Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson | United to triumph

Canadian beach volleyball players Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson wasted no time getting their magic back. They were separated, and even rivals, then here they are again reunited. Since unity is strength, they no longer give themselves the right to make mistakes. They have to win, and that’s what they do.

The sun was about to set in Latvia when Wilkerson and Humana-Paredes joined the meeting Zoomlast week.

A few days earlier, the Canadian duo had won bronze at the Beach Pro Tour Elite 16 tournament in Ostrava, the most prestigious tournament category after the World Championships.

When the two 30-year-old athletes came back to this first medal won together since their union, formalized in October, their complicity left no doubt. In their eyes, this medal is the ultimate reward. What they are most proud of, however, is squeezing their way onto the podium from the qualifying round.

They won their two qualifying matches. They then maintained a perfect record in the group stage, all while not letting a game slip away. Afterwards, they beat the Swiss Nina Brunner and Tanja Hüberli for third place. “It was like living three tournaments in one,” says Humana-Paredes, voted best waitress of the tournament.

This was their third side-by-side tournament on the Beach Pro Tour. “At each tournament, we believe we have a chance of getting on the podium. I think it’s realistic,” continued Wilkerson, the tournament’s top blocker. Humana-Paredes agrees: “We’ve been looking forward to being on the podium for a long time, because we know we deserve to be there. We work so hard! »

Last Sunday, the Canadian duo did even better by winning their first gold medal, at the Jurmala Challenger, in what was only their seventh tournament together. The Canadians have lost just one set in six games during the tournament. They were on an erre to go and they took advantage of it.

As in time

Before being reunited by Volleyball Canada in the fall, the two players enjoyed enormous success on their own. Along with Sarah Pavan, Humana-Paredes was a world champion and two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist. Wilkerson won the silver medal with Sophie Bukovec at the last Worlds in addition to finishing fifth at the Tokyo Olympics.

The relationship between Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson is more than a decade old. They grew up together at York University. When they talk about their chemistry, their eyes twinkle.

“We respect each other, we love each other, we support each other and we admire each other,” says Humana-Paredes, looking at her teammate in a burst of sincere complicity. She even chose to use the word “electric” to describe their chemistry.

In beach volleyball, the partners absolutely have to be in tune. In the heat of the moment, you have to know how to communicate without speaking. React without thinking. Follow your instinct and assume. It is there, the real strength of a duo.

“You have to learn not to take everything personal, on or off the pitch. Do not be afraid to be vulnerable or to argue, explains Humana-Paredes. To talk about the fact that sometimes we are not always at our best and that it is time for the other to do a little more. And Wilkerson adds that “not everyone takes the time to do this work of introspection”.

A contagious attitude

On the court, Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson are furiously engaged and dangerously combative, but they do so with a surprisingly laid-back attitude. Quickly, they imposed their own signature.

“We want to have fun playing, blows Humana-Paredes. It’s just that we love this sport so much! We want to have fun on the pitch and make good plays. We try things, we take risks. I don’t want to be on the pitch if there isn’t good energy or a good atmosphere. In fact, we want to impose this atmosphere and I think we do it really well. »

On the court, Wilkerson allows herself to be herself, and that’s the beauty of her sport, she believes. In volleyball, it’s impossible to lie or hide anything. “When you watch volleyball, you can see in every game that every player has something authentic and that’s what makes our sport attractive. »

Prepare for Paris

When Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson reunited last fall, it was to increase Canada’s chances of winning a medal at the Paris Olympics a year from now. While some athletes avoid talking about the Games or claim not to think about it before they are officially qualified, the Canadian duo is unfiltered: “Of course we think about it,” says Wilkerson.

“It’s our ultimate goal, completes her teammate. We set our goals based on that and it guides our entire process. It would be naive to say that we don’t think about it. It helps us prepare for each tournament in a specific way. »

Nevertheless, having been paired precisely with the aim of getting on the podium does not worry them unduly: “There is a pressure to win a medal at all levels. It engages us in an exciting process. We are ready for this challenge and in fact, it is an honor to be in this position where we can fight for such an award”, concludes Wilkerson.

If pressure is a privilege, so is traveling the world with friends. And they are well aware of it. Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson therefore want to profit from the experience. Like a treasure hunt in which the journey is as galvanizing as the reward. But if it ended with gold around your neck, that would be even better.