BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
When the airline Jetsgo crashed into
bankruptcy, it took with it the hopes and dreams of 16 local
wrestlers.
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Sudbury Golden Eagles. Front:
Jessica Kutschke, Melissa Charron, Jenna Schroeder and
Jenna Howard. Back: coach Paul Berthiaume,
Andree-Michelle-Comeau, Sheldon Burton, Andrea Mizuik,
Cale Predon, Pat Campeau and coach Chris Mask. |
All season they worked hard to get to the
premiere wrestling championship in Canada, but now, because of
the Jetsgo bankruptcy, the Sudbury wrestlers are in jeopardy of
losing their chance at grappling for a national medal.
About a month ago, Chelmsford wrestling coach
Paul Berthiaume, along with three other coaches, two parents
and 16 wrestlers booked tickets to fly on the vulnerable
airline to the Canadian Cadet/Juvenile National Wrestling
Championships in St. John's, Nfld.
The 16 wrestlers had qualified at the
provincial championships earlier this year.
They were to fly out of Sudbury April 1 to
Toronto, and then connect with another flight to St.
John's.
They got a great deal. Tickets were about
$300 each for return fare.
"It turns out it was too good to be true,"
said Berthiaume.
"The wrestlers are obviously upset. A few
parents even said they might have to sit out their kids because
one of our only options right now is driving, and that's about
a 24-hour drive.
"There's many safety concerns with driving
such as snow storms. We planned this trip for awhile, and it
was supposed to be the best trip of the season for the kids.
Now it's a mess. It has put a major damper on things for
sure."
What makes Berthiaume even more angry is the
fact the wrestlers paid for their tickets with their
hard-earned money from part-time jobs.
"We don't even know if we will get our money
back," said Berthiaume, who put the grand total on a MasterCard
credit card.
"MasterCard told me I have to wait until
after the wrestling date for them to try to do something. It's
kind of not really about the money. It's about going to wrestle
at nationals, and for some of these kids, it will be their last
amateur wrestling tournament."
Berthiaume is frantically seeking a solution
to get the wrestlers to the event.
"Right now, the easiest solution would be to
drive," said Berthiaume. "There's a lot of problems with that
way. Taking a bus was an option, but it's a lot more money, and
not everybody can afford it. We thought about another airline,
but again, the kids can't afford another $400-plus ticket. If I
have to, I will drive the kids myself. It's just brutal, bad
timing."
The wrestlers are steaming over the
unfortunate situation.
"I am furious," said Jenna Schroeder, a
wrestler from Chelmsford. "We are all really mad because we
have been working really hard all year to get there."
Potentially losing her shot to wrestle
national calibre talent and her money has Schroeder at wits
end, but she's prepared to do what ever she has to do to get to
St. John's.
"I worked at McDonald's all year to save up,
and now I just lost $300. It makes me feel really bad because I
worked so hard and now I can't go," said Schroeder.
"I am prepared to do what it takes to get to
St. John's, but there's a lot of people who are not. Many
parents find there's a big risk in driving there.
Some of the wrestlers feel if we drive and
when we get out of the vans we will be sluggish, tired and
stiff. We were depending on the flight to get
there."
With the competition a few weeks away, the
group is in limbo.
"We were hoping another airline might honour
the tickets, but it doesn't look like that will happen,"said
Schroeder. "We are stuck and we don't know what we are doing
right now. It would be greatly appreciated by the wrestlers if
anyone could help out in some way. We have a lot of talent here
that shouldn't be wasted."
Berthiaume is quick to back up the talent
level and the good chances the team had for the
championship.
"We had at least three shots at medals this
year, as we had three wrestlers who won medals at provincials
earlier this year," said Berthiaume.
Berthiaume is hosting a pool tournament
fundraiser at Rhythm and Cues this Saturday at 7 pm.
It was originally planned to generate some
extra funds for the trip, but will now be used toward a
solution. For more information, phone Berthiaume
at 983-0288.
