Haley Heffel has returned from the Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Que. as a silver medallist.
Heffel earned the medal with Team Alberta during the Aug. 2-8 Games. She placed fourth in individual competition.
Competing at the Canada Games was a new experience for Heffel, who had never been on such a big stage before. “I felt a lot more pressure,” she said. “Even though I’ve competed at national tournaments, this is different because these are wrestlers who are the best in their province in that weight class, and they’ve been training all summer too.”
A highlight of the Games for Heffel was being part of the team’s silver medal, which included a victory over Team Saskatchewan.
That win over the team from across the Fourth Meridian was especially sweet, she added, because Saskatchewan had beaten Alberta at the Western Canada meet. The win at the Canada Games was a little bit of payback on a bigger stage.
At the individual level, Heffel performed well in the first part of the tournament, a component called the dual meet.
Her strong performance in what was basically the first round earned her a match against a “well respected and very high skill level” wrestler from Ontario.
Heffel fought hard in that match, but ended up losing on points in the second round.
That loss moved her into the bronze-medal match against a wrestler from British Columbia. Heffel got caught in a throw and lost the match, along with the bronze medal.
Her experience in Sherbrooke should prove valuable, she said, as she prepares to head to the World Cadets Juvenile Games in Zrenjanin, Serbia on Aug. 19-24.
Heffel’s matches in Sherbrooke were recorded, giving her the chance to review her performances and see what she needs to do better to improve as a wrestler.
“In my mind I thought I did really bad, but when I was looking at the videos, it was ‘oh, actually that was a pretty good move I did,’” she said.
While the Canada Games were a big stage, the Worlds are going to be even bigger. As such, Heffel said she’s keeping a very open mind about the tournament.
“It’s hard to say I want to do well because it is an international tournament and I have no idea what is coming,” she said.
As the Worlds are a single-elimination tournament, there is very little margin for error, as all it will take to be sent packing is one bad move at the wrong time.
That little detail has added to Heffel’s stress level as the clock ticks down to her Aug. 19 departure for Serbia.
“I don’t want to go on the mat and lose within 16 seconds,” she said.
That said, she’s also taking a very realistic view of the entire experience awaiting her.
“The way I look at it is I really have nothing to lose,” Heffel said. “It’s not like I’ve won Worlds. I don’t have to redeem a title or anything like that.”
