What originally made you want to join the league?
I was an eager college player just trying to play some high level ultimate. I played in Santa Cruz so just going over the hill to San Jose made the most sense.
What makes you keep coming back season after season?
Coming into my third season definitely feels different than the first time around. I think this year I'm excited to take a bigger role on the team. I also support what the Flamethrowers are doing in terms of visibility of Ultimate for both male and female athletes.
What is your favorite memory from last season's championship run?
Definitely Championship weekend, specifically playing the Rush in the finals. The crowd was crazy and it was especially fun that the fans were all cheering for Toronto – gotta love being the villain sometimes! :)
What are your expectations for the team with respect to this upcoming season?
The expectations are the same as they were last year – become the best team we can. Although the roster is a bit different, the goal's the same.
Do you have any individual goals for this year?
I'm going to be taking a larger role on team this year both on and off the field. I've also prepared much more this off-season than previously, so I'm excited to see how that work translates on the field. No specific individual goal besides leaving it all out on the field every game!
Have you used any of Antoine’s workouts? Have they helped?
I've been doing some of Antoine's workouts and they've definitely increased my strength more quickly than some workouts I've done in the past. My body feels great and I'm ready for the season to start already!
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Player Bio:
Lior Givol is now on his third AUDL season after spending his first with the San Jose Spiders and his second on last year’s championship-winning FlameThrowers roster. Lior grew up in Sherman Oaks but now lives in San Francisco. He learned to play ultimate with current FlameThrowers captain Greg Cohen at URJ Camp Newman and then joined the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs during his freshman year. Outside of his degree in Business Management Economics, he found the time to train hard and his leadership at practice led to his nomination as team captain for his senior year. Over his four years with the team, his ultimate abilities drastically improved and outside of the college scene he went from competing with club team Boost to competing with Oakland Guerrilla, a rising competitor in the Bay Area. This past year, he reached a new career goal when won a gold medal in Perth at the U-24 World Championships for team USA!