Gregory Edgelow

{{short description|Canadian wrestler}}

{{MedalTableTop}}

{{MedalSport | Center}}

{{MedalSport | 1992 Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team}}

{{MedalCountry | {{CAN}} }}

{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}

{{MedalGold | 1994 Victoria | Freestyle (100 kg)}}

{{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games}}

{{MedalBronze | 1991 Havana | Freestyle (90 kg)}}

{{MedalBronze | 1991 Havana | Greco-Roman (90 kg)}}

{{MedalCompetition|Goodwill Games}}

{{MedalBronze | 1990 Seattle | Freestyle (90 kg)}}

{{MedalBottom}}

Greg Edgelow (born February 10) is a retired freestyle wrestler from Canada and is a nationally certified Wrestling Coach and Indigenous Coach with Cree Ancestral Heritage and European mix (Irish, Norwegian). In 2018, Greg was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame, Indigenous Gallery and 2024 inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame. He represented Canada at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain and won a bronze medal at the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle, two bronze medals at the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba and a gold medal at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria. Greg also added two more silver medals at the 1991 and 1992 Pan American Championships. He is an eight-time Canadian senior champion (7 Freestyle and 1 Greco). Edgelow is the only Canadian to win a medal in wrestling (bronze) at the Goodwill Games ever. He is also the only Canadian wrestler to win four separate consecutive senior weight classes in Freestyle (82 kg, 90 kg, 96 kg, 100 kg). His last national title was in 1998, the same year that he represented Canada (100 Kg) at the World Championships in Tehran, Iran.

Edgelow was awarded the 1999 Canadian Sport Leadership Award{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130115113327/http://www.canoe.ca/CanadianSportAwards98/finalists.html Canadian Sport Awards]}} for his athletic achievements and leadership in volunteerism, beating out fellow finalists Wayne Gretzky and downhill skier Brian Stemmle. As well, Greg was bestowed with Simon Fraser University's "Outstanding Alumni Award" in 1996.

Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Edgelow grew up in Coquitlam, Penticton, Vernon, until he completed high school, and then Burnaby where he completed his undergraduate degree on a 4 year scholarship and now resides in Vancouver. Greg has been involved in the Canadian sport, tourism, entertainment and First Nations communities where he has also participated on 8 volunteer boards of directors and councils, including 60 committees.[https://web.archive.org/web/20051020145508/http://www.athletescan.com/content/index.asp www.athletescan.com] In business, Edgelow has managed non-profits and has aligned himself with some well recognized national and international branded companies. His volunteer experiences allowed him to develop and participate on nine adjudication committees in which he has chaired five and helped adjudicate small grants totalling almost five million dollars for sport infrastructure development to needy communities across the country and one million dollars in grants to top-performing, volunteer-driven, world-caliber athletes representing Canada. Edgelow was the motivational speaker at the Parade of Nations for the 1997 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG)-Victoria and member of Team BC Mission Staff at NAIG 2006-Denver and Assistant Chef de Mission at NAIG 2008-Cowichan. Greg worked with the Boys under 16 Soccer team at the 2017 NAIG-Toronto where they earned GOLD. Edgelow helps out on occasion with the wrestling clubs around Greater Vancouver as well as coaching First Nation youth around the province. Greg and his father created an endowed scholarship fund at Simon Fraser University in 1996 that has financially assisted over 30 university wrestlers since its creation.[https://www.sfu.ca Simon Fraser University] A few of the Boards Greg has served on include: BC Wrestling, SFU Alumni, Sport BC, Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance, Athletes CAN, Commonwealth Games Canada & Blanket BC. Greg has travelled to 105 countries, 71 world capitals and 28 Olympic Host cities through sport, business and leisure travelling.

1991 Pan American Games (Greco 90 kg)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1991 Pan American Games (Freestyle 90 kg)

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class="wikitable"

! RANK

!align="center" style="width: 20em"|GRECO-ROMAN (90 kg)

align="center"|20px

|{{flagPASOathlete|Randy Couture|USA|1991}}

align="center"|20px

|{{flagPASOathlete|Reynaldo Peña|CUB|1991}}

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|{{flagPASOathlete|Gregory Edgelow|CAN|1991}}

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class="wikitable"

! RANK

!align="center" style="width: 20em"|FREESTYLE (90 kg)

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|{{flagPASOathlete|Randy Limonta|CUB}}

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|{{flagPASOathlete|Chris Campbell|USA}}

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|{{flagPASOathlete|Gregory Edgelow|CAN}}

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1994 Commonwealth Games (100 Kg) - 1999 Canadian Sport Leadership Award

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class="wikitable"

! RANK

!align="center" style="width: 20em"|NAME

align="center"|20px

|{{flagPASOathlete|Gregory Edgelow|CAN}}

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|{{flagPASOathlete|Noel Loban|ENG}}

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|{{flagPASOathlete|Subash Varma|IND}}

{{col-break}}

class="wikitable"

!width="75"|POSITION

!width="100"|NAME

!width="100"|CITY

!width="150"|SPORT

WinnerGreg EdgelowVancouver, BCWrestling/Athletes CAN
FinalistWayne GretzkyBrantford, ONIce Hockey
FinalistBrian StemmleToronto, ONAlpine Skiing

{{col-end}}

=Achievements=

==Canadian National Wrestling Championships==

class="wikitable"
Year

! Category

! Medal

align="center"|1981

| 70 kg - Wrestling - Juv. Freestyle

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1982

| 74 kg - Wrestling - Juv. Freestyle

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1983

| 74 kg - Wrestling – Jr. Freestyle

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1984

| 82 kg - Wrestling – Jr. Freestyle

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1987

| 82 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1988

| 90 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1989

| 90 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1990

| 90 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1991

| 90 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1992

| 100 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1993

| 100 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Greco

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1993

| 100 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1994

| 100 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1998

| 96 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| align="center"|20px

==World Wrestling Championships==

class="wikitable"
Year

! Category

! Location

! Rank

align="center"|1982

| 74 kg - Wrestling – Juv. Freestyle

| Colorado Springs, CO

| align="center"|4th

align="center"|1983

| 74 kg - Wrestling – Jr. Freestyle

| Los Angeles, CA

| align="center"|6th

align="center"|1987

| 82 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| Clermont-Ferrand, FR

| align="center"|9th

align="center"|1989

| 90 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| Martigny, SU

| align="center"|6th

align="center"|1990

| 90 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| Tokyo, JP

| align="center"|8th

==Major Canadian & International Games==

class="wikitable"
Year

! Category

! Location

! Medal/Rank

align="center"|1981

| 74 kg – Wrestling – Juv. Freestyle

| BC Winter Games - Prince George

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1981

| 74 kg - Wrestling – Juv. Greco

| BC Winter Games - Prince George

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1983

| 82 kg - Wrestling – Jr. Freestyle

| Canada Winter Games - Lac St. Jean

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1990

| 90 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| Goodwill Games - Seattle

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1991

| 90 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| Pan American Games - Havana

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1991

| 90 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Greco

| Pan American Games - Havana

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1992

| 90 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| Olympic Games - Barcelona

| align="center"|11th Place

align="center"|1994

| 100 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| Commonwealth Games - Victoria

| align="center"|20px

==International==

class="wikitable"
Year

! Category

! Event - Location

! Medal/Rank

align="center"|1982

| 74 kg - Wrestling – Jr. Freestyle

| Jolliet International - Chicago

| align="center"|4th

align="center"|1986

| 82 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| Challenge Cup International - Manchester

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1987

| 82 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| Canada Cup International - Toronto

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1988

| 90 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| Canada Cup International - Toronto

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1989

| 90 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| Canada Cup International - Toronto

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1989

| 90 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| Challenge Cup International - Manchester

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1990

| 90 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| Canada Cup International - Toronto

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1992

| 90 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| Roger Coulon International - Paris

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1998

| 95 kg - Wrestling – Sr. Freestyle

| Canada Cup International - Guelph

| align="center"|20px

==Scholastic==

class="wikitable"
Year

! Category

! Location

! Medal/Rank

align="center"|1981

| 70 kg – Wrestling – Freestyle

| BC High School Championships - Vancouver

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1982

| 74 kg – Wrestling – Freestyle

| BC High School Championships, Merritt

| align="center"|20px

align="center"|1985

| 76 kg - Wrestling – Collegiate

| NAIA National Championships, Jamestown

| align="center"|4th

align="center"|1986

| 80 kg - Wrestling – Collegiate

| NAIA National Championships, Minot

| align="center"|20px

References