By Larry Moko
If there was an award for Most Determined Athlete on the Bishop Ryan Celtics wrestling team, the recipient would probably be Kat Schaefer.
Despite some significant health issues, she has been a high school competitor in the sport for the last four years.
And Friday, at the Craig Kielburger gym in Milton, she qualified for the upcoming OFSAA championships for the first time.
She did so with a second-place finish in the girls' 61-kilogram division at the Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference meet.
"I have anhidrosis," Schafer said. "So I don't sweat."
Anhidrosis is a condition in which a person's sweat glands don't function as they should to remove heat and cool the body down.
During her gruelling final match victory, ice cloths were placed on Kat's shoulders and water from a bottle was sprayed in her face.
Her father and BR assistant coach, Charles, was matside to provide the support.
But there's one other internal opponent Schafer wrestles with.
"I also have type 1 diabetes," she said.
It's a condition where the pancreas makes little or no insulin, the hormone the body uses to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy.
"Originally, for her to be on the team, I had to be there to monitor her diabetes," Charles said of her daughter's involvement with wrestling. "This is the first year they made me a coach. I help out the other kids, but (Kat) is my priority when she's on the mat."
Charles said diabetes was the big challenge at first.
"We finally got through quite a bit of that," he said, "and I know how to give her insulin to keep things in check. Whereas, early on, we couldn't figure it out. Adrenalin runs diabetes through the roof. You've got to be careful not to give too much.
"It's been a challenge, but she has risen to the challenge. She's always had the will to do this."
As for the anhidrosis Charles said: "We struggle to keep her cool throughout a match. Her body just wants to shut down at times. We try to get her cooled off with water and the ice."
Schaefer earned the OFSAA berth with a hard-fought decision over Katalina Sanchez of the St. Thomas More Knights. At the city finals, it was Sanchez who came out on top in her match against Schaefer.
"Kat is a fighter," Celtics coach Sheldon Francis said. "A warrior. She doesn't go away easily. She proved that in her last match. We're very happy she qualified for OFSAA.
"A lot of people jump all over any little excuse to not do something. Kat has had to deal with a lot of different things. We've worked with her on it to make sure she's able to compete."
The annual OFSAA championship tournament is scheduled for March 3-5 at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
Said Kat: "It takes a lot of heart to face all of these challenges and continue in what I want to do. It's something I enjoy. It keeps me going."
Bishop Ryan is the defending OFSAA team champion in overall, boys (tied for first) and girls.
The top two finishers in each weight-class division at GHAC advance to the provincial finals. In addition, third-place girls in 41kg, 44kg, 83kg, 89kg and 95kg also qualified.
The St. Thomas More Knights took the overall points championship at GHAC, while Bishop Ryan came second.
In the boys' team category, the hosts from Craig Kielburger took top honours. And for the girls, More and Bishop Ryan tied for top spot.
The following Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic Athletic Association representatives received OFSAA berths:
Girls -- Olivia DeGiorgi, Brébeuf, first, 44 kg; Tamara Cifuentes, More, second, 44 kg; Gianna Gallo, More, first, 47.5 kg; Madison Mella, St. Mary, second, 47.5 kg; Isabella Rendina, Bishop Ryan, first, 51 kg; Gia Bedours, More, first, 54 kg; Elma Albaba, Bishop Ryan, first, 57.5 kg; Juliana Ruiu, Bishop Ryan, second, 57.5 kg; Taylor Engelen, Bishop Ryan, first, 61 kg; Kat Schaefer, Bishop Ryan, second, 61 kg; Juliana Skaljin, More, first, 64 kg; Ella De Almeida, Bishop Ryan, first, 67.5 kg; Jaslene Niculita, Bishop Ryan, first, 72 kg; Allegresse Matukala-Nkosi, More, second, 77 kg; Maya Kurpan, More, first, 83 kg; Harli Hoblak, Bishop Ryan, second, 83 kg; Charlize Goddard, Bishop Ryan, third, 83 kg; Krista Coleman, More, first, 95 kg.
Boys -- Yahya Deeb, More, second, 38 kg; Adamo Huybers, Cathedral, first, 41 kg; Jax Hampshire, More, second, 41 kg; Jacob Fazari, Bishop Ryan, first, 44 kg; Anthony Canuto, Brebeuf, first, 47.5 kg; Christian Coccia, Bishop Ryan, second, 47.5 kg; Nathan Evangelista, More, first, 54 kg; Tiago Mota, Bishop Ryan, second 54 kg; Aydan Cook, More, second, 57.5 kg; Gavin Guinto, Bishop Ryan, first, 61 kg; Ion Lumi, Bishop Ryan, second, 61 kg; Nicholas Groppo, Bishop Ryan, first, 64 kg; Santiago Restrepo, More, second, 64 kg; Phoenix Santi, More, first, 67.5 kg; Yousef Al-Adayli, More, second, 72 kg; Joshua Stinson, St. Mary, second, 95 kg; Shon Mah, Cathedral, second, 130 kg; Michael Diegbe, More, first, 130+ kg; Siri Diegbe, More, second, 130+ kg.
Photo by Michael Hall
