At just 16 years old, Riley Papalia is balancing high school, elite-level training, and now — a Team Canada jersey.
The Grade 11 student and Lakeland Legends Wrestling Club athlete is heading to the Pan American Games, a milestone she says is the result of years of commitment and community support. “The journey’s been amazing,” Papalia said during an interview with Chad. “I’ve had so much support with my family, my friends, my teammates, other coaches. Like, there’s just been so much drive in training and my community to help get me here to where I am today.”
Papalia has already built an impressive competitive résumé. She’s earned Gold in freestyle, Silver at nationals, Bronze at the Canada Games, and additional medals at the Alberta Winter Games. Now, she’s preparing to compete on the international stage.
Her daily routine reflects the level of dedication required to get there. Riley shared, “To be able to wake up at five in the morning and do my morning sessions and go to school, get my studying in, my homework, to come home, to do my lifts, another session at 6:45 to 8:30 at Lakeland Legends… yeah, I give up all that social stuff to be able to do what I love the most.”
When asked whether the sacrifices are worth it, Papalia didn’t hesitate, “A hundred percent.”
Support at home has played a significant role in her development, particularly from her father, who built a wrestling gym in Cold Lake, Lakeland Legends Wrestling Academy, and has been closely involved in her training. When asked who she looks up to the most, Riley shared, “My dad, all the way. All the way, my Dad!”
She also credits her support system with helping her manage the mental side of competition sharing, “It helps so much with the mental game of the sport, with the support that I feel. The pressure, it lifts so much pressure off during competitions, knowing that I’m getting love and support no matter what.”
Training in a smaller region does come with challenges. One of the biggest, she says, is finding training partners in her weight class. Papalia shared, “One of my biggest challenges are training partners. So living in a smaller region, there’s not a lot of the same weight classes that come into Lakeland Legends. So finding those similar weight trained girls, is very helpful.”
Despite those hurdles, Riley remains focused on growth and long-term development in the sport. “I would say that wrestling is one of the harder sports that you will ever try, but it is probably one of the most rewarding mentally and physically that you will ever do. You will thank yourself if you wrestle,” she emphasized.
Furthermore, her advice to younger athletes is clear, “I would tell you to fall in love with the process and not the results because then you will start to love the sport more than you love winning.” She added, “If you fall in love with the process, you will be able to make Team Canada in under two years.”
In addition to her athletic commitments, Papalia maintains a 90% average in school. She attributes that balance to discipline and time management. “The only way that that can possibly ever work when you’re a student athlete is time management,” she said. “You can do anything. You can do school, maintaining a high average is not that hard if you manage your time wisely and are able to focus during the times you need to focus in.”
As she prepares for the Pan Am Games, there is also a financial component. The trip is expected to cost between $3,000 and $4,000, and Papalia is currently seeking sponsorship support.“You can contact or email Lakeland Legends Wrestling Club to get ahold of my coaches or myself to sponsor me. I’m willing to help volunteer, put your name out there. Whatever you need, whatever needs to be done,” she said.
With strong community backing and a disciplined approach to both sport and school, Papalia will represent not only Team Canada at the Pan Am Games, but also her club and region on the international stage. Show Riley some love and help support this new endeavor!
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Local Wrestler Riley Papalia Earns Spot on Team Canada for Pan Am Games
At just 16 years old, Riley Papalia is balancing high school, elite-level training, and now — a Team Canada jersey.
The Grade 11 student and Lakeland Legends Wrestling Club athlete is heading to the Pan American Games, a milestone she says is the result of years of commitment and community support. “The journey’s been amazing,” Papalia said during an interview with Chad. “I’ve had so much support with my family, my friends, my teammates, other coaches. Like, there’s just been so much drive in training and my community to help get me here to where I am today.”
Papalia has already built an impressive competitive résumé. She’s earned Gold in freestyle, Silver at nationals, Bronze at the Canada Games, and additional medals at the Alberta Winter Games. Now, she’s preparing to compete on the international stage.
Her daily routine reflects the level of dedication required to get there. Riley shared, “To be able to wake up at five in the morning and do my morning sessions and go to school, get my studying in, my homework, to come home, to do my lifts, another session at 6:45 to 8:30 at Lakeland Legends… yeah, I give up all that social stuff to be able to do what I love the most.”
When asked whether the sacrifices are worth it, Papalia didn’t hesitate, “A hundred percent.”
Support at home has played a significant role in her development, particularly from her father, who built a wrestling gym in Cold Lake, Lakeland Legends Wrestling Academy, and has been closely involved in her training. When asked who she looks up to the most, Riley shared, “My dad, all the way. All the way, my Dad!”
She also credits her support system with helping her manage the mental side of competition sharing, “It helps so much with the mental game of the sport, with the support that I feel. The pressure, it lifts so much pressure off during competitions, knowing that I’m getting love and support no matter what.”
Training in a smaller region does come with challenges. One of the biggest, she says, is finding training partners in her weight class. Papalia shared, “One of my biggest challenges are training partners. So living in a smaller region, there’s not a lot of the same weight classes that come into Lakeland Legends. So finding those similar weight trained girls, is very helpful.”
Despite those hurdles, Riley remains focused on growth and long-term development in the sport. “I would say that wrestling is one of the harder sports that you will ever try, but it is probably one of the most rewarding mentally and physically that you will ever do. You will thank yourself if you wrestle,” she emphasized.
Furthermore, her advice to younger athletes is clear, “I would tell you to fall in love with the process and not the results because then you will start to love the sport more than you love winning.” She added, “If you fall in love with the process, you will be able to make Team Canada in under two years.”
In addition to her athletic commitments, Papalia maintains a 90% average in school. She attributes that balance to discipline and time management. “The only way that that can possibly ever work when you’re a student athlete is time management,” she said. “You can do anything. You can do school, maintaining a high average is not that hard if you manage your time wisely and are able to focus during the times you need to focus in.”
As she prepares for the Pan Am Games, there is also a financial component. The trip is expected to cost between $3,000 and $4,000, and Papalia is currently seeking sponsorship support.“You can contact or email Lakeland Legends Wrestling Club to get ahold of my coaches or myself to sponsor me. I’m willing to help volunteer, put your name out there. Whatever you need, whatever needs to be done,” she said.
With strong community backing and a disciplined approach to both sport and school, Papalia will represent not only Team Canada at the Pan Am Games, but also her club and region on the international stage. Show Riley some love and help support this new endeavor!
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