The 14-year-old is a Grade 9 student at Horton. She wrestles both for the school team and for the Windsor Mat Kings club team under head coach Kim Walsh.
Levy has been wrestling for five or six years. It’s in her blood – her older brother Kirklyn inspired her to get interested in the sport when he wrestled for Horton.
“He started wrestling, and I started hanging out with the group. I picked it up, and continued on with a full practice,” she said.
Her dad Gary is currently one of the Horton coaches.
“When she was in Grade 6, I gave her a choice,” he said. “I told her she could enter one tournament, and if she didn't like it, she didn't have to continue. She went undefeated, and ended up winning the junior girls' provincials.”
Levy competed for Wolfville School, winning silver at provincials in Grade 7 and gold in Grade 8. She plans to compete again this year, this time for Horton in the 60-kilogram weight category, and has no plans to stop wrestling anytime soon.
“I like the one-on-one aspect, and the fact that I feel confident every time I compete,” she said.
Although it’s a one-on-one competition, she also gets to be part of a team, which at Horton includes both boys and girls.
Club competition
Levy can compete for Horton both at the NSSAF regionals and provincials because she’s a student. It's a little different on the club wrestling side.
“I'm looking at going to Eastern Canadians the end of (January) in Fredericton. It's a club tournament, over and above school. Then the national club championships are in Calgary in April.”
The latter event is very large, she says.
“It's called nationals because wrestlers from all across the country compete – at least, those that can afford to go,” she said.
The expenses of attending these club tournaments are the responsibility of the athlete. Levy is fortunate to have the support and encouragement of her extended family.
Her uncle, Joel Zwicker, who lives in Liverpool, has started Makayla's Wrestling Dream Fund on her behalf on the crowd-funding site GoFundMe.com.
“It's only just started, and it's been slow so far, but there's time yet,” Gary Levy said of the GoFundMe effort. “We're also planning to canvass local businesses and organizations for support. We're fairly new at this kind of thing, but I'm sure there's support out there.”
National scene
Both Levy and her father hope she’ll be able to attend both club meets – as they are both invitational, a wrestler doesn't have to win at Eastern Canadians to qualify for nationals.
Given her current standing as the top female wrestler in Nova Scotia for her age and weight, “we're figuring she'll finish top-two at Eastern Canadians and top-three at nationals,” Gary Levy says.
For her part, Levy is “pleased to be getting that kind of support from family.” She feels the competitions will give her good national exposure.
“It'll be the funding that decides it,” she says.
Levy also has the advantage of being part of the Nova Scotia core team for the 2017 Canada Games, set for Winnipeg in the summer of 2017.
Gary Levy believes his daughter's chances of making the team are good, especially if she is able to keep competing at a high level.
Levy's association with the Canada Games program is reaping other benefits for her as well.
“The head coach of the Sackville Wrestling Club, Mike Lidstone, who is also the Canada Games female coach, has invited her to compete in New York in May,” he added.
Levy was pretty excited at the chance to compete nationally and internationally.
“There will likely be 20 of us going to Calgary - athletes, parents and coaches from all over the province,” she said.
Looking ahead
Levy wants to keep wrestling as long as she can – and she has big dreams.
“If it continues on to university and I can get a scholarship, I'd like to set my sights on making it to the Olympics,” she said.
In the meantime, she plans to continue to compete, “both for my school and for my club,” and at as many high-level club tournaments as she can, including the Canada Games.
“I'm looking forward to the Canada Games. With not many girls in my weight class, I think my chances of making the team should be pretty good,” she said, adding that she dreams of winning a medal.
“Doing well there would improve both my standing and exposure.”
Levy currently practices twice a week at Horton, with her father and Jason Pleasant, a former university wrestler, as her coaches. She practices once a week in Windsor, does high-intensity training once a week in Lantz, and travels at least once every other week, and sometimes more often, to Chester.
“I feel I'm on track,” she said. “Some weeks, it feels like a lot – there's a lot of sacrifice, and I miss out on some other things I might like to do – but hopefully all the hard work will be worth it in the end.”
The 14-year-old is a Grade 9 student at Horton. She wrestles both for the school team and for the Windsor Mat Kings club team under head coach Kim Walsh.
Levy has been wrestling for five or six years. It’s in her blood – her older brother Kirklyn inspired her to get interested in the sport when he wrestled for Horton.
“He started wrestling, and I started hanging out with the group. I picked it up, and continued on with a full practice,” she said.
Her dad Gary is currently one of the Horton coaches.
“When she was in Grade 6, I gave her a choice,” he said. “I told her she could enter one tournament, and if she didn't like it, she didn't have to continue. She went undefeated, and ended up winning the junior girls' provincials.”
Levy competed for Wolfville School, winning silver at provincials in Grade 7 and gold in Grade 8. She plans to compete again this year, this time for Horton in the 60-kilogram weight category, and has no plans to stop wrestling anytime soon.
“I like the one-on-one aspect, and the fact that I feel confident every time I compete,” she said.
Although it’s a one-on-one competition, she also gets to be part of a team, which at Horton includes both boys and girls.
Club competition
Levy can compete for Horton both at the NSSAF regionals and provincials because she’s a student. It's a little different on the club wrestling side.
“I'm looking at going to Eastern Canadians the end of (January) in Fredericton. It's a club tournament, over and above school. Then the national club championships are in Calgary in April.”
The latter event is very large, she says.
“It's called nationals because wrestlers from all across the country compete – at least, those that can afford to go,” she said.
The expenses of attending these club tournaments are the responsibility of the athlete. Levy is fortunate to have the support and encouragement of her extended family.
Her uncle, Joel Zwicker, who lives in Liverpool, has started Makayla's Wrestling Dream Fund on her behalf on the crowd-funding site GoFundMe.com.
“It's only just started, and it's been slow so far, but there's time yet,” Gary Levy said of the GoFundMe effort. “We're also planning to canvass local businesses and organizations for support. We're fairly new at this kind of thing, but I'm sure there's support out there.”
National scene
Both Levy and her father hope she’ll be able to attend both club meets – as they are both invitational, a wrestler doesn't have to win at Eastern Canadians to qualify for nationals.
Given her current standing as the top female wrestler in Nova Scotia for her age and weight, “we're figuring she'll finish top-two at Eastern Canadians and top-three at nationals,” Gary Levy says.
For her part, Levy is “pleased to be getting that kind of support from family.” She feels the competitions will give her good national exposure.
“It'll be the funding that decides it,” she says.
Levy also has the advantage of being part of the Nova Scotia core team for the 2017 Canada Games, set for Winnipeg in the summer of 2017.
Gary Levy believes his daughter's chances of making the team are good, especially if she is able to keep competing at a high level.
Levy's association with the Canada Games program is reaping other benefits for her as well.
“The head coach of the Sackville Wrestling Club, Mike Lidstone, who is also the Canada Games female coach, has invited her to compete in New York in May,” he added.
Levy was pretty excited at the chance to compete nationally and internationally.
“There will likely be 20 of us going to Calgary - athletes, parents and coaches from all over the province,” she said.
Looking ahead
Levy wants to keep wrestling as long as she can – and she has big dreams.
“If it continues on to university and I can get a scholarship, I'd like to set my sights on making it to the Olympics,” she said.
In the meantime, she plans to continue to compete, “both for my school and for my club,” and at as many high-level club tournaments as she can, including the Canada Games.
“I'm looking forward to the Canada Games. With not many girls in my weight class, I think my chances of making the team should be pretty good,” she said, adding that she dreams of winning a medal.
“Doing well there would improve both my standing and exposure.”
Levy currently practices twice a week at Horton, with her father and Jason Pleasant, a former university wrestler, as her coaches. She practices once a week in Windsor, does high-intensity training once a week in Lantz, and travels at least once every other week, and sometimes more often, to Chester.
“I feel I'm on track,” she said. “Some weeks, it feels like a lot – there's a lot of sacrifice, and I miss out on some other things I might like to do – but hopefully all the hard work will be worth it in the end.”
