UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For any average four time All-American and Dan Hodge Trophy recipient, a world without wrestling may seem rather empty– but for Bo Nickal, it's more of a blessing in disguise.
As one of Penn State's most notable wrestlers to come through the program, Nickal had graduated with the hopes of trading his Nittany Lion blue and whites for a USA singlet and a ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He trained alongside legends in Rec Hall as a part of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.
But his dreams of Olympic glory would soon move to the back burner as the world would bear the brunt of a widespread global pandemic – sending professional athletes, like Nickal, into a tailspin.
"At the beginning, it was tough because we didn't know when we were going to get back," Nickal said. "But at this point, we know it's going to be a while, so I've been able to set a schedule and get more of a routine. It's been enjoyable to do something different."
While athletes, coaches and spectators alike scrambled to make sense of lost seasons and broken dreams, Nickal took an alternative approach to coping with the change – with a positive attitude that's fueled success throughout the majority of his career.
"At this point, it's said and done. We know what to expect and I can look at it with a little bit of gratitude," Nickal said. "This happened for a reason. I now get the chance to rest, recover and let my body heal up, so I can get ready to get back on and grind whenever I'm allowed to start practicing again."
But until he gets the green light to slip back into his wrestling shoes and hit the mat, Nickal has to get a little creative with maintaining his Olympic physique, with only the means he has available in his State College residence.
"Now that we know the quarantine is going to be long term, I've been in my backyard chopping down trees and trying to be creative with different ways to get exercise," Nickal said. "I'm just the type of person who likes to be active, so that's like the start of it. Even though the Olympics and everything was postponed, it's still a year and a half away, so I'm always going to be prepping for that."
Even with years of rigorous training to grapple the strongest of competitors, nothing could've prepared even world-class athletes, like Nickal, for the challenges of a stay-at-home order. But with so much uncertainty spread throughout the athletic community, Nickal doesn't think he or his teammates will be at much of a disadvantage come go-time.
"Everybody is training hard at home. If anything, we're training harder now than we would be in the wrestling room," Nickal said. "I think this could be a blessing in disguise for many of the guys since we finally have some time to recover. I think this is going to help us in the end."
With a cleared calendar free of practices and competitions, Nickal and his fiancé Maddie Holmberg, a two-time first team All-American on Penn State's track & field team, have found ways to keep themselves busy while quarantined– all while facing daunting task of planning a wedding.
"We've been doing so many fun things," Nickal said. "When we first started quarantining, we bought a bunch of paper and started painting and doing art. It's nice to be able to do things together that we wouldn't necessarily have the energy for when we're training."
Being in a relationship with another one of Penn State's top athletes, Nickal and Holmberg have found peace in the little things that most couples take for granted. Whether they're whipping up brisket, steak and wings on the grill, building a garden in the yard or spending hours hunched over a board game, the couple doesn't take a moment together for granted.
"I never had the energy to do this stuff," Nickal said. "We've been enjoying each other's company more and more and have been getting to do the fun stuff we wouldn't have time to do otherwise."
Holmberg, a senior who holds the Penn State school record for the heptathlon, knows the pressures that come with athletics more than anyone – making her relationship dynamic with Nickal especially resilient.
"Our relationship is something I've been grateful for. And I love the fact that she's motivated and such a hard worker. To be honest, I've watched some of her workouts and she probably goes harder than I do, which is really cool," Nickal laughed. "She's really inspirational and motivating and it just makes me want to be my best – I feel like we bring that out of each other."
The couple even share the same goal of making the Olympic team once the stay-at-home order is lifted.
"We lift each other up and make each other better at the end of the day. And that's something I want in a partner for life," Nickal said. "I love that she's an athlete and understands the grind and hardships I go through. The fact that we have that common ground is really awesome."
Despite each of their successes in their respective sports, the biggest challenge is yet to come planning a wedding for December. Luckily, with the time they have together, Nickal knows he has a lot to look forward to in the future.
"I've been looking forward to it for a while now and I'm hoping that we can take this time to get the wedding planned," Nickal said. "Then, we can continue to grow with each other, motivate each other, push each other – and it's going to be a lot of fun."
