Tela Bacher - Programs and Special Projects

Tela Bacher is an Olympic wrestler, a passionate advocate, and a leading expert in sports diplomacy. She has been a trailblazer on and off the mat in promoting gender equality and fairness in sports. As the Program and Special Project Manager at Wrestle Like a Girl (WLAG), Tela has been instrumental in organizing numerous wrestling and coaching exchanges and workshops with various countries, including Azerbaijan, Mongolia, and Ukraine. She led partnerships with the U.S. State Department on several initiatives, including addressing gender-based violence against girls in Pakistan and promoting leadership development for First Nation girls and women in Canada.

Tela's passion for advancing female wrestling and promoting gender equality has led to the development of the Teal Certification program, which aims to educate coaches of female wrestlers. The curriculum, first launched in the United States, is now being used in more than five countries and is being translated into multiple languages. The Teal Certification program is a landmark achievement, signifying the first-ever female-specific curriculum in the history of wrestling as a sport, and serves as a foundational resource for advancing female wrestling.

On the mat, Tela has represented Team USA on world teams and was a member of the first women's wrestling team at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

As a founding board member of WLAG, she continues to ensure the organization's mission and focus remain steadfast on serving girls and women. Tela graduated from Trinity College with a degree in Psychology and holds a Mind-Body Eating Certification from the Institute for The Psychology of Eating, highlighting her dedication to holistic wellness.

Tela lives in Homer, Alaska, with her husband and three children.