Kentville native proves women have a place among wrestling elite

By Kirk Starratt

The Advertiser

NovaNewsNow.com

A native of Kentville is proving that women have a place among the elite in the sport of wrestling. Diana Ford, 17, currently a Grade 12 student at Chelmsford Valley District Composite School in Sudbury, Ontario, said she first tried wrestling while attending Aldershot Elementary School before joining the team at Northeast Kings.

She said she had an older brother who was involved and she absolutely loved it, although she doesn’t really know why. She continued to wrestle throughout high school.

Ford said she loves the individual dedication of the sport. “However hard you work is what you get out of it,” she said. “If you focus and want it badly enough, chances are you’ll get it eventually.”

Ford was on the podium at Junior Nationals (a competition generally for 19 and 20-year-olds) in Charlottetown, PEI in March 2007. She earned bronze and then challenged the silver medalist for a spot on the Junior National Team and won. She’ll now travel to Venezuela for the Pan-American Championships June 20-25.

Ford also made the Under-18 team and will compete at the Canada Cup this July in Guelph, Ontario. She is qualified to attend several other international competitions this year as well.

Can’t wait

Ford said she couldn’t wait for the trip to Venezuela. “It’s going to be an amazing experience to get to see more international competition,” she said. “It will further my long-term wrestling goals by that much. It feels amazing to be able to represent Canada.”

She said the trip, which is going to cost her $2,000, is being paid for through small fundraising events she’s holding and individual sponsors. Ford is currently seeking more sponsors and said donations are welcome.

Recently, she attended Juvenile National Wrestling Championships in Whitby, Ontario (17 and 18 years old) and won gold.

Ford said she finds that some people have a stereotype that wrestling is a guy’s sport, but she usually just laughs it off. She said people are entitled to their own opinions, but it pushes her to work that much harder. “Wrestling isn’t about gender,” she said. “I can beat guys and I can be beat by guys. Girls are stepping out in wrestling and we’re making our mark.”

She practices three or four times a week after school, working on technique and physical training such as running, stairs and body lifting. She works on technique most mornings with her coach, Andy Lalonde. Her team travels out of town every weekend to compete.

Ford said anyone wishing to make a donation or sponsor her could call (902) 678-4192 for more details.