RED DEER, Alta. — Mikey Perry has won Prince Edward Island’s first medal at the Canada Games in Red Deer, Alta.
“It feels awesome,” he said Tuesday night. “It feels great because you’re fighting the best.”
The Brackley Beach judoka defeated teammate R.J. Hetherington of Stratford 1-0 to win bronze in the nine-athlete 50-kilogram division.
Perry, 14, lost his opening match to Alberta’s Douglas O’Brien, who won silver, 1-0. He responded to defeat Saskatchewan’s Euan Leo Litzenberger and Hetherington.
“It felt awesome because after I lost my first one, I had to win every single fight to win bronze,” Perry explained.
Four days into the multi-sport competition, he has accomplished his two goals for the event.
“I wanted to get a medal and I did and just have a blast – have fun out here,” said Perry, who trains at the Toshidokan Judo Club in Summerside.
Perry’s stepfather David Gregory introduced him to the sport 7 ½ years ago.
“I tried it and I loved it,” explained Perry, who will compete in the team competition in the under 55-kilogram division on Friday.
Team P.E.I. boys’ coach Kent Hardy said Perry worked really hard to reach the podium.
“I was really happy for him,” he said. “Mikey should be proud of himself for what he’s accomplished.”
He said Perry is a smart, competitive and coachable athlete, who doesn’t get rattled during matches.
“He’s very calm and collected.”
Hardy noted the province’s strong history in judo at the Games, winning 16 of Team P.E.I.’s 57 medals at the competition, and pointed out the difference in population and funding compared to the larger provinces.
“To see the flag and the athlete on the podium, it’s touching for sure,” Hardy said. “To see Mikey up there on the podium, and an Islander getting a medal, it helps put judo on the map.”
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Competing at the Canada Games was a goal for Perry, who wants to reach the highest level in the sport.
“It was one of my big tournaments. I am looking forward to Olympics someday, (so) this is just a beginning,” he said. “This tournament, I learned a lot and I will take that and move onto the next tournament.”
The bronze-medal match was an all-Island affair.
It was scoreless after the four-minute match, setting up golden score where the judoka to score the next point would be victorious.
“I knew it was going to be a tough battle,” Perry said. “It was a good fight.”
Perry said standing on the podium with many people taking photos of him and the other medal winners was a special moment. He then had a chance to spend some time with his mother, Trish Shaw, and other family members.
“It was nice to see them again because they spent all the time helping me train and getting me to every tournament,” he said.
In judo, a gold and silver medal are presented and there are two bronze-medal matches, so four medals are presented.
Pleasant Grove’s Lilly Keefe (48 kilogram) and Stratford’s Dylan Sheppard (66 kilogram) lost their bronze medal matches, resulting in three Islanders finishing fifth.
“That’s incredible. That’s outstanding,” Hardy said. “They should be proud of themselves and everybody on the Island should be proud of them too.”
He said it shows Island athletes can compete with larger provinces.
“It’s all about determination,” he said.
