By: John Humphrey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter
An area high school student has made history by becoming the first local athlete ever to win a medal in wrestling at the provincial secondary school championships.
Shelby Kemp, an 18-year-old grade 12 student at Tilbury District High School (TDHS) won an antique bronze medal by finishing in fourth place in the girls’ 57.5 kg (125 pounds) category. Kemp advanced to OFSAA (Ontario Federation of Secondary School Athletic Associations) in Kitchener during the first week of March after winning the competitions earlier at both the LKSSAA (Lambton Kent Secondary School Athletic Association) and SWOSSAA (South-Western Ontario Secondary School Athletic Association) regional competitions.
In addition to her winning ways, all of the events were eye-openers and first-time learning experiences for Kemp.
“Both competitions at LKSSAA and SWOSSAA were great,” she offered. “I won all of my (four) matches at LKSSAA and I did the same thing at SWOSSAA,” she offered, matter-of-factly. “I was named the tournament MVP (Most Valuable Player) at SWOSSAA and I was very excited over that.
“AT OFSSAA, I won all three of my matches on day one of competition and then I lost my first match on day two,” Kemp continued. “I won my second match on day two before I lost my second match on day two.
“So, I ended up in fourth place and ended up with the antique bronze medal.
Kemp, who was making her debut on the provincial championship wrestling stage, entered the competition as the seventh-ranked competitor in her weight category but a great performance at the tournament elevated her to the medal podium.
Kemp’s medal is the first one ever won by a wrestler from Tilbury at OFSSAA.
“I never knew that until after the competition,” she claimed in her trademark soft-spoken manner. “I think it is very cool and I’m proud about that.”
Kemp’s meteoric rise on the local, regional and provincial wrestling scenes is viewed as even more remarkable in light of the fact that she just took up the sport three years ago.
“I went to L’Essor (Secondary School in Tecumseh) for one semester in grade nine and I had heard a lot of good things about the wrestling program there, so I decided to give it a try,” she recalled. “I’ve enjoyed it from the very beginning and I’m happy that I’ve stuck with it.”
While at L’Essor for just one semester, Kemp met legendary local wrestling coach David Trembley, with whom she trains under today. Trembley, who was a nationally-ranked amateur wrestler in his youth close to half-century ago, has coached numerous Canadian national champions, three world champions and three Olympians, including his son, David Trembley Jr. who competed in the 2012 Olympics in London, England with his proud father in attendance.
Kemp has had a vigorous training regime for years that has seen her train for two hours a day four or five days a week under Trembley’s tutelage at three locations – L’Essor Secondary School, Riverside Secondary School and Tilbury District Secondary School.
In addition to her impressive triumphs over the last six months, Kemp has already has a stellar athletic resume. In 2023 Kemp finished second in her weight class in the girls’ wrestling competition at the Canada Winter Games and finished in second place in the Ontario Juvenile Wrestling Champions (for 17 and 18-year-olds) in 2024 before capturing gold at both the LKSSAA and SWOSSAA meets last fall and earlier this year.
And Trembley has never been surprised over the results attained by Kemp so far in her young but accomplished wrestling career.
“I got into coaching years ago because I like to look into the future for my athletes,” he said. “Shelby is not only a tremendous person, but she is a great athlete and has never backed away from putting in the work required to achieve the results that she is capable of reaching.”
Trembley, who was diagnosed with having Parkinson’s Disease on February 14, 2022, added that he will continue coaching Shelby and his other wrestlers for the rest of 2024 – but likely not after that.
“As a result of my condition, my feet stick and I fall often luckily my wrestling background has help me break my falls,” he candidly admitted.” I have not had any major injuries yet, but I have been losing a lot of my mobility getting very stiff because of this and I can no longer be the coach my athletes need or deserve.”
“Shelby is a champion and she is going to be my last champion,” he added.
Next up for Tilbury’s history-making wrestler,Shelby Kemp, are the Canadian National Wrestling Championships in Alberta from April 25-27 and the Team Ontario Canada Games trials that will take place in Toronto this summer.
