By Sharon Robb
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
SINGER ISLAND – Eric Albarracin no longer travels light.
Unlike his early years in wrestling when the Coral Springs High graduate slept on friends’ couches, walked five miles to practice and lived on money he got for his birthday and Christmas to keep his Olympic dream alive, the 29-year-old now has a place to call home, hang his medals and cook a meal.
He spent $3,000 on airline tickets and hotel rooms for his EA Kombat Wrestling Club to be a part of history at the first USA Wrestling National Beach Championships on Saturday at the Hilton Oceanfront Resort.
“Back in the day I could have lived on $3,000 for three years, “said Albarracin, an Army captain based at Fort Carson, Colo., and 2008 Olympic hopeful in Greco-Roman style wrestling. He is a five-time Armed Forces champion and this year qualified for world-level competitions in three different styles.
“Those were the days, living off happy hours, ordering water and then eating all I could for free because that was my meal for the day, “said the 5-foot-4, 121-pounder.
“I never had a place back then [in college at Arizona State]. I just carried everything I needed in my bag. Now my life has turned around 180 degrees.
“I have a three-bedroom house in northern Colorado Springs. I’m in the Army teaching soldiers [in the Modern Army Combatives program] and training for the Olympics. If I didn’t have wrestling, I don’t know where I would be today or how I would have turned out.”
No one was happier to see Albarracin return home than former Olympic hopeful Steve Williams, coach of the Fort Lauderdale-based Calvary Wrestling Club.
“I love the Eric Albarracin story, “Williams said. “That is a classic example of persistence triumphing over adversity. He had so many setbacks and so many reasons to turn bad but he turned it into a good thing. Wrestling was his ticket.”
Which is why it’s important to Albarracin to give back to the sport. He wants to help support and coach up-and-coming wrestlers, both men and women.
One of his wrestlers, Leigh Jaynes of Colorado Springs, knocked off former Australian national team member Lila Restrevska of West Palm Beach, 2-0, in the 154-pound weight class to qualify for the Oct. 13-15 world championships in Turkey. Ingrid Santos, another EA Kombat Wrestling Club member, was third. The top three finishers in each weight category qualified. Clara Curtiss, Jaynes and Santos won titles for the club in the national tournament held simultaneously.
Albarracin would like to see the non-Olympic sport catch on with the public. Two years ago, wrestling’s international governing body recognized beach wrestling as part of its “new world of wrestling.”
Barefoot wrestlers, some walking gingerly on the sand grimacing, “Hot, hot, hot, “seemed to enjoy the quick matches. When sand was inadvertently kicked in their faces or eyes, volunteers with pails of water, spray bottles and large yellow sponges sprang into action. The sand rings were hosed down several times to cool off the sand. Officials are talking about sand booties, much like beach volleyball players wear, for next year’s beach season.
“We are learning as we go, “said USA Wrestling’s Gary Abbott.
About 400 fans watched from outside the rings — which the announcer called mats a few times before correcting himself — and from the hotel restaurant, balconies and roof.
Albarracin and five of his wrestlers compete today in the Sombo National and Pan American Championships at North Palm Community Center.
U.S. Beach Senior World Team Trials Results
(Top three places qualify)
MEN: Under 85 kg/187.5 lbs.: 1. Steve Forrest (Va.) dec. Dewitt Driscoll (N.C.), 2-0; 3. Jonathan Taylor (Fla.) dec. Ray Downey (N.Y.), 2-0. Over 85 kg/187.5 lbs.: 1. Carlos Dolmo (N.Y.) dec. Frank Workman (Va.), 2-0; 3. Angelo Borzio (Pa.) pinned Jeff Zastrow (Wis.), 1:44. WOMEN: Under 70 kg/154 lbs.: 1. Leigh Jaynes (Colo.) dec. Lila Restrevska (Fla.), 2-0; 3. Ingrid Santos (Fla.) dec. Clara Curtis (Colo.), 2-1.
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