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."
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."