‘I could outwork anybody’

Kaura Coles admits she’s not the strongest, fastest or most athletic amateur wrestler.

But that hasn’t stopped the 19-year-old from Winnipeg from becoming the best in the world.

Coles, representing London-Western Wrestling Club out of London, Ont., won gold in the 53-kg division at the U20 World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Aug. 19.

She’s only the fifth Canadian to win a U20 world title.

“I had a hard draw. I had a lot of good people on my side of the bracket, but my coaches and I were all confident that I could outwork anybody,” Coles told the Free Press on Monday.

“It’s a long match… Even if people are winning the first period, there’s still a second period, and if I keep dragging them into deep waters, eventually they will break.”

Most impressive of all? She managed to do just that in her final two matches with a partially torn MCL.

“It hurt a lot the second day. When I woke up, it was hard to get out of bed. But I just had to put that aside and focus on finishing my last match. I think most people couldn’t even tell that I was injured,” she said.

“I’ve never been injured in a tournament before, so, it was a new experience. But I like challenges. I like overcoming things.”

Coles has learned four languages — including Mandarin — through homeschooling and travel. Her family lived in China for nine months in 2013.

Her parents, Cory and Michelle, have 11 kids, 10 of whom are involved in wrestling.

Her 20-year-old brother Niko also competed at worlds, finishing 14th in the Greco-Roman category in the 72-kg division.

Their younger brother, 16-year-old Jerin, won gold at the 2026 U17 Pan-American Championships in Panama but had to sit out the world championships because of a hip injury.

After Coles outlasted Venezuela’s Alexa Alvarez in the final and China’s Yuxuan Li in the semifinals, she spoke to her competitors in their native languages.

Coles entered the week as a medal contender after becoming the first Canadian to win the U17 world crown in 2024 in Amman, Jordan.

“The girl from China was very shocked — she did not expect that,” said Coles.

“She was a really nice girl. I’m glad I was able to talk to her.”

While still considered a junior, Coles won the Canadian senior championship at 53 kg in Montreal back in May. She’ll soon take the next step when she competes at her first senior world championship in Astana, Kazakhstan (Oct. 24-Nov. 1).

“I have the same expectation for myself in every tournament and every match: work as hard as I can, and whether I win or lose, I want my opponent to never want to wrestle me again,” she said.

“I want the match to be the hardest match they’ve ever wrestled.”

She’s hoping that mindset will one day take her to the Olympics.

“I definitely think that she could get on the podium at the 2032 Olympic Games,” said David Spinney, a coach with the Canadian national program for the past decade. Spinney and wrestler Madi Parks were in her corner in Slovakia.

“I think there’s a possibility of her qualifying for the 2028 Games, but I’m not sure she’s quite yet ready for that because she’s so young — but I’m not counting it out.

“I don’t really see anyone derailing her dreams because she’s so focused, determined and strong-willed.”

Coles has no shortage of options for university, but she’s decided to take a mission year before returning to school. She’s a volunteer coach at Bishop McCort High School — a private, Catholic high school in Johnstown, Pa., where she and her family are currently residing.

Pennsylvania is widely regarded as the top state in the U.S. for amateur wrestling.

“Throughout my whole wrestling career, there’s been so many people who have poured so much into my life and contributed to my development,” she said.

“My mom is always telling me how important it is to give back to the community and I feel like right now it’s my time to give back to the wrestling community.”

Coles, a proud Métis, hopes her success in the sport will go a long way toward inspiring others.

“Winning a world championship is a big moment for my Métis people. I want to keep that momentum going and hopefully see some other Métis wrestlers and Indigenous wrestlers come up after me.”

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