At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, with arms stronger than Shohei Ohtani’s wooden bat, Abraham Datte is someone you want to stay close to on the Monroe High campus.
He has been the heavyweight champion of the city for two years. He’s the deputy chief at the Magnet School’s Fire Academy and is studying to become a paramedic, which means he could save your life one day.
“He’s a physical specimen,” said wrestling coach Jean-Antoine Ramirez. “When you see him, he’s the guy I want to pull me out of my car, out of my house, or into a treetop.”
I need someone to break down the door, Datte will do it. I need someone to carry one of those heavy engine company water hoses, Datte can do it. Challenge him to put in a good time on an obstacle course, no problem.
In his freshman year, he discovered that his sport was wrestling. He entered Monroe as a 13-year-old and played football, but was unable to play varsity until he was 14. Played in one game. Then the coach informed the players, “If you want to improve, you have to join wrestling or start lifting.”
“I tried wrestling and loved it,” Datte said. “The coaches were great, the weight classes were two and three deep. I had a lot of motivational figures around me.”
In the second year, he became the city champion. He remembers the crowd being loud and cheering after he pinned his opponent.
“I felt more relief than excitement. It was, ‘I finally did it,'” he said.
She walks 15 minutes from her home in Northridge and then takes a 20-minute bus ride to Monroe in the North Hills. He’s been doing it since freshman year. He was motivated by the Fire Academy.
“As an eighth grader, I was eavesdropping on my mom talking to a friend, and I heard something about health insurance and how expensive it was,” he said.
He asked his mother, a PE teacher in Chatsworth, “Will it be expensive for me?
“Yes, find a job that gives you good benefits,” she replied.
Datte: “I ran into the fire department as a kid. How fast can I get into it?”
He searched the web for schools that offered courses and came across Monroe.
After 3 1/2 years, he was ranked 2nd in his class, where he was in charge of physical training and equipment. Students will receive hands-on training and learn about the body and how to use firefighting equipment.
When it comes to wrestling, Datte’s goal is to win a state title. It is ranked 7th in the state.
“I love the competitive aspect,” he said. “I love to wrestle and lose, it’s no one’s fault but me. I prioritize performance over winning. If I give my best performance, it was still a positive performance.”
As for the lesson learned from the match, Datte said, “Always put yourself in the coach’s position. When I was young, I thought I knew everything, which I didn’t.”
He hasn’t had to use his firefighting skills like CPR yet.
“Expert, no. Knowledgeable, yes.”
He will be ready in the ring and at the door ready to strike.
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