2013 FISU GAMES - Kazan, Russia

​After Germany I came home for 5 days and left for Niagara Falls for a Save Olympic Wrestling event.  This event was very exciting and different then most other events because it was a team event. We had our own team rooms and walk out songs. This event was a great way to show off our sport and it was great for team building.  Team Canada won the event where we wrestled Team USA and Team Ukraine.  It was hard to only be home for 5 days then leave again but I am so glad I got to be apart of the Save Olympic Wrestling movement.
 
I finished competing in Kazan, Russia for the FISU Games. FISU Games is the second largest sporting event in the world next to the Olympics. FISU is for University athletes up to one-year post convocation, I just so made the cut to take part in this event. The Competition venue was great. There were 8 mats for all the teams to warm up on and there were 3 competition mats on a raised platform. The only problem with the venue was it was a maze to get from room to room because all the doors between rooms were closed and everything looked the same.  I wrestled Mongolia and was winning 8-6 till the last 10 seconds and she ended up scoring on me right at the very end to win the match. So it was disappointing to go all that way and to be so close for one match. I didn’t get the result I was wanting but I keep learning and becoming a better wrestler.
 
After the Canadian wrestling team was all done competing we had 3 days to enjoy the Village before the closing ceremonies. In the athlete village there was a food hall that was open 24 hours. It offered a wide range of food stations including Asian, Halal, Russian, European, Pasta bar, Salad bar, Pizza bar and your good old fashion McDonalds.  So much to do and so little time; we watched the Canadian Rugby and Basket Ball games, went to a cirque de soleil, tour of the Kremlin. I wish there were more hours in the day to watch more Canadian teams compete but what we did get to be a apart of was great. In the Village there was a Clothing trading area where I traded my Canadian jacket for a beautiful purple Korean jacket, it was so much fun intermingling with other countries. Now I am on my way to enjoy some sight seeing in St. Petersburg before I come back to Canada.