Tattoo of the week
Castleton’s wrestling team’s media day photo shoot.
Tattoos are not just body ink for Tylik Epps, a VTSU Castleton student and leader of the wrestling team.
For Epps, the tattoo on his bicep is a tribute to the greatest woman in his life: his mother. In late August of 2020, right before the beginning of his freshman year of college, Epps got a tattoo of an elephant, an animal known to be strong and protective of their family.
“My mom always had a thing for elephants,” Epps said. “She even claims it’s her spirit animal.”
Appreciation is not the only motivation for the tattoo, Epps said. Elephants carry their calves in the womb for an astonishing 22 whole months, a whole 13 months longer than a human.
This also links back to Epps’ mother because he feels as though the process his mother and elephants go through carrying and protecting their offspring in the womb is very important, inspiring this tattoo.
“This tattoo is to show how powerful she is, like an elephant,” Epps said.
The design of the tattoo is meant to depict the elephant’s strength, and for Epps, it is a way for him to remember the love and strength that his mother has in his life.
Diving a little deeper into the meaning of the tattoo, Epps also explained how it also acts as motivation for him.
As one of the captains of the wrestling team, Epps channels his elephant’s spirit to help him find inner strength to overcome any challenge put in front of him.
He feels the tattoo also helps give him energy and motivation during his workouts, practices, team lifts, and overall, through his daily life.
“I look at it sometimes, and it just reminds me of how much I love her and how she always has my back,” Epps said.
This is more than just an elephant tattoo for Epps; it is a symbol and a representation of the love he has for his mother and the unbreakable bond that they share.
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