It was a typical day for Tianna Kennett; after heading out for her routine run she was returning to school when the news came. It was information that was far from expected when her coach ran out from the school doors to meet her and said 'You're going to the Youth Olympics!"
Her coach received an email from Wrestling Canada informing them of the news and instructions to complete paper work for her impending trip.
The news comes on the heels of her silver medal win at the Pan American Championships in Brazil. The championship is the qualification gateway to the Youth Olympics set to be held in Nanjing, China this August. Each country is allowed a certain number of contestants and in the Americas two males and one female are allowed per category. After taking silver Kennett wasn't able to go to China, but after E. Estilda Primera of Venezuela, who beat her in the finals, declined to go due to changes in the Argentine team, Kennett was allowed in.
Kennett says although she is excited at the opportunity she is also humbled because a part of her wishes she could go back and repeat her match in Brazil. That win she said would allow her to be first in line but added it has now fuelled her fire even more.
"I want to prove to myself that I am worth being sent and feel like I should be where I am. I am nervous of course, still a little in shock but I'm excited and my coach and I now have much more planning and preparing to do," she said.
Her plans until then will be her international tour with Team Canada starting on June 5 where she will participate in training camps and two tournaments in Germany and Austria.
"There I think I will get a better look at the international stage and be able to push myself and train internationally. I will also have to sit down with my coach and we will do up a training schedule and nutrition plan, to ensure full preparation and readiness," she said.
"I will also be working not only with my home coach, Monte McNaughton but with Tonya Verbeek, my coach for the Youth Olympic Games."
Kennett described her journey as one big surprise after another and remembers her frame of mind when she first started wrestling.
"In the beginning, I didn't even want to wrestle. Then I decided to try it out and two years ago if you would have told me this is where I would have been, I probably would have laughed in your face. It has been exciting, challenging and such a learning experience," she said.
"We are taking it one step at a time and learning as we go. My wrestling career continues to be on such a rise and I cannot believe how and where it has brought me thus far. As each event comes up that I attend, I get excited about it but mostly it makes me want to see what I can do to advance more as the athlete and person I was made to be."
