Ray Takahashi inducted into the Western Wrestling Wall Honour
On September 7th a large group of Western Wrestling Alumni and Friends of the program gathered at the Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre to celebrate the impressive Athletic and Coaching career of long-time coach and faculty member Ray Takahashi. With over 80 Alumni in attendance, former teammates and athletes had a chance to catch up with each other and to share stories about Ray.
“I think it was a great event. If you walked around the room and talked to anyone, everyone had a story on how Ray impacted their lives. The biggest thing I took away from the event was how numerous people mentioned that Ray impacted not only their athletic careers but also their lives outside of sport. One Alumni commented that Ray ‘ treated everyone with respect and as a person and not just a wrestler’. I think that is a legacy Ray can be proud” commented current head coach Scott Proctor.
As a coach, Takahashi has won OUA Women’s Coach of the Year, and OUA Men’s Coach of the Year five times each, while being named CIAU Coach of the Year in 1990. In 2007 he was the Assistant Junior Women’s National Coach, at the Junior World Championships in Beijing.
Ray was a three-time Olympic team member, Pan American Games Champion, Commonwealth Games Champion, three-time Junior National Champion, six-time Senior National Champion, Greco Roman Junoir National Champion, Greco Roman Senior National Champion, four-time OUAA and CIAU Champion, and Toledo World Cup silver medalist. He was inducted into the CAWA Hall of Fame in 1992, after being named CAWA Wrestler of the Year in both 1978, and 1984.
Thanks to the generous support of Alumni Bruce Barran of Davis Martindale current team members were able to attend the event. “It’s important that current members of the team attend these events. It allows them to meet alumni and learn about the rich history of Western Wrestling and to see the tremendous support our alumni provide” noted Proctor.
Thank you to all the alumni who came out and supported the event.
To watch a short slide show on Ray click on the link below.
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