By Maggie Beamguard
Insider Editor
When it comes to the right to flex, Pinecrest High School senior Levi Ratkowski has the upper hand.
A nationally ranked, competitive arm wrestler, the Seven Lakes teenager competes on the world stage this Sept. 30 through Oct. 6 at the International Federation of Armwrestling (IFA) World Armwrestling Championship in Loutraki, Greece.
Ratkowski ranks number two in North Carolina in the adult Men’s Super Heavyweight division. At the IFA U.S. National Championship in Dayton, Ohio in April, he took first place in the 16 to 18-year-old Juniors Class and placed second in the Under 21 group. This tournament win qualified him to compete in Greece.
The phenom’s journey to the wrestling table in the Mediterranean started with a blow on the football field. A hard hit from two linemen his freshman year resulted in a severe concussion and lingering side effects that included a loss of depth perception.
The injury left him grappling with a future without contact sports.
“It was discouraging,” Ratkowski said. “I loved football. The injury made school harder. It really changed me. I don’t regret any of it, and right now I’m doing better than I ever have physically and mentally. But it was a real rough part of my life.”
Out on a limb, he looked to his family for support. “My whole family was there for me,” he said. “I think if I didn’t get that injury, I’d still be playing football.”
His stepdad, CJ Yarborough, introduced him to arm wrestling as a way to stay active and to enjoy competition.
“He really lifted my motivation and got me into sports,” said Ratkowski. “I never knew arm wrestling was really a sport before he came into my life, so I blame a lot of my success today on him.”
Encouraged by his stepdad, Ratkowski discovered new inner and outer strength. The two wrestle each other. While Ratkowski routinely lost their early matches, he made it a goal to catch up to him and surpass him. “He tells me how proud he is of me every day,” Ratkowski said.
According to Ratkowski, the best training for arm wrestling is to actually arm wrestle. He trains with a team of 10 to 15 guys in Aberdeen once a week.
“We all get together for three to four hours, and we just arm wrestle and hang out,” he said.
He also works out daily in his home gym, which is outfitted with specialized handles, weights and training equipment. It all looks a little weird, he said, to those unfamiliar with the apparati.
Within his training group, Ratkowski has found wrestling companions whose hearts are as big as their biceps. “My team is great,” he said. “We all love each other. We love hanging out, and there’s so much to learn from one another.”
At 17, Ratkowski is the youngest of the group whose members range in age from 25 to 45. The sport is not particularly popular among his peers, so Ratkowski often finds himself competing with adults.
He loves the adrenaline rush that he gets from the sport, but more so the relationships he has formed. Ratkowski describes the rival energy when facing off with an opponent and the camaraderie afterwards.
“The community is really awesome. I haven’t met any negative people in the arm wrestling community. Everyone is super supportive and wants to help each other,” he said.
He averages about eight or nine competitions a year, including his club’s event, the Camel City Classic, held in Winston-Salem each January.
Ratkowski has a strategy for competing that includes a training taper and arriving early to the venue. He finds it helps him get a grip on the situation. “The most challenging part about this for me is probably the stage fright,” said Ratkowski whose prior head injury contributes to anxiety. “I think I hide it pretty well,” he said, “but man it’s a struggle sometimes.”
He also vibes to rap, metal and 90’s rock music while getting pumped up to compete.
Through his training and competing, Ratkowski has learned about himself. “I think my confidence grows every day,” Ratkowski said. “I think before I was arm wrestling, I didn’t really think I would get anywhere crazy in life. I thought I’d just be working a normal job. But now I want to be the best in the world at this. And I want to help people. I have learned that I can be a lot more than I thought I could become.”
When he isn’t arm wrestling, Ratkowski has a part-time job and takes classes at Sandhills in addition to his Pinecrest classes. While he plans to continue to study sports medicine at Sandhills after he graduates in May, his passion is arm wrestling, hands down. His dream is to pin that passion into a career.
“Wrestling is something I’m very good at. This is what I’m putting all my effort in. I mean, I love this more than anything.”
He pulls inspiration from other arm wrestlers like world-famous professional arm wrestler Devon Larratt. After getting the chance to arm wrestle him in 2022, Larratt told Ratkowski to go to the national and world competitions because he was going to be great.
“It was a surreal experience for me, because I felt like I wouldn’t be here if he didn’t say that.”
Larratt’s encouragement may have conferred favor upon the young talent, but Ratkowski’s achievements come from plenty of his own elbow grease. When he arrives at the table in Greece this fall, a trip made possible by donations by supporters to a GoFundMe, he will be ready.
“I feel really confident in myself,” he said. “My training’s been good. I think this is the best I’ve ever been.”
Contact Maggie Beamguard at maggie@thepilot.com.
