Athlete: Amanda Wilson
Sport: Badminton
Year: 2010
Amanda Wilson competed at the Terrace 2010 BC Winter Games in badminton. A Prince George native, Amanda recounts how the BC Games were her first out-of-town tournament, which was a significant change from competing in northern BC. Little did she know that her future husband was competing at the same tournament, albeit in wrestling. While the couple did not meet at the Games, they both fondly remember the experience.
Despite the new scenery and larger pool of competitors, Amanda ended up placing fourth in the Games. She states that “badminton gave me my whole personality because it was such a big chunk of my life. Everything took place during the formative high school years where I was influenced by so much. The sport was a full-time job on top of school. It was a busy time!”
After graduating high school, Amanda decided to attend Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo in order to continue competing in badminton at a university level. Unfortunately, a wrist injury cut her badminton career short; but, Amanda ended up pursing an education in photography and digital media studies while tutoring on the side.
In 2014, Amanda moved from Prince George to Kamloops. Despite the distance, she remains close with her past Coach, Lisa Davison. Amanda admits that, “Lisa was the biggest supporter of everything in my life during my badminton career. She still runs the North Central Badminton Academy, where I basically lived and coached with her. I think a lot of athletes- regardless of the sport- can relate to coaches like Lisa. She was there with me through training and the tough times.”
Looking forward to the 2018 Games, Amanda’s advice for athletes is to, “…enjoy the tournament. It’s intimidating playing someone who trains at a much higher level and more consistently, but I lost my first game and still ended up placing fourth. Really, just enjoy it and enjoy your team. I recently reconnected with Lisa, who will be at the 2018 Games as a coach and I’m actually volunteering as a badminton photographer to give back to the sport and to also see where the sport is at now. I’m really excited.”