Against All Odds: Barrie woman's rise to becoming champion arm wrestler
More than 20 years ago, when her dad brought competitors over to practice arm wrestling, 9-year-old Sarah Wilson thought she would give the sport a shot. She's been hooked ever since.
"In team sports, you have four or five other people, but if you're arm wrestling, it's just you on your own. You have to figure it out on your own without anyone's help, and it's difficult sometimes," explained Sarah, who has now earned seven Canadian arm wrestling championships in her career.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
When she does need advice, Sarah can lean on her dad, Earl, an 11-time arm wrestling world champion who now doubles as her coach.
"I'm very close with my kids, and it's strengthened the relationship. It builds a bond that I wouldn't think other people get to do," said Earl Wilson.
"We've spent a lot of time together over the years. Just he and I working out or going to practice, obviously travelling, lots of time spent in the car, it's been good. We've gotten really close," added Sarah.
The duo trains twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays with IronArms Barrie. The practices which take place at Athletic Kulture in Barrie are open to anyone who wants to give arm wrestling a try.
"I spend most of my time on the table or in the gym. I work out a lot just because I want to be the best," said Sarah.
"She gets to take part in something I was passionate about, and I've been passionate about for about 30 years. Now she's taken the same approach to it on her own, and she's taking it to a different level," explained Earl. "I might be biased, but there's no doubt in my mind she will end up being one of the top female greats of the sport in this country, and I have no doubt she's capable of winning a world championship."
However, Sarah wasn't always sure that she had the potential to achieve greatness in the sport.
"I'm an insecure person normally, so I didn't think I had it in me to be able to do that. After I won my first nationals, I was like, oh wow, maybe you have a lot more than you thought you did," recalled Sarah.
Despite shocking even herself with all her provincial and national success, it's not the accolades that inspire Sarah's love for the sport. It's the sense of belonging.
"When I was growing up, I didn't really fit in anywhere, I thought, but when I started arm wrestling, it was 'hey, you're one of us, and you're part of the family,' and that's what I love the most about it," said Sarah.
That inspiration and motivation were challenged when cancer struck their family. Her younger brother Bradley was diagnosed with a brain tumour that metastasized into bone cancer.
"It's been really hard. I lost my brother in 2013, so that was difficult. I promised him, though, that I would continue to arm wrestle," said Sarah. And continue she did, to the peak of the sport in honour of her best friend. "I actually won my first nationals in 2014. It was six months after my brother died. It was the hardest thing I've ever done."
While Sarah has managed to take the Canadian crown seven times since 2014, she doesn't want to stop there. She and her dad are ramping up training and setting their sights on the 2024 world championships in Africa.
Ontario's provincial arm wrestling championships take place at the Pentanguishene Memorial Community Centre on May 13.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Record-breaking N.B. lottery winner kept winning ticket on dresser for nearly a year
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.