Wrestlers getting their fill at camp featuring Garrett Lowney

GREEN BAY - Garrett Lowney remembers what it was like growing up wanting to be a wrestler, so now the two-time Olympian from Appleton is giving back this week at a wrestling camp.

“I work professionally now, so I don’t get to do this as much as I would like," Lowney said. "The opportunity I get to do this is really a great opportunity, especially since I know a lot of these kids and families.”

This week at the KI Convention Center, Lowney is part of Olympian Ken Chertow’s Gold Medal Training Camp System that includes about 100 wrestlers.

“In this camp, it’s about technique, but above that it’s about learning about how to be a confident person," Lowney said. "It’s learning how to work hard, how to achieve success through hard work and going the extra mile.”

Neenah’s Chase Schneider will be a junior this coming school year and has high praise for the camp.

“I’m getting a lot out of this camp compared to any others and I recommend this camp to people looking to improve,” he said.

The camp includes kids of all ages, including 8-year-old Caden Griffin from Tomah.

“I wanted to learn new moves and get better at wrestling,” Griffin said.

That’s the goal of each kid this week. Get better at a sport where you can throw another kid around. That’s what drew Lowney to the sport.

“When I got into wrestling, what drew it to me is I couldn’t believe they allowed me to throw a kid down on the mat and not get in trouble," Lowney said. "Just have that playful mentality, when you’re going out and having fun and working hard. You tend to lose that at times as you start taking it to a higher level.”

It’s all fun this week though with an Olympian by their side.

doug.ritchay@wluk.com