UPPER LAKE >> Junior Fernandez wants to represent Upper Lake High School, Lake County, California and his country later this summer during a USA Wrestling-sponsored cultural exchange program in Japan.
Fernandez, the North Coast Section runner-up at 126 pounds this past season and a state qualifier, was one of only a dozen wrestlers selected by a committee to participate in the exchange, which begins June 25 and ends July 6.
While in Japan, Fernandez will stay with four or five different host families around the country while training and competing for local wrestling clubs. He’ll also compete in local duals.
The wrestlers won’t have much down time for sightseeing before they fly out of Tokyo on July 6.
Though invited to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the cost is not covered by USA Wrestling. Fernandez is currently in the process of raising $5,000 as wrestlers are responsible for covering their flights to and from Japan as well as lodging at hotels for a couple of nights. They are also responsible for purchasing the team gear package, which is roughly $250, and having their own spending money. Gifts to present to the host families is also highly encouraged in Japan.
Fernandez is planning several fundraisers between now and June and you can also mail donations to Jose Fernandez, P.O. Box 474, Upper Lake, CA 95485. Contributions are also accepted at a GoFundMe page set up for Fernandez.
