Tianna Kennett of Manor began wrestling in high school in the ninth grade as a Manor Mustang. She became interested after watching her younger sister compete. The high school coach, Monty McNaughton, invited Tianna to join the school wrestling team, and so began her wrestling career.
Wrestling in the High School Provincial Program she won provincial titles in 2013 and 2014 and in her senior year 2015.
Having won provincial titles she qualified for the Canadian National Team, which she was a member of in 2013 and 2014.
It was during this time she was able to make connections making the decision to move to Calgary. She enrolled in nursing at the University of Calgary and competed to become a member of the Dino’s university wrestling team.
During her four years of studies, she was able to win Club Nationals in her first two years. She also won Canada West University Athletics Association titles twice in her first and fourth years of competition. She added a silver medal at the Youth Sport Competition in Calgary in the spring of 2019. Tianna continued to compete as a member of the Dino’s after graduating with a degree in nursing in April 2019.
She qualified again this year for the fourth time to represent Canada in the U23 World Championships in the 56k weight class, held in Budapest, Hungary. The competition took place on October 30 and 31. She won three of four matches, competing against athletes from India, Moldova, Serbia and beating the competitor from Belarus for the bronze medal. This was her first medal at the world level and she came home with not only the medal, but also now a belief in herself and a trust for the coaches and the process.
Tianna is now working as a nurse in Calgary and continues as a member of the Dino program. She supports herself in the program and also garners support from family and money raised by the club. She has her sights on a return to the World’s next year and also on the horizon in December are the tryouts for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo next summer.
