Sezer Uslucuk, a Turkish national arm wrestler who became disabled after a traffic accident at a young age, is aiming to achieve the ultimate glory at the upcoming European Championship in Moldova.
The 31-year-old athlete, who resides in Bakacakkadı town of Gökçebey district of Zonguldak, turned to sports after losing his mother to a cerebral hemorrhage in 2013, seeking to boost his morale and motivation.
Initially drawn to bodybuilding and weightlifting, Uslucuk's career took a new direction on the advice of his relative, a physiotherapist.
He ultimately decided to focus on arm wrestling, earning several accolades in national tournaments along the way.
Uslucuk's impressive track record includes a bronze medal in the 55kg category at the 2019 European Arm Wrestling Championships in Loutraki, Greece.
He also emerged victorious in both right and left arm categories at the Para Arm Wrestling Türkiye Championship held in Kocaeli on March 18-19, clinching gold in the 65kg division.
Despite living with a walking disability, Uslucuk remains undeterred, spending up to three hours a day training in a room he has converted into his personal gym.
He credits his success to hard work and dedication, admitting that he never imagined achieving such heights in his chosen discipline.
When asked why he chose arm wrestling, Uslucuk explained that he found it difficult to excel in multiple disciplines and instead preferred to focus on one.
Since 2014, he has gone on to win multiple championships in national competitions.
Uslucuk's training regime involves using various apparatus to simulate different opponents' strengths, alternating between work and rest days.
He has even earned a second-level arm wrestling coaching certificate, developing his own program and taking care of his nutrition and training himself.
Looking ahead to the Para Arm Wrestling European Championship in Moldova in June, Uslucuk expressed his desire to bring glory to his country.
"We will go to Moldova on June 6. I would like to return to my country as a champion, to have our flag raised and to represent our country and nation in the best possible way," he said.
