Jade goes well with bronze
Brock Wrestling Club member Jade Parsons didn’t have a lot of time to get worked up about representing Canada at the recent Pan Am Games in Peru.
“She had a few days notice before she left, but she was told she needed to be ready,” Pan Am head coach Tonya Verbeek said. “That is the job of the alternate and when the opportunity arises, you have to jump on it right away and she did.”
The 28-year-old native of Orillia made the most of her opportunity, defeating Ecuador’s Luisa Valverde 6-3 to capture the bronze medal at 53 kilograms. Valverde is the fifth-ranked wrestler in the world and someone Parsons wrestled nearly a decade ago at the Junior Pan Am championships.
“It was last minute, but I really enjoyed myself and I was really glad to be part of the team,” Parsons said. “I got to showcase my wrestling at an international level which is always a good opportunity to have.”
Parsons was the gold medalist in the 48-kilogram division at 2017 Francophone Games, but the Pan Ams was a much tougher event.
“The countries that are involved in the Pan Ams have more of the better athletes than what I saw at the Francophone Games,” she said. “It feels good getting that under my belt before the worlds.”
Winning bronze was obviously her high point of the Games.
“I didn’t wrestle well my first two matches so it was that match that was my high point.”
Her low point was her second-round match against American wrestler Sarah Hildebrandt, the top-ranked wrestler in the division.
“Just knowing I went into that match with a wrong game plan,” she said. “I stuck to my game plan, but it wasn’t the game plan I should have had. I should have talked more to my coaches and figured out a better game plan.”
It was lesson learned after she was pinned by Hildebrandt.
“I need to communicate more with my coaches before matches and that sometimes my own game plan might not be the best game plan,” said the former four-time Canadian university champion.
Next up for Parsons is the senior world wrestling championships, where she will compete at 55 kilograms, a non-Olympic weight class. In 2018, she placed 14th in the same division at the senior worlds.
“I feel really good at 53, but I also feel really good a 55,” said the 2019 Canadian bronze medalist at 53 kilograms. “I know I can hold my own at 55 and I am super excited about worlds.
“It is very important to me that I do better than I did last year, but the (Olympic) trials is the goal.”
Her performance at the Pan Am Games will be a boost of confidence towards that goal.
“It was great competition for her to come away with a bronze medal,” Verbeek said.
Unlike many of her Brock teammates, Parsons doesn’t receive any carding money from the government and training full time is a challenge.
To help her out, a fundraiser will be held Sunday, Sept. 1, from 7 to 11 p.m. at Niagara Top Team MMA gym on Merritt Street in St. Catharines. It is a stag and doe type fundraiser with games, prizes, food and drinks. If people can’t make it and still want to contribute, the door prize tickets are $10 each . First prize is four Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins in Detroit (second row from the glass on the blue line with a $800 value). Second prize is a helicopter flight for two around Niagara ($300 value) .Tickets can be purchased via etransfer to jp09ry@brocku.ca. All info is on Facebook.
