Montreal wrestler qualifies for Paris Olympics

At 26 years old, Alex Moore is at the peak of his powers and has just celebrated major success.

In March he qualified for the Olympics.

“It was the little kid in me that watched the Olympics in my living room every four years. I wanted to make this version of me really, really proud,” Moore said.

Moore secured his spot at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier and faced stiff competition.

“The man he beat was fifth in the Olympics in 2016,” said Moore’s coach David Zilberman.

Moore has been on the rise for years and seemed destined for greatness.

He was even featured on CTV News Montreal's Randy's Rookies show.

“The Randy's Rookies video is really crazy to watch,” Moore said. “CTV covered me 12 years ago, and then today we're going to the Olympics. It’s really exciting and I’m really proud of it.”

Moore practically grew up on the wrestling mat.

Early in his career, his father was his coach, and that meant balancing performance and expectations.

“Growing up with my dad as a wrestling coach, there was a lot of pressure,” Moore said. “In addition, growing up here in the Montreal wrestling club, I was surrounded by a lot of top athletes.”

Now it's Moore's turn to inspire others.

“It was exciting to see him compete and actually do it himself. “It makes me want to do the same thing,” said Moore’s teammate Stone Lewis.

Even though Moore has achieved his dream, he can hardly sit back. There is still a lot to do until August.

“The vision ultimately is to win an Olympic medal. There’s no doubt about it,” Zilberman said.

“Now it’s time to go,” Moore said. “Now it’s time for me to put in even more work than before.”