YouTube is an online platform that entertains, educates and provides a vast variety of content to users. The website is commonly used to share opinions, footage of someone’s life, fun challenges and games. 

Joe Iradell is a freshman at Carlsbad High School who has his own YouTube channel. He loves sharing his hobbies with the world by posting videos on the platform. 

“A lot of people’s stories [don’t] get told, and I’m a pretty interesting person so I thought I would put it out there for the world,” Iradell said. 

He first started creating videos as a way to pass time and document his life. He thought creating YouTube videos was one way he could find joy and inspire others, and his personality soon found its way into his creations. 

“I wanted to post my fights for my tournaments I go to for jiu-jitsu wrestling, and [then the videos] just segued into most of my life,” Iradell said. “I posted two vlogs of when I was at ESPN for football, the first game of the season, and then people just kind of loved that so I started making random vlogs.“

Iradell has many ambitions and individual goals that he strives for every day. In the summer of 2023, he traveled out of state to attend a popular tournament, working hard to develop the skills he likes to showcase. 

“I came in fourth at the Pan American games in Florida over the past summer,” Iradell said.

When life is stressful or becomes overwhelming, Iradell likes to express his emotions in a way that most don’t. His fighting and wrestling has provided him with an outlet to decompress. 

“It helps me wind down and if I [get] stressed I can take it out in the moment,” Iredell said.

Through constant dedication, Iradell has become the accomplished person he is today. Through the effort he has put in, he has shown that he is passionate about his channel and his life. His dedication to jiu-jitsu and wrestling has enriched his love for the sport. 

“If you’re dedicated you can become disciplined,” Iradell said.

Enjoyment and entertainment is the main reason why Iradell finds himself constantly posting on YouTube. Although he does it for fun, the sport he plays still remains an inspiration for him. Iradell likes to repeat a phrase to himself, to aid him through the navigation of the mental challenges that come from his extracurriculars. 

“I don’t need to know why I’m going to do this, I’m just going to do this,” Iradell said.