Pint-sized Kyla Bremner, a 31-year-old resident doctor, is making her Olympic debut as a wrestler for Australia.
The 1.58-meter (5-foot-2) Bremner was born in Powell River, British Columbia, and has an Australian mother and Canadian father. She didn't take up the sport until she was 17 while attending a Canadian university, and moved to Australia two years later.
Bremner, who competes in the 48-kilogram division, will take up a medical residency at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney after the Olympics.
"Wrestling isn't for everyone," Bremner said Wednesday at an Australian team media conference. "It's a six-minute match where it's all go, and good if you enjoy that contact stuff."
She often attempts to hide her Olympic pursuit, particularly if she's in a pub.
"To be honest, I try to not tell people," Bremner said, smiling. "You get the standard responses: 'I thought wrestlers were bigger, you don't look like a wrestler.' Or some of the guys say, 'Hey would you wrestle with me' ... a lot of jokes."
After the media conference ended, she posed with Australian Olympic tennis player Lleyton Hewitt. Bremner did a fine job of putting the two-time Grand Slam champion into a reverse arm lock _ all for the cameras.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The 1.58-meter (5-foot-2) Bremner was born in Powell River, British Columbia, and has an Australian mother and Canadian father. She didn't take up the sport until she was 17 while attending a Canadian university, and moved to Australia two years later.
Bremner, who competes in the 48-kilogram division, will take up a medical residency at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney after the Olympics.
"Wrestling isn't for everyone," Bremner said Wednesday at an Australian team media conference. "It's a six-minute match where it's all go, and good if you enjoy that contact stuff."
She often attempts to hide her Olympic pursuit, particularly if she's in a pub.
"To be honest, I try to not tell people," Bremner said, smiling. "You get the standard responses: 'I thought wrestlers were bigger, you don't look like a wrestler.' Or some of the guys say, 'Hey would you wrestle with me' ... a lot of jokes."
After the media conference ended, she posed with Australian Olympic tennis player Lleyton Hewitt. Bremner did a fine job of putting the two-time Grand Slam champion into a reverse arm lock _ all for the cameras.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
