HAMILTON - When the U-20 Junior Pan Am Championships started, McMaster Marauders' wrestler Karanveer Mahil said it was exciting and nerve wracking. 

Mahil is the reigning U SPORTS champion in the 125kg weight class which he earned his first year at McMaster. However, now he was on the international stage. 

He remembers being nervous because of the bigger occasion. He thought of all the what ifs. 

He turned to self-talk to succeed. "I can do this," Mahil recalled thinking to himself. "I got this. I'm the better wrestler." He did so especially while waiting for his next match to bring down the nerves. 

After winning the gold medal, those nerves were soon replaced by excitement and relief. Mahil screamed in excitement. "It was almost an unreal feeling," he added.

Mahil was one of four Marauders student-athletes who competed at the Pan Am championships. Serena Di Benedetto won a bronze medal while Natalie Vecchio and Blayne Helou also competed. McMaster head coach Ahmed Shamiya was a lead coach as well. 

It was another Pan Am experience for Di Benedetto. She's won bronze before but every time, she said she's gotten a lot better. 

Di Benedetto found she's improved technically but also with her mindset. Like Mahil, she turned to positive self-talk. She remembered what she learned in practice and focused on staying calm as well. 

Another focus for Di Benedetto: her performance. "I was disappointed I couldn't go for silver or gold but at the same time, I had to tell myself, 'this is one of my better performances, regardless of what your medal is'," she noted. 

The bronze is another accomplishment among many for Di Benedetto after her first season at McMaster. She won the OUA Championship as well as the OUA Female Wrestler of the Year and U SPORTS and OUA Rookie of the Year. 

The Pan Am experience marks more podium finishes for the program coming off a season of them. The men finished second at the OUA and U SPORTS Championships. The women's program finished second at the OUA Championship and third at U SPORTS. 

The team results have improved over time. "We're a lot further ahead than we were before," Shamiya said. Those medals and results come from the team's culture. 

Their culture is one of camaraderie and support – from coaches, teammates and alumni. Mahil and Di Benedetto have both experienced it. 

A support backbone, Mahil calls it. When he has negative thoughts, his teammates are there to tell him positive things and cheer him on. 

Mahil felt the team bond and camaraderie in the team during a recruiting trip. He felt how seamless it was for him to fit in. 

Di Benedetto pointed out how her teammates are also her closest friends. She could talk with them and rely on their help with not just wrestling, but life in general. "It's really made wrestling more enjoyable," she added. 

She feels the uplifting atmosphere when she walks into a practice. She finds herself instantly in a better mood and ready to learn.

During weight cutting time, the teammates got extremely close by being there for each other, according to Di Benedetto. They would constantly make sure everyone is doing okay. 

The camaraderie is a focus for Shamiya. They continually talk about how important it is to support one another. 

"When you're out there, it's not just you," Shamiya noted. "It's the whole McMaster team. It's the whole McMaster community. Your coaches are in your corner. Your athletes are in your corner. We're all there together. Although physically you're alone, symbolically you're not."

You have to remember why you're involved in the sport. That's another recurring message Shamiya tells the athletes. "The wrestling mat tells the truth," Shamiya often says to them. "If you're not doing things for the right reasons, that is going to be exposed when you're wrestling, because it's such a difficult sport." 

He tells them to enjoy the sport and have fun. He reminds them to move their hands and feet and leave it all out there. If they do that, the results will take care of themselves. "But if you fixate too much on the winning or losing and forget about those other things, then you'll freeze up," he said. "Then you'll actually end up losing." 

He knows from his own experience. Shamiya was a former McMaster wrestler himself from 2012 and 2017. He's won numerous awards and medals at the OUA and U SPORTS level. However, he came to the realization of why he was involved after "lots of losing." 

Shamiya remembers freezing up and losing matches – including the 2015 OUA championships when he put a lot of pressure on himself and lost. His mindset changed during U SPORTS nationals a couple of weeks later. 

"I was like screw it. I'm going to let it fly. I'm going to have fun. I'm going to enjoy myself," he said. "I'm going to wrestle for the true reasons of why I enjoy the sport of wrestling." 

Shamiya ended up winning his first national championship while learning about why he was wrestling. Now, he's passing that onto the current athletes. 

Di Benedetto said Shamiya reminds her she's a great wrestler, how she deserves to be here. He helps her stay calm – even during the middle of a match. 

"You can look at him and instantly feel so much calmer," she said. The calmness comes when he tells her, "it's okay" or even gives her a nod.  

The focus on process and why they wrestle has been a theme throughout the season. Shamiya tells the athletes: "It's going to be our culture that drives us to become champions." 

Di Benedetto and Mahil will now head off to the U-20 World Championships. Mahil said he's already starting to feel the excitement but the nerves haven't kicked in yet. 
 

Di Benedetto's been to world championships before. She called it one of her favourite tournaments and said she's super excited. 

Shamiya said he hopes they learn from the world championships about what's it's like competing at a different level. He hopes they learn about how their mental toughness, details and lifestyle have to be on point. 

Shamiya's seen how they've improved throughout their first season – including mentality-wise. He's seen them start to realize how talented they are. 

"Honestly, I think it's just the tip of the iceberg for the both of them," Shamiya said. "And I think the best is yet to come."