World champion in two different sports in a single year is even better.
Sherwood Park resident Misty Shearer, 46, really couldn’t have asked for a better 2015 sporting season.
The part-time paramedic turned gym owner started her double whammy of worlds in the sport of Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the World Masters IBJJF Championship in Las Vegas last fall, bringing back a pair of gold medals in the black belt division.
And not only did she win, she did so while competing in a lower age category, as there was nobody else to fight in her own over-45 heavyweight black belt division.
“I was in Masters 3, which is normally 40-45,” she said after the event. “I’ve been in Brazilian jiu-jitsu for going on about 15 years now. I’d been to the Pan-Ams two years ago in California, where I got third place. That was a pretty big deal. But to win two golds at this event, that’s much bigger. To win the absolute and my weight class against a very seasoned opponent was a big deal. Everything came together for me that day. I felt really confident and gave it everything I had.”
The same can definitely be said about representing Canada for a second time in late November, as Shearer and several members of her Foundry Athletic Training Center travelled to Ireland to compete in the IUKL Kettlebell Worlds in Dublin.
It was a case of the kettlebell calling the black belt back.
The lifting-based sport saw Canada win four medals, three of which came from Foundry competitors, including two golds from Shearer herself in the 16 kg kettlebell weight amateur division.
Shearer took the overall title against all comers in her 68 kg-plus weight class, and naturally won a second gold for her 45-49 age category as a result.
“We had a huge number of competitors in my weight class. There was more than 30 women, one of the largest groups ever seen at a Worlds,” she said.
“I not only won, but I also had the best showing with the 16 kg weight in the whole competition. That was kind of cool. I think that was more important to me than the golds. I knew that I had a high number in the nationals, but I didn’t know how I would do with the pressure and time change and all of that. I just had a perfect day.”
That day did turn out to be a pretty long one as Shearer paced the sidelines to find out if her numbers would stand up and keep her atop the leader board for gold.
“I did my thing and then all I could do was wait, because all of the top European competitors were coming after me,” she said. “I had the highest number, it was just waiting another hour to see if anyone could catch me. The closest number was 217 and I had a 225. I was pretty anxious and did a lot of pacing.”
It was Shearer’s first appearance at IUKL Kettlebell Worlds, and the Park powerhouse was thrilled to not only get the opportunity, but to be so successful.
“It was so exciting, because it was the largest one yet with more than 530 athletes from 37 countries and the world’s top judges,” she said. “It was really cool representing Canada and the great thing is that we only sent four athletes to the last one, but this time we had a full team of 15 to cheer each other on. It was really exciting to be on the world stage with the best lifters in the world, because every one was there.”
The experience was enhanced by the presence of Shearer’s police officer wife and fellow Park resident, Renee Martynuik, who finished fifth in her weight class in the women’s professionals lifting 24 kg snatch.
“That’s the first time a Canadian has ever placed that high in the women’s professional competition,” Shearer said.
“She did incredible. She’s the fourth woman in North America to ever hit more than 100 reps. That was a big deal for Canada in this sport.”
With four gold medals from World championships to her credit in 2015, Shearer admits she certainly couldn’t have asked for a better year.
“I had a phenomenal year,” she said.
“In February, in a different kettlebell event, the long cycle, I did 122 reps, becoming the fourth woman in the world to ever hit that number. I was on a high from that and competed in Chicago in jiu-jitsu and got a gold and a silver. Then I won the two golds in Vegas, and then this? Yeah, this was a good year. I don’t know how I can possibly top that in 2016. It was just an amazing year.”
Shearer has been a Sherwood Park resident for 15 years, ever since being posted in the region during her time in the military.
Courtesy of: Sherwood Park News