"It hasn’t been the easiest journey"- Zahid Valencia reveals raw feelings after defeating Kyle Dake to seal team USA spot for World Championships

Zahid Valencia expressed his thoughts after defeateing Kyle Dake at the Final X Wrestling Championships 2025 to become a World Team member. Valencia extended his dominance and defeated Kyle Dake in two straight matches in the men's 86kg division.

The 28-year-old won the first match with a score of 5-3 followed by a 4-1 victory in Round 2. He shared his thoughts in a detailed post on his social media handle. Zahid Valencia recalled his journey that was filled with sacrifices, hardships as wel as challenges and shared that even though it was not easiest journey for him, it had taught him a lot that prepared him to become the wrestler that he is today.

"2025 world team member! What an amazing feeling to be able to say that all the sacrifices, all the hardships, and all the change it took to get to where I’m at was worth it. It hasn’t been the easiest journey but it’s been the most meaningful," he wrote.

Valencia shared that he had been relentless in his efforts to become the best wrestler that he could and expressed his gratitude on receieving the opportunity to compete at the upcoming World Championships.

"From leaving a place where I was truly happy and losing loved ones and leaving friendships behind it has been a crazy rollercoaster. But God’s path is one I must follow and everything is set in my path for a reason. Everything that can happen will happen and I’m ready to put my blood, sweat and tears to make it happen," he added.

Zahid Valencia thanked his fans for their incredible support and revealed his goals win the World Championship and eventually the Olympic gold medal.

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Zahid Valencia on Training at David Taylor's Stillwater

Zahid Valencia at the 2023 Final X Wrestling - Source: Getty

Zahid Valencia spoke about training at Still water in a pre match press conferecne during ahead of his appearance at the Final X Wrestling Championships. The 28-year-old shared that he was able get out of his comfort zone when he moved to stillwater to train.

Moreover, having new coaches and training partners helped him to push himself to his limits as well as prepare effectively for his competitons.

"Yeah, I think for me, I was happy where I was at ASU, was my home and I felt very comfortable there, content, but just wasn't getting over that hump, a lot of seconds a lot of thirds, so I think just trying to get out of my comfort zone and moving out getting to a new place having new coaches having new partners more partners especially around my weight that was able to push me to the next level different lifestyle," he said.

Valencia hoped to continue to put forward strong performances in the 2025 season and create an impact with his pursuits on the mat.