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so - WAi'izlfii on cunomcw - Wednesday. ikpril20.10ll ,, O C l ' O ' Local Judo champ nommated for Ontarw Athlete of the year as he prepares for Paralympws L By BOBVRIMNAC Brains and brawn area lethal com~ rankings the last twoyears." ' ,- v ; - . , . '~' w gas. “1 (‘hrunirie Staff bination, and he describes himself Rees started competing as a . . , . . ' , ' , A ~ 31.1; as very analytical whether he is on teenager. but in the last few years ' _ ‘7 7}; i ‘ egg-12"; e trains in a darkened room the mat or studying math. he started to compete in the bigger 7 _ ' > _ .~ _ 55" if“ Hat the University of Water- That success led him to be tournaments and making a name “fl ’ , g ‘ jgfclf.» ’ . ? é‘msi loo's Columbia ice Fields named one of three nominees for for himself. fit. 5 .. ~' ' post; because bright lights and the sun the Ontario male athlete of the He has been studying martial ‘; no; throw off what he can do on the year with a disability last week at arts since his teens. and gravitated . ‘ ; .;-‘;.A;.>; judo mat. the 2010 Ontario Sports Award gala toward judo because it was more . ,“ 5 7312; And while Tim Rees' eyesight is held in Toronto. Runner Richard > of a grappling discipline that the ‘ i . -’ 514, » failing due to macular degenera- Ball ultimately won the award, but striking you do in other variations "‘ , . . tion. his abilities to grapple. hold Rees promises to be a strong can- of the sport. ‘ ' if»: u; and throw make him a formidable didate for the title in the future as “For someone who has bad 1, » ‘ adversary to the other members of he builds up points and looks to vision it was really good because I . is ' ' I the University of Waterloo ludo qualify for the 2012 Summer Para- didn't have that striking ability.” ,:. ' , ’ 7 ' ' . " " Club. arrayed against their club lympic Games in London. Eng- said Rees. “it’s similar to wrestling - "a. f president. land. , in a lot of ways except there is a ’ m. ‘ “As someone with bad eyes. it grappling component where there {â€" ”2&- ' isn't that big a disadvantage in this "I’d be happy to is actually choking and arm lock- ' g s a}. ( sport," said Rees. “in a lot of ways ing. ‘ - ' ‘ you don't have to see as much as represent Canada “in wrestling you're trying to ‘. “ it’s about shifts in your opponents' ' pin your opponents. which we're ' _ balance and exploiting those." it would be pretty also trying to do, but it's a combat ._ _ Powerfully built. he can easily exerting tO do lt m sport that is full contact and also " ’ .. ’ ‘ toss his club mates around the london 1: . excitingto do” . '1 ‘ room.While vision is an important ‘ - There are some modifications ' ‘-_;_ . ~ is, component of martial arts, so are 411an for judo for the visually impaired. 2 fa" . -, touch. feel and the strategic think~ OntarioAthtete of the year nominee They start in a gripping position. fleéfi ing that comes with any top ath- “That's they only real difference.” ”$3 X lete. “it's about 16 months away said Rees ' {3 “Even without the vision probâ€" from now. and i’ve got one more in fact it might be a tougher lems this is a sport that is a lot qualifying tournament," said Rees way to start off, already being in \ about feel." said Rees. “it's not like "The rankings for London are the clutches of your opponent. ‘ a striking sport where you're five based on last year's world champiâ€" Some of the people he fights have 3 feet away from your opponent â€" onship. this year's world champi- incredibly strong grips and can . you're in contact with your oppo» onship and this continental quali- dominate right from the outset. nent for most of the fight." fier." ' “You have to be really strong to The growing blind spot that has Rees is already comfortably in fight them off.” said Rees. restricted his field of vision to the the top 12 competitors who-will From there itreverts back to the peripheral has done nothing to qualify for London. and just has to training and skill of the combat- dampen the instinct and anticipaâ€" have one strong showing at the ants, and Rees has become a mas- tion that any world-class athlete continental championships this ter of the form. He prefers to take must have. fall in Mexico to officially become the fight to the mat, and he has a And Rees is a top world-class a member ofTeam Canada. signature throw that often gets his ' judoka. He finished seventh at the “i'd be happy to represent opponents down on the ground. world championships last year in Canada," he said. “i've done it "That's where i'm stronger.” the 100 kg class after bringing before at the world championships said Rees. “That's how i usually home the silver medal from the and it would be pretty exciting to win. through holds. and my wins Pan-Am Championships in Orlan- do it in London." on the ground usually come from Athlete of the Year nominee Tim Rees gets ready to throw dubmate Paul do Rees has been steadily working Pins or ch0k95-" Sulzycki during practice at UW‘s Columbia Ice Fields last Sunday. Rees followed that up by his way up the rankings and hopes Rees is balancing all that prepa~ . “mach-am improving to fifth in the world at to be in the medals in time for ration for [ondon with the respon- career somewhere in Ontario afier Rees. an obviously proud papa. the recent world championships in London. sibilities ofa young father with two successfully completing his thesis “Once he gets a little older ”I Turkey, while wrapping up his Phi) "Everyone in the top half is young sons. Walter. three, and six- defense for his doctorate teach him afewthings in mathematics from the Universi- tough." said Rees. month-old William. The 30»year- "i wrestle with the older and “He definitely has a lot of ener- ty of Waterloo at the same time. “But i've been improving my old is also looking to launch his he's showing some interest,“ said yto burn off." . a i if»? . _ g; . J ' J ‘ _ “it .._:s;';;; we”; .' , 2511. 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