麻豆视频

When she first took up the sport of wrestling it never occurred to Tianna Kennett of Manor she would be where she is today. Over the years, developing a love of the sport, Kennett quickly excelled.

Having just returned from the Summer Youth Olympic Games held in Nanjing, China, Aug. 16-28, and a summer of training with a three time Olympic medalist, Tonya Verbeek, she sat down to speak with The Observer about her experiences.

Though unable to medal at the Games, it was an experience of a lifetime. Her journey began years ago, while her work ethic and dedication led her through qualifying this spring for the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA). After earning a bronze at the 2014 ASICS Cadet/Juvenile Canadian Wrestling Championship, she placed first at the FILA qualifying trials and earned her way to the Cadet Pan American Championships in Brazil.

Kennett then went on to further international training and competition as she arrived in Germany and Austria in June. Here the focus was on training with the Canada coach, Verbeek, and gaining experience in competing. Kennett also spent time training with Verbeek at Brock University in St. Catherines, ON, Verbeek's wrestling club, over the summer as well.

"She was just given her position - Talent I.D. Coach- and she's a three time Olympian having earned a silver in Athens, a bronze in Beijing, and a silver in London," Kennett explained. "I got to go to Brock University and train there with her club, so I could get used to her coaching which was good because it used to be, for international events you wouldn't train with them, it would just be a random person coaching you at the event."

"It's important to work with them because she got to know me as a wrestler and what I can do and I got to know her as a coach, to understand what she says and what she means."

Kennett says having a coach you can work with and building that mutual understanding can relieve some pressure when stepping onto the mat.

"That common knowledge made it easier," Kennett said. "You don't feel as much pressure if you have someone you're confident in, in your corner."

Therefore, building that rapport was extremely important over the summer, but Kennett credits much of her success to Monte McNaughton, her high school coach.

"He couldn't be there for the big events, but it would all mean nothing if he hadn't been there to work on what I learnt after," Kennett stated. "After each training session or tournament I'd write down in a journal what we did that session and what the coach said. I came back and we reviewed the notes."

"His role isn't published as being big, but it was huge."

While here, Kennett earned her way to a silver medal and the opportunity developed through this to attend the Youth Olympics where she placed six out of eight competitors in the Women's Freestyle 52 kg category.

"It's based on the Olympic Games, but it's a little different," Kennett explained. "You qualify at the same tournaments although a different number go on."

The Youth Olympics also focus on a cultural and education program, which was an interesting aspect.

"They wanted us to have a cultural experience, and I definitely felt that, but it wasn't just Asian culture it was on a world spectrum," Kennett said. "They had culture booths set up, they changed every three days, so there was Europe, Africa, and the Americas, then each of these would have countries within them represented. There was always a Chinese booth, but it was very worldly."

"They stressed taking in the experience and seeing it as more than just there to compete in a sport."

Kennett found this aspect to be one of her favourite parts of the trip. She explained, "It was fun because I wanted to go there and be culture shocked. I had been in 麻豆视频 America and Europe, they were different, but not so different."

"[In China] they have this flow and a regular routine, which when a foreigner is brought in they just seem to get in their way."

This idea of a different system of doing things corresponded to the actual competition as well. They may have the same repertoire of moves as each other, but they move differently and execute things with their own style.

"I had competed internationally before but never at a world event," Kennett said, adding that she could have made Worlds deciding rather to focus on the Games. "I knew walking in that my strengths in Canada might not be my strengths internationally."

"It was interesting to feel them - I know it sounds weird - but to feel their moves in competition is different than in practice, this is their 100 percent, and it's a totally different experience."

In the final between Japan and Azerbaijan, Kennett sat watching and analyzing these slight differences which seemed to make huge impacts on the mat.

"Japan won. I was sitting with my coach watching the final. They weren't doing anything crazy, there was no secret move, but they had different ways of executing it that made them good. I wanted to know how she was executing them because she was doing something that allowed her to be at the top."

Kennett had four matches in total, each coming with that learning curve of understanding her opponent's execution. The first three matches were part of a four-person round-robin and the fourth was a cross-over match with the other pool. Kennett lost to wrestlers from Azerbaijan (who went on to win silver), Ukraine (who took bronze), and Uzbekistan in tough competition, while clinching a win over a wrestler from El Salvador in the round-robin.

Though Kennett knew her job and went out there to do it, she explained the intimidating part was actually the crowd.

"It was intimidating because they made it a big deal," Kennett explained. "The camera's on you when you walk in, you try to block it out, but I could also hear people chanting Canada and you try saying it's not a factor but it is."

Her experiences this year were cherished ones and much of her success is attributed to the school and community support she has received.

"I was really encouraged by the amount of support I was given," Kennett stated. "Before summer started I had Pan Ams and the European tour while school was still on, it was hard, but the school and community were very supportive. They held fundraisers and were just there for me."

"I got back home from China at about midnight and members of my church were there," Kennett exclaimed. "They were at the Regina airport when I got in, they had brought a bus up to meet me with about 30 people, we didn't get home until three in the morning. It didn't matter how I did, the community was still there supporting and encouraging me."

Kennett is now enjoying a much-earned break from training, but will be getting back to it in the late fall with pre-season beginning in November and the official competitions starting in January.

"It's nice to take a little break," Kennett said. "If I want to be active, I am. If I want to eat healthy, I do, but it's nice not to have to. It's motivating too because by the time I'm to start training again I will want to be back into a routine. It's good to balance break time with work time."

After such a big year, Kennett says the next one will feel odd, however.

"This year is actually a weird transition year," Kennett explained. "There are three age categories internationally, but four at the national level. This year I'll be juvenile at national level, but that category doesn't exist internationally."

"So, I guess the goal this year is to be the Juvenile National Champion."