Trinity Praill, who is from Sundre and goes to École Olds High School, was also recently in Airdrie for the 2020 Alberta Winter Games, which were held Feb. 14-17.
The Grade 9 student generally wrestles with the Central Alberta Wrestling Club in Olds. But she was picked up by the Parkland Wrestling Team — an amalgamation of rural clubs from around Red Deer — that needed a spare for the Winter Games.
Although she did not place on the podium in either of the two categories she competed in — all around team and female 39-42 kilograms — Praill spoke enthusiastically about the sport that she only became involved in last November.
“I enjoy getting to hang out with my friends and learning new techniques,” she said last week.
“It’s really fun.”
Her older sister Kayla Praill, 18, who graduated from École Olds High School last year and also wrestled, convinced her to join the club.
Initially anxious during the first practice, the 14-year-old said she was really nervous in a crowd of mixed grades with very few faces she knew. But after getting into the groove and breaking the ice with other wrestlers, she said, “it all kind of clicked.”
Many people find wrestling intimidating due to the physical nature of the full contact sport, “but once you get the hang of it, it’s really fun. If you just keep pushing through, you can always do it,” she said.
Also, wrestling is a lot safer than people might think, she said, adding the moves are all designed specifically to protect not only the athlete but also his or her opponent.
An added bonus, she said, is the ability to improve self-discipline.
Up at 5 a.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays to make it on time for practices that start at 6:30 a.m., Praill said she picks up Avory Redekopp, a friend from the Eagle Hill area who is also in the club.
With the Alberta Winter Games behind her, she looks forward to her first major competition early in April when nationals will be hosted in Edmonton, with wrestlers under the age of 18 coming from across the country.
The national event rotates through the provinces and might not be back in Alberta again for many years to come, so she considers herself lucky that her first crack at the bat will be right at home.
“It’s an amazing opportunity,” she said.
“Edmonton is quite close, so I won’t have to pay to fly.”
Already anticipating the end of the wrestling season, Praill said she also plans to join the rugby team in Olds for the first time to have something to stay active with afterwards. Those practices will overlap with wrestling for about a month, meaning a daily routine of getting up at about 5 a.m.