After overcoming several injury setbacks, Canadian wrestler Dhesi aims for Olympic medal

Amar Dhesi's journey to become an Olympic athlete was far from pain-free.

While it's never easy for any athlete to make it to the Games, it's surely not common to have to overcome three ACL tears in six years, like the wrestler from Surrey, B.C., had to.

Undergoing two reconstructive surgeries that caused him to miss two seasons during his university days at Oregon State, however, didn't stop the 28 year old from achieving a lot in the sport.

That includes claiming the Commonwealth title in Birmingham, England, in August, in the men's 125-kilogram event, and a gold medal at the 2022 Acapulco Pan American Championships in Mexico, an improvement from his silver two years before in Ottawa.

Dhesi aims to achieve even more in the sport he was introduced to by his father, a former national champion in India.

Having made his Olympic debut in Tokyo and learned from the experience, his aim is now to come back from Paris 2024 with a medal.

"I don't want to just get back there and just be there," said Dhesi to local newspaper Surrey Now-Leader. "I want to go back to the Olympics and be on the podium, that's my goal. Hopefully, at the top of the podium.

"I'm more experienced now. We'll see what the future holds."

Dhesi finished in 13th place in Tokyo, losing to Turkey's Taha Akgül in the Round of 16. Akgül went on to secure a bronze medal. The Canadian enjoyed the experience, even if it was heavily affected by pandemic restrictions.

"We trained and weren't allowed to leave the hotel, which was different, other than the bus to the training facility. For me, personally, it was pretty surreal being there, just seeing all the high-level athletes from all these other countries gathered there. The experience overall was good."

WATCH l Dhesi's father, a former national champion in India, introduced him to wrestling:

Dhesi had to wait to have his first taste of the Olympics, being left "devastated" after failing to qualify to represent Canada in Rio 2016.

Sticking with the sport that runs in his family history was worth it, as Dhesi made the Canadian Olympic team four years later. 

"It means everything. Since I started this sport at five- or six-years old that's all I could dream about. It was a long road, a lot of sacrifices," he said at the time, as quoted by CBC Sports in 2020. "It means a lot, not just for me but for my family, my community. I'm not done yet; this is just a step."

Dhesi also focus on Surrey-based Khalsa Wrestling Club, founded by his father in 1976 and run as a non-profit. He's one of the coaches, along with brother Parm.

"We're not about making a kid a world champ, but if that does happen, it's a blessing," Dhesi said to Surrey Now-Leader. "Our motto is that not every kid will be an Olympic champ, but we can try our best to make the kid a good human being."