Sam Fortin comes from a family of wrestlers. In fact, he has wrestling genes running through his veins. As he puts it, his older brothers, Patrick and Stephan, were accomplished wrestlers at Champlain Valley Union (CVU) in their day. Oldest brother Patrick is helping coach the Hinesburg Hurricane youth wrestling program. Even his uncle is part of the family tradition. Uncle Jeff wrestled for Mt. Abe some years ago and is a steadfast and supportive presence for Sam. Today Sam is following in their legacy. 

Born on Sept. 13, 1993, and raised in Hinesburg, Fortin's family includes parents, Anne and Al, the aforementioned brothers Stephan and Patrick, and a dog named Micah.

Fortin reminisces about wrestling for the first time. "I remember I wrestled for the first time when I was in the second grade. I wrestled in the youth division. I have also been going to summer camps to train every year for forever," he noted. 

A four-year varsity wrestler, Fortin wrestles in the 170-pound weight class. Before every meet, a weigh-in for athletes is required. Although there is a three-pound allowance, individual wrestlers cannot weigh over their assigned weight class. In other words, Fortin must weigh between 167-170 pounds to compete or face disqualification. With that in mind, it's easy to understand why diet and exercise are important in wrestling. Fortin shares his secret to maintaining his weight, "I stay active and try not to sit around and do nothing. Basically, I keep training and moving. Plus I eat healthy. I stay away from greasy, fatty foods." Fortin admits to one pre-meet ritual. Before every match he listens to music so that he can zone in as much as possible. That focus has served him well. He has won over 15 matches this year, one of which was his 100th career win. 

According to CVU head wrestling coach Rahn Fleming, "Sam has matured substantially as an athlete, as a teammate, and as a young man over his four years on the squad. His work ethic has developed steadily, and he seems to be on track to do very well at his final High School State Tournament at the end of the season," he mentioned. 

In addition to wrestling, Fortin played football for three years and he is currently an apprentice electrician for Prosons Electric, an electrical contractor. An apprenticeship lasting from three to five years is usually required before electricians are allowed to work without supervision. "I just started at Prosons last summer," he explained. 

During our conversation, Fortin recalls his greatest achievement to date. "Last year when I was a junior I won my very first varsity tournament. It was the St. Johnsbury Early Bird and I won the whole thing as an individual. That was cool," he shared.

A formidable planner, Fortin completed his Grad Challenge project, coaching youth wrestling, last year. "I completed all my coaching hours last year," he stated. "I got my paper done in advance. All I have left is the presentation. And that won't be for a couple of months." 

Just like his Grad Challenge project, Fortin has planned for his future. After graduation, he will begin working for Prosons Electic and will enroll in a training program to become a professional electrician. "In the fall, my boss and I worked out an arrangement that I will go to school to become a journeyman electrician and later a master electrician. It will take five years and I'll be working and going to classes but it will be well worth it," he explained enthusiastically. "Now I can just chill."

Coach Fleming offered one more accolade about his senior wrestler, "It's been a pleasure coaching Sam. He is one of our best, and we're proud of him." Now that's quite a legacy.