Name: Grzegorz Nowak 
Date of Birth: 04.09.1989 
Weight: 103kg
Height: 180cm 
Place of residence: Gdynia 
Club: Zloty Tur Gdynia UKS 
Education: Student 
Marital Status: Single 
Hobbies: Philosophy 

Have you seen a stir the news about you in the pages of our site caused? 
Indeed ... it’s hard to miss, this is obviously a very nice feeling. 

Let's get back to the beginning. Why did you stop training? 
This is a question that I asked myself repeatedly, and I could not find a rational reason of quitting my workouts for so long and I regret it after the fact. One of the reasons were injuries, which I experienced before the World Cup and I need to admit that then I broke down because I was in the life form. They excluded me from starts in 2010 and early 2011. But my mistake was a complete resignation from workouts. I should definitely come back to them, shortly after treatment in France. At this moment I will say openly – I think the main reason of such a long break was fear of failure after an injury, the fear that it will never return to old form. Simply speaking – I doubted my own capabilities. 

Injuries are actually quite a debt on ... How does it look like now? 
Injuries will always be my companions, I chose this sport and I have to this. But when it comes to left hand - I do not feel any inconvenience during training. I am convinced that it is enough to be careful while choosing weights and in a short time I will make it obtain its former glory - Before last year's Nemiroff, my left right definitely exceeded the right one, which was visible both on the weights, and at the table. In case of the right hand, the situation is much worse - it hurts me, both in the wrist and in the trailer, which I feel pain as well while performing everyday activities, as during training. At the moment I do not foresee to compete in any competition on the right hand soon. 

However you finally decided to return to the stage? What convinced you to that? 

I owe my come back mostly to Igor who once knocked on my door and invited me to return to training, for which I am very grateful to him because I thought a lot over this, and I could not make a final decision. Right now I'm at the pretrainng stage and step by step, from training to training I make progress, to be able to start the proper training - similar to those I did before the injury in about a month. But I know my mistakes and I know what to avoid in order not to injure my arms. Therefore, I am happy that I'm training again and I still have a lot to prove. As far as my abilities I will do everything to achieve as much as possible. Just as I wanted once, but with one difference - I will no longer guided by the will, but above all common sense. 

We keep our fingers crossed for your successful return, but let's go back to the beginning. Why Armwrestling, and not another sport discipline? When did you start practicing? 
It was the year 2004 - I was then 15 years. 
To fully determine the reason why I started to practice this discipline, and not another sport, I have to go back to 2002, and more precisely to 14th May 2002. That fateful day for me, I participated in a road accident – I was hit by a car. I could dwell long, about injuries I experienced, but I’ll just write: When I was brought unconscious to a hospital, after a while my mom came and heard from the doctor that I have no chance of survival. Doctors sure that I will not recover decided not to operate my broken leg, because treatment was too expensive. But I was getting better day by day. After three weeks, I regained consciousness and started to breathing independently. When I woke up in the Intensive Care Unit, I had no idea, how I got there, and what I was doing there. I was shock when I got to know that I had experienced an accident - I still do not remember the event itself. But the biggest shock I felt when I saw my torn leg and, I was informed of a trip to the Orthopaedic Clinic in Otwock waiting for me, in order to conduct subsequent operations. In Otwock I spent the next two months, and about what I experienced there, I could write a book. It was a traumatic experience - the more it was difficult for me because I was only thirteen then. After months of nightmare, I did not immediately get back to a new school, only in the first year of high school I had an individual tuition at home. In the second grade, as it happens, I was not accepted by the new class. It was difficult for me because on one hand I carried in the baggage of experience, which I wish no one, and on the other among the people I saw every day at school, I had no friends. So in brief, this is my story from before I started training Armwrestling. 
My adventure with armwrestling I owe to my parents, who then tried to find something for me. Before the accident I seriously dealt with horsemanship - for over two years I rode on horseback, and horses have been my whole life. My achievements were several wins of jumping competitions, which for a twelve year old boy was a great accomplishment. But after the accident, I was not interested in it any more. My parents sold Spark - my mare and I left with an equestrian theme. Of course, due to health condition, I was not able to practice many sports - especially those which, to a lesser or greater extent I was interested in. In addition to equestrian I was also interested in combat sports from practicing of which I was definitely excluded after the accident. But at the end of 2004, my father accidentally found in " Dziennik Bałtycki" an advertisement of " Złoty Tur Sports Club". I decided to go for training only due to the fact that they were mentioned in it, the European and World Junior Championships medalists and Disabled and I was very curious how strong they were.

 As it turned out, their superiority over me was not big at all and I quickly began to win - then Armwrestling took the root in my heart for good.

Do you know that only the greatest are able to rise after the fall? 
Apparently so. 

And how did your beginnings look like? How did you learn to fight at the table? Who was your trainer? 
The beginning of my wrestling, was a wonderful period when I made amazing progress. With each workout I felt stronger and long felt no pain in the hands, which made me increase weight quickly and break the records. At the age of sixteen, after less than a year of training, I practiced with the load, which many older and titled players were unable to lift – then I lifted 100kg in the wrist, which exceeded the expectations of all to me. My first trainer, and the one who taught me all the basis of armwrestling, was Daniel Gajda. With him I also wrestled the most at the table. Initially, as it is obvious, I did not have the slightest chance. As it turned out, soon, I beat him too. But learning to fight on hand lasted for years – I wrestled with everyone I could, both with weak and strong players, what was necessary to prepare hands to fight at competitions. I strongly believed that the key to my success were frequent sparring I've done while each workout. 

When did the first successes come? 
At every workout I did my best because I really wanted to succeed. Thanks to this I my accomplished first feat, relatively quickly. After one and a half year of training I won three gold and one silver medal at the Polish Championships in Jaworzno. l, then dominated the Junior and Disabled class, in which much more experienced contestants. After these events I believed in my own abilities and future successes were for me a matter of time. Since then, Armwrestling consumed me completely, heavy workouts became my whole life, and the only goal was to win the next competition. 

What did your family think of these events? 
Initially, the family prided on my successes, but not for long, then my victories were on the agenda and it became a dummy for them. But not for everyone. My parents who, after all encouraged me to armwrestling, disliked the sport, due to the fact that I could not see the world outside, and income was not big enough. But after the break, the situation is different, because I realized many things, and my parents understood that training is a great diversion of life for me. 

What were the best competitions from your point of view? How do you remember your best competitions and which one were the best in your opinion? 
I have already competed in many tournaments, which I were nice and I like to return to them in thoughts. However I will describe, only those starts I consider the most important in my life. Namely, my greatest success, was winning a bronze medal at the Professionals’ World Cup - Nemiroff World Cup 2009. As every year the World Cup was held in Warsaw, to which I went in uncertainty as to my form. I was not sure whether I can compete with the best players in the world. As usual, however, I had a goal that I wanted to achieve during those competitions. I mostly wanted to beat Genadi Kvikvinie who a few months earlier, won the title of the Champion of Europe and the World in the up to 110kg class- such was my weight then. 
As it turned out, achieved my goal, after a hard fight I beat Genadi and proved that the Pole has a chance to compete with the best in the world. In addition to everyone's surprise, as the first Pole in armwrestling history, I won a medal in the super heavyweight +95 kg category of the World Cup. This was the most important event in my career, and some kind of breakthrough, I will never forget. 

And what is the case now, when are you going to come back on stage? Is there any one you are afraid of in yuor weight class? 
I plan to start only on the left hand at this year’s Polish Cup. Therefore, there are several players who are a real threat to me. From what I've heard so far, Macin Skalski who last year won the title of the Strongest Pole on this hand is in a great form at the moment. Therefore, I consider him the most dangerous opponent and to beat him is my main goal I wish to accomplish this year. If, however, I cannot win with Marcin this year there will be further opportunities, so there is nothing I will try to achieve at any cost. 

In short, faith makes miracles, and you are the living example. 
I hope and believe that with hard work and commitment each of us is able to achieve much, and this will allow me to fight in the Polish Cup in 2011 at top speed and achieve the best results.

Have you had any armwrestling model, master, from whom you get good example? 
Initially I was fascinated by the many players who were successful on a world scale. Then I trained with Ruslan Babayev for a month, and he became a model of a player attitude, and at the same time taught me a lot. At this time, I find it difficult to determine one person, but this name fits most, for both Babayev brothers with whom I had a pleasure to train and I know that both are worthy. 

And how does Grzesiek present every day? What are his hobbies, favorite books, music, videos? 
In fact, apart from armwrestling, I have only academic interest, starting with the psychology of human development, through a variety of doctrines in the educational system, to fields of knowledge which took me most, that is philosophy. 
As for books, I read the works of such authors as John Paul II, Władysław Tatarkiewicz, Frederick Copleston, or Erich Fromm. 

Would you like to communicate something to other players at the end? 
Only one. Never give up. Will to fight and patience is the key to all doors. 

Thank you very much for this candid interview, it is a great pleasure to welcome you back to the stage. I wish you success at the World Cup. 
I also thank you, I greet all the armwrestling fans who read armpower.net, See you there!