The Huskie wrestler also credits his teammates, coaches and positive role models for inspiring him along the way.
“I’ve been lucky enough to be around other high-achieving students,” he said.
Students like Huskie teammate Donovan Neudorf, who Buechler said played a critical role in pushing him to strive for excellence.
“We get competitive with each other, even in the studying.”
From a niche sport to a niche degree, Buechler has always carved his own path. Though initially a Kinesiology major, he’ll be graduating this spring with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Paleobiology and as the year’s top student in geological sciences.
“Science and the natural world were always a passion for me as a kid,” he said. “During the pandemic I had some time to reflect. I decided to take a gamble and study something I was very passionate about. I’m glad I made the switch.”
Wasting no time, Buechler will head to northern British Columbia after graduation to work as a technician for an ecological consultant firm.
“I’m hopefully on the verge here of doing some work that I’m really excited about, in a field that I’m really excited about.”
Huskie Head Coach Daniel Olver has witnessed this same passion and excitement on the mat, emphasizing Buechler’s exemplary team-player attitude.
“One of the most memorable aspects of coaching Drake was witnessing his growth into a natural leader,” Olver said. “He embraced the responsibility of guiding his teammates, often stepping up in crucial moments to motivate and support them. His efforts were not just about winning matches but about fostering a sense of unity and resilience within the team. He excels because he leads by example, knowing others look to him for guidance.”
Buechler brings this mentality to his work with Down to Wrestle, a league founded by Olver and a friend to help empower and foster confidence in kids with Down syndrome.
“He became their teammate during those practices,” Olver said. “The wrestlers saw themselves as Huskies because of the way he interacted with them, encouraged them and celebrated their wins. They gravitate to him because of his energy.”
Buechler said being passionate about a sport that wasn’t always the most popular helps him relate to the kids he’s coaching.
“It’s a pretty niche sport,” he said. “Most wrestlers at some point in their life have felt like they didn’t fit in. But it has done so much for me in terms of opportunity. I can’t imagine my life without it. Being able to translate that passion to coaching these kids and seeing them just have fun and have the freedom to rough house a bit … You see them gain confidence in themselves, flexing their muscles and feeling strong. They identify as wrestlers now.”
Down to Wrestle is one of many organizations Buechler has given his time to, as well as Ronald McDonald House, Huskie Homeroom, Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, and more.
He credits the Huskies program for providing student-athletes with the opportunity to give back in more ways than one.
“The program does a really good job of putting us in a position to help out the community.”
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