A Coquitlam wrestler is hoping to guide the way for young grapplers who will be competing at the B.C. high school provincials that begin on Feb. 17 at the Langley Events Centre.
Justina DiStasio, a graduate of Port Moody secondary school who won a gold medal in the 72 kg weight category last October in Budapest, Hungary, will be attending the tournament to meet the competitors and possibly inspire some to greatness. Although it took her a while to find success in her own high school career.
DiStasio, who will be joined at the event by Olympic gold medalist Carol Huynh, its honourary patron, didn’t break through with her own gold medal until she was in Grade 11, after third place finishes in her freshman and sophomore seasons. She didn’t compete at provincials when she was in Grade 12 because of a broken foot.
“Looking back, I would say I was nervous to wrestle at provincials because I didn’t know what I was doing yet,” DiStasio, 26, said. “But I was also excited because it was a lot of fun. It was the biggest wrestling stage I had ever been on.
DiStasio said her early setbacks proved to be a growing experience that served her well as her career progressed to becoming a member of Canada’s national team four times, as well as working as an assistant coach for the Simon Fraser University women’s team.
“I learned about the pressures of being in the final and knowling that i had lost before and I was okay,” DiStasio said. “Whatever happened, happened.”
The provincial high school wrestling championships conclude Feb. 19.
