A Flin Flon teen has been named an alternate for Canada’s national team at the upcoming Wrestling Cadet Pan Am Games.
Hunter Lee placed second in his weight class at the United World Wrestling cadet trials in Fredericton, New Brunswick, earlier this month.
“It was pretty cool,” said Lee, a Grade 10 Hapnot Collegiate student who also won silver in the competition.
Joining Lee in Fredericton was fellow Hapnot student Christina McKay, who took silver in the women’s juvenile greco category.
The next day Lee finished second in his weight category when competing for a slot on Team Canada. That earned him a spot as an alternate.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” he said.
Lee sized up his competition beforehand and did not think he would advance as far as he did.
“I was pretty sure I could be the third guy, but I didn’t see beating any of the older guys,” he said.
Wrestling for a top spot on Team Canada was a “weird feeling,” Lee said.
“Every time before I wrestled, I would get nervous, but once I had my medal [from the day before], I wasn’t nervous anymore,” he added. “I just wrestled.”
As Lee cleared his mind and focused at the task at hand, he was able to win his first, third and fourth matches.
Lee’s final loss against Ontario’s Tejvir Boal gave him the alternate title for Team Canada.
Though Lee says he wasn’t really anxious, his mom Cindi was.
“I was just nervous for him, and excited when he accomplished what he did,” she said.
If Boal were unable to attend the Cadet Pan Ams in Mexico from July 3 to 5, Lee would have the opportunity to compete for his country.
Lee says wrestling for the chance to join Team Canada was the biggest moment of his time in the sport.
“It was intimidating,” said Lee, who began wrestling at the elementary school level six years ago. “The first day I was nervous, but then I was fine. I think it went pretty well for [my] first time.”
Lee says it’s the physical challenge that keeps him going back to the mat.
“I like that it’s hard,” he said. “It’s harder than any other sports that I’ve done, physically.”
Off the wrestling mat, Lee is avidly involved in mixed martial arts and kickboxing.
He was previously involved in school sports such as basketball, volleyball and soccer, and also played hockey, but has since taken a step back to focus on wrestling.
Lee also coaches wrestlers at the elementary level. He hopes to continue with the sport at the university level.
In Fredericton, Lee competed with the Junior Huskies, a Saskatoon team, while McKay joined the Kelsey Wrestling Team.
