The man accused in the shooting death of a church elder at the Salmon Arm Church of Christ on Sunday, April 14 once excelled as an athlete at Salmon Arm Secondary.
Matrix Gathergood, now 25, stands charged with first degree murder in the killing of Gordon Parmenter, 78, as well as aggravated assault and disguising his face with the intent to commit an offence.
Gathergood played several sports, including football, rugby and wrestling. His coaches are shocked by the charges.
Ray Munsie, who coached him in wrestling, is shaken.
鈥淲restling is a tremendously transformative sport, more than any I鈥檝e been involved in,鈥� says Munsie, who has coached high school wrestling since 1972 and worked with 13 Olympians.
鈥淜ids don鈥檛 care how much you know until they know how much you care,鈥� he says, his voice breaking. 鈥淢y ability to transform his character, to build his character, I failed. I鈥檓 so sad for everyone involved. When you get so deeply invested in kids鈥� This is a terrible, terrible thing.鈥�
He describes Gathergood as strong, powerful and very tough, but also mean if he knew he was better than somebody.
鈥淗e had issues for sure, but I would never have seen this coming. When you say he鈥檚 been charged, I could never have predicted that.鈥�
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Greg Seed coached Gathergood in rugby.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a bit of a shocker; I don鈥檛 know what to say,鈥� said Seed, a teacher at SAS.
鈥淚 coached him for a couple of years in high school. In Grade 8 he was a phenomenal player 鈥� fit, athletic, a huge positive influence on the team.鈥�
Seed described him as 鈥渁 force to be reckoned with鈥� on the field, strong and solid with a love for tackling the opposition. Seed says he saw him more recently at a wedding and he was different; it appeared he was 鈥渘ot heading down the most academic path.鈥�
Seed said Gathergood鈥檚 father drove him and his brother to football and rugby practices, and he said the Gathergoods and Parmenters both lived in Silver Creek, not far apart.
SAS teacher Rob Neid coached him in football and describes him as a good athlete.
鈥淗e did well in the sports that he played,鈥� Neid said Monday.
In 2011, when he had advanced to the final stage of try-outs for Team BC.
Asked his reaction to the charges, Neid said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a pretty sad story. I lost touch with him when he left high school. I know he was dealing with some things. I don鈥檛 really know him anymore.鈥�
The allegations against Gathergood have not been proven in court.
marthawickett@saobserver.net
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