By meadowlakeNOW

M.L. wrestlers compete at North American Indigenous Games

Jul 20, 2017 | 9:48 AM

A group of four wrestlers from Meadow Lake, two girls and two boys, have been hitting the mats this week at the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in Toronto.

Twins Skyla and Savanna Russell, as well as Gabriel Regnier, and Parker Vandale-Niccolls have been taking part in matches at the games.

The championship rounds took place July 19. Skyla won gold in the 60 kilogram weight class, Savanna placed fourth in the 65 kilogram, and Regnier won gold in the 58 kilogram category. The Team Saskatchewan wrestling team also won first place overall.

According to the organizations website, NAIG is the largest sporting and cultural gathering of Indigenous Peoples in North America, featuring 14 sports categories. These games provide Indigenous youth aged – 13 to 19 – the opportunity to showcase their athletic abilities and to celebrate their heritage through numerous cultural events.

Skyla said the experience thus far at the games has been nothing short of amazing.

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“The opening ceremonies were so much fun,” she said. “All the teams walked out, they had a bunch of performances and dance groups, and A Tribe Called Red.”

She said a lot of work went into preparing to for the games. She said the success the wrestling squad at Carpenter High School saw this season was helpful, as both the male and female teams won at regionals. The Team Sask. athletes travelled the U.S. to train, and Skyla said it was a true test of mental and physical capabilities.

“We were told that people from Meadow Lake hadn’t made the team in a long time, so it is a great feeling,” she said. “We went to Utah and Las Vegas to train. U.S. marines came to do cardio and work out with us. Honestly, without that training I don’t think [we] would have gotten this far.”

She said it was great to have a network of other athletes from the province to travel with, especially her twin sister.

“Savanna’s my sparring partner,” she said. “We’re there for each other’s matches and we if want to try a different move on each other we help each other out. Having a twin is the greatest thing ever. It’s also great that all four of us [from Meadow Lake] made the team and came together.”

Savanna said wrestling is a wonderful, yet strenuous and meticulous sport to participate in.

“We don’t just practice, we have to make a weight to even compete, and you really have to commit to it, watch what you eat,” she said. “When [Skyla and I] decided that we wanted to try out for NAIG, we both usually sit comfortably around 60 kilograms, but we didn’t want to fight each other for a spot on that team, so I decided to push a weight class.”

She said she is proud to represent various communities as an athlete at NAIG, including Meadow Lake, Team Saskatchewan, her home province of Alberta and her family’s band, the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation based in Manitoba.

“Being part of Team Saskatchewan is really important,” she said. “When I found out about NAIG, it was perfect because we’re aboriginal and it means so much, and all four of us wrestlers who came here doing a fantastic job. So many people supported us to get here, our families, communities and our school. Our high school coaches have done so much for us wouldn’t be here without them. Also, we’ve met so many people from across the province being on this team, it’s a super great experience overall.”

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca  

On Twitter @ReporterKath