Meet Kara Stegner | Free-Range Kara: Professional Wrestler, Veterinary Technician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kara Stegner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kara, why did you pursue a creative career?
For as long as I can remember, I have always had a desire to entertain. It started with singing at church as a child, then school plays, marching band, choir; and now professional wrestling. When I’m out in front of an audience or crowd, I feel my most alive. If I can make someone forget about their worries or stress, even if only for a few minutes, then I’ve done my job, and it’s the best job ever.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have been a professional wrestler since 2017. I trained for 6 months at The Academy in Minnesota; at that time the trainers included Ken Anderson, Shawn and Ariya Daivari, Molly Holly, and Arik Cannon. After completing my training, I launched myself into the world of independent wrestling, wrestling everywhere I could for little (or no) money, until I started gathering a following. To this day I have wrestled in 9 states, and Canada! One of my favorite moments in wrestling was wrestling at the Mall of America, which hadn’t been done since the premium of WCW Nitro in 1995. We (F1RST Wrestling) are the only other wrestling promotion to wrestle there, and this year (2024) will be our third year in a row at Mall of America!

Professional wrestling is a very challenging profession. Our days often consist of driving several hours to reach our destination, setting up the ring, wrestling, and working at our merch table. On our off days we work on promoting ourselves through social media, which includes sharing our next events, promoting our alternate income streams such as Patreon, Youtube channels, and merchandise websites. We also create, make, and sell our own personalized merchandise. Add gym time to stay in shape and planning meals around your travel, and you’re not left with a lot of downtime.

Being a female professional wrestler also has its own unique challenges. Although wrestling has come leaps and bounds in the past few years in terms of equality and representation, it is still an industry primarily dominated by men. In some places we’re still seen as a specialty match, promoted as “chick fights” or “ladies wrasslin,” and some promotions only book one women’s match per show.

Free-Range Kara is the epitome of the everyday working farmer. I don’t have a lot of flashy moves like my high-flying friends, but I can wrestle with the best and possess a strength that helps me work cattle and fight larger opponents. I love interacting with the crowd and breaking out my best square dance moves, but after years of county fairs and FFA events, I also have a strong desire to win and bring home my next blue ribbon/championship belt!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting for a week, they would be in for a treat! Minnesota is full to bursting with things to do. We would definitely check out both zoos, the Minnesota Zoo and the Como Zoo. I love hockey, so we would have to see the Wild or the women’s professional hockey (no team name chosen as of writing). I also strongly recommend our minor league baseball team, the Saint Paul Saints. The Science Museum of Minnesota is also a great way to spend an afternoon. In terms of places to eat and drink, there are too many amazing restaurants to list. Some of my favorite places recently are Tongue in Cheek and Mad Cow. For dessert, Connie’s Creamy Cone is a personal favorite of mine. Of course I couldn’t finish this list without saying that I would take them to a local wrestling show!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
F1RST Wrestling is my home wrestling promotion. I’ve been working with F1RST since 2018, and the wrestlers who work there have helped me grow in my career and helped make me the best version of myself.

My husband Chris also deserves so much credit for always supporting me and my wrestling career. He has helped in so many ways, from designing my ring gear, helping me with photos and videos, and being the best roadtrip partner!

Website: https://freerangekara.com

Instagram: @freerangekara

Twitter: @freerangekara

Facebook: Free-Range Kara

Youtube: https://Youtube.com/freerangekara

Other: Patreon.com/freerangekara

freerangekara@gmail.com

Image Credits
Knocked Out Films
Brian Curski Photography
SNTRZ Photos
Darin Kamnetz
Sarah Dope
Beezzzzy