Former Princeton University swimmer Elaina Gu was one of at least 15 individuals to attend the final WWE tryout of the year in Orlando, Florida, according to WWE social media insider @lexveraux on Twitter.
Gu is one of 6 women and 8 men to attend the tryout, alongside a wide spectrum of athletes from across the sports world attempting to break in to the top tier of professional wrestling.
Included among the list are boxers, weighlifters, rugby players, and football players, who also carry titles of nurses, cosplayers, and fitness instructors.
While the long, lean bodytype common to swimmers is not usually one associated with the powerful and acrobatic performances of professional wrestlers, after her swimming career Gu turned to fitness training and competition. She has amassed a following of 106,000+ followers on Instagram and 25,000+ on TikTok.
Gu, a native of Rockville, Maryland, finished 3rd at the Maryland High School State Swimming Championships in the 200 free and 4th in the 500 free as a senior in 2015. She went on to swim at Princeton from 2015 through 2019. She made one appearance at the Ivy League Championships, in 2017, where she placed 10th in the 200 free in 1:49.08.
At Princeton, Gu graduated with a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a certificate in Global Health Policy.
3. 𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗔 𝗚𝗨
• former D1 Swimmer.
• Maryland native who graduated from Princeton University with a major in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a certificate in Global Health and Health Policy.
• Fitness Trainer pic.twitter.com/5xEsVX6CZc— Alex (@lexveraux) December 17, 2023
The WWE uses its performance center in Orlando to identify and train the next level of its global wrestling superstars. Professional wrestling, which is a mixture of acrobatics, stage-combat, and theatrical performance, is one of the most popular events in the world. The organization says that 230 million people watched its SummerSlam event in August.
Wrestlers who compete in WWE, which is at the top of a global network of an entertainment wrestling pyramid that ranges from local events in community center gyms all the way to international events in massive arenas, are well-paid for their efforts. No official salary information is available, but estimates from across the web show that performers who make it to ‘the big show’ earn between $100,000 and tens of millions of dollars per year, depending on how popular they become and how many matches they wrestle in.
A full breakdown of the participants is available in this Twitter thread:
𝗡𝗫𝗧 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁: last WWE tryout of the year – a thread pic.twitter.com/d8FHpO26i5
— Alex (@lexveraux) December 17, 2023
Would love to see a 50 free
This is cool. I hope she succeeds.
What’s harder? WWE fight or a 10K for time??