In approximately 40 days
August 21 2000

In approximately 40 days I will step on the center of the wrestling mat in Sydney for what will be the biggest tournament of my life. In front of millions of people watching all over the world the sweat, mental preparation, and physical training will unfold for all too see. The coaches who have helped transform me from a relative raw wrestler a few years ago into a decent wrestler will only have to yell instructions from the side lines. There won't be any drums to catapult me into what I would be in a traditional wrestling tournament but my coach, Dave Mckay will be a great replacement for the drums. All the talk about who should win it and who will not, will be resolved in a mere 40 days. The big meet competitors will once again strut their stuff, if you know what I'm saying.

Recently, I was reading some of my old e-mail messages I sent to a friend before the world championships last year and it it reminded me of how great full I am to be a world champion. A paragraph from an email I wrote to my friend Idris reads:

"I remember telling you before I left for the training camp in France that the possibility of competing at the World's were slim to none. Well that situation has changed. I will give it a shot. I feel like I can sneak into the top 8 and qualify for the Olympics. If I don't, at least I gave it a shot. I won't forgive myself if I give any room to ask "what ifs" later. My lungs burn and my legs get wobbly, but when I get onto the mat I will be 100%, cos' that is just the way it is... You may say I am only trying to make a statement or that the timing is not right, but I'd rather make a statement than regret it later. I have been here before, the timing may not be right, but the healing has got to begin!".

My training is going well. It's like the ebb and flow of the tide. One week, I would be unbeatable and the next, I am getting inside tripped to my back again and again. My weight training is going well and I am satisfied with my strength. I just need more partners to train with. I need as much variety as I can get right now. I will narrow it down later, but for now, I need to acquaint myself with different wrestling styles. If I were to grade my training this past week, I'd have to give it 60%. I have not been able to run as hard as I want because of a recurring injury, but that too shall come to pass. I am not a complete wrestler, but I will be as complete as I can be within my abilities.

There were two great newspaper stories written about me last week. Both the Vancouver Sun and the Toronto Star had me on their front pages. It is nice to get the exposure and to let people know that there is something called real wrestling outside the WWF. I have often been asked " How are you going to handle the pressure?" I have always replied by asking "what pressure?". The only pressure I have is the expectation I have of myself to wrestle to my abilities. That is all I ask God to grant me on September 30th and October 1. When I came to Canada in 1994, all I asked was a chance to compete. All I ask of God at the Olympics is to allow me wrestle to my potential, injury free. And make no mistakes about it, my best on any given day is good enough for the best spot on any podium, if you know what I am saying. Keep sweating!

Daniel (Dynamite) Igali.