Before Daniel Igali famously earned Canada wrestling glory by winning its first Olympic gold in the sport, he was a young Nigerian athlete grappling for a superior position in life.
After competing at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, B.C., the 20-year-old made a bold move.
He skipped his team's flight back to his politically unstable homeland and asked Canada for asylum.
Had it not been for an international sporting event, Igali might never have been handed a ticket to more prosperous soil.
But once here, he gained the right to Canadian protection as a Convention Refugee.
