LOCAL SPOTLIGHT: Watersmeet Sisters to compete with Dave Sixel and TEAM USA at the Pankration World Championships in Athens, Greece!
Dave Sixel has been a 50+ year Martial Artist and has now been recognized to become Team leader of Team USA. “I was an athlete in 2000, when we competed and received the gold medal at the 1st World Championships. It is now coming full circle where I can give my U.S. athletes the opportunity that I had,” Dave said.
Along with Dave, there will be qualifying athletes from throughout the United States, even as far away as Hawaii. Dave will also be bringing two Watersmeet sisters that have been involved with him for over 6 years and they will show and prove they have what it takes to become world champions.
The Peterson sisters, from Watersmeet, Michigan, Haley, age 16, and Nicole, age 14, are both excited and honored to represent the Red, White, and Blue as they travel to Greece with Team USA. They will be competing in the Pankration World Championship that is being held in Greece February 2023. Haley and Nicole have trained in the art of Pankration for over 6 years and have become accomplished brown belts in their sport.
This past year Haley was one of 92 students from a staggering list of 1,300 to do an on-site internship with NASA at the University of Texas. While there she worked on the Mars Rover Team and has accepted to return in December to work on LunaSats.
The younger of the two sisters, Nicole, challenged, and successfully tested out of the 8th grade after only sitting through 1 quarter of learning to move up to the 9th grade. She is currently a straight A Sophomore at Watersmeet High School.
In their free time both sisters display their kind and humble demeanor by volunteering to help Dave Sixel teach self-defense classes as well as to try and help their high school Quiz Bowl and Robotics teams achieve victory. Both Haley and Nicole are in The National Honor Society as well.
Your support and sponsorship would go a long way to help these amazing young ladies achieve their dreams that they have worked so hard for. Dave, an exceptional coach, has an excellent track record of producing several Northwoods Martial Artists that have competed and became World Champions!
The competition will take place in Athens, Greece, which is the birthplace of the original mixed Martial Art of Pankration. The dates will be February 17-19, 2023. This world championship will host 47 different countries.
TEAM USA is a non-profit 501 3c organization where its athletes are self-funded. Haley and Nicole Peterson, from Watersmeet, are seeking donations and sponsorships. If you are interested, please contact Dave Sixel at davesixel@yahoo.com or 715-617-6170.
Dave Sixel
Team USA Pankration President
9th Degree Grand Master Black Belt
715-617-6170
davesixel@yahoo.com