News

Coach Esmaeli has had incredible impact with Wrestle for Humanity, using the sport of wrestling as a platform to uplift and support our communities. His dedication and innovative initiatives have created a positive impact, bringing people together and fostering a spirit of cooperation and resilience. Linked below, we explore the incredible work Saeed is doing and the lives he is changing through his passion for wrestling.

HBCU Wrestling Programs Forge Groundbreaking Partnership with Wrestle for Humanity in Bristol, UK

Representatives from Historically Black Colleges and Universities Wrestling Initiative embarked on a transformative visit to Bristol, UK, where they met with Wrestle for Humanity.

Access Sport helps wrestling club develop unique inclusive offer

Access Sport has been working with Wrestle for Humanity in Bristol to launch a new series of sessions incorporating a unique combination of dance, wrestling movement, mindfulness and music.

Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard Wrap Performance Film ‘The Extraordinary Miss Flower’ Starring Icelandic Artist Emilíana Torrini & Caroline Catz

Saeed Esmaeli makes a cameo in a film, which is described as “part film, part theatre, part fever dream”.

Points of Light - Wrestle for Humanity

Saeed Esmaeli, from Bristol, is a former international Olympic wrestler and coach who has given hundreds of young people the chance to take part in Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling classes.

Trailblazing Olympic Gold medallist to inspire Bristol athletes

The first African American Olympic gold medallist in freestyle wrestling is in Bristol this weekend to teach and share his love for the spor

Pahlavani wrestling: The Iranian sport being used in Bristol to do some good

A family tradition is being passed down to help support young people involved in knife crime and gangs in Bristol.

Ignite Bristol Multi Sport Festival 2022

Wrestle For Humanity joined Ignite, a disability and neurodivergent festival organised by Access Sports, to celebrate the transformational impact that taking part in sport and physical activity can have on people's lives.

BBC Eat for Less

Suplexes and cheese!

The unlikely bond between an Iranian wrestler and a Bristol vicar

Offering top level Olympic wrestling, a range of therapies and a much needed sense of belonging, new social project Wrestle for Humanity has launched at a church in north Bristol.

Sepsis survivor uses wrestling for rehabilitation

In 2019, David Wellington contracted sepsis. The condition left him in hospital for 10 months, during which time he had two strokes, both his legs amputated and a bleed on the brain.

Fundraising for Wrestle for Humanity

I invite you to donate or take part in Wrestle for Humanity's 2021 fundraising challenge that will give hope & help to people like my friend David Wellington who is facing huge adversity in life.

Fundraising athletes carry 70kg weight across Bristol

Two athletes have carried a 70kg wrestling dummy for 20 miles to raise money for a man who lost both his legs to sepsis.

Ukrainian refugee supported by Bristol wrestling coach

A wrestling coach who has sponsored a Ukrainian refugee later discovered his father is a "legend" in the sport. Saeed Esmaeli, from Bristol, gave Ernest, 13, a pair of wrestling shoes as a welcome gift when he arrived.

COACH ESMAELI