Olympic diver Sam Fricker of Australia chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about his experience at the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games, his daily motivations, and about “Sam’s Wheat Straws.”
American anthropologist and author Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Sam Fricker is such an inspirational teen individual and athlete, who is living his Olympic dream.
Tokyo Summer Olympic Games
On competing in his first Olympic Games, he said, “It was a dream come true. I was a little bit nervous but it was such a crazy experience. It was interesting because you got to see athletes from all of the other sports in the Olympic Village.”
“Diving has put me on a trajectory on achieving my goals,” he acknowledged. “That vision and drive got me there. Diving has taught me the fundamentals of how to achieve goals and how to get through hard times.”
For young and aspiring divers, he encouraged them to put a little less pressure on themselves and enjoy the process. “Sometimes, you need to just go with the flow and enjoy the journey,” he said. “It is important to have fun, I feel like I dive best when I’m having fun.”
Motivations
Regarding his daily motivations, Fricker said, “The motivation is to win really because you want to be the best. I try to be more consistent, jump higher, and spin faster to get better.”
“I am very goal-driven,” he said. “I always have a goal and a plan to get there.”
A career-defining moment for Fricker took place back in 2019 when he was in Germany, where he won an international event for Australia. “That was the biggest event I’ve ever won,” he admitted. “That was a defining moment because two years earlier I competed in the same event and I finished in last place in the finals. Then, when I came back and won it by 50 points, it was so great.”
Sam’s Wheat Straws
He also serves as CEO of Sams Wheat Straws, which creates sustainable and eco-friendly products to replace single-use plastics. “Plastic straws are just terrible for the environment,” he said. “Paper straws fall apart and they just don’t work. Wheat straws were an older idea that I wanted to bring back.”
This is one practical and environmental solution to any social and family event. The wheat straws are all-natural and disposable, eco-friendly drinking accessories, premium beverage straws set for parties, BBQs, and for bar usage. “This is a great solution for the environment from a product that works,” he said.
A pack of 200 is comprised of drinking straws made from wheat. It is naturally waterproof and never goes soggy, unlike paper. To learn more about Sam’s Wheat Straws, check out its official website.
Olympic Dream video
His journey to the Olympics was beautifully documented in the “Olympic Dream” film by filmmaker and photographer Ramone Minchero. “Ramone is such a great friend of mine and he always makes content for me, and he pulled that together,” he said.
In his younger days, he revealed that he used to play soccer. “I used to love soccer,” he admitted. “It was fun.”
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he responded, “Quantum Leaps.” “That’s the title I gave this year. I’ve made a couple of quantum leaps this year that I am happy about,” he said. “I am looking forward to experiencing some new opportunities and offers that have come my way, and I want to make the most out of them.”
Success in the eyes of Sam Fricker
Fricker defined the word success as “achieving his goals.” “If my goal is to walk around the block that day and I do it, then that’s success. If my goal is to make the Olympic Games, and I achieve it, then that’s success. It doesn’t matter the scale of the goals,” he said.
For his fans and supporters, he said, “I would like to thank the fans so much. They have been really supportive through my social media and I appreciate all of their support. It has been a long road, I’ve enjoyed the process and it has changed my life.”
To learn more about Olympic diver Sam Fricker, follow him on Instagram.
