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Local athlete claims gold at Summer Games – individual and team medals for wrestler Julie Steffler

September 5, 2013   ·   0 Comments

At 16, wrestler Julie Steffler has taken her sport to the next level after competing in the Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Quebec and returning with two gold medals.

Julie won gold as part of her effort with Team Ontario – the winner in over all team wrestling points – as well as claiming the gold in the woman’s 52kg class.

The Summer Games take place only every four years with thousands of athletes taking part in 20 different disciplines at 20 different venues over 16 days of competition.

For Julie, the road to making Team Ontario began when she was just ten years old after visiting a wrestling club that was founded by her father Bruce in Alliston.

“It was a coincidence,” she said of her start in wrestling. She had no interest prior to visiting the club and watching, but was fascinated after seeing the sport in action.

“My dad wrestled in high school and started the club in Alliston. I got interested after going there one night and watching.”

That was when she was in grade five and has continued with the sport ever since and now trains with a club in Barrie.

Getting to the summer games is not an easy achievement. You don’t just sign up and go, there is a lot of preparation, training, and qualifiers that pave the for a spot in the games.

“You have to place at the Provincials and that gives you seating at the trials. From there you qualify to go to the Summer Games,” Julie explained.

As a member of Team Ontario, Julies success combined with the success of other team members to score points and win the gold.

Her individual achievement was a stunning success when she was victorious on points in the final over an undefeated opponent.

“Your individual record gets you placement in the final. You have to win your semi-final to continue. I beat a girl from P.E.I who hasn’t lost a match in two years. It was awesome!”

Her success and athletic ability on the wrestling mat hasn’t gone unnoticed by higher level teams.

She has already been contacted by several university teams who mistakenly thought she was a grade 12 student although she won’t be going into her final year at Banting Memorial High School in Alliston until the fall.

But the fact that university level coaches are keeping an eye on her bodes well for her future.

“I hope to go to university and wrestle,” the Tottenham resident said of her short term aspirations over the next couple of years.

Along with wrestling Julie is a collegiate soccer player and all around talented athlete.

While the Olympic games are a little way off, and there is some debate as to whether woman’s wrestling will continue in that venue, Julie is certainly primed for a bid for the international stage.

“Wrestlers don’t peak until their 30,” she said of what her coaches have told her.

If that is true, then she has plenty of time to train and advance in her sport.

By Brian Lockhart

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