Patricia Fox of Colorado Springs, Colo, a volunteer leader and pairing official, has been named Woman of the Year by USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States. This award recognizes an outstanding woman for her contributions to the sport of wrestling.

Fox currently serves on the National Age-Group Women’s Council, representing the Southern Plains Region. She served as a voting member of the Junior Executive Committee representing age-group women’s wrestling for five years, and currently remains on the committee in an ad-hoc basis. She served a term as a member of the USA Wrestling Marketing Committee. 

Fox is a P-1C pairing official, and has worked as a pairing official on the national, regional and local level for over a decade. She has paired every USA Wrestling Girls Folkstyle National Championships since the event was created. Fox also has paired every USA Wrestling Beach National Championships. She served as a pairing official for the 2009 FILA Grappling World Championships in Florida. 

Fox got involved in USA Wrestling as a parent, when her youngest son Kevin Fox began to wrestle on the local and state levels in New Jersey. As her son progressed in wrestling, she got involved more and more involved in helping conduct tournaments and organize wrestling programs within New Jersey.

She was a member of the Board for USA Wrestling/New Jersey from 2000-2008. Among her official positions within New Jersey included Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer, Pairing Director, Women’s Director, Membership Director, Club Director, Event Scheduler and Uniform Director. She served on five different committees within USA Wrestling/New Jersey. She also managed New Jersey’s Developmental Training Centers, and set up many free technique clinics within the state using national-level instructors. 

She is an NCEP Bronze-level certified coach and instructor. She served as a director of The Order Wrestling Club in New Jersey for four years. She also volunteered at the 2003 Freestyle World Championships in New York City.

Photography is among her hobbies, and Fox has taken photographs and shot video at numerous USA Wrestling events, providing content for USA Wrestling’s publications and websites.

“There is no greater reward than knowing that I may have made a positive impact in somebody else’s life,” said Fox. “I am beyond humbled this honor. It is never something I would have thought I would ever be considered for. I want to thank all my friends in wrestling for their continued support. They are all a blessing in my life.”

PAST USA WRESTLING WOMAN OF THE YEAR WINNERS
2010 – Patricia Fox
2009 – Ginger Lile
2008 - Sue Hesser
2007 - Dr. Lin Miller
2006 - Sharon Dowden
2005 - Kim Martori-Wickey
2004 - Patricia Miranda
2003 - Kristie Marano
2002 - Pat Short
2001 - Paula McGahee
2000 - Sandy Stevens
1999 - Sue Siar
1998 - Nancy Schultz
1997 - Tricia Saunders