Eloise Woolsey had no choice. She had to win Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota.

Woolsey was hardly the favorite in the loaded 155-pound bracket, but the Rio Rancho, New Mexico, native was competing for something bigger than herself. 

“My teammate, in April, had a spinal infection; he’s in the hospital, and he can’t walk anymore,” Woolsey said. “So I did it for him. I did it for Elias. He was my practice partner.

“I came into the tournament, and I was like, ‘I’m going to win. I’m going to win.’ Every single day, multiple times a day. I was so locked in. Between rounds, I said, ‘I’m going to win.’ I was going to win for Elias. And I did.” 

Her magical run included Outstanding Wrestler honors and the distinction of becoming New Mexico’s first woman to win a Fargo title, but her motivation was bigger than that: she couldn’t see Elias without a stop sign. 

Eloise visited Elias at Craig Hospital in Denver on her way to Fargo, and her dad joked that they couldn’t visit again on the return trip if she didn't win.

“She told (Elias), ‘I’m going to win this,’” said Jolene Martinez, Elias’s mother. “He was like, ‘You better win because I want to see you.’” 

Unexplainable Trauma

What happened on April 19, 2026, still can’t be explained. Elias went to wrestling practice during the day and felt strong and healthy when he went to sleep the night prior. Then he called his parents, Jolene and George, to his room at 5:30 a.m.

“I can’t move my legs,” he said.

Maybe it was spinal cord trauma. He could move his arms, torso, and upper body, but not his legs. They called an ambulance and eventually were transferred to another hospital 30 minutes away.

Elias was weak upon arrival and couldn’t move his right arm. And he couldn’t breathe. 

“At that time, the doctors had no idea what was going on,” Jolene said. “When it progressed that fast, they had no idea what was going on. They started him on antibiotics, antiviral medication, and steroids to see if they could slow the progression down. 

“Even after they started that, he was able to nod his head, but by the next day he lost the ability to do that as well. They couldn’t figure it out.”

Over the next two weeks, doctors tested for everything. 

Every disease. Every infection. Any Autoimmune disorder. They even tested for cancer. Everything was normal. 

Every conceivable type of doctor got involved. And nobody could figure it out. 

Then, more problems.

"I'm a wrestler." -- Elias Martinez

“When they put the feeding tube in, they poked a hole in his stomach, and he became septic,” Jolene said. “He got really sick, and the surgeon had to step in. Had they waited any longer, he wouldn’t have made it from that surgery, from being septic."

Two and a half weeks after the abdomen surgery, they did another MRI; it was worse than in Albuquerque. There was more swelling higher up in the brainstem and blood on the brain. He is currently on a ventilator with a high-level injury (called a C1), affecting everything from the neck down. He can talk when the cuff is down on his tracheostomy. 

Elias appears medically stable with an expected discharge date of September 9. He’s begun to move his head and neck again — a sign that keeps hope alive. 

Eloise and Elias share a laugh watching Eloise botch a backflip

“Cognitively, he’s still smart and keeps us on our toes,” Jolene said. “He’s nervous because he’s different and he doesn’t know how people will take him, but he’s excited to go home and see his friends.” 

Despite the challenges, Elias is using a wrestler's mentality to fight back. He’s been wrestling since he was five years old, and is using those skills for a new battle. 

“We’re hearing things from the doctor that the damage to his spinal cord is severe, and they don’t expect anything to come back, and the entire time he’s like, ‘That’s not true.’

“He’s just been so positive. Every day he gets up and puts in 100 percent even though he’s exhausted. He puts in the effort. He said, ‘I’m a wrestler.’ He wanted to be a state champ, and he made it happen during his sophomore year. He’s kept that mindset and that determination. He pushes forward and makes everybody laugh. He has such a good attitude.”

Speaking of making people laugh, Eloise landed awkwardly after attempting a backflip when she won Junior Nationals. Elias was watching the match live and thought it was hilarious. 

“I have to talk to you about that backflip,” Elias said when she walked in the room. 

Eloise more than earned a visit to the hospital during her return trip from Fargo.

Click here to contribute to the Elias Martinez Recovery GoFundMe page.