Episode 35 - Madison Worden

An Missouri Valley College commit, Madison opens up about her beginnings in wrestling, the path that shaped her career, and the family dynamic that made the sport such a central part of her life.

While wrestling has surrounded her with teammates, coaches, and constant competition, Madison shares that she has always carried a bit of a lone-wolf mentality. It’s part of what has helped shape her identity as both a person and a competitor.

Wrestling, she explains, was her family’s sport—and she was the second sibling to take it on. But by staying with it the longest, Madison helped pave the way for her younger siblings to follow. In many ways, she helped build the standard.

The podcast also gives us a glimpse into the competitiveness that runs through her family, especially with her sister. Whether it was wrestling for the bigger room or doing push-up challenges to earn the better seat on an airplane, competition didn’t stop when practice ended.

But beyond the rivalry, there’s admiration.

Madison talks about how rewarding it is to watch her younger sister continue doing what she loves—wrestling—and how much pride she takes in seeing her siblings chase their own goals.

She also takes us through her recruiting process, narrowing her decision down to two schools before ultimately signing with Missouri Valley College at Women’s Nationals—a moment that brought clarity to the next chapter of her career.

All in all, Madison reflects on her wrestling journey, her family, and the joy she finds not only in her own accomplishments, but in watching the people closest to her achieve great things in their own lives.