Kansas Wrestling Forums General Discussion Kids Folkstyle Rumble with Rulon in Chanute

Great Job SEK Wrestling Club this was a fantastic clinic and what an amazing experience for the kids. WOW!

I would like to say thank you to the Southeast Kansas Wrestling Club for all of their work in bringing Rulon to Chanute.

For those of you that were not able to make it, you missed an incredible story of how a small town boy became one of the best wrestlers in the world. He also shared how the values of family, hard work, God and always believing in yourself helped him advance from an 0-2 finish in his first tournament as a seventh grader to an Olympic Gold Medal.

He also shared how he overcame a learning disability and the comments of advisors telling him "to go back to the farm, college is no place for you" and instead earned a college degree from the University of Nebraska.

He also took the time and stayed to sign autographs, take pictures and shake hands with everyone that wanted to stay afterwards. Kids today look to so many misguided, millionaire professional athletes as their "heros." Wednesday night, my son and I met a TRUE Hero and role model in Chanute, Kansas!

Thanks again to the coaches, parents and wrestlers in the SEK club for promoting our sport in such a great way!

Doug Vander Linden
Burlington Wrestling

On behalf of the SEK wrestling club I would like to say thank you to all our sponsors and to all those who attended the clinic and/or seminar. The time that our family spent with this incredible and genuine man will never be forgotten. He gave those who attended so very much more than wrestling tips and technique. He gave us motivation and desire to overcome any obstacle in life that might come our way. I admit, it was a hassle to get our kids out of school and rearrange our work schedules. Ten years from now we will have all forgotten those details. But, I guarrantee you, we will never forget what we learned that day or how we felt when that Olympic champion looked us in the eye and told us he beleived in us or when he put his gold medal around our necks and put us in a headlock for a photo. Yes, it was worth it!