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5 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,A ugust 22,2019 theifp.ca BRAMALEA CITY CENTRE 905.792.8820 08/20/19 - 08/26/19 at participating retailers and online. Buy 2, Get 20% off; Buy 3, Get 25% off ; Buy 4, Get 30% off all regular priced items. Selection may vary by store, while supplies last. Qualifying PANDORA Jewellery spend excludes taxes, fees, and gift card/E-card purchases. Not valid with prior purchases and cannot be combined with any other offer. Product not for resale; store may limit product purchase quantities in its sole discretion. Other restrictions may apply, see store for details. THE PANDORA STORE SQUARE ONE SHOPPING CENTRE 905.232.0661 ERIN MILLS TOWN CENTRE 905.828.5902 MAPLEVIEW CENTRE 905.632.5400 © 2019 Pandora Jewelry, LLC • All rights reserved AUGUST 20 - 26 EPIC THE BUY 2 GET 20OFF% BUY 3 GET 25OFF% BUY 4 GET 30OFF%EVENT For Shawn Geris wres- tling came naturally, the son of Harry Geris, the six- foot-five, 240-pound wres- tler who represented Cana- da at the Olympics three times - the sport was in his blood. Now, Geris wants to introduce youth to the world of amateur wres- tling. Born in the Nether- lands, Harry immigrated to Canada as a child, and being one of eight siblings, discovered wrestling to keep himself occupied. "I always wanted to run something in a communi- ty," Shawn Geris said. "We lived in Mississauga but it didn't feel like a communi- ty." When the family moved to Georgetown, Geris start- ed training out of the Georgetown Aikido club. "It's been in my blood," Geris said. "I've got three brothers and we all wres- tled. I still don't know how to skate." Now, about a dozen stu- dents, aged six and up, faithfully train, including Geris' own children; Mon- tana, Baxter and Piper. "Wrestling is inexpen- sive," Geris said. "All you need is a pair of shoes." With a low bar for entry, Geris said the rewards are high. "It teaches kids goal-set- ting and self-confidence," he said. "You see yourself get progressively better af- ter each practice." Geris said he makes sure students leave a prac- tice knowing they've im- proved. "If they leave not feeling that, they don't come back," he said. All of Geris' children are multi-sport athletes, using wrestling to augment their training for sports as var- ied as rugby, competitive swimming and parkour. "It's important for kids to have structure in their life," Geris said. "A kid needs a role model and structure to keep them out of trouble, and wrestling is one of the better things to do." As far as role models go, the club's namesake, is a symbol of determination. In a book written by Shawn, Blood Sweat and Determination: An Adven- ture in Wrestling (available on Amazon), Geris shares stories about his father's il- lustrious career. "He used to hitchhike everywhere," Geris said. "If he wanted to do something, he did it." Determined to pursue a wrestling career, Harry hitchhiked from London, Ont., to Chicago, Ill., to compete for a scholarship. Sadly, Geris was pinned in his first match. "The tournament was for collegiate wrestlers on- ly," Geris said, "but he'd begged the convener to let him compete." As the rumour spread about the Canadian who'd hitchhiked to compete, Ge- ris was offered mentorship and eventually qualified for a scholarship. The Harry Geris Wres- tling Club trains out of Georgetown Aikido's gym on Friday from 6:30 until 7:30 p.m. More information about the club is available on Twitter at @GerisClub. NEWS GEORGETOWN WRESTLER WANTS TO INTRODUCE KIDS TO THE SPORT FORGET CHOKESLAMS AND CLOTHESLINES - SHAWN GERIS TEACHES THE REAL WRESTLING BRYAN MYERS bmyers@metroland.com Shawn Geris, owner of Harry Geris Wrestling Club Halton, with his children, Piper, Baxter, and Montana. Geris' father was three-time Olympian Harry Geris. Bryan Myers/Torstar