By Jonathan Bym
Insider Staff Writer
In the moments leading up to any big contest, Levi Ratkowski is like most athletes who feel the pressure of the moment.
The Seven Lakes 17-year-old doesn’t let that nervous energy linger, and did so to earn his spot on the top of the world in arm wrestling. At the fifth International Federation of Armwrestling World Championships in Greece recently, Ratkowski felt the full pallet of anxiousness before his first bout at his first world championships.
“When you go against people from other countries and continents, you don’t know how things could go. Before I got on stage, I wasn’t really worried about my arm breaking or people being disappointed. I really just didn’t know what to expect,” Ratkowski said. “After the first match I feel like the king of the world.”
What came in the moments after was anything but nervousness, as he placed third in the 18-and-under heavyweight class.
Ratkowski’s fear of the unknown comes in nearly every tournament, but this was one larger and he went in unsure of what to expect. He had injured his right arm earlier in the week while practicing in the training space. The injury has been a recurring injury within his right hand.
“I already had social anxiety. It’s pretty terrifying going into this in front of 500-600 competitors. It’s my first time out of the country for sports and in Europe, I’m not a very known name. This was also my first time on team USA and I was sort of a wildcard. And I was also super nervous and worried about getting hurt,” Ratkowski said. “You walk on stage and you have all that adrenaline, and you can’t feel it.”
He won two matches and lost two others for his third-place finish, being one of seven U.S. arm wrestlers to stand on the podium. Compared to European countries, the sport garners less attention in the U.S. and Canada. Training in America is done more independently, while it is a specialized sport in Europe.
Ratkowski has been arm wrestling competitively for more than 2 1/2 years, and probably a year before that, when he started focusing on the sport. The sport itself is not one where many professional arm wrestlers make loads of money, but Ratkowski wants to be one who makes it to the pinnacle of the sport.
“Ultimately that’s my dream job. I love that sport more than anything,” Ratkowski said. “My goal at worlds this year was to win but other than that, it was to get recognition and my name to be known throughout the world.”
Ratkowski said that, beyond his professional aspirations, he’s unsure what direction he wants to take after graduating from high school. Being able to travel and compete professionally sounds ideal to him.
Next year will bring a change. Ratkowski will be competing in the adult level, in the 19- to 21-year-old division. He expects the same anxious build up, and the same goals as he did in this competition.
Arm wrestling on an international stage was just as eye opening as the camaraderie shared between competitors from around the world.
“It was really awesome seeing 50 to 60 countries coming together with something in common. Everyone is bonding. There is no tension,” Ratkowski said. “I think it changes your mindset meeting that many people who are from that many backgrounds.”
