Jacob Luczak has wrestled his way into a dream.
The first-year University of Regina wrestler and former St. Patrick High School student is taking a spot on the Canadian national team at this year’s Junior Pan American Games in Santiago Chile this July. Luczak, 19, said it’s been his dream to wear a Canadian singlet since he started wrestling.
“It’s been my goal to get one. I worked hard this year kind of with that in mind the whole time,” the 19-year-old said recently on the phone from Regina.
He reached that goal in March after he challenged another wrestler for the spot at the Junior Canadian Championships in Fredericton. Along with a full course load in social work, Luczak has been training every day, and having to cut out his social life, in order to make the team. While still a long way off, he also has Brazil and the 2016 Summer Olympics on his mind. That goal means even more as wrestling might not be an Olympic event after 2020.
“I’m right on the path,” he said. “You want to make it there.”
The accolades and world events though aren’t Luczak’s main goal. For him, it’s more about seeing hard work pay off regardless of where his athletic career takes him.
“Really I’m doing this to find growth in myself more so as a person,” he said. “The results like this are just for other people to see.”
Luczak is heading to Poland, where his family is from, in June to train with the national junior team there before his trip to Chile. That means while he’s busy training, he needs to fundraise and find sponsorships to travel.
