Polson wrestler says "g'day" to Australia

When he finished his last match at the state wrestling tournament in February, Polson wrestler and then-junior Cody Hedeen expected his wrestling season to end. But the news he received following the tournament changed all that.

During Polson’s last wrestling season, Hedeen placed fourth in the conference competition, which punched his ticket to the state tournament with the rest of the varsity team.

Though he did not place at state, he and nine other Polson wrestlers did qualify for an invite to the Down Under Sports Wrestling Tournament.

The event is a yearly one held in Australia and New Zealand that gives wrestlers with good potential from America, Australia and New Zealand the opportunity to spend six days practicing freestyle wrestling, participating in a large tournament, and touring the two nations “down under.”

Cody Hedeen was the one out of nine Polson wrestlers to take up the challenge of raising enough money to go to Australia and participate in the tournament.

“I’ve dreamed of going to Australia since I was in sixth grade,” Hedeen said. “I remember watching Steve Irwin’s show and thinking it was so cool.”

In February he was given the perfect opportunity to follow that dream, and he wasn’t going to give it up regardless of the cost.

“It was a real challenge, but Cody took it,” said Hedeen’s mother, Jill Hedeen. “He held several car washes in Lakeside, but still had to borrow some money. Now we only have to pay our lenders back.”

By June 28, Hedeen had received enough money to get on his first plane ever in Missoula, and, several time zones later, arrive in Sydney, Australia, to meet more than 250 wrestlers from the United States and several from Australia and New Zealand.

The group spent three days touring Australia; while they were there they also practiced freestyle wrestling and had a “wrestling on the beach” tournament. They then traveled to New Zealand where they got down to business; the boys were divided into eight teams of mixed nationality and competed in the official wrestling tournament for three days.

Hedeen’s favorite part of the trip was, by far, the wildlife.

“We went to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, and that was really cool,” he said. “We got to enjoy all of Australia’s wildlife in one place.”

The group also flew a plane over the Great Barrier Reef, and saw the famed natural structure through the bottom of a glass boat and through goggles on a snorkeling trip.

“It looked like rolling hills under the water, and there were multiple schools of fish. I saw four huge sea turtles that were bigger than me,” Hedeen said.

However, the excitement of the touring experience did not distract Hedeen from his purpose for being there. Although he had a losing record at the tournament, he kept a positive mind about the experience.

“I did not win one match, but I fought for it,” he said.

According to Hedeen, the Polson team and most high school teams wrestle folk-style, which abides by different rules than the freestyle wrestling techniques they were told to use during the Down Under Tournament.

He never practiced freestyle wrestling until the three practices he attended in Australia, and was unprepared for the tournament there. His performance at that competition, however, does not discount his ability to perform for Polson in the upcoming year.

“I think it was still helpful to me to learn a different technique,” said Hedeen. “Now I have lots of experience and I know more moves that I can use to my advantage this year.”

Hedeen will be a senior at Polson High School this year and says his goal is to at least make it to the second-day bracket at the State Tournament.

“Many wrestlers start in elementary school,” said Jill Hedeen. “But Cody didn’t start until high school, so I’m excited that he’s been able to come this far.”

Though Hedeen may not have had an early start, he is happy that he has found a sport he loves in high school and with the opportunities it has given him.

“I like wrestling because you never know if you win or lose. All that matters when you’re at a match is to dig deep into yourself and see how much you really want to win,” Hedeen said.

By the looks of it, Cody Hedeen wants to win.