Taylor Wilde (aka York student Shantelle Malawski) exemplifies the TNA Knockout – solid wrestler, good looks and unique, wrote The Miami Herald Aug. 19.
This 5-foot-4 blond beauty not only brings her wrestling talent each and every match inside the six-sided structure but also her flare for fashion. Wilde designs her outfits, and her [signature] salute to the crowd, as she appears on the rampway, ties into her fashion statements.
Wilde, 23, continues to conquer stages of her career. She debuted in 2003 in her homeland Canada. She has been primarily good, a fan favourite in her young journey.
“Actually, I started wrestling training and [university] remotely around the same time [in 2003],” Wilde said. “I was on the indies and working a part-time job, and school was the norm. In May 2006, Wilde signed with World Wrestling Entertainment, working at Deep South Wrestling in Georgia.
“When my career started to perpetuate, I remained in school until I moved to the States,’’ she said. “I couldn’t go to [university] at home and live in the States. So I had to stop.”
“Even though I was living my dream, it felt like I was missing something,’’ she said. “I had a quarter of a degree finished. School is a balance of normalcy that I don’t think I could live without.’’
Well, by August 2007, WWE released her, a disappointing and mentally draining adventure, yes, but she returned to college full time – pursuing a degree in psychology at York University in her hometown Toronto.
In May 2008, Wilde inked a deal with TNA but is still pursuing that degree. “I love my job. It’s not nine-to-five. It’s incredible,’’ she said. “It’s a gruelling schedule for travelling, and you’re away from home a lot but school keeps me grounded. I feel in wrestling you never stop learning and I feel the same way with school. Knowledge is power. It keeps me sane.”
On air
- Jennifer Mills, psychology professor in York’s Faculty of Health, spoke about exercise addiction on Global TV stations across Canada, Aug. 18.