BY SCOTT
HADDOW
When asked about who would win in a wrestling match, brothers
Sheldon and Spencer Burton have their own versions.
Sheldon, without hesitation and while pumping his clenched
fist, proclaims he would.
Spencer, after some deliberation, said he believes he would and
cracks a wide smile.
One thing is for sure, no one in the Ontario high school system
has been able to beat either one of them this season and they
have a massive medal haul to prove it.
The brothers, Sheldon wrestling at the 64-kilogram class, and
Spencer, competing at the 67-kg class, won gold medals this
year at every level, sweeping the city, NOSSA and OFSAA
championships.
Competing for the Chelmsford high school team and the Rayside
Wrestling Club, the Burton brothers have become two of the most
dominating wrestlers from the community.
Their success hasn't been limited to the high school level.
Both brothers have also done well at the club level, winning
more medals and accolades for their talents.
Recently, the Burton brothers took time out to talk with
Northern Life reporter Scott Haddow about wrestling and future
plans.
SH: What did winning OFSAA gold mean to you?
Sheldon: It was nice because OFSAA is one of the most
prestigious wrestling tournaments in Canada. There's 850
wrestlers and winning that felt really good.
Spencer: It was inspiring. Now, I know what I can do and what I
could do. Whatever I work towards, I know I can achieve.
SH: Seeing your brother win OFSAA gold, how did that feel?
Sheldon: He was on the same mat right after me. It was a great
upset for him. He beat a guy he has been losing to for awhile
and I'm proud of him.
Spencer: He wrestled right before me and Sheldon was my
greatest inspiration for my match. I think it was the reason I
won gold. It made me nervous seeing him win. I've never seen
him win gold. When he came off the mat, everyone was cheering
and it was a great moment.
SH: What was the hardest part of winning OFSAA gold?
Sheldon: I had a tough final...but I was used to that level of
competition. It was a lot of hard work leading up to OFSAA.
Spencer: I found it quite hard. My last match was challenging.
It went three rounds back and forth...I took control in the
third and was able to win gold.
SH: You guys swept through cities, NOSSA and OFSAA. What did
it mean to you?
Sheldon: I've won cities four years straight and NOSSA three
years straight. To top everything off with an OFSAA gold was
fitting. It's my last year of high school wrestling so it's a
great way to go out. Not too many people who win NOSSA do well
at OFSAA, so it's nice to have wrestlers from our region win
the gold medals.
Spencer: It meant a lot to me. I've won cities and NOSSA the
last three years in a row. OFSAA was a surprise for me. I
didn't think I would win...it was special.
SH: In life, what kind of impact does your brother have on
you?
Sheldon: He's my training partner every day at the gym. I have
to put up with his stuff at home. We help each other with
wrestling and we learn from each other. I don't want to be
rude, but I go out and learn new techniques and come back and
beat him up for a while until he learns the techniques. I'm
only as good as my training partner and I train with one of the
best.
Spencer: I look up to my older brother. I pick things up from
him and use it to my advantage. He helps me out a
lot...teaching me new moves. He's made me a better
wrestler.
SH: Looking at your brother as a wrestler, what stands out
about him?
Sheldon: He's strong, very strong. He's also fast and knows
what to do in matches.
Spencer: Sheldon knows what he can take. If he says he can beat
a guy, he can. He is a sportsman and polite to his opponents.
He's very aggressive on the mat.
SH: Who would win in a real match between you two?
Sheldon: I would win.
Spencer: He might win...he might take me, but not by much. He
knows off the mat, there's a different story, but we will not
go there.
SH: Motivation and drive for the rest of 2008?
Sheldon: I have junior nationals at the end of March and I will
be shooting for top place. Last year, I finished sixth. This
year I want to win a medal. In April, there's the age nationals
and I hope to earn a medal there too.
Spencer: My motivation will be juvenile nationals where I hope
to win a gold medal...I would be happy with a top three finish.
I've never won a medal at the national level.
SH: Expectations you put on yourself every day?
Sheldon: It doesn't matter if I win or lose. What matters to me
is that I left everything I had on the mat. There's nothing
worse than losing when you know you didn't go as hard as you
could have. Every day, I do as much as I can for as long as I
can.
Spencer: I don't expect much. I wrestle to have fun and go to
tournaments and see how well I can do.
SH: Type of competitor you see yourself as?
Sheldon: I'm avid and experienced now. I'm not intense and slow
down matches to my pace to control them.
Spencer: I'm hard working and always looking to improve.
SH: How has wrestling enhanced your life?
Sheldon: I'm in the best shape of my life. It pushed me into
peak performance...I know a lot about my body and nutrition.
I've got to meet a lot of new people and even did public
speaking. It's opened a lot of doors for me in life.
Spencer: Wrestling is one of the hardest, most demanding sports
I've ever seen. It's helped me in life...giving me a good work
ethic.
