BOCA RATON, Fla. — Gina DeLucia countered disappointment with determination.

“I was cut from the cheerleading team my junior year,” the 2016 Mars graduate said. “It lit a fire in me.”

Those flames are burning stronger than ever.

DeLucia transformed herself into an elite CrossFit competitor. She went from being ranked 4,121st in the United States by CrossFit Games in 2017 to 189th this year. She graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2020 with a degree in marketing and sales.

“I changed my body,” the 5-foot-5, 145-pound DeLucia said. “I got a little stronger. Then I found CrossFit and I’ve been heavily into that since. I made a career out of competing internationally.”

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, DeLucia relocated to Boca Raton, Fla., for better CrossFit training. The move helped her improve as a competitive athlete.

Only now she’s changing careers. DeLucia is using her marketing degree to market herself — as a professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” she said. “I reached out to them through social media, sent them a video and some pictures. Next thing I knew, I was invited down to a tryout.”

The tryout took place recently in Dallas, Texas, a couple of days before Wrestlemania weekend. DeLucia was one of 50 men and women put through the tryout session that included athletic testing, cutting promos on the microphone and performing in the ring.

The athletic testing consisted of doing a vertical jump, long jump and demonstrating physical agility. When it came to the promos, some potential wrestlers were asked to be “baby faces,” or good guys, while others were asked to be heels. DeLucia was asked to be a baby face.

“I preferred that,” she said. “I have that look. They gave us a script to read, but encouraged us to be creative and play off it. I think I scored some points with my promo. I just had fun with it.

“If they want me to be a heel at some point, I’m up for it. I’ll do whatever they need me to do.”

DeLucia has experience in public speaking. She’s started a Girls With Grit all-girl summer camp, a program teaching girls positive life skills, confidence and health education.

“Gina’’s always had an outgoing personality,” her father, Derek DeLucia, said. “Professional wrestling is perfect for her. I’m probably more excited about this than she is.

“I’ve been a pro wrestling fan all my life. I never dreamed my daughter would ever be part of it, of course, but she watched it with me on TV for years.”

Gina DeLucia said WWE trainers had all of the potential wrestlers bounce off the ropes and run in the ring. They taught her how to take a “bump,“ the term used for being on the receiving end of physical contact.

“Creative ability was a big part of the (tryout) process,” she said. “I enjoyed the whole thing. They wound up keeping eight of us as their guests for Wrestlemania. I got to sit in a private box at the stadium and was offered a contract by WWE.”

She accepted it and is relocating to Orlando, Fla., site of the WWE Performance Center.

DeLucia will go through WWE training at the Performance Center that could last anywhere from six to 18 months. NXT is the brand of rookie WWE wrestlers and is shown on national television.

“I’m going to learn the business and when I’m ready, they’ll send me up to NXT,” DeLucia said. “From there, I hope to be promoted to the WWE’s main roster. The sooner, the better ... I really want to get there. This is what I want to do with my life.”

WWE wrestlers are on the road more than 300 days a year. The grind of performing in the ring so often — coupled with the heavy travel — can take its toll physically.

DeLucia’s father isn’t worried.

“Not at all. Not even for a second,” he declared. “I know how tough my daughter is. She will take this challenge on with open arms.”

“I love traveling,” DeLucia said. “I mean, what a way to see the world! This is going to be so exciting.”

Her brother, D.J. DeLucia, is a former Mars quarterback.

“As a father, you wonder if your son is going to grow up to be an NFL quarterback,” Mr. DeLucia said. “You never wonder if your daughter is going to grow up to be a professional wrestler. Go figure.

“But I love it.”