A dozen Orillia athletes have legitimate medal hopes in the wrestling competition of this weekend’s 2018 Ontario Winter Games.
“We have a number of Orillia athletes who have strong medal chances,” said Bob Parsons, the head coach of the Mariposa Wrestling Club. “We have a couple of wrestlers with legitimate gold-medal chances and a few others that also could be in medal matches.”
The wrestling component of the Games has the largest number of participants among the 25 sports being contested this weekend. Of the 180 athletes from around the province going for gold, 12 are from Orillia.
And while hopes for medals remain high, it won’t be easy to crack the top three, Parsons admitted. “We consider this our provincial championship, so the level is really high,” he said.
While the calibre is high and the quantity of athletes is large, the atmosphere was also electric inside the jam-packed gymnasium at Twin Lakes Secondary School. “It’s a great atmosphere and it’s really nice to see it crowded,” Parsons said. “In my opinion, it’s been going really well.”
A big reason behind it “going really well” is the contribution of volunteers. Parsons said volunteers are the backbone of the club and are out in full force this weekend.
“We get great community support and we have since Mariposa began in 1997,” Parsons told OrilliaMatters during a brief break between matches Friday. “We have a lot of great coaches who volunteer their time. Most clubs these days have paid staff – we are 100% volunteer. We also have former athletes come back and lend a hand … it’s pretty amazing.”
Being the host city for the Games is also “amazing.” Parsons said he hope it translates into growth for the sport – especially locally. “The last couple of years, we’ve been in a rebuilding phase,” he said. “It’s tough in general. Sports participation is declining throughout the secondary school level … and wrestling, particularly is a pretty gruelling sport.”
He said success at events like the Ontario Winter Games could help fuel a resurgence. He is also excited about the prospect of an Orillia wrestler earning the right to grapple at the Olympics. He said Orillia natives Jade Parsons and Olivia Di Bacco both are on the path toward representing Canada at the Olympics.
For now, however, he’s focused on helping his athletes pin down medals and help their team succeed. Orillia wrestlers are part of a regional team at the Ontario Winter Games that includes other club teams from Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Elliott Lake and Timmins.
Wrestling continues today and wraps up Saturday. The finals in the various weight classes begin at 1 p.m. Saturday at Twin Lakes. The medal ceremony will conclude the competition at 3 p.m. Admission to all Ontario Winter Games events is free.
