Chestermere wrestler, Connor Bren, received a silver medal for his performance at his second Alberta Winter Games.
“I placed second individually, and my team overall got the gold medal,” Bren said.
“I think I performed really well. I don’t know if I was expecting to actually make it that far, to see that I got second place was pretty cool,” he added.
In order to qualify for the 2020 Alberta Winter Games, Bren had to place first in a qualifying tournament in November.
When Bren found out he qualified to compete in the 2020 Alberta Winter Games, he was relieved, happy, and excited.
To prepare for the 2020 Alberta Winter Games, Bren trained three times a week, with his regular wrestling club, and the winter games team with Olympian coach Erica Wiebe.
“It was good, and I liked being a part of the team,” Bren said.
For Bren, the biggest highlight throughout the tournament was when he won the match that guaranteed he would place second.
“I was pretty happy when that happened,” he said.
Bren has been wrestling for roughly three years after his father convinced him to join the Rebels Wrestling club in Calgary.
Bren was accepted to compete in the 2018 Alberta Winter Games in Fort McMurray after wrestling for roughly five months.
“Last time I got in as a fail. I got fifth place in the qualifiers, but for some reason, there were just so few people that I ended up getting in anyway,” Bren said.
“I wasn’t very good, and I was having a lot of frustration, I lost four matches in a row,” he said.
Despite the challenges Bren has had to overcome, such as sickness and injuries, Bren has remained passionate about wrestling.
“Wrestling is something to do. I’m not really sure what to do with myself all the time, but I like being a part of something,” Bren said.
“I find that the wrestling helps him to concentrate more outside of the practices,” said Bren’s mother, Donnette Bren.
“It helps engage him and get the restless energy out of his system so he can concentrate on schoolwork,” she said.
For Donnette, watching Connor compete confidently in the 2020 Alberta Winter Games was an amazing experience.
“It was an amazing feeling, knowing that he was working so hard to do well. He gave it his all, and it was pretty special, it was a special moment,” she said.
Adding, “It was great that we could all go, and all of our family could come and support him.”