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You'll fall in love with 1st US Black woman to win gold in wrestling

Tamyra Mensah-Stock made history at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday.
/ Source: TODAY

When you're halfway around the world competing in the Olympics, it helps to have a few of your favorite items from home to keep you going. For U.S. wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock, one of those items just so happens to be a karaoke machine.

During an interview with Craig Melvin on the 3rd hour of TODAY on Wednesday, the 28-year-old explained why she packed the unexpected item with her when she set out for Tokyo.

"Mental health is important and I needed to have an outlet. My video games and karaoke are something that I need," she said.

When Craig started playing footage of Mensah-Stock singing her heart out, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, you don't just sing, you dance," Craig said.

"I'm a performer. I'm not good at singing, but I will perform onstage. That's the best part about karaoke," she said.

After watching the clip for a few seconds, Mensah-Stock realized that she was singing "Hakuna Matata" from "The Lion King."

"I sing so many dang songs ... I don't have favorites. I just love having fun," she said.

The freestyle wrestler made history in Tokyo on Tuesday when she became the first U.S. Black woman to win gold in women's wrestling. She also became the second U.S. woman to win a gold medal in the sport.

Wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock celebrates winning gold medal at Tokyo Olympics
Mensah-Stock made history at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday.Wang Yuguo / Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images

The gravity of her accomplishments isn't lost on Mensah-Stock. When Craig asked what her win means to her, she expressed pride.

"When I was in high school, when I first started wrestling, I was the first-ever state champion at our high school, like, ever, out of any sports," she explained. "Then when I went to college, I was the first national teen champion in wrestling, and so it's kind of an honor to be the first Black woman."

Tamyra Mensah-Stock competes at Tokyo Olympics
Mensah-Stock made the most of her Olympic debut.Ali Atmaca / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Mensah-Stock lost her father when she was in high school, and she told Craig that he would've been thrilled to see her realize her dreams.

"He would say, 'I knew you could do it! Thank you for killing them,' because when he was matside he would say, 'Kill them, kill them, crush them, kill them,'" she said.

"He was pretty intense. Now I see where you get it," Craig said.

"He was super intense," she said. "He would be extremely happy."

Tamyra Mensah-Stock
Mensah-Stock says the "sky's the limit" for her.Tom Pennington / Getty Images

Now that she's taken home her first Olympic gold medal, Mensah-Stock is excited to see what else the future holds for her.

"The sky's the limit! Let's just keep going," she said.