Brandie Wilkerson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brandie Wilkerson |
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Brandie Wilkerson in 2017
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | July 1, 1992 Lausanne, Switzerland |
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| Hometown | Toronto, Ontario | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College(s) | York University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Beach volleyball information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Indoor volleyball information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Right side/blocker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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International medals
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| Last updated: January 14, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brandie Wilkerson (born July 1, 1992) is a Canadian beach volleyball player. She plays as a right-side blocker, which means she's great at stopping the ball from coming over the net.
Brandie currently plays with Melissa Humana-Paredes. Together, they won a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Before this, Brandie was ranked No. 1 in the world in November 2018 with her former partner, Heather Bansley. She was also named the best blocker in the 2018 FIVB World Tour.
Brandie and Heather Bansley played for Canada at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Later, Brandie teamed up with Sophie Bukovec. They won a silver medal at the 2022 Beach Volleyball World Championships.
Contents
Brandie's Early Life
Brandie Wilkerson was born in Switzerland. She moved to Canada when she was seven years old. Her father, Herb Johnson, was a professional basketball player. He played in many countries like France, Spain, and Switzerland. Brandie's mother, Stephanie, was a runner in Switzerland. She was also a two-time Ironman finalist.
Playing in University
Brandie played university volleyball for the York Lions from 2010 to 2014. She was a very strong player.
- In 2010–11, she was named York's best new female athlete. She was also the best new player in the OUA for women's volleyball.
- In 2011–12, Brandie was chosen as a top player in the OUA. She was also a second-team All-Canadian player. She scored the most points per set in the OUA.
- She won these awards again in the 2012–13 season.
- In her last year, 2013–14, she played fewer games because of an injury. But she was still named a second-team all-star in the OUA East. She was fourth in the OUA for points scored per set.
International Beach Volleyball Career
Brandie Wilkerson has had a very successful career playing beach volleyball for Canada.
First Partnerships and Success
Brandie and Heather Bansley started playing together in 2016. They finished 9th at their first big event in Toronto. In 2018, they had an amazing year. They ended the season ranked No. 1 in the world on the FIVB tour.
Brandie and Heather were chosen to be part of the Canadian Olympic team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. They were one of two Canadian women's teams. They had some tough games but made it to the knockout rounds. They surprised everyone by beating a strong American team. In the quarter-finals, they lost to a team from Latvia and were out of the tournament.
New Teams and World Championships
After the 2021 season, Brandie and Heather stopped playing together. Brandie then announced she would team up with Sophie Bukovec. They started playing on the 2022 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour in March. They worked hard to improve their game.
At the 2022 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Rome, Brandie and Sophie played incredibly well. They made it all the way to the final game! They won a silver medal after losing to a Brazilian team. Brandie said they wanted gold, but they were doing the right things as a team. They ended their season after a tournament in Paris in September.
Partnering with Melissa Humana-Paredes
On November 1, 2022, Brandie announced a new partnership. She teamed up with Melissa Humana-Paredes. Melissa was a former teammate from their time playing volleyball at York University. This new team quickly found success. In 2023, they played in ten tournaments and always finished in the top five.
At the 2023 Beach Volleyball World Championships in October, they won five games in a row without losing a single set. However, they were stopped in the quarter-finals by an Australian team. After that, they went to the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago. Brandie and Melissa were even chosen to carry Canada's flag at the opening ceremony! They reached the final game but lost to the same Brazilian team from the 2022 World Championships, winning another silver medal.
Olympic Silver in Paris 2024
In June 2024, Brandie and Melissa were officially named to the Canadian team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Their Olympic journey started with two losses. But they won a special playoff game to get into the knockout stage.
Then, they had amazing upset victories! They beat a strong American team and then a Spanish team. This made them the first Canadian women's team to reach the semi-finals in Olympic beach volleyball. In the semi-final, they faced a Swiss team that hadn't lost a single set. Brandie and Melissa fought hard, forcing a tiebreaker, and won! This meant they would play for the gold medal against the Brazilian team.
The championship match was very exciting and went to three sets. This was the first time an Olympic women's beach volleyball final went to three sets. The Brazilian team won, but Brandie and Melissa earned a fantastic silver medal! Melissa's father, Hernán, who coached an Olympic bronze medal team in 1996, said their silver medal would have an even bigger impact on the sport in Canada.
See also
In Spanish: Brandie Wilkerson para niños
