Sam Sacksen (Q&A - April 2010)
Sam Sacksen, 24, placed 18th at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He finished 22nd at the 2009 World Championships and this month he is competing at World Cup #3 in London, England.
Sam answered the following 10 questions for this month's Athlete Profile...
Q1: If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
SAM SACKSEN: I would like to be more outgoing toward people. One thing I do a good bit of is speaking and reaching out to others. It would be alot easier for me if I was naturally inclined to these types of situations.
Q2: How important is it to have the right coaches in a sport like modern pentathlon?
SAM SACKSEN: It is very important but in the end you are the one who has to do the work. If the greatest coach in the world is standing there next to you and you are unwilling to put in the time and effort then no amount of that coach's guidance and instruction will help. I have surrounded myself with some amazingly talented coaches and they all share one thing in common; they expect me to do my job to the fullest so they can do theirs.
Q3: What do you enjoy doing most in your spare time?
SAM SACKSEN: In summertime I love the outdoors so fishing is a big thing for me. I'm also hoping to go camping alot this summer. In an attempt to improve my flexibilty I have started doing yoga.
Q4: How did you get started in modern pentathlon?
SAM SACKSEN: Monica Fling came to recruit at a competition I was doing and invited me and my brother Ben to come down to
Q5: Do you have any favorite foods/restaurants?
SAM SACKSEN: Anything spicy!! I am made fun of when we go eat somewhere because I always get the hottest thing possible and then sweat my way through it insisting that it tastes good and that I'm enjoying myself!
Q6: What discipline do you feel the
SAM SACKSEN: If you look at any results from a competition it becomes quite clear that the fence has become even more essential to international success. The range of scores across the other events is increasingly becoming smaller making the swim or run even more inconsequential. We, as a country, consistently give up at least 200 points to the elite level competitors in the fence and then are forced to spend the rest of the day playing catch up.
Q7: What TV show would you like to appear on and what role would you play?
SAM SACKSEN: Burn Notice; Michael Weston.
Q8: What word or words do you think your closest friends would use to describe you?
SAM SACKSEN: Dedicated and loyal.
Q9: Are you still planning on becoming a veterinarian?
SAM SACKSEN: Definitely!! It has been a goal of mine for a long time and I had to think long and hard about whether or not to pursue another quad at the expense of putting off school longer.
Q10: What other plans do you have when your competitive career is over?
SAM SACKSEN: Once I am no longer competitive I will gladly step aside and let younger and upcoming athletes get started on the path to their successes. Once I finish vet school I am hoping to go into practice with my dad. I really would like to remain involved in MP, hopefully giving back to the youth and junior programs in some way.
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Past Athlete Profiles
March 2010 - Eli Bremer
February 2010 - Dennis Bowsher
January 2010 - Nathan Schrimsher
December 2009 - Margaux Isaksen
November 2009 - Will Brady
