Windsor teen takes title and earns gold medal in wrestling at Canada Games
Nineteen-year-old Sophia Bechard is basking in her gold medal victory following a wrestling match at the Canada Summer Games in Niagara Falls.
"I was so relieved because I wanted this for so long,” said Bechard from her home, following her title win on Thursday.
“I set this goal for three or four years and to know that I achieved it was amazing."
The Holy Names graduate won the female 56 Kilogram Weight Class title for the province of Quebec, not Ontario, after moving to Montreal to attend Concordia University last year.
“I trained at L’essor Wrestling Club, and a lot of the alumni from L’essor went to Montreal to pursue post-secondary academics and athletics, and I thought it would be a great place for me as well.
Bechard said she was mentally ready for the competition, and she added it showed her where she is on the national level.
“It is going to help further my training, and further my preparation for nationals next year to hopefully I can represent Canada at the international level,” she said.
Still, Bechard said the training she received in Windsor has been the foundation for her success.
Five years ago when Bechard started high school, she said she wanted to enter a competition which was male dominant to prove to herself she could handle the challenge.
“At Holy Names I joined the team and I was the only female there, and practiced at L’essor a couple of times a week because they had a female dominant team, and I joined the team by grade 11,” she said.
Berchard pointed out there were four or five girls who started with her but later it was just her.
She hopes her story will help inspire other young women to take on challenges.
“It takes a lot of determination and courage, but once you set your mind on something, you can do it,” Berchard said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
Student anti-war protesters dig in as faculties condemn university leadership over calling police
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at at universities across U.S., some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Hamas is reviewing an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as possible Rafah offensive looms
Hamas said Saturday it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as Egypt intensified efforts to broker a deal to end the months-long war and stave off a possible Israeli ground offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
'The world is too messy for bureaucratic hurdles': Canada still bars Afghanistan aid
Ottawa has plans to finally stop blocking Canadian development aid to Afghanistan this year.
Russia renews attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector as Kyiv launches drones at southern Russia
Russia launched a barrage of missiles against Ukraine overnight, in attacks that appeared to target the country's energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russia said its air defense systems had intercepted more than 60 Ukrainian drones over the southern Krasnodar region.