Saskatoon wrestler wins support in Olympic quest

For a Saskatoon wrestler with a big dream of making it to the Olympics, each day is a grueling challenge of training, working and then training some more.  

"Rise and repeat, every day," Natasha Kramble joked on CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning. "Sport is a full-time job for athletes."

For 15 years, Kramble has been working to achieve her goal, and this month, the two-time national wrestling champion has been chosen as an RBC Olympian.

The RBC Olympian program will help with her quest to get to the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, offering support to Kramble right up until the Olympic trials. 

"It really made me feel I was on the correct path of my Olympic journey," said Kramble.

Kramble is among the elite in the program. Just 57 athletes have been selected, and Kramble is the only one among that group who calls Saskatoon home.

Program offers more than money 

The RBC Olympian program provides athletes the money they need to keep training, but it also offers skills training for when an athlete chooses to refocus their life.   

"They give you all these skills that are transferable whether I stay with RBC or I look to transition into something else or I am a teacher — all of the skills they give you and the opportunities just help you have a wide range of options," said Kramble.

Kramble's passion is working with youth. Currently, she teaches physical education at École St. Matthew School and coaches a wrestling team.

"Part of my journey has been really focused on giving back," she said.

Kramble has also started a city-wide wrestling tournament that drew hundreds of young competitors, some with the same passion for sport that she has always had.   

Kramble tells them: "Hey, I started just where you are and I was exactly like you."