In only his first year of wrestling, Austin Mitchell is heading to the 2014 Alberta Winter Games.
ìI was very excited when I got the news,î said Mitchell at the Olds Cardlock, where he awaited a chartered bus headed for the Games with his father.
For a month now, the 14-year-old has practised at school before class, three mornings a week. He credits his parents for waking him up each time for the 6 a.m. training sessions.
This year's Games ran from February 6-9, held jointly in Banff and Canmore. They drew more than 2,200 athletes and coaches, who competed in 19 sports in addition to wrestling, including alpine skiing, biathlon, figure skating, hockey and speed skating.
Before the Games, athletes participate in zone competition, where they earn the right to represent a specific provincial territory.
Mitchell wrestled for zone seven in the 60 kg weight class.
But the Olds High School student's first stop will be in Banff, where he participated in the Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 6.
Like every athlete, he hopes to win a medal but his goal is ìto do good and just try my hardest.î
Mitchell's father Dave has similar expectations.
ìWe're stoked for him. It's (his) first year wrestling, Alberta Winter Games, so we're hoping he does good. But it's the experience, right,î he said.
Mitchell will be joined by another Olds wrestler, 14-year-old Rachelle Fullerton-Lee.
She will compete for zone two in the female 60 kg weight class.
Fullerton-Lee's wrestling career is a lot like Mitchell's.
Both are competing at the Games for the first time and both are relatively new to wrestling. Fullerton-Lee's experience with the sport only dates back to November. Like her fellow Olds High School student, she also has high hopes for her performance.
ìI hope that I can get a medal because that would be really exciting,î she said. ìBecause I would be the first one in my family, because I'm the first one in my family competing at the Alberta Winter Games.î
Fullerton-Lee's mother, Rhonda, has taken her for extra training at the Junior Dinos Wrestling Club at the University of Calgary and to Cochrane, Alta. for daycamps. She's eager to finally see her daughter in action.
ìIt's been a crazy ride since December, that's when she made the tryouts. It's been over 2,000 kilometres, lots of running, lots of practising and everything's happening really fast,î she said.
ìIt's really exciting to go to the Games. I've never been to the Games before myself.î
