US Team Handball Women's National Team

“The first time I ever saw the game was in 1992. I was flipping through the TV when all of a sudden I landed on the Goodwill Games, and sure enough, they were showing team handball,” Tomuke Ebuwei chuckles, “It’s kind of weird. I never thought at that moment that this is what I’d end up doing, but here I am!” With a sharp wit, and an uncanny ability to engage people in her stories and metaphors, Tomuke Ebuwei, or “T” as her teammates and friends call her, is a strong and charismatic presence on the Women’s National Team. Both on and off the court, “T” gives off a cool confidence that inspires the people around her to reach their greatest potential.

An extraordinary athlete and born-leader, her role as team captain seems a natural one, but “T” insists that it was her early experiences in sports that have developed her into the player and athlete she is today. “As a little kid I played soccer,” says “T.” “I always played with the boys- there weren’t many girls playing then- and we had a coach who believed that a team is a unit. We didn’t have individual awards, we only had team awards. Even today I feel like any accomplishment worthwhile is one that’s achieved as part of a team.”

In high school “T” moved on to play basketball and volleyball, a sport that she would continue to play as a varsity athlete at Penn State. “College volleyball, that was the second thing that really molded me- playing with that group at that time really polished me as a person. When I arrived, I was the worst person on the team. It was one of the biggest challenges of my life, but I worked hard and I went in extra and I put a lot of time into becoming a better volleyball player. And at the end, it was worth it.” “T” spent her last few years as a starter on the team, eventually becoming captain and leading her team to two National Championships in Division I volleyball.

But for “T,” her life as an athlete didn’t stop when she graduated from college. Her desire to keep playing and competing led her to pick-up sports like tennis, racquetball, and golf. It was in 2003, however, that she got her first chance to come back to the world of competitive athletics as handball player in the Pan-American Games. “T” says she fell instantly for the sport, “Initially, I loved the contact,” says Tomuke, “I really liked the physicalness of handball. The strategy is similar to basketball; it has both a one-on-one element and a team element, which are both equally important. And I love the team atmosphere- no one person can win a game, and that’s why I love it.” When “T” got a call to join the residency program in 2004, she didn’t hesitate to come back, “Being a pro athlete- an Olympic athlete- that’s a childhood dream. I love competing, so being here I get what I want. I get to wake up everyday and compete and work out and talk trash and be an athlete. Do I want more? Of course- I want to win, but I think that will come. We’ve got a great group, everything you need to achieve great things.”

In addition to her daily responsibilities as an athlete and team captain, “T” has to balance her life with that of her young daughter, Kya. While many would find the challenge overwhelming, “T” has found a way to make both aspects of her life come together in a positive way. “Honestly, one of the things I enjoy most about the residency program is having the team around my daughter. I enjoy the warmth of this group, and when it comes down to it, this group provides a lot for my family, we have fun. My daughter gets a lot of love from this group, and that makes me feel like it’s the right thing having her here.”

At the end of the day, playing handball is the essence of life for “T” and the reason she’s willing to make sacrifices to be here: “I love playing sports. Some people are born with artistic talent- I have none of these (singing, dancing, drawing, etc.), but for me, sports is like my art. When you change sports, you change mediums. Handball for me is like playing with difficult watercolors. It’s what I do- I don’t think I’ll ever not play sports, it’s the essence of who I am. It’s my release, it’s my passion, it’s the way I express myself, it’s just me. Handball gives me an opportunity to do what I love at the highest level possible, and that’s a dream come true.”

In the 2004-2005 season, "T" was chosen as the All-League Left Back for the Quebec League as well as All-Conference Left Back for the Northeast Team Handball Conference. She was named the 2005 Player of the Year, the award that is considered the "Handball Heisman" in the US. And at the 2006 West Point Invitational, "T" was named the Most Valuable Player.