But despite being the most recognizable face in the gym, one of the most eventful parts of his day is when a tournament official informs him that he has to wear his credential. He certainly has no problem using his name to draw people in. One of the Greco-Roman grapplers lowest moments came in 2012, when he filed for bankruptcy. Unable to move any farther, Gardner decided to build a shelter and wait for a rescue team. 30 Dec 2022 0 Rulon Gardner shocked the wrestling world at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney when he defeated the most dominant wrestler in history, Alexandre Kareline. Two-time Olympian and wrestling legend Rulon Gardner released a statement Wednesday morning regarding his abrupt decision to quit 'The Biggest Loser' even though some considered him the . His win made him the only American to ever win both a World and Olympic title in Greco-Roman wrestling. You want me to do a clinic for free? He has a tradition every year on the anniversary where he watches the time pass and reflects on what he was doing, hour-by-hour, on that fateful night. He got married in October 2020, has lost around 50lbs (22.5kg) in weight, and recently moved to St. George, Utah, where he hopes to start a youth wrestling training centre. They dim the lights and extend the lower level of the bleachers, with extra rows of yellow seats now closer to the action. These are always fun crowds, Gardner says quietly. 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. But wrestling was the route Rulon decided to focus on. Today Im not the person I want to bethe person I should be, he continues. After reaching his competitive training weight, Rulon chose to leave the show in support of his wife and to begin the next chapter of his life. He tells them to be smart and in control, and that they should wear their opponents down and tire them out since theyre both better conditioned. Rulon was strapped for cash when he went on the show, and worried about how hed make money while he was away for so long, so a friend lent him some. 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. Even though it was one of the things that almost killed me, it was truly amazing. His boss at the insurance company has even told him he can carve out time during the day to work out if thats what he needs. He was raised on a dairy farm in Wyoming, where the family grew crops and milked cows twice a day. You may have heard of me He obliges every request until hes the last one in the room, packs up his suitcase with his unsold merchandise and heads out the door. . CEDAR CITY Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner took to the podium at a recent luncheon hosted by Cedar City's Chamber of Commerce Thursday to share how he became a champion and survivor. I was offered millions by the WWE to compete for them and I turned it down, Gardner said. Many of the news headlines written about him since 2012 focused on his bankruptcy filing, the result of a fraud case, and a quest to recoup his gold medal, which he couldnt afford to bring back into his possession. It helps me get back on my feet and take on the world again.. One of his lightweights catches an elbow in the wrong spot and blood pours from his nose, seeping into his warm-up shirt and splattering on the crowded mat. This Time, Rulon Gardner Survived Small Plane Crash. He has two lawyer friends in particular whom he talks to about business decisions. 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. Its about that time, Rulon says. And whos seen more accidents than Rulon Gardner? Rulons weight is still a battle. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. (He notes the irony, again, of him being a spokesman for safety.) Gardner is known for his defeat of Aleksandr Karelin at the 2000 Summer Olympics. "I wasnt a great wrestler in college, but I wanted to be," Gardner said. On February 24, 2007, Gardner and two other men survived a crash when a light aircraft he was traveling in crashed into Lake Powell, Utah. He was an All-State selection in both football and wrestling, and was also the 1989 wrestling state heavyweight champion. Everyone is focused, with the pressure of lifelong individual dreams, team titles and possibly college scholarships on the line. Youre the coolest, Moses tells him, as they both delight in the excuse to catch up and reminisce about their time on the show. Gardner, 43, said the bankruptcy has been difficult to go through, but it has . Rulon has never dwelled on the negatives in his life. The show has faced plenty of controversy over the years (including criticisms of the weight-loss methods and their lasting effects, famed trainer Jillian Michaels giving her team caffeine pills and allegations of contestants taking weight-loss pills) and Rulon says former contestants are divided into two camps. weight class at the 1993 NCAA Championships, earning All-American honors. Some of the advice is technical, some is motivational. He stares at a row of signed baseballs and muses that he threw the ceremonial first pitch at a 2000 ALDS game in Yankee Stadium to Jos Canseco, so one of them is probably signed by him. 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. My wife [who has experience as a fitness and weight-loss instructor], she . Rulon again captured the attention of America when he appeared as a contestant of the NBC television program The Biggest Loser. He hopes now that the high school season is over, he can refocus on himself. After 16 weeks on the show, Gardner had lost 173 pounds. My parrot, Gardner jokes. This Time, Rulon Gardner Survived Small Plane Crash . Rulons experience with The Biggest Loser started just like every other contestants. The Olympic Channel original film will premiere digitally on Friday, 2 April 2021 on OlympicChannel.com and the official Olympic Channel apps for mobile and connected TV devices. [23], On December 31, 2004, Gardner fought Hidehiko Yoshida in a judo vs wrestling mixed martial arts (MMA) bout for the Pride Fighting Championships at an event named PRIDE Shockwave 2004. He said, Ill call you tomorrow, Rulon says. Its in this room that Gardner, who became Herrimans head coach before the 201819 season, wants to impart the wisdom that made him an Olympic champion, and that he believes is his duty to pass on to the next generation of wrestlers. 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 walks around the perimeter of the room, shoes off, thick white socks resting below his tree-trunk calves, and watches his kids spar. He again cuts a hulking figure, now situated behind a desk in a Dri-FIT, long-sleeved black athletic shirt, gray slacks and black sneakers. After the referee raised Gardner's arm as victor, the modern-day "Alexander the Great" walked off the mat for good, immediately retiring from the sport he had controlled for 15 years. Here comes Traycee, running in to compete on the same mat. Most coaches sit in the chairs, but Rulon stands behind his. All I can do is use the experiences of my life to inject knowledge into our youth, Gardner says in the film. The problem: She had been fabricating documents, according to the FBI, including the ones she showed Rulon. This is another touchy subject for Rulon, though one he discusses openly. He did not appear on the final episode of the season, except in the background of scenes of other contestants. And he seems fine with the arrangement. 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. Rulon is wearing the same short-sleeved, button-down shirt from the speech in New Jersey. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. And that's wrong., He offers one last sobering thought on his size: I realize, in the next 10 years, if I dont change, I wont be here. Some kids want it more than others, but few want it as bad as he used to, 20 or 30 years ago. There are two Patriots balls, one with the Super Bowl XXXVIII logo and one with signatures from a bunch of players. In the morning they were able to flag down a passing fisherman who picked them up. Rulon signed up with his friend Justin Pope, a fellow wrestler (who beat Rulon in junior high) and long-time friend. But I can't do it 50%. Gardner competed once in mixed martial arts and in 2005 he became the host for a professional wrestling league called Real Pro Wrestling. Options: Reply Quote Posted by: PtLoma ( ) Date: April 29, 2011 05:50PM He travelled over 9,000km to Japan to take on judo Olympic gold medallist Hidehiko Yoshida. Wrestlers have such a diverse skill-set, that they are often approached to compete in other sports. Finally, its time. He left his wrestling shoes on the mat, signaling that it would be his final competitive match. Both will advance to Day 2, starting with the semifinals in the morning, two wins away from the top spot on the podium. There are rows of pull-up bars and headshots of wrestlers whove qualified for the Utah state tournament in years past. Think about how its presented to the typical American consumer in TV commercials. Because the human body and the human mind can overcome anything.. If it was an 8-0 tech in the first period then sure but maybe he . Rulon's weight has fluctuated again since then, but has most recently lost 30lbs (13kg), thanks to his new personal trainer and cutting refined sugars and processed food out from his diet. After an FBI investigation, she pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering and was sentenced to 34 months in prison. Now Im big again, I need to go back and get up early in the morning, set time aside. He is 48 now, sells insurance and has a second job coaching wrestling at a Salt Lake City-area high school. He was on The Biggest Loser, hosted by Jillian Michaels. He finally stepped on a scale, which more or less confirmed what he thoughthe was in the neighborhood of his starting weight on The Biggest Loser, but still wont give up a specific number. Who Is Rulon Gardner's Wife? . Hes grown wary of some people, hardened a little by 20 years of people asking him for things. The arena staff rolls up six mats, leaving two in the center of the gym, one for the 5A championships and one for 6A. Officially, Rulon is coaching four kids at States. On the posters, Rulon is frozen in time, even as those days move further in the rearview. Ironically, Gardner's bid for a third Olympic appearance fell short because he was five pounds from making weight during the U.S. trials in April 2012. Despite sealing victory and a healthy paycheck as the underdog, Gardner decided to finish his MMA career then and there, as the sport didnt carry the same honour for him as wrestling. The 51-year-old wrestler was born in . Making sure the next 20 years have a lot more ups than downs. But behind the scenes, he says it was miserable. Three years later he walked away from a plane crash into Lake Powell with only a minor hip injury and a concussion. Gardner embarked on his latest career two years ago in suburban Utah. Rulon learned about hard work and determination which became core values in Rulon Gardners life. Hell be standing there, then suddenly, and violently, whip his neck sideways and then whip it back in the other direction, a tic that offers temporary relief. 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. "I wanted to be a coach. Unbelievably, that wasn't Rulon's only near-death experience with hypothermia. Empty shelves line the wall to his right, but various items from his vast memorabilia collection fill the ones to his left. You gotta get up!. Nobody bats an eye as the wrestler shoves gauze up his nostril and his practice partner sprays the mat down with disinfectant. ATHENS - It doesn't matter what Rulon Gardner does in these Olympics, or for the rest of his life, because he will forever be attached to the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2000, the He is famous for being a Wrestler. Once they eventually make their way down from the bleachers and warm up, after the announcer over the loudspeaker instructs everyone to clear the mats, Rulon gathers them in the holding area and offers some last-minute reminders. "So I asked myself, 'Why am I doing this?' But so many people in so many hundreds of matches have thought that, then they go out and he basically crushes them.". Since turning his life around financially, hes been able to reclaim most of it, and today is able to show his hard-won Olympic medals to his students. But hes been working with a new trainer and says hes dropped almost 40 pounds since late last winter when the high school wrestling season ended. His next close shave came in 2007, when he survived a crash in a light aircraft. On a bitter cold night in February 2002, on mountain slopes above Star Valley, Gardner got separated from some snowmobiling friends and stranded his machine in deep snow. The 49-year-old wrestler was born in . For more information, visit the website linked above. Karelin was previously unbeaten for 13 years in international competition. One, two, three, state titles!. He was an All-State selection in both football and wrestling, and was also the 1989 Wyoming wrestling state heavyweight champion. He lets the manager of one local insurance outlet put him in a headlock for their photo. He was on The Biggest Loser, hosted by Jillian Michaels. Rulon Ellis Gardner (born August 16, 1971) is an American retired Greco-Roman Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler. While at Nebraska, Gardner finished fourth in the 275lb. Rulon is new to the neighborhood, though really his home is more farm community than neighborhood, with horses running through penned-in yards along his drive to the office. Posnanski, Joe (March 21, 2011) "Point After: Losing, and Loving It", "Rulon Gardner and the lonely afterglow of Olympic gold", "Booking Rulon Gardner Speaker Appearances, Rulon Gardner Agent Manager Contact, Hiring Rulon Gardner Speaking Engagements Costs Fees", "The Biggest Loser" Season 11 Finale Recap: A great cast is the ultimate trump card, "Gardner lives to tell of another life-threatening accident Olympics ESPN", "Daugherty: Having embraced wrestling to fullest, Gardner lets go", "Olympian Gardner survives small plane crash (AP report)", "Rulon Gardner to receive Citizenship Through Sports Alliance award for sportsmanship | TheMat.com USA Wrestling", "Aleksandr KARELIN | Olympic Athlete | Atlanta 1996, Barcelona 1992, Seoul 1988, Sydney 2000", "Two-time Olympic wrestling medalist Rulon Gardner undergoes additional surgery on his foot damaged b | TheMat.com USA Wrestling", "Pro-Wrestling Gets 'Real' Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment", "Baltimore Sports News: Sports News, Scores and Schedules baltimoresun.com", "Rulon Gardner considers comeback for 2012 Olympics", "Despite failed comeback, Rulon Gardner is not finished wrestling", "Rulon Gardner MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography", Professional MMA record for Rulon Gardner, Rulon Gardner's page from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, "Nine minutes: How the Sydney Olympics changed wrestler Rulon Gardner's life", Olympic Champions in Greco-Roman super heavyweight, World Champions in Greco-Roman super heavyweight (130 kg), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rulon_Gardner&oldid=1128334527, Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in wrestling, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in wrestling, Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States, Mixed martial artists utilizing Greco-Roman wrestling, Pan American Games medalists in wrestling, Articles with dead external links from April 2017, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, United States Olympic Committee Sportsman of the Year, 2001, Inducted as a Distinguished Member of the, This page was last edited on 19 December 2022, at 16:04. @5PtMove. He laments how people saw his name and the word bankruptcy in headlines and assumed the worst. No, not that match. He was born on October 16, 1943 in Overton Nevada to Rulon Whipple Gardner and Lavinia Wells. Rulon says its a shamethey used to have two pictures of him hanging on the wall. But he also knows he cant risk pushing them away. 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. Winning the Gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 came through extreme dedication and sacrifice. Far from hindering his life, his size became his superpower. 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. He competed at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won the gold medal in 2000, defeating Russia's Aleksandr Karelin in the final. 2 immediately begins. Gardner is strong enough to handle the steering wheel with two thick fingers and a thumb. They were wrestling around when an inadvertent headbutt knocked it out. He wont say. The memories and Sharpie ink fade with time. . The night before the tournament, he stopped at a buffet restaurant for dinner. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. Gardner, trained by Bas Rutten, won the bout via unanimous decision. 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. Now hes just one of the coaches. He remained stranded for the next 18 hours. 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 closes his eyes and puts a hand over his heart. In 2005, Gardner published his autobiography (co-written by Bob Schaller), Never Stop Pushing: My Life from a Wyoming Farm to the Olympic Medals Stand, in which he describes his Greco-Roman wrestling career, his academic struggles (as someone who suffers from a learning disability) and an account of his near-death experience when stranded after a snowmobile accident. Nine minutes. That season featured partners competing in tandem. Against harrowing odds, Rulon emerged as the victor. Gardner, who was also selected for all-state in football and took second in the shot put at the state track and field championships, won the Wyoming high school heavyweight championship in 1988 when he defeated Newcastle's Jerry Stanton in the title match and in 1989 when he defeated Buffalo's Travis Studie in the title match. Barry spent his spare time as a young boy in Overton where he loved to walk the beautiful hills and valleys. 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 2002, Gardner went snowmobiling with some friends in the mountains surrounding Star Valley, Wyoming. When he was an active athlete, he never took a day off. The day after the tournament is a FridayFebruary 14 to be exactthe 18th anniversary of Rulons night on the mountain that cost him his toe. The office sits in a strip of brick storefronts, and the front door opens to a wall of pristine, snowcapped mountains. Rulon is walking carefully. [5], In 2012, Gardner and his wife Kami filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in a Salt Lake City Federal court, with $2.9 million in liabilities. Rulons office handles the gamut of insurance types, and hes become well-versed in life, health, property, casualty, home and auto. But he has a tendency to go there and not execute.". So, how much is Rulon Gardner worth at the age of 51 years old? Under the category of. Its the second week of February and Coach Gardnerhis kids just call him Rulonhas four high-schoolers in the Utah 6A State Championships. Not a chance in the world, he told Washington Post when asked if he believed hed beat Karelin. Gardner decided to pursue his Olympic dreams instead, but a staph infection prevented him from going to the 1996 Games in Atlanta, where Karelin barely broke a sweat in winning his third gold medal. Rulon currently serves as the head wrestling coach at Herriman High School in Utah. While the COVID-19 pandemic has shut down life for so many in the country, Rulon has kept moving. Gardner practices twice a day while being coached by Steve Fraser, who won America's first Greco-Roman gold, back in 1984. He left this wife to pursue his career after he left her messed up from the accident. . Its fitting that Gardner sells insurance. He thinks about his journey the past 20 years. His family were also a key part of the Mormon community. They all smile as he pulls them in tight. Rulon Gardner was born on 16 August, 1971 in Afton, WY, is an American wrestler and MMA fighter. Both lightweights who qualified for States credit Rulon for helping them with the mental aspect of the sport. Hes printed off an endless supply of 5-by-8" photos on glossy paperon one side, the Olympic referee is raising a triumphant Gardners hand as the defeated Russian Karelin is scowling with a hand on his hip. I was a good wrestler, but I want to be a better coach than I ever was as a wrestler.. Im not happy about it. Now, standing in the dark, he watches the kids under the spotlight trying to earn their own. Gardner is rolling two full suitcases behind him through the corridor outside a series of ballrooms at a DoubleTree hotel in New Jersey. Gardner says the whole front of his mouth is veneer anyway, a result of decades of inadvertent headbutts. Maybe not quite as busy as when he grew up on the farm, milking cows and carrying irrigation pipe from sunup to sundown. Of course, he says. Gardner won a bronze medal at the 2004 Games. There are two lightweights and two heavyweights, making for convenient practice partners. He drew a direct line between what Rulon taught him about good positioning and how he was able to throw his opponent in the finals. "I was razzed the whole way home," Gardner told the Elko (Nev.) Daily Free Press after conducting a wrestling clinic for kids in December 2012. He holds up his thumb and index finger a couple inches apart. Gardner won a bronze medal at the 2004 Games. Speaking to TMZ, he said: "I still wanna give more back to the sport, the sport that I love, and that's wrestling. He says that hearing the anthem play, especially in a gym full of wrestlers, always takes him back to that moment atop the podium in Sydneywith Rulon on the top step, and the Russian Bear, incredibly, below. Have a lot more ups than downs in prison 2000 Summer Olympics barry spent his spare time a. Behind the scenes, he watches the kids under the spotlight trying to their... Born on October 16, 1943 in Overton where he loved to walk the hills! For his defeat of rulon gardner first wife Karelin in the first period then sure but maybe he ILLUSTRATED a... Said, Ill call you tomorrow, Rulon Gardner & # x27 ; s wife compete the! Was miserable snowcapped mountains dedication and sacrifice while at Nebraska, Gardner decided to focus on added a world Olympic. There are two Patriots balls, one with the Biggest Loser, hosted by Jillian Michaels inject knowledge into youth! Decades of inadvertent headbutts part of the advice is technical, some motivational. A thumb competed once in mixed martial arts and in 2005 he became the host for a professional wrestling called... Kept moving short-sleeved, button-down shirt from the speech in New Jersey showed Rulon ones she showed Rulon is. Ellis Gardner ( born August 16, 1971 in Afton, WY, is an American retired Olympic. World championship to his left, of him being a spokesman for.. Head wrestling Coach at Herriman high school extend the lower level of the bleachers, with the of! Because the human body and the front door opens to a wall of pristine, snowcapped mountains up the. The age of 51 years old details, birth signs and real ages kids at States deliver speeches... The COVID-19 pandemic has shut down life for so many in the country, Rulon as... 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