Three Lakes Teen Heading to World Championships in Lithuania

Most 18-year-olds are figuring out prom dates and college plans. Ethan Potrykus is preparing to represent the Northwoods on the world stage in Lithuania.

The Three Lakes High School senior has already competed in two World Cup Pankration championships, racking up eight gold medals, one silver, and one bronze. This June, he’ll board a plane for the 2026 World Cup Pankration Championships in Lithuania — bringing a piece of the Northwoods to an ancient martial art with roots in Greece.

It’s a journey that started right here in Eagle River, at Sixel’s Martial, Fitness and Spa, when Potrykus was just six years old.

An Ancient Sport Thriving in the Northwoods

Pankration isn’t the kind of martial art you’ll find at every strip mall dojo. This ancient Greek combat sport combines boxing, grappling, and wrestling into a single discipline that once graced the original Olympic Games.

“Once I got to know Sixel, I got more comfortable doing it and he really helped me grow as a person in this sport,” Potrykus says of his instructor, Sensei Dave Sixel.

Sixel has been teaching in the Eagle River area for decades. His facility serves as more than a training ground — it’s become a community anchor where families return generation after generation.

Three Generations, One Sensei

The Potrykus family’s connection to Sixel’s gym runs deep. Ethan’s grandfather Neal first trained under Sixel back in the 1980s. His father Jason followed the same path.

Now Ethan carries that torch forward, representing not just his family but the entire Northwoods region on international mats.

“I feel it’s a special opportunity in my life,” Sixel reflects. “I have trained quite a few students — I mean a lot! But there’s only a certain few that have stuck with it and the Potrykus family has just been amazing.”

“The tenants of the martial arts: courtesy, humility, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit; that gentleman has them all.” — Sensei Dave Sixel on Ethan Potrykus

That kind of continuity is rare anywhere, but especially meaningful in smaller Northwoods communities where personal mentorship and family traditions shape young lives in profound ways.

Building Champions Takes More Than Trophies

Potrykus earned his black belt at last year’s World Cup — a moment years in the making. But the medals and accolades aren’t what drive him.

“There is always someone better than you and I want to be in the top tier of them,” he explains. “I want to be able to compete with the best of them and I want to continue growing until I am a seven-time black belt like Sixel.”

That mindset — always improving, never satisfied — reflects the martial arts principles Sixel has instilled in him since childhood. It’s also practical wisdom for competing at the international level, where athletes from across the globe bring different training methods and cultural approaches to the mat.

For Potrykus, Pankration offers something beyond competition. “I appreciate the Pankration art as a protection tool I can use to defend myself and feel safe,” he says. Win or lose in Lithuania, that confidence and skill stays with him.

Why the Northwoods Breeds Tough Competitors

Our region has always produced athletes with grit. Maybe it’s the long winters that build mental toughness, or the outdoor culture that demands physical resilience.

Facilities like Sixel’s provide structured training opportunities in communities where youth need productive outlets and positive role models. In rural areas, these multi-use training centers become gathering places that serve far more than recreational purposes.

Here’s what makes youth martial arts programs particularly valuable in Northwoods communities:

• Year-round indoor training regardless of weather conditions
• Mentorship from instructors who know families across generations
• Competitive opportunities beyond typical high school sports offerings
• Life skills training that extends beyond physical techniques
• Community connections in areas where population is spread across wide geography

The martial arts culture in Central and Northern Wisconsin extends beyond Pankration. From Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu programs near Viroqua to traditional martial arts academies scattered throughout the region, residents have access to diverse training options that rival what you’d find in larger metro areas.

Eyes on Lithuania, Roots in Wisconsin

As June approaches, Potrykus balances senior year responsibilities with training for the biggest competition of his life so far. The 2026 World Cup Pankration Championships will test him against elite competitors who’ve dedicated their lives to the sport.

But he’s not going alone. He carries the support of his family, his sensei, and a community that’s watched him grow from a six-year-old beginner to an 18-year-old world competitor.

“I want to continue to keep competing, I want to keep growing,” Potrykus says simply. For a kid from Three Lakes heading to Lithuania, that’s the kind of determination that makes the Northwoods proud.

Whether he returns with more gold or just more experience, he’ll still be the same young man practicing in Eagle River — proving you don’t need to leave the Northwoods to reach for the world.