At only 12-years-old, Terrance Wang is now the youngest yo-yo player to hold the Canadian national championship title.
Terrance, a DeBeck elementary Grade 6 student, recently claimed first place in the open division in the 2018 Return Top Championship held by the Canadian National Yo-yo Association (CANYA) in Toronto.
“I was really excited when they called my name for first place,” said Terrance, who practices yo-yoing for around three hours daily and up to five hours when a competition is around the corner.
“But I was kind of expecting it because I heard people saying that I did really well.”
He began yo-yoing when he was seven-years-old and recalled that it “all started when a friend introduced me to it at school; I thought it was really interesting so I decided to get a yo-yo.”
Although his friend taught him the fundamentals of yo-yoing, Terrance learned most of his skills and tricks on his own or through the Internet.
He has been competing since 2015 and has won many medals in yo-yo contests across Canada, the United States and at school talent shows.
Terrance, who said his favourite subject in school is science, added that his “friends are impressed” by his yo-yo skills and “they think that I will win again next year.”
His mom, Nicole, who helps Terrance with choosing his competition music, is, naturally, very proud of his accomplishments.
“Learning the yo-yo has improved his hand-to-eye coordination and organization skills,” she said.
“Competing and performing in front of other people has boosted his confidence level. We are happy for him and will always support him.”
Terrance will again be representing Canada in the World Yo-yo Contest in Shanghai this August.
“I am nervous but also excited to compete,” he said. “There will be even more competition than last year with more than 500 contestants.
“I hope to do this for as long as I (can),” he added.
