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Tonya Lynn Verbeek, wrestler, coach (born 14 August 1977 in Grimsby, ON). Tonya Verbeek has won three Olympic medals in wrestling — more than any other Canadian. She was also the first female Canadian wrestler and the oldest Canadian wrestler (at age 34) to win an Olympic medal. Verbeek won silver at the 2004 Olympic Summer Games in Athens, bronze at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and silver at the 2012 Games in London, all in the women’s 55 kg weight class. She also won three medals at the World Freestyle Wrestling Championships, three medals at the Pan American Games and one medal at the Commonwealth Games. She was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2024.
Childhood and Family
Tonya Verbeek is the second oldest of four children of parents Kathy and Jerry Verbeek. She has an older brother, Sean, a younger sister, Elisha, and a younger brother, Jeron. Tonya grew up in Beamsville, Ontario, and joined a competitive skipping club. She was part of the Lincoln Leapers and competed across North America.
In Grade 11, Tonya started wrestling at Beamsville District Secondary School. According to her cousin Dan Robson, a writer for Sportsnet, she “became obsessed with the sport” and “went undefeated in high school.”
Early Career
At the 1995 Canadian National Wrestling Championships, Tonya Verbeek won gold in the women’s 55 kg weight class. She went on to finish fifth at the 1995 World Freestyle Wrestling Championships. She then needed to return to the top of the national podium in her weight class to compete for Canada internationally. Over the next several years, Verbeek was close but could not get back to No. 1. In this period, Verbeek attended Brock University. She was named the Ontario University Association’s most outstanding female wrestler during the 1999–2000 season.
According to Robson, one of Verbeek’s constant supporters was her mother, Kathy. Initially, she “rolled her eyes” when Tonya joined the school wrestling team. But as Tonya achieved success, Kathy became a “fiery wrestling fan.” Kathy was also Tonya’s biggest supporter and believer. When Tonya struggled to win national gold, her mom told her, “You’re going to do it when it counts.”
In 2004, Verbeek achieved success in the classroom by earning her Bachelor of Education at Brock University. That same year, she returned to success on the mat. She won the National Championship in Edmonton and finished third in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Madrid, Spain. The 2004 Olympic Summer Games in Athens were the first to include women’s wrestling as an official event. After Verbeek qualified for the Olympics, she called her mother and said, “I did it. I did it when it counted.”
Women’s 55 kg freestyle wrestling medal ceremony at the 2004 Athens Olympics
(L-R) Silver medallist Tonya Verbeek of Canada, gold medallist Saori Yoshida of Japan, and bronze medallist Anna Gomis of France stand on the podium after the women's 55 kg freestyle wrestling event at Ano Liossia Olympic Hall in Athens, Greece, 23
August 2004.
(photo by Al Bello, courtesy Getty Images)
Olympic Success
In Athens, the 27-year-old Tonya Verbeek became the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic medal in wrestling. In the women’s 55 kg weight class, Verbeek qualified for the semifinals by winning the first elimination pool. She defeated Tela O’Donnell of the United States and Olga Smirnova of Russia. In the semifinals, Verbeek beat Ida-Theres Karlsson of Sweden 3–1 before losing to Saori Yoshida of Japan 6–0 in the gold medal match.
At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Verbeek won her lone first round match as she beat Otgonjargal Naidan of Mongolia 3–0. She followed that with a 3–1 win over Ludmila Cristea of Macedonia in the quarter-finals to set up an Olympic rematch against Yoshida in the semifinals. Just like in Athens, Verbeek lost, beaten 3–0 by Yoshida. Verbeek then faced Ida-Theres Nerell of Sweden for the second straight Olympic Games and won 3–0 to take bronze.
At the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London, the 34-year-old Verbeek became the oldest Canadian wrestler to win an Olympic medal. She also set the Canadian record for most Olympic medals by a wrestler with three. She reached the gold medal match, only to lose once again to Yoshida. Verbeek received a bye to round two, where she beat Geeta Geeta of India. Verbeek then beat Tetyana Lazareva of Ukraine in the quarter-finals and Jackeline Renteria Castillo of Colombia in the semifinals.
World Championship Success
In a repeat of the Olympic Games, Tonya Verbeek’s nemesis at the World Championships would prove to be Saori Yoshida of Japan. The most decorated female wrestler of all time, Yoshida won 13 consecutive world titles and three straight Olympic gold medals. At the 2005 World Women’s Wrestling Championships, Yoshida was the only wrestler to beat Verbeek. Verbeek regrouped to win bronze.
At the 2009 Women’s World Wrestling Championships, Verbeek won her second world championship bronze medal. At the 2011 Women’s World Wrestling Championships in Istanbul, Verbeek had her best World Championship result, winning silver. It was no surprise that Yoshida won gold.
Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games
Tonya Verbeek won a medal in women’s wrestling at three straight Pan American Games. She won silver in 2003, bronze in 2007 and silver in 2011. Verbeek’s silver medal at the Commonwealth Games came in 2010 in the women’s 59 kg weight class.
Coaching Career
Tonya Verbeek was a coach for Wrestling Canada from 2013 to 2023. She has been a wrestling coach at the University of Iowa since 2022.
Honours
Tonya Verbeek was inducted into the St. Catharines Sports Wall of Fame in 2019 and the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2024.
