Verbeek embarking on a long awaited journey
Cubby Phillips
Issue date: 6/22/04 Section: Sports
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She has just returned from one wrestling tournament in Atlanta. In two weeks she goes to Guelph for the Canada Cup wrestling Olympians from Canada, the U.S. and several other countries. Then it is off to Athens and the Olympic Games. Not a bad way to spend your summer.
With just two months left to prepare, Verbeek and the rest of the team have a lot of work planned for this summer.
"I have wrestled eight of the 11 other qualifiers and we have hours of tape on [both] them and the ones I have not faced," said Verbeek. "We spend a lot of time studying tape and working on technique."
"At the Olympics, we all know each other and what we can do, so it becomes more of a mental competition - who can handle the distractions, the stress and the competition."
Marty Calder, head coach of the Brock wrestling team and assistant with the men's Olympic team, agrees that the next two months are important to Verbeek's success in Athens.
"She is right there and could come away with a medal but she needs to keep working and improving," said Calder. "The Japanese wrestler is very strong and favoured to take gold but silver and bronze are wide open. You never know what can happen in these tournaments."
"The wrestler from Japan is the strongest right now," said Verbeek. "I do not remember seeing her lose in the last couple of years. It would be nice if she were in the other [Olympics'] bracket."
In Athens, Verbeek will be in attendance for the Opening Ceremonies. The wrestling team will then fly out of the city for one last week of training away from the excitement of the event.
Women's wrestling is scheduled for the middle week of the Olympics. The wrestlers are divided into four groups of three where one must defeat both opponents in order to move on to the semi-finals and gold medal match.
"The only bad thing about the setup of the Games is that Marty [Calder] will still be at the training facility and will not be there when I wrestle," she said. "He always believed in me and worked hard to help me improve."
Over the years Verbeek has travelled the world and had her share of both positive and negative experiences that have made her what she is today. Her biggest disappointment was the loss last year at the Canadian nationals when she finally thought she had made it. She was leading 4-0 only to lose concentration and drop an overtime decision. That defeat only made her greatest success that much more appreciated. That shining moment occurred when the wrestler won three straight matches at the Canadian wrestle-off to secure her position as the top Canadian in her weight class.
"All I kept thinking was 'I did it! I did it!'" said Verbeek. "I still get excited when I think about it."
Verbeek has a bachelor's degree in Recreation, a Teacher's Certificate and is working on her master of education.
Articulate and with a soft voice, Verbeek is not your stereotypical wrestler. On the mat, she is quick, smart and strong.
She talks of the support she has received over the years from her family, her high school coach, Calder and the members of the Brock and Olympic wrestling team. With a big smile, she talks of enjoying the experience and the build-up to the event. Her only fear is not wrestling to her full potential.
For ten years she has paid her dues, done the training and suffered the pulls and strains of the sport. As women's wrestling makes its debut, training and dedication mixed with a bit of luck could see Tonya Verbeek become one of the sport's first female Olympic gold medallists.
