PeSzy: Welcome! It was only recently that I had the opportunity to ask Sean about the World Cup in the USA. And many other things. Welcome! Congratulations on your recent world championship title. There are many things you do with the sport of arm wrestling. Tell us about your arm wrestling history and how you got to where you are now.
BOOM: I started competing in professional tournaments in 2006. Since that time I have had many ups and downs with not being able to travel much because my kids were small, injuries like torn connective tissues and even a broken arm in 2017 while I competed at a tournament in Shreveport, Louisiana USA. Since I began, I have won many state and international titles but this is my first World Champion title. My kids are grown now giving me the freedom to travel. I am a co-captain for team U.S.A. and I plan on competing at the World championship tournament each year no matter where it is in the world. I am blessed to have three sponsors and have not had to spend my own money to travel or compete in several years. It is a dream being able to travel the world and get paid to do what I love. This sport involves a lot of pain and hours of daily training but I would not trade it for the world. People are asking me if I am ready to give it up now and go out on top. There is no way I would quit now. This just fuels me to train even harder and longer to do it again next year and the year after that. What is life without dreams and goals? I strive live life not exist only.
PeSzy: Other than competing, what are your goals for the sport of arm wrestling?
BOOM: I have many goals for this sport. I wake up before daylight every morning to train so I can compete at a high level. After I finishing training I spend several hours doing various things for the sport. I am always working on putting together a new tournament somewhere in the country. I have to spend time on the phone and my computer dealing with sporting commissions, venues, sponsors, hotels, and all sorts of things it takes to host a quality tournament. One of my jobs with the PAL and URPA is to promote the sport and create Vendettas with athletes for the URPA ranking system. I am also on the U.S. ranking committee and I communicate with the other members of the committee almost daily to make sure our rankings in the U.S. are accurate. I also deal with several media outlets in which I send PAL arm wrestling footage to hopefully get our sport on television soon. I believe we are very close to that. Each year I partner with the USAA to host the I.F.A. United States national championship tournament. We host this tournament in Irving Texas during Olympic week. We fit all of the criteria to be an Olympic sport and I have made several contacts to have us entered into the Olympics as a discipline of wrestling. I believe this will be a reality some day soon as well. This job will ultimately rest on the shoulders of the I.F.A. president Anders Axklo. He is very capable and I believe he will succeed.
PeSzy: These things are all great news to hear. Now that you have won a world title, what is next for you?
BOOM: What is next for me? To train to win another world title next year. Everything is impossible until it is done for the first time. This will only make me train harder and smarter through this next year to be ready to win in 2022. Right now I am training every day but I am taking the rest of the year off from competition. I've had several injuries this year and I want to let those heal so I can come in to 2022 with a bang. The first thing I want to do in 2022 is have a Vendetta against the Californian man Dallas Langston. We had a Vendetta early this year and we tied. I want to win that Vendetta then find another mountain to climb. Winning is what happens when your desire to win is greater that your fear of failure. Sometimes I choose a mountain that is to big and I fall down.
But, I will get up and try again. We all fail at times but a champion will always get back up. Nothing can stop you if you don't stop for anything. These are my life mottos.
PeSzy: Thank you very much for the interview!