聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Although she's only beginning her varsity wrestling career, 18-year-old Tianna Kennett of Manor has already made her mark nationally, as part of the University of Calgary Dinos Women's wrestling team, as well as winning the bronze medal at the CIS Nationals held earlier this month in St. Catherines, Ontario.
听听听听听听听听听听听 In February, Kennett was named 2015-2016 Rookie of the Year during the Canada West Universities Athletic Association Conference in Winnipeg. Along with that gold medal, Kennett helped her team defend their previous year's gold-medal standing at the event.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐oaches from each team get a vote on who they think the best rookie is,鈥� says Kennett when asked about the award. 鈥淚 was surprised, because there's some tough competition in Canada.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 The 59-kg wrestler is no stranger to competition. Since she started wrestling as a 14-year-old grade nine student at Manor School under the direction of gym teacher, Monte McNaughton, Kennett's wrestling career has gone from strength to strength and her time at the University of Calgary has already inspired her with thoughts of聽 the Olympics.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淛oining the team in Calgary was sort of intimidating, because there are such high-level women (wrestlers) working with you. There's also an Olympic coach in the room every day.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚'm obviously a little biased, but the big attraction to Calgary for me is that senior women's team,鈥� says Kennett. 鈥淲e have our women's Olympic coach right here in Calgary.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he funny thing is, I came in at a really weird time. During the fall, they were getting ready for Olympic trial selection in December 2015, so there was a huge group of women each pursuing their Olympic dream. A lot of them were pushing really hard and were super-competitive.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚'd definitely say I'm an Olympic hopeful,鈥� continues Kennett. 鈥淚'm definitely in the right room for it and the right city for it.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲hen I started wrestling in Manor, Monte McNaughton-our gym teacher- started doing wrestling in gym class and he started a club in Manor,鈥� she continues. 鈥淢y little sister joined and at first, I didn't. I watched one tournament and the coach persuaded me to go to one practice.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎t first, I said; 'No, that's ridiculous, that's not for me,' but I didn't know right away that I could pursue it as long as I have.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he peak age for wrestlers is between 26 and 30,鈥� she adds. 鈥淪o I have five years of eligibility after my varsity career. Something like the Olympics aren't in the back of my mind, but I'd say they're in the middle.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲omen's wrestling became an Olympic sport in 2004. It was a real wave of the sport empowering women. It's only been in three Olympics so far, and as a sport at that level, I would say it's still a bit of a struggle, because wrestling is seen as a little more masculine.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲restling isn't a really popular sport,鈥� adds Kennett. 鈥淭here's no NHL or NBA. The Olympics are our big goal. With that, the opportunity only comes around every four years and even then, wrestling got voted out of the Olympics as a sport and it was a hard fight to get it reinstated.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚n Calgary, though, there's not as much of a struggle to prove yourself as far as that aspect. But in competition, whatever you win here, you've really earned it.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲hat I would say to younger women that have an interest in the sport is to try it. It's actually very empowering. It isn't a shameful quality for a woman to be strong.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 The first-year nursing student lives in residence and says her classes are arranged around a Monday through Friday training regimen.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 sometimes train on Saturdays, too,鈥� says Kennett. 鈥淎nd during competition season, we usually compete on weekends. I try to take Sundays off when I can, because it's important to have that rest, too.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Varsity wrestling competition season runs from December through March, and depending on a wrestler's success at the national level, can run through summer, according to Kennett..
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t's very hard on your body,鈥� she says. 鈥淚've been very fortunate-I experienced my first injury not long ago when I partially tore my MCL (medial collateral ligament) on my knee. That took me out for a couple of weeks. It was really challenging, because I couldn't be training my hardest.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hat was a hard, hard time not to be able to compete and train through your normal regimen.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲restling takes a lot of drive and persistence. It's a very humbling sport, because somebody is literally beating you and no matter how hard you've trained or what you've overcome, there's always a winner and a loser.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听
听听听听听听听听听听听
听听听听听听听听听听听
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽聽
