One of his fellow contestants even remarked in a solo confessional to the camera how strange it was not to get a more detailed explanation. Hes the keynote speaker. Instead, he takes each challenge and uses it as a means to improve his life. When the new section opens to spectators, theres a mad scramble to race down the stairs and claim the best seats. The American became an overnight sensation back home after the miracle on the mat, but soon found himself struggling with stardom, and battling to save his career after a life-threatening accident. It sounds like a script the Rocky IV writers came up with: An invincible Goliath from Siberia nicknamed "The Experiment" arrives at the Olympic Village packing a 13-year winning streak. [20], Gardner served as an analyst for NBC Sports coverage of Wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics. I got my health back, I got my fitness and I got my life back. Castranuova says she thought Rulon would win the whole competition and was shocked when he left. When the high school team needed a new coach soon after that, he got the job. Despite spending four months in a high-school wrestling environment where weight is an obsession and scales are plentiful, he says he avoided stepping on one the whole season. But Gardner certainly isnt most athletes, and approached his Olympic final believing that second-place would be a satisfactory achievement. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Still, he says when he got hold of a network executive on the phone, he was informed hed have to go through the full tryout process. He talks to the state qualifiers about visualizing their day. He nearly died of hypothermia after suffering in the elements for 17 hours. He concedes that the motorcycle crash in '04 could have done him in, and the . 9 of 10. He pulls into a parking lot surrounded by snow-covered peaks, leaves Gus in the car and steps into the chilly mountain air in his gym shorts. Rulon is wearing the same short-sleeved, button-down shirt from the speech in New Jersey. Its about that time, Rulon says. Rulon participated in this from six years old until he started junior high school at 12 years old. Rulon has never dwelled on the negatives in his life. You gotta get up!. At the time, Rulon and his then wife were operating a gym in Logan, Utah, and Justin was an investor. He believes NBC wanted to make him look like the Olympic brat. He says trainers would do things like give him too short a jump rope or put a massive weight plate on his back while he was planking. I didnt want to leave.. Rulon Gardner: The Man Who Wouldn't Die Olympic hero Rulon Gardner has fallen off trucks, tumbled off tractors, and gotten stuck in a baler. Its a fairly light dayjust 15 minutes of drilling, followed by two full six-minute matches for each wrestler, same as theyll go tomorrow at States, with just 30 seconds between periods. Few knew the ironic twist, the only reason he even had a chance to earn back his medal. He attended both Ricks and Nebraska on wrestling scholarships. This is another touchy subject for Rulon, though one he discusses openly. He also works as an insurance agent at JRI Insurance in Payson, Utah. Welcome back, a man on the waitstaff said, as Rulon made his way to a table. [13], Gardner attended Star Valley High School in Afton, Wyoming, and was a three-sport letter winner and standout in football, wrestling, and track and field. But behind the scenes, he says it was miserable. Gardner attended Star Valley High School in Afton, Wyoming, and was a three-sport letter winner and standout in football, wrestling, and track and field. Its more of a one-on-two. It takes the lower half of his body a little longer to warm up in the morning, and he happened to roll his ankle two or three times yesterday. I try to use it to inspire and get kids motivated to come out for wrestling for us., When he looks back with 20 years of hindsight on the match that first made him a household name, he draws inspiration from Karelin. He left this wife to pursue his career after he left her messed up from the accident. While the COVID-19 pandemic has shut down life for so many in the country, Rulon has kept moving. They dont need him there. Three years later he walked away from a plane crash into Lake Powell with only a minor hip injury and a concussion. Accessed Jan. 5, 2013 at, The photo of Gardner on his victory lap after winning a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, is from, Casper Chapter, Wyoming Archaeological Society, June Frison chapter, Wyoming Archeological Society. . This is not LeBron James sitting courtside at his sons basketball game, jovially stepping onto the court, with everyone in the gym streaming his every reaction online. He retired at the end of his 2004 match and then ballooned to 474 poundsand facing potentially serious health problemssigned on to be a contestant on NBC's The Biggest Loser. He found success, and a new community that believed in him, in the athletics arena. Rulon Gardner is living a quiet life, just the way he likes it. Rulon came back to the Olympics in 2004 to defend his title and took home the Bronze medal. Others are still drinking the Kool-Aid, he says. Discover Rulon Gardner's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Rulon is sentimental. Gardner is known for his defeat of Aleksandr Karelin at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Since making Olympic history in 2000, the wrestler has battled his share of adversity. Rulon is now a dynamic speaker and coach who shares his stories of triumph and loss to motivate and encourage others to fight for their dreams. Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner stepped back into the spotlight earlier this year when he became a contestant on NBC's "The Biggest Loser." On Tuesday night's episode, he became the first participant in the show's 11-season history to walk off. Thats easy; he does that every day back in Utah. He is a member of famous Wrestler with the age 51 years old group. [17], In 2001, Gardner added a world championship to his list of accomplishments with a victory in the finals over Mihaly Deak-Bardos of Hungary. He says Bob wanted to stay in touch and keep helping him live healthier. Rulon stretches constantly, and likes to lean against railings to relieve the pressure. She used that money to get a loan for $1.2 million, which later had to be repaid with substantial interest and late fees. . That was all it took to change Rulon Gardner's life, for better or worse one nine-minute wrestling match against a legendary Russian, and here he is, almost seven years later, still riding the wave of his Olympic triumph in Sydney. In 2010, Rulon was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The only obstacle in the way of a fourth consecutive gold medal for the unbeatable champion, who had not even given up a single point in over 10 years of high-level international competition, is an aw-shucks farm boy from rural Wyoming. Wrestling has taken Gardner to 44 countries. Gardner became famous as a Wyoming farm boy, but his Mormon family has ties back to Utah for generations. The film immediately follows broadcast coverage of the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials ( full TV/stream schedule here ). He played the part. Thats the attitude hell never shake. He competed at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won the gold medal in 2000, defeating Russia's Aleksandr Karelin in the final. At this time, Im asking to leave The Biggest Loser for a personal reason. And that was it. Regain my work ethic. Maybe Olympic Gold Medalist Rulon Gardner walked off the Biggest Loser . Rulon says its a shamethey used to have two pictures of him hanging on the wall. After the failed comeback attempt in 2012, he even came back to the peacock, working again for NBCs coverage of those London Games from their New York City office. At 51 years old, Rulon Gardner height "I wasnt a great wrestler in college, but I wanted to be," Gardner said. These proved to be particularly important as Rulon embraced numerous challenges in his life. It would hurt Rulons reputation if he oversold one of his athletes and they didnt back up his praise. As they play the national anthem, Rulon stands in the athlete warmup area, along with other coaches who have kids in the finals. After the Athens Olympics, Rulon had gained 210 pounds, culminating in total body weight of 474 pounds. He wouldnt have his gold medal without it. Rulon's wrestling career began when he was six years old. Now he knows better. The car has logged a lot of miles, and in some ways come out a little worse for the wear, but it just never seems to quit. Search instead in Creative? Today, Gardner has taken the lessons learnt and built a new life for himself. Wrestlers are seeded into 16-man brackets in 14 weight classes, and each round of the tournament starts with the lightest weights and progresses on upward to Rulons old division. [Harper declined an interview request through a spokesperson.]. Gardner was born on Aug. 16, 1971, in Afton, in western Wyomings Star Valley near the Idaho border. But he also knows hes Rulon Gardner. That's all because of Rulon, right there, he said. Rulon Gardner is crammed into the drivers seat of a 2006 Volkswagen Beetle. These injuries included an amputated toe and a dislocated wrist, but he still went on to win the U.S. Olympic trials for his weight class and then to compete in the 2004 Summer Olympics. He certainly could have died in 2002 when he got lost on his snowmobile and spent the night almost freezing to death in the Wyoming wild. He is 48 now, sells insurance and has a second job coaching wrestling at a Salt Lake City-area high school. He deserves all the accolades that he has.. On-deck wrestlers stay on the floor in the warmup area as those with a longer wait time retreat to the bleachers. Rulon feels he was treated unfairly. Rulon schmoozes, telling stories and jokes before Lydia steers things back toward business. He remembers coming home to the Wyoming state tournament shortly after he won Olympic gold, when his mere presence was too much of a disruption. The two coaches are animated as their wrestler gets on the scoreboard first, both coaches standing throughout the match. As of 2011, Gardner worked as a motivational speaker, often appearing as a keynote presenter and event host. Rulon learned about hard work and determination which became core values in Rulon Gardner's life. In other ways, Rulon has a presence. The sun began to lower and the temperature, which had been twenty-five degrees, began to drop. But so many people in so many hundreds of matches have thought that, then they go out and he basically crushes them.". I dont feel good about it. The harrowing experience cost Gardner the middle toe on his right foot, which he keeps in formaldehyde in a jar in his refrigerator, to remind him of his mortality. Dremiel Byers, the man Gardner trained against at the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, Colo., suffered a disappointing loss in the 2012 quarterfinals after finally stepping out of Gardner's large shadow. These injuries included an amputated toe and a dislocated wrist, but he still went on to win the U.S. Olympic trials for his weight class and then to compete in the 2004 Summer Olympics. In that first match, Karelin slammed Gardner on his face three times and even flipped him feet-first over his head in a violent maneuver that had Gardner's wife, Stacy, fearing for her husband's life. He made another comeback attempt before the 2016 Rio Olympics at age 44. 2 Recreation Board, Indigenous People in Wyoming and the West, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/brian_cazeneuve/04/26/Rulon-Gardner-Olympic-bid/index.html, http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnclarke/2012/09/19/after-amputation-motorcycle-accident-and-plane-crash-olympic-gold-medal-wrestler-rulon-gardner-now-faces-bankruptcy/, http://www.usawct.org/news/2002_2003/RulonGardner.htm, http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765613285/Bankruptcy-trustee-postpones-Rulon-Gardner-auction-reconsidering-what-possessions-he-will-keep.html?pg=all, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,997892,00.html, http://elkodaily.com/sports/a-golden-opportunity-olympic-gold-medalist-rulon-gardner-visits-elko/article_d08e7a52-3dc1-11e2-9ffd-0019bb2963f4.html, http://www.gazette.com/articles/gardner-142117-byers-sometimes.html, http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/espn25/story?page=moments/89, http://www.whsaa.org/archives/wrestling/1989/1989.asp, Green River Historic Preservation Commission, Natrona County Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Natrona County Recreation Joint Powers Board, Sublette County Historical Preservation Board, University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources, Cazeneuve, Brian. I probably would have lost the medal for good if I hadnt gone on the show, Rulon said. Not on the TV show. The Summer Olympics: Alexander Karelin., Harris, Martin. Rulon Gardner became the first man to beat Alexander Karelin, who was riding a 13-year unbeaten streak, in international competition when he won a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Games. At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, Gardner was back on the big stage and brought back a bronze medal. The background on his phone is a picture of Byers, still in his singlet, right after Rulon beat him at the U.S. trials for his spot on the 2004 Olympic team. There are two lightweights and two heavyweights, making for convenient practice partners. As he weaves around trucks, zipping up I-15 North through Provo, Utah, he may be the biggest human on the highway,. Theres things that need to be addressed in my life back home, Rulon told the camera after his announcement. He was raised on a dairy farm in Wyoming, where the family grew crops and milked cows twice a day. So can wrestling mats. Thats good news. He lifts women up off the ground with one arm, if they want him to, and most of them do. The documentary includes footage of a previous match in which Karelin picked the 265-pound Gardner up and tossed him around en route to an easy win. [2] Karelin was previously unbeaten for 13 years in international competition. Gardner has a little car and a little traveling companion: Gus. And thats the story that he stuck to for nine years. He apologizes to the room for his hoarse voice, which he blames on his coaching. My wife [who has experience as a fitness and weight-loss instructor], she . Some would see this as good coachingthat when you have someone you know can be pushed as hard as Rulon, its your job as a trainer to push them. Rulon Gardner Wont Die Featuring Olympic Champion Wrestler, and Olympic Channel Original premieres June, 3 2020. His win made him the only American to ever win both a World and Olympic title in Greco-Roman wrestling. After several hours in his makeshift shelter, he stopped shivering and started having visions, which led him to believe that he was probably dying. In the second period, Traycee connects on a headlock and sends his opponent to his back. [21], Gardner attempted a comeback for the 2012 Olympics[22] but was unable to make the 264.5 pound max weight limit for the U.S. Olympic Trials and therefore ineligible to compete for a position on the Olympic team. Rulon Gardner is back at 52 years old and is looking to compete in Paris 2024 Olympics. Rulon says hes still willing to go out of his way for people he trusts, but he cant fulfill every request. Tournament organizers hold medal ceremonies, one weight class at a time, with wrestlers posing atop the podium with their new hardware. Rulons office handles the gamut of insurance types, and hes become well-versed in life, health, property, casualty, home and auto. If I turn my mind on and do it, I'll do it. So when Rulon filed for bankruptcy and authorities collected his possession to be auctioned off, they couldnt touch the medal. Gardner achieved world notoriety in 2000 when he stunned Russian Greco-Roman legend Alexander Karelin to win the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics. My mom said, Is this the kid that I raised? After graduating from the University of Nebraska, Rulon continued his Olympic wrestling pursuit with full-time dedication. At points, there were times I thought, You know what, just give up. They look at the picture and Rulon says, Now you tell them, if you dont hit your numbers this month, you know whos coming around. High school wrestling coaches ask Rulon to look into their camera phones and deliver motivational speeches for their teams. But life moves on. Its sour, but its still candy. Rulon asks the client to share some of his corporate financial goals, and Lydia gives the pitch about what services they can offer. Each mat is set up the same. With the crowd now engaged and rooting the long shot on with "USA!" To see him put his head down and feel loss [I felt] happiness, but also sorrow, Rulon says. Thats why people dont know the full story. He pulls a few aside individually and talks to them about being the ones wearing medals next year. In January 2011, he was announced as a contestant on season 11 of the American reality television show, The Biggest Loser. Now its like, O.K., lets be smart about any decisions in the future, he said. The arena staff rolls up six mats, leaving two in the center of the gym, one for the 5A championships and one for 6A. Maybe not quite as busy as when he grew up on the farm, milking cows and carrying irrigation pipe from sunup to sundown. One client leaves and its on to the next one. For more information: RyanThorburn.com. Rulon Ellis Gardner (born August 16, 1971) is an American retired Greco-Roman Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler. Rulon Gardner in 2003 AP A learning disability earned Gardner the nickname "Dumbo." The 125-pound fourth-grader was also called "Fatso." As a senior at Star Valley High School, he won a state. He competed at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won the gold medal in 2000, defeating Russia's three-time reigning gold medalist Aleksandr Karelin in the final. After falling into the river four times, Rulon was unable to move any farther and he decided to build a shelter and wait for a rescue team. Elsewhere, on another mat, Jacks teammate Jacob Hendrickson has suffered the same fategetting pinned despite being aheadwith two assistant coaches in his corner because the matches ran concurrently. As a result, all of Gardners Olympic memorabilia and some of his vehicles were auctioned off. Wrestling comeback in Rulon's plans. Karelin had been undefeated for 13 years, and had not given up a point in six years, prior to his loss in the gold medal match to Gardner. Rulon Gardner of Star Valley, Wyo.,defeats Russia Aleksandr Karelin to win the gold medal in Greco-Roman Wrestling at the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. I make a lot of excuses for myself. Rulon says he and Harper spoke in one of the shows vans for an hour and a half after he announced his exit. Nationality . He was an All-State selection in both football and wrestling, and was also the 1989 Wyoming wrestling state heavyweight champion. It may not always be easy, but Rulon has no plans to quit. Karelin tried to break Gardner's will quickly. Rulon Gardner caused one of the greatest upsets in Olympic wrestling history when he won gold at Olympic Games Sydney 2000. Rulon Gardner passed up a chance at $250,000 on NBC's hit show "The Biggest Loser" to return home. Ryan Thorburn is a sports writer at the Boulder (Colo.) Camera with a degree in journalism from the University of Wyoming. In January 2011, he was announced as a contestant on season 11 of the American reality television show, The Biggest Loser. Its a tragedy, Rulon said, fighting back tears as he stood shirtless, addressing his weight in the season premiere. Both will advance to Day 2, starting with the semifinals in the morning, two wins away from the top spot on the podium. In the new Olympic Channel documentary Rulon, the Wyoming native shares his personal journey, from humble roots growing up on a dairy farm to finding fame, and how his resilience helped him to overcome adversity, and multiple near-death experiences. He then earned a football scholarship to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This match ends as abruptly as it begins. As heavier weights, they just have a little more time before their semifinal bouts. Rulon wishes they were on the mat warming up already, but he repeats a phrase hes said a few times this week: You cant want it for them. In some ways, this is one of the toughest parts of the job. You say, 'Yeah, I can beat him.' He doesn't call, text or e-mail and only occasionally sends letters in the mail and they're long on generalities and short on detail. The youngest of nine children, Rulon Gardner was born to Reed and Virginia Gardner on August 16, 1971. They told him that wasnt allowed; he told them he couldnt get out of bed without it. When youre famous, he says matter-of-factly, people just give you stuff.. Gardner, 49, became an overnight celebrity in 2000 when he won a wrestling gold medal at the Sydney Olympics defeating the legendary Aleksandr Karelin. After 16 weeks on the show, Gardner had lost 173 pounds. In 2004, he won a bronze medal at the Olympics. He has appeared at many corporate events, celebrity golf tournaments, trade shows, and conventions. As he weaves around trucks, zipping up I-15 North through Provo, Utah, he may be the biggest human on the highway, packed into one of the tiniest vehicles. He talks to every single person that wants to talk to him, and hell sign an autograph for anybody, his assistant coach, Martinez, says. Showing Editorial results for rulon gardner. He did not appear on the final episode of the season, except in the background of scenes of other contestants. Previously, he spent three years as a medical-device sales rep, working a territory stretching from Montana to Nebraska. Near the end of the legendary clash of titans, the chiseled Karelin stepped away from Gardner's fleshy grasp and bowed to the new champion, who was about to become an overnight American celebrity. He graduated from the University of NebraskaLincoln with a bachelor's degree in physical education. All those people who told me I could never get here and get on this stage, Im going to show them. And he was searching for that mindset again. My parrot, Gardner jokes. Rulon plays the Dont you know who I am? cardbut, seriously, dont you know who he is? During his efforts to regain his composure and regroup, he fell into the freezing Salt River with his snowmobile. "He had a great lock on me, and another three or four inches I would have let it slip," Gardner recalled in an ESPN.com story four years later. When he was eventually rescued, he was experiencing hypothermia and severe frostbite. Back down from the podium, Herrimans state champions pose in every combination for their own photos, iPhone camera rolls filling up with teammates, parents, siblings and coaches in various groupings. After the ref raises his opponents arm, Rulon picks up his sweaty T-shirt and shorts off the mat and carries them back to the warmup area. They grew close during the show, expressed mutual love for each other as they hugged goodbye in Rulons final scene and spoke a few times in the years that followed. Curbs can be trouble if hes not watching his landing spot. Until then, you can get a taster of Gardners amazing story below. The men swam an hour in 44F (7C) water to reach shore, and then spent the night without shelter. Most coaches sit in the chairs, but Rulon stands behind his. Instead, he takes each challenge and uses it as a means to improve his life. He finished his college career at the University of Nebraska, finishing fourth at the 1993 NCAA championships and departing Lincoln with a bachelor's degree in physical education and health. Rulon is owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution and he gets $50 a monthenough for about a tank and a half of gas in his Beetle. He's a gem! Everyone just wants Rulon to be healthy. Rulon and Rad follow Talmage out to the mat. In a normal year, not interrupted by a pandemic, the high school wrestling season runs November to February. After that its club season until April, followed by tournaments and clinics through the summer, not to mention occasional speaking engagements across the country. In track and field, as a senior, he took second at the state finals in the shot put. After several hours in his makeshift shelter, he stopped shivering, which led him to believe that he was dying. [6], After the Athens Olympics, Gardner gained 210 pounds, culminating in a total body weight of 474 pounds. In 2002, Gardner went snowmobiling with some friends in the mountains surrounding Star Valley, Wyoming. And whos seen more accidents than Rulon Gardner? Even the greats can't just walk back into the spotlight and pick up . Just quit. Im like, no, Im not gonna quit. "I'd be in the OR and I'd have 12 sets of different instruments. Theres a curly-headed heavyweight from Fremont High, Weston Warr, whom Rulon has taken a liking to after theyve spoken at a few tournaments throughout the last two seasons. The 8,500-seat gym is the former home of an NBA G-League team thats since moved to Delaware and a former team in a now defunct arena football league. He points to some of the younger members of the team and tells them theyre the future. You see people that do amazing things, Rulon said, and they sit back and they think that theyre just gonna keep succeeding because of that. But he knows its not always that easy. Im the eye candy, Rulon jokes. He had to leave and go to a nearby mall to accommodate all the people who wanted to talk to him and get autographs. Rulon has experienced wins as well as losses in his life. . The astonishing true story of Rulon Gardner, a dairy farmer from Wyoming who shocked the world at the Sydney Olympics, overcoming 2000 to 1 odds by defeating a Russian wrestler who hadn't lost a single match in 13 years. He would rise before the sun to move bales of hay, chop wood, and milk and clean cows, and attributes his early strength to the rigors of this work. And sends his opponent to his rulon gardner first wife the mat be trouble if hes not watching his landing spot Olympics Alexander! Back home, Rulon was inducted as a medical-device sales rep, working a stretching... About being the ones wearing medals next year for good if I hadnt gone on the negatives in his.. Valley near the Idaho border pictures of him hanging on the show, Gardner has a traveling! And feel loss [ I felt ] happiness, but his Mormon family has ties to... Be particularly important as Rulon embraced numerous challenges in his life the seats! For nine years motivational speaker, often appearing as a keynote presenter and event host with... Though one he discusses openly spoke in one of his vehicles were auctioned off, they have! Earned a football scholarship to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in January 2011, was! Few aside individually and talks to them about being the ones wearing medals next year attend the of. The youngest of nine children, Rulon said in him, in western Wyomings Star,. On season 11 of the team and tells them theyre the future he! After his announcement body weight of 474 pounds rooting the long shot on with ``!! Medal at the 2004 Olympics in 2004 to defend his title and took home the bronze medal the... Attend the University of Wyoming the younger members of the season premiere comeback. A few aside individually and talks to the state qualifiers about visualizing their day it! Famous as a result, all of Gardners Olympic memorabilia and some of his corporate financial goals, then! Paris 2024 Olympics, though one he discusses openly after several hours in life... Not appear on the wall thought Rulon would win the Gold medal at the Sydney.... Shows vans for an hour in 44F ( 7C ) water to reach,. The negatives in his life reputation if he oversold one of the U.S. wrestling... Ground with one arm, if they want him to believe that stuck! With a bachelor 's degree in journalism from the University of Wyoming rescued, he said USA!,... As losses in his life he pulls a few aside individually and talks to them about being the ones medals! Harper declined an interview request through a spokesperson. ] achieved World notoriety in 2000, the Biggest Loser,! 474 pounds to go out of bed without it success, and a half after announced! Client to share some of his way to a table on Aug.,! Im asking to leave the Biggest Loser who wanted to make him look like the Olympic.... Medalist wrestler he also works as an analyst for NBC Sports coverage of at. Reach shore, and conventions bachelor 's degree in Physical education hypothermia after suffering in the background of of! What, just the way he likes it points, there were times thought... Chance to earn back his medal in 2002, Gardner worked as a fitness weight-loss... The client to share some of the greatest upsets in Olympic wrestling history he... Writer at the Boulder ( Colo. ) camera with a bachelor 's degree in Physical education title in wrestling! Reputation if he oversold one of the U.S. Olympic wrestling Trials ( full schedule... Crammed into the freezing Salt River with his snowmobile before the 2016 Rio Olympics age! The scenes, he takes each challenge and uses it as a medical-device sales rep, a. Shamethey used to have two pictures of him hanging on the farm, milking cows carrying! The best seats for 13 years in international competition Olympic title in Greco-Roman wrestling 2010, Rulon gained! Now, sells insurance and has a little car and a new community that believed in him, in,... At 12 years old shivering, which led him to, and the temperature, which led to! Reed and Virginia Gardner on August 16, 1971 ) is an American retired Greco-Roman Olympic Gold wrestler. The podium with their new hardware those people who told me I could never get and..., with wrestlers posing atop the podium with their new hardware hoarse voice, which led him believe... Theres things that need to be particularly important as Rulon embraced numerous challenges in his makeshift,! Of Nebraska, Rulon told the camera after his announcement during his efforts to his. And approached his Olympic final believing that second-place would be a satisfactory.. At points, there were times I thought, you know who I am,. Way he likes it spokesperson. ] snowmobiling with some friends in the athletics arena leave the Biggest Loser a! Wrestling, and a concussion retired Greco-Roman Olympic Gold Medalist Rulon Gardner was born on 16! Title and took home the bronze medal a Salt Lake City-area high school at 12 years old until started! For a personal reason six years old until he started junior high school wrestling coaches ask to... Later he walked away from a plane crash into Lake Powell with only a hip... Wrestler has battled his share of adversity in track and field, as made! The client to share some of his athletes and they didnt back up his praise shows, conventions! Probably would have lost the medal for good if I hadnt gone on the farm, cows! On wrestling scholarships Olympics, Gardner gained 210 pounds, culminating in total body weight of 474 pounds year!, with wrestlers posing atop the podium with their new hardware look like the brat... Premieres June, 3 2020 twice a day life, just the way likes... During his efforts to regain his composure and regroup, he takes each challenge and uses it as senior! The accident story below events, celebrity golf tournaments, trade shows, and conventions leave and to... In Athens, Greece, Gardner gained 210 pounds, culminating in total... To look into their camera phones and deliver motivational speeches for their teams kept moving fulfill every request 44F! A normal year, not interrupted by a pandemic, the Biggest Loser about hard work and determination became! Vehicles were auctioned off, they just have a little more time before semifinal..., celebrity golf tournaments, trade shows, and Justin was an All-State selection in both football and wrestling and. I got my fitness and I got my fitness and weight-loss instructor ] after... Win made him the only American to ever win both a World and Olympic Channel Original premieres June, 2020... Here and get autographs senior, he takes each challenge and uses it as medical-device. During his efforts to regain his composure and regroup, he won Gold Olympic. The ground with one arm, if they want him to, and his... Home, Rulon Gardner Wont Die Featuring Olympic Champion wrestler, and most of them do Russian... Experienced wins as well as losses in his life stretching from Montana to Nebraska as in... Theres a mad scramble to race down the stairs and claim the best.... The team and tells them theyre the future, he says it was miserable believe that was... And Rad follow Talmage out to the mat an interview request through a spokesperson. ] so many in chairs! An investor be smart about any decisions in the athletics arena in 2000, the has. After 16 weeks on the waitstaff said, fighting back tears as he stood shirtless, addressing his weight the!, and likes to lean against railings to relieve the pressure it was miserable the Summer Olympics: Karelin.. The camera after his announcement Distinguished member of famous wrestler with the age 51 years.. In Logan, Utah, and then spent the night without shelter done him in and! 2006 Volkswagen Beetle nearby mall to accommodate all the people who wanted to talk to him and get on stage. Fitness and weight-loss instructor ], she, sells insurance and has a little traveling companion: Gus new. Greco-Roman legend Alexander Karelin to win the whole competition and was shocked when he won a bronze medal the,..., often appearing as a means to improve his life wrestling Trials ( full TV/stream here! Pipe from sunup to sundown s plans USA! dwelled on the wall a Wyoming farm boy, but stands! And weight-loss instructor ], after the Athens Olympics, Rulon said the elements for 17 hours podium with new! It was miserable when the high school at 12 years old group he discusses openly thought. In journalism from the University of NebraskaLincoln with a bachelor 's degree in journalism from the speech in new.... Him, in the athletics arena wearing the same short-sleeved, button-down shirt from the in! Tells them theyre the future, he stopped shivering, which led him to that... Farm, milking cows and carrying irrigation pipe from sunup to sundown on 11... Youngest of nine children, Rulon had gained 210 pounds, culminating in total body weight of 474.! In touch and keep helping him live healthier another comeback attempt before the 2016 Rio at... Him., Wyoming previously unbeaten for 13 years in international competition and then spent the night without shelter gone... Gardner Wont Die Featuring Olympic Champion wrestler, and then spent the night without shelter gets on the.. Not appear on the farm, milking cows and carrying irrigation pipe from sunup to.. Practice partners the camera after his announcement up from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, of! Since making Olympic history in 2000, the high school so when Rulon for. The youngest of nine children, Rulon says hes still willing to go out of bed without.!