Williams Lake's very own Kai Pare, 16, led Team BC in the closing ceremonies for the 2025 Canada Summer Games on Monday, Aug. 25.
One of 27 young B.C. wrestlers to compete in the games, Pare brought home two gold medals. She helped capture gold in the women's team event by not conceding any points to her opponents and won an individual gold medal in the women's 59 kg. Overall, B.C. won 20 medals for wrestling in this year's games.
“It’s such an honour to even be nominated—that the coaches and the people around me thought that I was good enough to be nominated,” Pare said. She was chosen to be the flag bearer for B.C. during the closing ceremonies for the games which began on Aug. 8 in Saint John's, Newfoundland.
“Kai’s ability to lift those around her while performing at the highest level makes her the perfect choice to represent Team BC as flag bearer,” said Pare's coach Gurjot Kooner. Pare's performance both in the sport and as a team member made it easy for Kooner to nominate her as flag bearer.
“Beyond her athletic achievements, she inspires her teammates with her leadership, humility, and commitment to the sport. She led our team chants and always found ways to lift the team up.”
Team BC's Chef de Mission Eron Main said Pare accepted the news with gratitude before getting back to business, helping out with taking down the wrestling venue.
“That says everything you need to know about her and her team-first mentality. We are extremely proud for her to represent BC as flag bearer for the Closing Ceremony," Main said.
4,000 athletes competed across 17 different sports in this year's Canada Summer Games, and Pare said she's made friends from all over. Overall, B.C. placed third this year and, over the years, has accumulated a total of 2,451 medals from the games.
Wrestling has always been a part of the Canada Games since they began in 1967, but women's wrestling was only introduced in the 2005 games. Pare has collected several provincial and national accolades over the years, including winning gold in the Cadet women's division at the 2025 Canadian Wrestling Championships and being the 2024 U17 National Champion.
