Jillian Gallays, Canadian Olympic Wrestler, Inspiring Profile In Strength

An inevitable by-product of great success for a star of any industry is that their fan base sees the finished product and lifestyle as glamorous almost oblivious to the extremely painful, lonely and often un-glamorous trek across the sacrificial journey that got them there.

Let’s face it, any film about war is always guaranteed to be an uncomfortable popcorn companion but what makes the film Lore even more disturbing is that it focuses on the children of the conflict.

fciwomenswrestling.com, femcompetitor.com article, Transmission Films photo credit

Lore is a 2012 German-British-Australian historical drama art film based on Rachel Seiffert‘s much awarded novel The Dark Room, with the screenplay written by British screenwriter Robin Mukherjee and the film’s director, Cate Shortland.

In southwestern Germany, during the immediate aftermath of World War II, five destitute siblings must travel 900 kilometers to their grandmother’s home in Husum Bay near Hamburg after their high-level Nazi parents disappear in the face of certain arrest by Allied Forces. Along the way, they encounter a variety of other Germans, some of whom are helpful while others are antagonistic.

Eventually they are joined by an unofficial guardian that my help them get to the promise land.

In the female freestyle grappling world, the brilliant Canadian wrestler Jillian Gallays reached the promise land when she was invited to be on the team that would represent Canada at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

She won the bronze medal at the 53kg event at the 2014 World Wrestling Championships.

The trek to get there however has been anything but glamorous.

At her engaging site jilliangallays.com she educates, “Since the Olympic Games she has taken time away from wrestling to help determine if she wants to train for another Olympic cycle or transition out of sport. Right now she is trying to find balance.

Jillian has earned a Kin degree with the challenge of dyslexia and being a full time athlete. Having the chance to compete and be the captain for the U of S Huskies wrestling team. Growing up with a single mom, Jill has learned to be resilient and to fight hard for what she wants out of life.

Despite all of the injuries and setbacks, her perseverance has given her the work ethic to obtain successes on and off the wrestling mat. There is no doubt that her passion, power and perseverance is her biggest strength that lead her to make it to the Olympic Games.”

Her story is impressive and inspiring.

She’s also is a world traveler, having wrestled internationally in at least 28 countries abroad.

At the informative Canadian site wrestling.ca they capsulize her accomplishments:

Commonwealth Games:
2014 – BRONZE (53 kg);
2010 – 6th (55 kg)

Senior World Championships:
2014 – BRONZE (53 kg);
2013 – 13th (55 kg);
2010 – 8th (55 kg)

FISU Universiade:
2013 – 10th (55 kg)

Let’s listen in for more at thestar.com. On November 6, 2014 they added, “Jillian Gallays uprooted her life to improve wrestling skills and the move has paid off; now set to compete in Bill Farrell Invitational in New York.

Six months ago, Jillian Gallays, locked the door on her house in Saskatoon and drove her car 3,000 km to St. Catharines.

Now, she’s living in wrestling great Tonya Verbeek’s basement and, though the quarters aren’t what she’s used to, she couldn’t be much happier.

Since the move, she’s won bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games and the world championships. And, her ability to win a medal at worlds in September — she was the only Canadian to do so — has further cemented her belief that an Olympic medal in wrestling at the 2016 Rio Games is within reach.”

Well, as we saw, her belief came true.

She has a lighter side too.

She loves working out, reading, dancing, playing board games, and rock climbing.

She graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 2011 with a degree in Kinesiology.

Others in high places are very impressed with her. Her official sponsor has been Bourgault Industries.

Bourgault Industries Ltd. is a leading global manufacturer in technologically advanced seeding and tillage equipment headquartered in St. Brieux – Saskatchewan with additional permanent facilities in Saskatoon – Saskatchewan, Minot – North Dakota, Perth – Australia & Parks – Australia.

Their mission is to design, manufacture and distribute the highest quality, most durable and reliable farm equipment in the world.

We’re excited about visiting the village that helped shape her.

Saskatoon is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.

It is known for its diverse and vibrant culture and its eight river crossings that give it the nicknames “Paris of the Prairies” and “Bridge City.”

The city is named after the berry of the same name, which is native to the region.

At its 2016 census population of 246,376, Saskatoon is the largest city in the province.

Summer activities include cycling, jogging and walking through parks and natural areas. Cross-country skiing is popular during the winter months, along with skating in Kiwanis Memorial Park.

Sounds like so much fun. We would like a more in depth tour. We found just the right group.

Welcoming with a great northern smile, tourismsaskatoon.com shares, “An active city, residents and visitors alike flock to the Meewasin Valley trails, traversing sixty kilometers of pathways in all seasons. The city’s youthful vitality and cultural richness are evident in every neighborhood, thanks in part to the University of Saskatchewan, where leading-edge technology such as the Canadian Light Source synchrotron draws the best minds from around the world.

A vibrant, sophisticated arts community is tangible at the assortment of events and festivals taking place throughout the year. Boutique shopping, challenging golf courses, and fresh local cuisine round out Saskatoon’s appeal.”

The region is also admired by the timeless travel great nationalgeographic.com who smile, “Surrounded by endless fields of shimmering wheat, today’s Saskatoon is a pocket of Saskatchewan’s culture, vitality, and welcoming prairie spirit. These days, city streets are buzzing with an infusion of new restaurants and residents, breweries and bars, making Saskatoon one of Canada’s fastest growing cities.

With more sunlight per year than any other Canadian city, Saskatoon comes alive in summer, with celebrations like jazz, theater, and folk festivals held June to August. New to town: MoSoFest, which prides itself on being “Saskatoon’s most diverse festival” and this year featured 60 bands in seven venues.”

fciwomenswrestling.com, femcompetitor.com article, jillian jilliangallays.com photo credit

We are so impressed. The more we read about the villages that raise our global female sports community, the more we realize we know so little about what the world’s great civilizations have to offer.

Saskatoon is very easy to explore by foot, vehicle, or bike and casually have memorable fun.

Wouldn’t you agree that Jillian is from a very special part of the world?

It’s a world and life experience that most of us can identify with.

This life seems to be filled with challenges and how far we go and how we get there so often depends upon how we react to those obstacles and mountains.

In terms of that, we can learn much from Jillian.

As of this January 1, 2018 writing as reported at cravensportservices.ca, Jillian is the Director Of Training.

Craven SPORT services specializes in holistic treatment for a range of health and injury problems from nutrition, to mental fitness, to retraining your body to heal and respond to new challenges. Sports physio is specialized physiotherapy that targets those areas that keep us from our fitness goals.

Despite her life challenges, Jillian has learned to be resilient and to fight hard for what she wants out of life.

In terms of sharing advice, so often it is best to do it from home. At her site she enlightens, “Everyone has obstacles to face. It is how you choose to face the problem that defines who you are. I always try to find the positive from every difficult situation”