When I joined the wrestling team in grade nine, I had no idea that it would be one of the best decisions I have ever made throughout high school. It is a sport that I fell in love with from the moment I stepped on the matt for my first practice. Being the smallest and only grade nine to join the team that year was very intimidating. However, after my first practice, I was no longer overwhelmed by the group of 15-20 wrestlers because they became my family. Our coach is a strong believer that in order to be successful as a team, it is important to support each other like a family. This familial atmosphere and support that I received from my fellow teammates was the reason I went to compete at OFSAA my first year of wrestling. Not only did I earn a spot at OFSAA that year, I also competed at the Cadet/Juvenile Provincial Championships. Although, I did not place at this tournament, it was an excellent learning experience that I will never forget.
In grade 10, I earned the Marauder award for wrestling, which was a true honour, simply because most of the time the Marauder award and the MVP award are usually given to a grade 12 on the team. The Marauder award is given to an athlete who shows good sportsmanship, a passion for the sport, and achieves
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Being the assistant captain on the team came with a lot of responsibility. It was my job to welcome the new members of the team and instill the familial aspect to the new wrestlers. Our family bond grew stronger, when we had the opportunity to travel to Florida as a team during the Christmas Break to train with some of the local high schools. This was an amazing experience, and I learned a lot from this trip. Another amazing opportunity I was able to be a part of was that I qualified for the National Championships in New Brunswick that year along with three other athletes on the team. Our team all managed to place in the top ten, with myself finishing in fourth