Dorothy Yeats, Pure & Applied Science, Sport - Études élite athlete

When it came time to choose a Cegep, Vanier was the only place Dorothy Yeats ever considered

As a champion wrestler, Dorothy wanted to continue her sport and work with her coach, Victor Zilberman, who teaches at Vanier.

As a highly ranked athlete, Dorothy knew she'd be competing a lot and would need the flexibility and accommodation offered through the Sport-Études program offered at Vanier.

From gymnastics to wrestling

Dorothy, who is a petite blonde with a fresh engaging smile and a face that radiates good health has been involved in sports all her life. Not surprising since her father, also a wrestler, went to the Olympics five times, and her uncle was World Champion. But before turning to wrestling, Dorothy did gymnastics from the ages of 5 to 14. No surprises there either given that her mother was on the Hungarian national gymnastics team.

Success in short order

But in grade nine Dorothy decided to try wrestling and for a while did both sports. Within a few months she was already winning wrestling competitions and qualifying for the Nationals! "In less than a year I was already further in wrestling than I ever was in gymnastics! So I stopped gymnastics and concentrated on wrestling."

Gymnastics and wrestling are very different sports so what does she like about wrestling?

"Wrestling is not predictable! It's not like gymnastics where you have a set routine. With wrestling I had to change my mental approach and open my mind. When I'm wrestling I have to think about my opponent and change my moves and adjust my strategy."

Does Dorothy have time for anything other than wrestling?

"Not really. I train two or three times a day, six days a week, thirty hours a week." What's her typical day like? "Every morning I work out from 7 to 9 am. I bike or play a modified game of basketball with other wrestlers – modified to give us a cardio workout. Then from 10 to 11:30 I have classes. At noon I jump in the pool for 60 laps. Then it's back to class in the afternoon. At 6 pm I go back to the gym for wrestling practice or to work on wrestling techniques. There are five other wrestlers at Vanier. We're all friends and we train together."

Science Studies

But wrestling is not all there is to her life – there are also her classes. Dorothy who is in Science plans to study Engineering like her father who is a mechanical engineer. "I'm aiming for Concordia University because it has a wrestling program and my coach also works there."

I'm glad I came to Vanier

"I never even considered going anywhere else. I'm glad I came here. I don't think I could have excelled at my sport anywhere else."

Do more physical activity

Dorothy thinks young people don't pay enough attention to physical activity. They see it as a tool for weight loss and not a health issue. So they don't work out because they're skinny. But it's a lot harder to start working out later in life than when you're young."

Her Advice to Young People

"Find a passion and invest time in it." "Through wrestling I learned the importance of hard work and how to be efficient with my time. If you have a lot of activities make a plan ahead of time – don't just improvise. In high school kids have a schedule made for them but at Cegep you're on your own. You're independent but you need to plan."

Future ambitions: 2016 Olympics

So what are the ambitions of this young woman who has won the Nationals every year since she started competing five years ago and who is headed for the World Championships in Thailand in the fall? "I'm aiming for the Olympics – like Martine Dugrenier, another Vanier champion wrestler. We're friends and we train together. She has definitely inspired me and been a role model for me. I'd like to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro."