Tomasz Szewczyk is a leading, Polish competitor. He participates in Armwrestling since 2003, when he started in the Polish Junior Championships, from which he returned with medals. He is an organizer of many local and nationwide rank events. Commentator of most events associated with armwrestling in the largest stations, he also regularly commentates on the Professionals’ World Cup on "N" television. Of course – he is still a competitor active in all the tournaments in Poland and beyond its borders. Before him, a professional fight in Bulgaria in which he will face ....For this occasion we met and interviewed him.

Name: Tomasz Szewczyk
Date of Birth: 15th September 1986
Weight:  85 kg
Height:  172 cm
Biceps: 45 cm
Forearm:  41 cm
Residence: Tychy/Tomaszów Mazowiecki
Club: Tytan Jaworzno
Education: secondary
Marital Status:  married since April;)
Hobby: strength sports, bodybuilding, martial arts, fishing, aquarium.

Hi Tomek, in Bulgaria a professional fight awaits you. Have you already known your opponent? How do you feel before the fight? Do you think that this will be a chance for you?

Hello. Indeed, it certainly is for me the next step in my athletic career, which sooner or later have to come! We must develop and put new goals, only then what I do makes sense and gives me satisfaction and fulfillment. I know my oponent, he has a few medals of the WC and EC on both hands on his account and is definitely a favorite in our fight.


Are you going to enter now any special training plan before the fight?

I must admit that I have little time to prepare for this duel, so I will not be able to change much. It is a month to the fight, I found out about it a few days ago and I'm going to focus primarily on increasing strength and speed, because it is surely not enough time to build strength. I once fought with Stefan Lengarov at the European Championships in Norway. He defeated me attacking to the top and I know that this is his strong point. But our fight will be for your right hand and I will try to focus on technique that will allow me to win the fight with the Bulgarian. I know that his right hand is weaker, I am definitely better on the right hand, but it does not prove anything, I must now focus on him and do everything to be in the best possible disposition.


What next after defeating the Bulgarian?

After the fight, I will think what next , win will probably make my spread my wings towards preparations for Nemiroff Cup which will be held in October, and lost will motivate to even harder workout. I will not surrender for love nor money!!


Let’s back to current affairs. When you train, how does your everyday workout look like, what weights do you practice with?

I train three times a week for 2- 3 hours, while during the summer I train less intensively, I decrease the load and reduces muscle mass. In the time of preparations I train with high loads, while using simultaneously a pyramidal training system, based on increasing the load and reducing the amount of repetitions. Out of season, I use small weights giving muscles and tendons the possibility of regeneration, keeping them in constant readiness for next season.


We are now out of the said season. What are you doing now?:)

Holiday period, as I mentioned earlier is for me largely a period of rest from trainings. I am working on finishing the house, and if anyone knows how Polish "building teams" operate knows what I mean:) I do most of the work alone, so I often have no time for anything else.


How did your adventure with armwrestling start? What did your family think of it at the beginning, and what do they think of it and consider it now?

At the beginning probably as always my family looked at it with some apprehension about the future of the sport, my possibilities in it – it can be said that they were quite skeptical. I went to the first tournament to Gdynia in 2003 to the Polish Junior Championships as a total amateur with no idea what is armwrestling and how serious discipline it is. But I took a chance. I was a newbie and incredibly professional approach of my opponents to the competitions: their knowledge, fight techniques, professionally organized tournament, a professional table and referees etc. .. scared me. I was 17, I had the will to fight and a little aptitude ... but it was enough to win two silver medals at the junior PC without all the above words beginning with professionally :-) I weighed less than 62 kg, my parents told me that I should to count on the medals, I can be at most the first from the end. On one hand, it was good because if I lost, there would be no disappointment, but on the other hand, the greater was the joy that, it worked and I got medals!!
Then were Junior World Championships and that’s somehow till this day ;) It is only important, not to become discourage, get scared, it's something new for arms, new movements, new exercises and hands must get used to it. After several months pain ceases, and you can wrestle a few hours a day, which for a beginner would end a week holiday from everything.


Whether and if so, how you connect the passion/sport to work? And May be you study?

I studied at the Academy of Physical Education, however, I interrupted during the 3rd year and focused on other duties. But with time I managed to sort out all, so I  will probably  soon return to study. As for my work I have great luck.

I move in armwrestling circles, so I do what I like, and this is after all this is my way of life:)


Do you have any interesting stories / anecdotes about events in armwrestling?

The truth is that virtually every trip to the tournaments is associated with some interesting story, and always particularly interesting are those in which  Mariusz Grochowski and Dariusz Muszczak took part :-)
Certainly there will be many opportunities to talk about them, because I will never finnish up with armwrestling, and certainly not of my own volition. It is a love and passion in one, fanaticism that shaped my current life, my personality and lifestyle, without it I cannot function normally.


Do you model on someone? Does anyone inspire you? Have you got your "master"?

Definitely my patterns are people who shaped their organisms so that they can safely say that none of the behavior of the organism is unexpected for them. I am talking about Rustam Babayev  and John Brzenk. They both reached so much, have a lot of knowledge, but what impresses me most is the fact - that what they do while training, at the table during the fight is 100% conscious. They are aware of every movement of the hand, every exercise. Everything is planned and sensitive and very few competitors know their organism and their capabilities as well as they do.


Is there anyone you are afraid of in your weight class?

Maybe what I am saying, will be "trite", but I really approach so to each fight. Every player deserves to be afraid of him before the fight and after the fight I can estimate whether someone was worth to be afraid of. Armwrestling is a very unpredictable sport, we are frequently surprised. Besides, I try to "educate" my body, because when I'm too self-confident and sure of my capabilities, I can ignore the opponent, which affects me very negatively - by what I make unforced mistakes and I'm slower. But I'm working hard on it and I see an improvement after each fight.
As to whom I am afraid of in my weight class, it has to be added that, despite the very large rotation among the players that have recently occurred, by far my biggest rival in this country has been and will be Peter Bartosiewicz.


How do you remember your best tournaments and which competitions were the best in your opinion?

The best tournaments I took part in were obviously those in which I won something - they are important to me, and I will always hold them in my memory. When you look at a special cabinet with cups – you feel that you're in the right place. This adds a tremendous boost of motivation and strength to continue training and fighting. However if  one, most important event should be mentioned objectively, it would definitely be the Professionals’ World Cup. Although my best position was the fourth place, assessing atmosphere, organization of the event it is the most professional one, enjoying the most popularity and I have the most pleasant memories of it.


How would you rate the level of Polish/European armwrestling?

I’m saying this with genuine satisfaction, but the Polish armwrestling is really growing strong! Although still we are missing a little bit to the world leaders, a really big progress can be seen. The organization of the contest is getting better from one event to the next, more and more companies see this huge potential - which, of course makes us incredibly happy! This is also reflected in the level of training, reducing the differences between Polish and foreign competitors which can be seen best at the World Cup. It seems to me that the only problem which must be tackled now, is a serious approach of the players to the sport. You know how it is. I you want someone to invest in you - you must first show  what you can do. You really  have to work hard to achieve success, and then benefits will come to themselves. So it was, is and will remain forever and the sooner some players will understand it, the better for them and armwrestling. You have  to plant something  in order to reap ... not vice versa!


So now more loose .... Armwrestling, strength sports, martial arts, and then fishing and aquarium. Some of them do not fit here, don’t you think?

Indeed, but you probably know how it is. After work one wants to calm down .... and aquarium and fishing are  for me something that calm and distract me from sport for the moment, weights, fighting and aggression. It's a kind of soothing nerves:)


Tell us, what is the situation at your club - Titan Jaworzno? Do you have some younger perspective players?

Our club is the biggest armwrestling club in Poland and the best in terms of achievements, we have many talented and titled players. Our success attracts new young people, to the club, who are in ideal age for their first steps in armwrestling. They will definitely be spoken about, also on armpower.net;)


Have you already got plans for holidays? Are you already after your honeymoon?

The honeymoon was in name only, we have planned the honeymoon in late August.  The offer of a professional fight in Bulgaria has changed a lot. Although we planned to visit Tunis, the phone on the fight took place two days before the date of advance payment. In such circumstances, I managed to combine business with pleasure and we will spend our honeymoon in Bulgaria, staying there nine days on leave:)


Finally, how do you feel after changing your status from "SINGLE" to "MARRIED"?

I come from Tomaszów Mazowiecki, and until recently I represented the local club, now since I live in Tychy, I am able to commute (about 30 miles) to train in Jaworzno which is definitely a change for the better for me. While the wedding certainly influenced my life positively. Luckily my wife is also an armwrestling competitor (Polish Champion of up to 50 kg) so she understands and supports me in my training and vice versa. Besides finding a beautiful punch line - if not Armwrestling, we would not even meet :-) So I owe so much to armwrestling :)

Interviewed by: Daniel Orłowski