An Interview With Samantha "Sam" Goworek
I asked Samantha “Sam” Goworek if she would like to be interviewed for the Oakland Newsletter and happily, she agreed! We set up a time to speak and it just so happened that I wound up calling her on her 17th birthday to interview her! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAM!
Sam is a sophomore at Indian Hills Highschool, and she is a powerhouse on the wrestling team. She is the only girl on an all-boys team and with that comes a tremendous number of advantages and disadvantages. But Sam is persistent, and her dedication and perseverance is paying off!
Here is Sam’s story:
Sam lives with her parents and her younger brother, and they moved to Oakland when Sam was in the 4th grade. Sam was always interested in sports, and when she was younger, she put a lot of her focus on cross country track. She started boxing at a local gym and when Sam was a freshman, she joined the Indian Hills wresting team. She was the ONLY female wrestler on the team. She explained that she wasn’t very good at it! It was so new and different to her, and she only won 3 matches that entire season. She didn’t give up though! During the off season, she continued to work on her techniques by going to wrestling clubs and lifting at a local gym. By her sophomore year, she went from only winning 3 matches to winning 19 matches that season! Sam continued to work hard on and off season and to dedicate even more time to wresting, she made the decision to leave cross county track.
Sam says that she practices 3-4 times a week and she started going to an all-girls wrestling club. I asked Sam if she came across any “issues” with her being the only girl on the wresting team. Sam explained that some of the wrestlers didn’t take her seriously and said mean things to her. One time they even threw her wrestling shoes in the garbage. But the coaches have been great, and they pair her during practice with wrestlers that help and encourage her. Sam said that those instances just made her want to work harder and be a better wrestler.
This year Sam placed 3rd in Regionals and went to States. She said that she was extremely overwhelmed at States since it was so large and so loud. But she finally grounded herself, took a breath and during her last few matches, she wound up getting the 2nd fastest pin at 35 seconds. During her last match she won 6-3. Sam received a 7th place medal at States which is a huge accomplishment.
When I asked Sam if she thinks she wants to wrestle in college, she said she absolutely does. She would like to get a scholarship and is starting to look at different schools with her family. Sam said that wrestling starts again in November and her dream would be to get an all-girls wrestling team together at Indian Hills. She said that any 8th graders or high school age girls that are interested in wrestling can reach out to her directly or the school for more information.
I was so impressed speaking with Sam. She is genuinely kind and supportive of all her fellow wrestling friends. Just by speaking with her for an hour or so, I could tell that when she puts her mind to something, she does it! Through her story, she hopes to inspire other female wrestlers to know that they can do it too. With hard work and perseverance, they can do whatever they set their minds to. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Sam.