Kansas Wrestling
Posted By: Ricky Bobby Gardner knows adversity - 10/10/08 03:27 AM
Gardner knows adversity
The Olympic champion shares his stories with a Wichita crowd.
BY JEFFREY LUTZ
The Wichita Eagle

Rulon Gardner won an Olympic gold medal and survived multiple life-threatening events -- circumstances that help make him a compelling public speaker.

Gardner spoke Wednesday night at Wichita State's Hughes Metroplex. He was brought to town by Breakthrough, an organization that supports individuals with mental illnesses.

Gardner, a former teacher who won a gold in Greco-Roman wrestling in the 2000 Olympics, presented seven steps for overcoming adversity during his hour-long speech in front of about 200 spectators.

He focused much of his speech on his gold-medal match against heavily favored Russian Alexsandr Karelin.

But Gardner's oration turned into a tale of survival when he described a mishap during a snowmobile trip and a plane crash, both of which occurred after he won the gold in 2000.

"If you can get up in front of a bunch of junior high kids, a bunch of physical education kids, you can get up in front of anybody," Gardner said. "I really grew to love teaching, and I love to speak. Hopefully you enlighten somebody in your audience and give them something to believe in."

Gardner spoke of often being told he wasn't good enough -- by his older brother, Reynold, who frequently beat him in wrestling during childhood; by high school counselors who believed he would flunk out of college and by members of the wrestling community who gave him no shot to beat Karelin.

Gardner proved them all wrong, graduating with a teaching degree from Nebraska and giving Karelin the first international loss in the Russian's 13-year career.

"I wasn't going to act like I got there and lose focus," Gardner said of his match with Karelin. "But internally, I didn't think I had a chance in the world of beating him."

In 2002, Gardner was stranded during a wilderness snowmobile trip in Colorado, spending 13 hours in sub-zero temperatures. He was fortunate only to have a toe amputated due to severe frostbite.

Two years later his motorcycle was struck by a car.

He returned to the Olympics later that year and took the bronze before retiring by famously leaving his boots on the mat.

In 2007, Gardner was a passenger in a small plane which crashed into a Colorado Lake. After a two-hour swim to the beach, he and two others were eventually rescued.

"Once you have a message, people kind of look out because they feel you have a knack for education they didn't have before," Gardner said. "Having the different adversities I have, I can transcend just being an athlete."

Gardner, 37, is the youngest of nine children and grew up hauling hay and milking cows on a farm in Wyoming.

He said he spent 18 years trying to get off the farm and has spent the last 18 trying to get back.

First, though, duty calls. Gardner is going to flight school, helping establish a fitness facility in Utah and, of course, speaking in public.

"I'm finding goals inside myself to pursue," Gardner said. "I like to enjoy life."
Posted By: Mike Furches Re: Gardner knows adversity - 10/10/08 12:21 PM
Back in my former life I was an executive director of a rehabilitation program much like Breakthrough Club and a part of the International Center for Clubhouse Development. In fact, I assisted in some of the certification or licensure process with Breakthrough Club as I, Barb Andres, and several others from Breakthrough were on the International Faculty for Clubhouse. It is a wonderful facility that does a world of good for persons with Mental Illness in the Wichita area. They have a world wide reputation and have done diligent work for persons with mental illness. While it is admirable and should be known that Rulon spoke to help benefit this program, it would be a real tragedy if people didn’t know about the program that brought him here, and the program he was here to promote. I would encourage anyone with mental illness; contact your local Mental Health Association, Local charter organization of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, or Breakthrough Club.

With recent restrictions in the treatment of mental illness, programs like this are in need of support. I could give a detailed history as to why this type of program is deserving of the support it receives, bottom line is that it works and gives life back to those who have had to go through a tragedy that is no respecter of persons.

Kudos to Rulon for his willingness to speak out on issues like this, and more kudos to programs like Breakthrough that is working to give life back to those who have had to overcome the hurdle of mental illness.
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