WILKIE — The past month has been a whirlwind for Grade 11 student, Avi'endha Beaugrand, as she had a tight turnaround from her East Coast visit at the Canada Summer Games to the first day of school.
Beaugrand had tried out for the provincial wrestling team in May and was thrown into training and practice within a couple of months, even travelling to Montana, before jet-setting to St. John’s, N.L., at the end of August to compete.
Throughout her time there, many of the days started out the same: get up early, pack their gear, get dressed, eat breakfast, load up onto the buses and head to the arena to warm up and wait for their matches.
The Wilkie student took part in two matches and, unfortunately, had to forfeit her third match after sustaining a shoulder injury during the second match. She still placed sixth as an individual and placed fourth with her provincial team.
“The games were exactly how I expected and a lot more. It was very packed, high stress, educational and so much more,” said the teen.
Due to the Air Canada strike, Beaugrand’s mom and grandfather were unable to attend the games to cheer her on.
“I stayed positive and uplifted my teammates throughout the week. I wish that I didn’t overthink as much and that I had wrestled harder and been more aggressive during my matches,” said Beaugrand.
The teen had the opportunity to explore and hike around St. John’s during downtime, taking in the city’s beauty. She also met so many others from other sports and teams, taking part in the tradition of trading pins, and being a part of the Canada Summer Games closing ceremonies was a highlight for the young wrestler.
“It was a surreal experience. It was honestly like a rave with the music and all the people. We got to trade all of our team gear with other teams, so that we went home with pieces of the teams we faced and people we met,” added Beaugrand
Back at the McLurg gym, Beaugrand says she is excited to bring some of the techniques and attitude she learned from the many coaches she trained under, from the training camps and Team Saskatchewan.
“I am hoping to win high school provincials again and hopefully club provincials. After that, I want to try for nationals.”
