Canada’s Michelle Fazzari, Brock Alum, Grappling Gold

May 10, 2021,

Like the mighty Niagara that gushes nearby, the Brock University Women’s wrestling program continues to be infused with power.

Many would agree that they are a dynasty with virtually no down years.

The women wrestling Badgers are led by Coach Marty Calder who possesses an impressive resume flowing with outstanding accomplishments.

We suspect his middle name is Coty because he is named Coach of the Year virtually every year.

One of his prize graduates is Michelle Fazzari.

She’s come a long and has traveled very far. Her resume is impressive.

Canada is very proud of her.

At their informative site olympic.ca they are gracious with her biography. “Michelle Fazzari won her first national title in 2012, two years after undergoing shoulder surgery for a torn labrum and being told she would be unable to compete at a high level again. Fazzari had made her international debut in 2006 when she competed at both the junior and senior Pan American Championships, winning silver and bronze, respectively.

She made a triumphant return to the Pan Am Championships in 2014 when she captured the gold medal.

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Fazzari had earned her first international victory at the 2007 Commonwealth Championships. In 2007, 2008 and 2012 she won gold at the CIS Championships while representing Brock University and competed at the 2008 World University Championships.

Fazzari has made three appearances at the UWW World Championships, cracking the top-10 in 2012, 2014 and 2015.

She made her Pan Am Games debut at Toronto 2015, finishing seventh after undergoing knee surgery just three weeks earlier, which limited her range of motion. Her multi-sport competition experience also includes the 2013 Jeux de la Francophonie where she won gold. Among Fazzari’s 2015 successes are gold medals at the Nordhagen Classics and Bill Farrell Memorial, silver at the Klippan Lady Open and bronze at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. She made her Olympic debut at Rio 2016.”

Interestingly Michelle soared as a competitive speed skater but wanted to be a part of a sport requiring a harder workout.

Wrestling was a perfect fit.

Like many of her contemporaries, Michelle has excelled in the area of education as well. She Earned a Bachelor of Physical Education in 2010 and a Bachelor of Education in 2015 from Brock University.

Many super stars find this out. Michelle had severe obstacles to overcome.

As reported at wrestling.ca, “Michelle Fazzari won her first national title in 2012, two years after undergoing shoulder surgery for a torn labrum and being told that she would be unable to compete at a high level again.”

Fortunately that prognosis did not come true.

The educational site thespec.com speaks to that challenge as well. “She’s had a torn labrum in her shoulder that was supposed to end her career. She’s had black eyes and bloody noses too numerous to count. The pinky on her left hand won’t stay in its joint. Her eyebrows have been busted open, her hamstrings have torn and she was once bitten so badly on the hand in a match she needed stitches and a tetanus shot.

Basically, name a body part and it’s probably been tweaked, torqued, slammed or mangled. Heck, invent a body part and she’s probably done something to it. Yet even while serving as a human test subject for intense pain management, Michelle Fazzari was still in good shape to make a run at an Olympic berth.”

We’ve met her college coach so let’s expand our horizons and visit Michelle’s hometown.

Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario.

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Hamilton has become the center of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe.

Hamilton is home to the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, the Bruce Trail, McMaster University and Mohawk College. McMaster University is ranked 4th in Canada and 94th in the world by Times Higher Education Rankings 2015-16 and has a well-known medical school.

The Canadian Football Hall of Fame can be found downtown right beside Hamilton City Hall and across town to the east, the Canadian Football League‘s Hamilton Tiger-Cats began playing at the new Tim Hortons Field in 2014, which was built as part of the 2015 Pan American Games.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats were founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats.

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Since the 1950 merger, the team has won the Grey Cup championship eight times, most recently in 1999.

The most important economic activity in Ontario is manufacturing, and the Toronto–Hamilton region is the most highly industrialized section of the country.

One of our favorite travel experts Lonely Planet loves the great north. Regarding Hamilton they share, “Something special is happening in Hamilton. Once known as Canada‘s steel industry hub, skimmed through en route to the Niagara Peninsula, Hamilton’s revitalized downtown has rebounded with unexpected hipness. A pocket of cosmopolitan life thrives with good eateries, quirky stores, independent galleries and cool bars. Yet the pace remains calm, with a harbor side park, where you can clamber up a mansion for some sweeping harbor views, just a short stroll away.”

Understandable the fantastic tourist destination tourismhamilton.com gets the last word with an exclamation point. “It’s time to meet the Hamilton you don’t know. It’s a city where arts thrive, from grass-roots galleries to century-old institutions. And where history’s presence is celebrated and honored through its National Historic Sites, renowned museums and architecture. It’s a destination that unfolds in surprising ways, from its stunning natural beauty to a vibrant culinary scene. However you spend your time, let your sense of adventure guide you to new and exciting places around this dynamic, authentic destination. For more ideas on things to do click on the list to the left or visit our #MyHamilton blog.”

It is very easy to understand why Michelle is having outstanding success. So much of that is her great collegiate and community foundation.

We love the mission of Brock.

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At gobadgers.ca they enlighten, “Brock Sports is a hub for the most innovative, engaging, and high quality experiences in sport and recreation for the Brock University community and beyond.”

Michelle has engaged way beyond her initial boundaries with no end in sight.