SUNKIST, continued from page 14
gram,” said Douglas. “It wasn’t only a developmental program for America, it was a developmental program for Arizona State. That’s directly related to Art Martori.
“Whenever you see alumni involvement like you do with Art and the Carver’s at Iowa and the people at Penn State, you will have successful wrestling programs,” said Douglas. “The only way our college programs will stay up is if they have an Olympic development program. In order to get the best wrestlers in the future, that’s what has to happen.”
“I think we’d have less Olympic cham- pions around the country if it weren’t for Art and Sunkist,” said Jackson. In 2008, when Arizona State announced it was cutting three sports, wrestling was included.
The wrestling cut was short-lived, thanks in large part to Martori’s work in securing the program’s longevity through business connections and financial means.
Even as much as Martori has done for wrestling, he’s not one to try to steal the spotlight.
In fact, much of his reverence for wrestling is shared by his family, which sits at the top of his list of things he’s thankful for.
He’s most proud of having his daughter Kim involved in the program and in wrestling as a whole.
“There wouldn’t be a Sunkist if Kim wasn’t involved,” said Martori. “She puts in unbelievable hours and not for a cent of pay. She sits right across from me at her desk. I listen to her the whole time talking to Terry (Steiner) and different ath- letes.”
Martori Wickey currently serves as the
U.S. Women’s Freestyle Team Leader for the 2012 Olympic cycle. She handles the day-to-day operations of the club and works closely with Gressley to organize fundraisers.
“I never thought I would be part of run- ning Sunkist Kids,” she said. “It wasn’t until I started working with Art that I appreciated his passion for the sport. Knowing the athletes better and appreci- ating the time they put in made me want to be a part of it and keep the legacy going.”
The working relationship between the
patriarch of the Martori family extends beyond Kim, as Art’s other daughters, Carol and Jill, have also been involved in the growing business and the wrestling business.
But the relationship between father and daughter has grown, primarily due to wrestling.
“(The club) has really bonded us,” said Kim about her relationship with her father. “My dad’s a tough guy, a real guy’s
guy. I see him every day get so emotional over athletes, and for me, that’s bonded us more than anything.
“I get to see my dad as a whole per- son,” she said. “He’s so giving and so caring and cares so much for these ath- letes. It makes me respect him more and more every day.”
The driving force for Martori and the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club is extremely simple. He points to one of Sunkist’s academy wrestlers – Garrett Ryan, who just won double titles at the 2012 FILA Cadet Nationals.
“Seven years ago, he couldn’t tie his shoes,” said Martori. “This year, he was a state champion and has been working with Melvin Douglas. He’ll get a scholar- ship. He’s got a 4.0 GPA and wants to go to Northwestern. Those things mean more to me. To see someone change their whole life, that’s what wrestling’s about. “You don’t have to be a World and Olympic champion like John Smith. It’s about how many kids we bring in and get them focused and get them to identify with something and feel good about themselves. It’s more important to do with hundreds of kids than just one.”
31 USA Wrestler
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