Raise the Bar

Samanta Sánchez has one ambition: to become a weightlifting gold medallist for Chile. The story of her path to high level competition is the subject of Fernanda Frick H’s outstanding graphic novel. Samanta is strong and determined, but has had no proper training, watching YouTube videos by a US star of the same age for tips. Her parents can’t understand why she wants to do it at all and actively discourage her. When the opportunity arises to train at the elite High Performance Centre in Brazil, and under her hero, Eva Dos Santos, the first Latin American weightlifter to win Olympic gold, she is determined to go for it. Sam does win a place, Eva recognising the same drive and raw talent that she had herself, but that’s just the start of a tough time for Sam. The girl whose videos she watched is her roommate and main rival, and she is constantly battling self-doubt, represented as shadowy figures whispering her own fears at key moments. Then, she receives a serious injury attempting to lift too heavy a weight. She does make friends amongst the other young athletes however, a diverse bunch who bring non-sport interest, fun and comedy into the story. Sam even finds love. It all comes together in success and along the way we even learn why her parents were so against it – not what you’d expect, and a scene which adds even more depth to this story. Achieving your dreams in sport, it says, takes super-human effort, while it also emphasises the importance of staying human, finding time for friends and recognising that head and heart matter as much as muscles. Sam’s journey, the cast of characters, the love stories and of course the drama, make for enthralling reading and the least sporty reader will be intrigued and inspired by her passion for weightlifting, which comes across as really appealing. The graphic novel format shows off the sport perfectly, the effort involved and the athleticism, and it also catches the emotional side to the story too, bright, vibrant colour panels for the upbeat scenes contrasting with chaotic, scribbled illustrations as those shadowy doubts surround Sam. Full of genuine emotion, humour, love and action, this raises the storytelling bar about as high as it can go.