by R. Bruce McIntyre
Eganville Leader Staff Writer
RENFREW — Jolie Brisco went to Saskatoon last week as a regular high school student, but came home to Renfrew as the Canadian Junior Wrestling Champion in her weight division.
This past Sunday, the 17-year old amateur wrestler was greeted by family, friends and wrestling teammates at a gathering to honour her for her recent achievement.
She has wrestled since she was a seven-year old student at St. Thomas The Apostle elementary school and has been hooked on the sport ever since.
“I was kind of interested in gymnastics way back then but one day I heard an announcement at school about the Renfrew wrestling club and I went home and told my mom about it,” Jolie said. “My mom never thought I would like it, but I quit gymnastics and committed to it right away and it has been absolutely amazing over the last 10 years I have been involved.”
She has spent nine of the last 10 years as a member of the Renfrew Vipers Wrestling Club, and devoted one year to an Arnprior club, but considers the Renfrew club her home and she devotes three to four days a week at practice.
“It is something I really devote a lot of time to and usually you will find me at the RCI (Renfrew Collegiate Institute) gym Monday through Thursday on the wrestling mat with other members of the club,” she said. “I am usually there from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. I do it because I want to improve and win, and I guess it paid off since I came home with a gold medal.”
Jolie travelled to Saskatoon last Thursday with Chris Schrauwen, a coach with the National Capital Wrestling Club in Ottawa. Along with two other wrestlers, they arrived there and her competition took place over two days. Wrestling in the 57-kilogram division, she competed against four other ladies, all of them older than her, and some attended university and were active in wrestling teams at their respective campuses.
“I have wrestled all of them before so I kind of knew what to expect,” she said. “I didn’t worry about the age difference because all I could do was concentrate on what I had to do and I knew my training and coaching would help me in the tournament.”
In the round robin tournament, Jolie defeated all her competitors by pinning three of them in the first round and her final competitor, she defeated in two rounds through a technical count.
“When I realized I won the gold medal, I cried,” she said. “I was so excited and happy and overwhelmed at the same time and all I could do was cry. It’s cool to realize I was the Canadian Junior champion.”
Jolie’s victory did not come as a big surprise to her coach Harry Smith. He has been coaching kids for 20 years as a member of the Vipers club and said Josie deserved the medal based on her hard work.
“I got involved in the club through my daughter who used to wrestle and she now coaches the young kids and we both had a feeling that Jolie had a good chance,” he said. “She works so hard and always comes to practice and she won a few other tournaments to be able to qualify for Saskatoon. She finished first at the provincial qualifiers and that allowed her to go to Saskatoon.”
Coach Smith said the gathering Sunday afternoon was a way of congratulating her on her accomplishments.
“It’s not every day a junior girl from Renfrew goes away and comes back the Canadian champion.”
Among those joining in the celebration were Grant Lavallee and Norm Bujold. Mr. Lavallee founded the Renfrew Wrestling Club in 1985 and Mr. Bujold joined him in 1991 and they incorporated the club so members could take part in provincial and national tournaments. Not only have both men devoted countless hours to training and coaching the hundreds of wrestlers who have competed across Canada, both men share a common bond with Ms. Brisco.
“Look at that medal,” Mr. Bujold said with a thunderous laugh as he pointed to Ms. Brisco. “I won that medal way back in 1972 when I was a junior and I still remember it clear as a bell. Not just me, but Grant (Lavallee) won the senior’s gold medal in 1973 and it is just great that she has carried on the tradition. Grant and I both say that Renfrew produces the best wrestlers anywhere in Canada.”
In 2017, Mr. Lavallee retired 32 years after he founded the club and said Coach Smith has done an amazing job of keeping the tradition of training championships alive and well.
“Harry (Smith) and the other volunteers devote so much of their time and seeing Josie come home with a gold medal really shows how much they care about the kids and helping them be successful,” he said.
Jolie only has a few weeks to enjoy her success before her next big event.
“We are off to Fredericton the first week of April for a tournament and then later this year I am going to New York state and Guatemala to wrestle,” she said. “But I’m not taking anything for granted and I will keep training and working hard so hopefully I can come back to Renfrew with a few more medals.”
