For former Oak Park and River Forest High School wrestler Kamal Bey, being in Paris to take part in the Summer Olympics last month is something he won’t soon forget.
“An amazing experience and super-eye-opening,” said Bey, who was at OPRF last week to conduct a clinic for the Beat the Streets wrestling club. “Being surrounded by so many great athletes is always a huge honor. Being able to represent America, the Army, and Illinois is everything I’ve always wanted to do.”
Bey, who competed for the Huskies from 2012 through 2015, moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado just before what would have been his senior year to train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, focusing on Greco-Roman wrestling. He was the champion in the 74-kilogram weight division at the 2017 Junior World Championships.
Moving up to 77 kilograms, Bey was a gold medalist at the 2018 and 2019 U.S. Open championships; the 2019 U.S. national championships; the 2023 Pan American championships; and the 2023 Pan American Games.
At this year’s World Olympic Qualifier in Istanbul, Turkey, Bey initially just missed out on qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Team, losing a qualifying playoff match and becoming the first alternate. But then he received a huge break.
“Due to the International Olympic Committee’s vetting process, the wrestler who previously had the qualifying spot was ineligible,” Bey said. “So I got bumped up into that spot.”
In his opening match, Bey faced Akzhol Makhmudov of Kazakhstan. Though he lost 3-1 and was eliminated from the single-elimination tournament, he appreciated his journey to Paris.
“It was a super-great experience,” he said. “It’s always good to go through something like that once so you’re more prepared for the next time around.”
Speaking of the next time around, the next Summer Olympics take place in 2028 in Los Angeles. That’s something Bey is targeting.
“Oh yeah, absolutely,” he said. “That’s what I’m getting ready for.”
But first, he’s preparing for the Military World Championships in Armenia, which take place in November. And Bey, who also played football at OPRF, is proud of one of his former teammates who’s also doing well.
“Dallis [Flowers] was always a superstar talent,” he said. “It makes sense that he would end up playing for the Indianapolis Colts. I wish him good luck in his career. … It’s about the journey to get to your destination and Dallis is where he wants to be.”
Bey has a simple message for the current OPRF wrestlers and football players.
“Remember the hard work that the people who built the gym and field up, who gave us our name,” he said. “They worked hard, so you have to work hard too.”