National wrestler Reuben Wiltshire has a plan to represent Barbados with distinction on the world stage.
The 21-year-old represented Barbados earlier this year when he travelled to the Pan American Games in Ottawa, Canada. Ironically that trip to Canada was the first time Wiltshire had ever set foot on an aircraft.
Currently the reigning national men’s champion in the 90kg, Wiltshire like any young national athlete, is working towards his dream of someday competing for Barbados at the Olympics.
Coached by Leslie Bynoe, Wiltshire who is also a gymnast told Barbados TODAY during a telephone interview that representing the island on the world stage was something he always wanted to do.
He noted that his experience at this year’s Pan American Games in Canada was an eye-opener. Wiltshire described the opportunity as mind-blowing and said it had better prepared him for future international outings.
“Going there and seeing all the different sizes of the athletes, small, big and all these people were fit and powerful, it was really something to see. Even warming up this guy was stamping and he actually sounded like a bird flying because of how fast his feet were moving, it was crazy.
“I got to train with members of the Cuba team, the Canadian team and when I went there to compete it was a good experience. The things that we do here in Barbados, they do it ten times over. But I took away from the experience I got over there and if I get another opportunity to compete again at the Pan American in Ottawa, I would definitely go out there and do my best,” he said.
If not for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Wiltshire would have competed at the Pan American Beach Wrestling Championship on home soil that was scheduled for May but has since been postponed. But providing restrictions continue to ease on the island, there is a possibility it will be held in November of this year.
Sharing how his journey in the sport began, Wiltshire recalled that two years ago in June 2018, he decided to compete in his very first wrestling event called Beast of the Beach that was an open event.
Sharing his experience he stated: “I used to wrestle my dad at home but I went into this competition in 2018 and I beat everybody, I was shocked because I wasn’t as buff as any of the guys there or looked as strong. But it seems from all the stunts I do and lifting up people that played into hand and I ended up conquering the whole event and walked away with a big trophy.
“It was really overwhelming so I kept up with the sport from then and just continued to beat the competition here. My coach makes me train like a beast and I just want to keep improving. I went overseas to Canada and saw how much more I need to improve. That has made me hungrier.”
morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb