Eve Maxwell is at the top of her game: she’s physically fit, mentally driven and ready to do what it takes to win on the wrestling mat.
“This season has been really good, so far it’s been the best season I’ve ever had,” said Maxwell, a Grade 12 wrestler from Salmon Arm, B.C.
Maxwell has been training six days a week, sometimes multiple times a day. Her hard work has paid off, she won all four of her matches at the B.C. High School Wrestling Championships in Vancouver in February. She was also recognized for the Most Outstanding Match and earned the Lyndsay Belisle trophy for Most Outstanding Female Wrestler. On top of that, she earned a $1,000 scholarship.
Most recently, the wrester claimed second in the North West Regionals in Washington, U.S.
Her training at Salmon Arm Secondary School has moulded her into the accomplished athlete she is today.
“I think it’s helped me a lot, training with guys because I have been wrestling here since Grade 7,” said Maxwell. “So it’s older, bigger, stronger, faster. So, basically, when I’m against a girl my own size, I don’t really have much to deal with other than technicalities.”
High School wrestling coach Ray Munsie has watched Maxwell grow as an athlete for more than six years and believes she can take the sport all the way.
“We’ve been in existence as a team here for a dozen years now at the school and in that time we’ve produced six B.C. Champions and two Canadian Champions and this could very well be our third national champion,” said Munsie of Maxwell.
“She will be the second graduate to go on to wrestle at university.”
Maxwell is training hard to make it to nationals in June that will be held in Calgary. Conveniently, it’s the city where she will compete as a member of the University of Calgary’s wrestling team, the Calgary Dinos.
After she graduates from university, she has big dreams.
“Obviously, the ultimate dream would be an Olympian but, I’m happy to take it just as far as I possibly can.”