa’s story is what athletics are all about, adding: “It’s heartwarming as a coach. There’s good days and there’s bad days, but I hope that no matter how she ends up as a wrestler, whatever accolades she gets, that she grows up to be a young lady and looks back on this time where she pushed and stepped up to this challenge. She has spirit and spunk and this is her first step and it’s a great first step.”
Au said that many of his colleagues at ‘Iolani are blown away with how Tessa has stuck it out despite her medical challenges.
And Tessa has learned the value of being on a team.
“You know, although you’re on the mat as an individual, it really is a team sport,” she said. “Everybody will support you. During practice, sometimes I feel discouraged and I feel a little embarrassed because I always have to stop.”
Without doing any research on that actual point, Bedrock Sports Hawaii places the percentage at 100 that all of the ‘Iolani coaches and wrestlers don’t want her to feel that way and only want her to keep trying and improving and learning.
As her dad said, “I tell her to keep pushing forward. In her mind, she’s going to beat it. I tell her, ‘The disease is just a disease. Your mind is strong and you will overcome it. This is a building year, get as strong as you can, learn the techniques, stay with the team.’ ”
The Taflingers, including mom Sheri, an HPD corporal, and younger brother T.J., an ‘Iolani sixth-grader, live in Mililani Mauka.
