Rulon Gardner is living a quiet life, just the way he likes it. Rulon still feels his match against Aleksandr Karelin every day. Gardner is strong enough to handle the steering wheel with two thick fingers and a thumb. [8], When Gardner was in elementary school, he was injured during a class show-and-tell, when his abdomen was punctured with an arrow.[9]. You cant sit and dwell on it. 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. That season featured partners competing in tandem. Due to the physical damage, a saw had to be used to remove his boots. May 31, 2020. 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 I found it to be really awesome that he was so down to put his trust in a female thats a quarter of his size and let me teach him boxing form, and that he took me seriously.. But he just loves that little red car, with the odometer approaching 300,000 miles. "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. Rulon Gardner Won't Die: Directed by Adam Irving. 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. After graduating from the University of Nebraska, Rulon continued his Olympic wrestling pursuit with full-time dedication. ET. 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. He is the son of Reed and Virginia Gardner and the last of nine children. Rulon raves about Lydia, who has years of experience working in the Utah Insurance Department, and he alternately calls her both the brains and the muscle of the operation. He graduated from the University of NebraskaLincoln with a bachelor's degree in physical education. The arena staff rolls up six mats, leaving two in the center of the gym, one for the 5A championships and one for 6A. Rulon says its a shamethey used to have two pictures of him hanging on the wall. Im at a low point now. He says some, many of whom gain back considerable weight after they leave the show, feel the experience ruined their lives. These are always fun crowds, Gardner says quietly. For more information, visit the website linked above. He holds up his thumb and index finger a couple inches apart. "I think (Byers) has more talent than anybody else in the world," Gardner told the Colorado Springs Gazette. While some of Rulons own wrestlers may essentially be over it, others in the arena are more starstruck by the presence of an all-time great. Its the last official day of the season, but Rulon says now the work really starts. In track and field, as a senior, he took second at the state finals in the shot put.[14]. Gardner also had something in his eyes Karelin was not expecting: confidence. Rulon Gardner was born in Afton, WY on August 16, 1971. Gardner won a bronze medal at the 2004 Games. 51-year-old Rulon Gardner, the U.S. wrestling legend who defeated the unbeatable Aleksandr Karelin in the gold medal match of the 2000 Games in Sydney, tells us he's gunning to make the 2024 . This is another touchy subject for Rulon, though one he discusses openly. He concedes that the motorcycle crash in '04 could have done him in, and the . It lets us all know that were not untouchable.. I probably would have lost the medal for good if I hadnt gone on the show, Rulon said. Today, Gardner owns and operates the Rulon Gardner Elite Training Center in Logan, Utah, with his wife of two years, Kamie. Most coaches sit in the chairs, but Rulon stands behind his. And Ive never heard a word. Its been nine years. Gardner, who seems to have more lives than a cat, has also survived a motorcycle accident, a plane crash and bankruptcy since becoming an Olympic legend. But wrestling was the route Rulon decided to focus on. He was willing to answer questions about anythingfrostbite, bankruptcy, divorcebut not that. He played the part. For more information: RyanThorburn.com. Rulon Gardner. [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. Rulon has never dwelled on the negatives in his life. After several hours in his makeshift shelter, he stopped shivering and started having visions, which led him to believe that he was probably dying. State titles on three, Martinez says. 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 is a member of famous Wrestler with the age 51 years old group. 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. 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. "Rulon," a two-hour documentary film on Rulon Gardner 's stunning 2000 Olympic wrestling gold medal and adversity-filled two decades since, makes its television premiere on NBCSN on Friday at 11 p.m. Rulon came back to the Olympics in 2004 to defend his title and took home the Bronze medal. He briefly loses his lead, then pulls back ahead and coasts through the final period to a state championship. Rulon stands and leans against her desk, hovering above a speakerphone, mindlessly clicking his pen as they discuss auto insurance quotes for a father who wants to buy a car for a teenage son whos already been in a fender bender. Since then, Rulon has faced multiple life-threatening situations and survived every one through sheer grit and an absolute refusal to quit. JRI insurance has a branch in Payson, 60 miles south of Salt Lake City, about a 50-minute drive south of Herriman High. Winning the Gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 came through extreme dedication and sacrifice. First published on February . Twenty years after winning gold at the Olympics, Rulon Gardner's life has included a near-death snowmobile accident, a reality TV stint, and more. After several hours in his makeshift shelter, he stopped shivering, which led him to believe that he was dying. Now Im big again, I need to go back and get up early in the morning, set time aside. Biography The youngest of nine children, Rulon Gardner was born to Reed and Virginia Gardner on August 16, 1971. In 2002, two years after his Olympic triumph, he was involved in a snowmobile accident. At 51 years old, Rulon Gardner height Barry spent his spare time as a young boy in Overton where he loved to walk the beautiful hills and valleys. The state tournament is an all-day affair on both Wednesday and Thursday, and JRI has no issue with him logging those hours at the arena. And all the accomplishments that hes had, and all the stories that he tells, it all couldnt happen to a better person. Gardners life in the public eye has been a twisting journey of highs and lows. 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. As of 2023, Rulon Gardner's net worth is $100,000 - $1M. Accessed Jan. 10, 2013 at, Foy, Paul. The wave has brought him to Utah and deposited him in a mountainside home . LOGAN Other than a short visit at Christmastime, Kamie Gardner hasn't seen her husband in six months and doesn't expect to see him again at least until April. Rulons wrestling career began when he was six years old. [19], Gardner competed once in mixed martial arts, and in 2004 he became the host for a professional wrestling league called Real Pro Wrestling. He then earned a scholarship to attend the University of NebraskaLincoln. 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. Gardner and his wife, Kamie, operate the Rulon Gardner Elite Training Center in Logan, Utah. Keep pushing. Though he concedes he needs to follow his own advice. Some of the unwelcome nicknames given to him included Dumbo, and later Fatso due to his size. But life moves on. Rulon also describes his Greco-Roman wrestling career, his Olympic victory, his academic struggles, and an account of his near-death experience after the snowmobile accident. 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. Gardner owns two of them. "But I always wrestle kind of unorthodox, and our feet got tangled and I got under him. Myself, right now, my biggest thing is my weight. He competed at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won the gold medal in 2000, defeating Russia's Aleksandr Karelin in the final. There are two Patriots balls, one with the Super Bowl XXXVIII logo and one with signatures from a bunch of players. While Gardner has been working out of the office for a few months, he officially moved his stuff in last night. I dont feel good about it. [10][11] He told his story on a first-season episode of I Survived. On February 24, 2007,[12] Gardner and two other men survived a crash when a light aircraft he was traveling in crashed into Lake Powell, Utah. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. Nearly a dozen younger members of the team who failed to qualify for States are doing their own drills in one corner of the room. Finally, its time. It has a lot in common with the guy manhandling the steering wheel. 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. One, two, three, state titles!. He paid her $24K for the first six months, then $36K for the next three, about a quarter million total. He was born on October 16, 1943 in Overton Nevada to Rulon Whipple Gardner and Lavinia Wells. So when Rulon filed for bankruptcy and authorities collected his possession to be auctioned off, they couldnt touch the medal. Can I talk to the parents about insurance afterward? I was walking out there saying, Well, Im at least guaranteed a silver medal.". Theres a circle in the middle where the action takes place, and each wrestler gets one corner with chairs for two coaches. His win made him the only American to ever win both a World and Olympic title in Greco-Roman wrestling. In track and field, as a senior, he took second at the state finals in the shot put. Is this who you want to be to the youth of America?". Rulons weight is still a battle. Rulon participated in this from six years old until he started junior high school at 12 years old. Karelin tried to break Gardner's will quickly. Thats awesome, she said. I make a lot of excuses for myself. Gardner shocked the trainers, staff, and contestants on the April 26 episode by announcing he would be leaving the show "for personal reasons", and left the show without a final weigh-in. As of 2011, Gardner worked as a motivational speaker, often appearing as a keynote presenter and event host. He also works as an insurance agent at JRI Insurance in Payson, Utah. After 16 weeks on the show, Gardner had lost 173 pounds. He lets the manager of one local insurance outlet put him in a headlock for their photo. A few months later, Rulon shared that hes been doing well. He stands alone, essentially in the corner of the gym farthest away from any crowd. FORMER OLYMPIC star Rulon Gardner opened up over hitting rock-bottom that included spiralling debts of 3million. Hes grown wary of some people, hardened a little by 20 years of people asking him for things. Rulon learned about hard work and determination which became core values in Rulon Gardner's life. The work continues for the former heavyweight champion of the world. He laments how people saw his name and the word bankruptcy in headlines and assumed the worst. 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. Hes picked up yet another job, as an ambassador and spokesman for an app that helps promote workplace safety for construction sites and other heavy industry jobs. Warr checked with his own coaches to make sure he wasnt doing anything against any rules and they said, No, you should let Rulon keep giving you advice. Martinez is a Utahn and three-time NCAA qualifier at Clarion in Pennsylvania who also went 153 as a pro martial arts fighter. The result of having no feeling in his feet is that sometimes hell miss a step. 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. 10 of 10. "I wanted to be a coach. Rulon . People think, Oh, Rulon Gardner is a fraud. Or, Rulon Gardner is not trustworthy. They dont realize that sometimes its not you, its other people around you., Gardners quest to win back his medal became fodder for the press, but coverage just looped it in with his well-known financial issues. On the desk he has nothing but a binder, a notebook and a red Powerade Zero Sugar. But theres also a football signed by John Elway, Steve Young, Warren Moon and some smudged names that are harder to make out. (He notes the irony, again, of him being a spokesman for safety.) His two lightweights are both eliminated on Day 1 but the two heavier weights, Talmage Carman and Traycee Norman, win two matches apiece. I knew every piece and how to use it. usurped legendary 3x Olympic & 9x World champion Karelin . Rulon draws on his own experience, knowing what made the best preparation for him before countless tournaments at the highest possible levels. The museum is located at 138 S. Washington in Afton. 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. That's all because of Rulon, right there, he said. Most famously, Gardner spent a February 2002 night in the wilderness after his snowmobile overturned and dunked him into an icy river multiple times. Gardner became an Olympic legend for his performance during the 2000 Games in Sydney. 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. Its about that time, Rulon says. Its Day 2 of the state tourney. He was raised on a dairy farm in Wyoming, where the family grew crops and milked cows twice a day. 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. In 2011, he accepted an offer to appear on American reality TV show The Biggest Loser, in an attempt to shed some of his 474lbs (215kg). He's a legend in the sport. After ballooning to 474 pounds, the gentle giant even appeared on televisions The Biggest Loser before making a comeback attempt for the 2012 Games in London. He jokes that it took him too long to figure one con that was pulled on him repeatedly: Organizations would make up some award to give him, largely as an excuse to get him to show up for free for an event to which they could sell tickets. Rulon is walking carefully. And thats the story that he stuck to for nine years. But thats how the story has always gone. @RulonGardner. He said, Ill call you tomorrow, Rulon says. Gardner won his cherished (and oft-photographed) gold by beating the seemingly unbeatable Karelin. Now, standing in the dark, he watches the kids under the spotlight trying to earn their own. The youngest of nine children, Rulon Gardner was born to Reed and Virginia Gardner on August 16, 1971. She also says Rulon has since confided in her that he didnt want to leave, but she says she would have no way of knowing if that was true. Herriman High has a break now, as the tourney progresses through the middleweights, before the schools two other wrestlers compete. But he has never wavered in his commitment to motivatingwhether its young wrestlers, those in the business world or, not least of all, himself. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. [1], Gardner was born in Afton, Wyoming. Keep going. At the 2000 Olympics, Wyoming native Rulon Gardner shattered global expectations on the wrestling mat. Now he knows better. Not everyone can experience the Hollywood ending Gardner delivered in defeating Karelin for an Olympic gold medal. Gardner took the tests required to get his insurance license in 2018. "When you have a goal like wrestling it makes you get into shape, so I've lost a . The youngest of nine children, Rulon Gardner was born to Reed and Virginia Gardner on August 16, 1971. Several investments, including developing a hot springs resort and opening a gym, meant he owed around $3 million. My parrot, Gardner jokes. He travelled over 9,000km to Japan to take on judo Olympic gold medallist Hidehiko Yoshida. She was 45. According to court documents, they have $3,116 in combined monthly income. 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. Gardner attended junior college at Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) in Rexburg, Idaho and as a sophomore won the NJCAA national heavyweight wrestling championship. Gardner attended junior college at Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) in Rexburg, Idaho, and as a sophomore won the NJCAA national heavyweight wrestling championship. They told him that wasnt allowed; he told them he couldnt get out of bed without it. But behind the scenes, he says it was miserable. Its like hes sitting in the strongman booth at a carnival and they want to document his strength. [A PR rep for the show, which has since been relaunched on the NBC/Comcast-owned USA Network, could not make anyone involved with Gardners season of the show available for comment. Yoshida, in addition to being an Olympic gold medalist in judo, was a highly successful MMA fighter. Jack has his head down, arms grabbing the trusses along the side of the metal bleachers. In 2007, Rulon and two friends crashed a lightweight aircraft into Lake Powell, Utah. He currently resides in Afton, Wyoming. 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. At one point, he became separated from the group. They spent the night in freezing temperatures with no fire or shelter. After 16 weeks on the show, Gardner had lost 173 pounds. He is famous for being a Wrestler. He wont have as many days where he works from 8 a.m. until after-school practice and then gets home at 9 p.m. without having worked out himself. Not sure how to react to his amazing triumph, Gardner did a cartwheel, a somersault and then a victory lap wrapped in the Stars & Stripes. Instead, he takes each challenge and uses it as a means to improve his life. He was on The Biggest Loser, hosted by Jillian Michaels. On the posters, Rulon is frozen in time, even as those days move further in the rearview. Against harrowing odds, Rulon emerged as the victor. The 6-foot-3, 286-pound wrestler attempted to throw the underdog repeatedly, as Karelin had done during a 5-0 victory over Gardner in their only previous meeting three years earlier. Some of the advice is technical, some is motivational. 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. Gardner won a bronze medal at the 2004 Games. 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. I wanted to be a better teacher than a wrestler.". 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. He knows a few things about planning for the unexpected and would be happy to answer your questions about any type of insurance. 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. He wants to convince every college recruiter to give his kids a shot, and a head start on the rest of their lives. His other post-Olympic claim to fame is that in April 2011, Gardner became the first contestant ever to quit NBCs hit weight-loss reality show The Biggest Loser. The Wyoming native upset Russia's Aleksandr Karelin, who was the reigning three-time Olympic champion and had . 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. It helps me get back on my feet and take on the world again.. Most Olympic champions will tell you that self-belief is key to being the best in the world. He talks to the teammates wholl be there as spectators about letting that experience motivate them for next year. During a snowmobiling trip with some friends in Star Valley, Wyoming, he became separated from the group and fell into the freezing Salt River with his snowmobile. Gardner became famous as a Wyoming farm boy, but his Mormon family has ties back to Utah for generations. [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. Gardner practices twice a day while being coached by Steve Fraser, who won America's first Greco-Roman gold, back in 1984. Gardner stands behind him, hands on Jacks shoulders, imparting a few final words of wisdom as they wait for his mat assignment. That same drive that helped me succeed [in wrestling], is the same drive that helped me survive in the wilderness, he said. . Part of that, he concedes, was because nothing helped him keep his weight down like wrestling. Gardner, now a 51-year-old, wants to compete again at the 2024 Summer Olympics. A bookcase next to the TV houses a plaque commemorating his induction to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame; the prestigious James E. Sullivan Award, given annually to the top amateur athlete in the country; an ESPY for being named 2000s male U.S. Olympian of the year; and other accolades. During his efforts to regain his composure and regroup, he fell into the freezing Salt River with his snowmobile. After the 2000 Olympics he suffered a series of injuries from both a snowmobiling and motorcycle accident. There were parents with their kids, spouses and siblings. The client takes a seat facing Rulons desk, and Lydia sits in Rulons chair while he stands behind her. 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. Thats the stark reality. Sometimes crazy stuff happens. Little do you know whats coming up in life.. Gardner is standing along the center line between the rows of mats with an eye on his four guys, who are split into pairs to get loose. 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. Its horrifying for me and my family.. This inspiring memoir tells the story of his impoverished upbringing as one of nine children in a close-knit Mormon family on a farm in Wyoming, where unceasing chores led to tremendous strength at an early age. I asked him what advice he would give to somebody at a low point right nowa surprisingly apt question less than a month before the initial surge of a pandemic that would kill more than 200,000 Americans and send many more to unemployment amid a devastated economy. 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. But policy is policy. 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. 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. Gardner's goal is to get near the weight at which he competed. The Official Site of Rulon Gardner - Wrestler & Olympic Gold Medalist Rulon Gardner The Man Who Never Quits Rulon has experienced wins as well as losses in his life. He has appeared at corporate events, celebrity golf tournaments, trade shows, and conventions. Rulon Ellis Gardner (born August 16, 1971) is an American retired Greco-Roman Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler. Maybe not quite as busy as when he grew up on the farm, milking cows and carrying irrigation pipe from sunup to sundown. Regain my work ethic. [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 pops his head in the back of the room, looking out at the men and women in business attire, sitting in rows and staring ahead at a PowerPoint presentation about the insurance industry. 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. The sun began to lower and the temperature, which had been twenty-five degrees, began to drop. Currently Gardner is missing a tooth, the incisor to the right of his two front teeth. Rulon Gardner has almost died quite a few times in his 39 yearsjust how many is open to interpretation. These proved to be particularly important as Rulon embraced numerous challenges in his life. Gardner, 49, became an overnight celebrity in 2000 when he won a wrestling gold . 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. Olympics, Wyoming native upset Russia & # x27 ; 04 could done. By 20 years of people asking him for things the story that he tells, it all couldnt happen a... You want to be particularly important as Rulon embraced numerous challenges in his shelter. Who also went 153 as a Wyoming farm boy, but Rulon says its a shamethey to... Thick fingers and a head start on the rest of their lives way he likes.... As the tourney progresses through the middleweights, before the schools two other wrestlers compete countless! Tourney progresses through the final period to a state championship XXXVIII logo and one with signatures from a bunch players... 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