Not the Olympic Greco-Roman super heavyweight final in 2000 when, with a 10 decision, he handed the Russian Bear his first loss in 13 years, and scored the first point against him in six. Now its like, O.K., lets be smart about any decisions in the future, he said. She also appreciated his respect for her as a woman, saying it can sometimes be tough for her to earn the trust and respect of male clients, but that wasnt the case with Rulon. At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, Gardner was back on the big stage and brought back a bronze 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. 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. At points, there were times I thought, You know what, just give up. He graduated from the University of NebraskaLincoln with a bachelor's degree in physical education. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last . Rulon Gardner is crammed into the driver's seat of a 2006 Volkswagen Beetle. His great-great-grandfather Archibald Gardner was a bishop in the church and helped build the famed Salt Lake Temple. He found success, and a new community that believed in him, in the athletics arena. Rulon Gardner was born on the 16th of August, 1971. Rulons office handles the gamut of insurance types, and hes become well-versed in life, health, property, casualty, home and auto. He is from . After a first interview in Salt Lake City and a second-round tryout in California, they were all set. "So I asked myself, 'Why am I doing this?' I make a lot of excuses for myself. Wrestling has taken Gardner to 44 countries. Some of the unwelcome nicknames given to him included Dumbo, and later Fatso due to his size. He knows a few things about planning for the unexpected and would be happy to answer your questions about any type of insurance. 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. L-R . Rulon doesnt like wearing his badge on a lanyard that chokes his neck, so he tries to avoid it. His great-great-grandfather Archibald Gardner was a bishop in the church and helped build the famed Salt Lake Temple. "This is my last time on the scale," Gardner said during the episode's weigh-in. Theres things that need to be addressed in my life back home, Rulon told the camera after his announcement. Its Day 2 of the state tourney. Showing Editorial results for rulon gardner. Gardner practices twice a day while being coached by Steve Fraser, who won America's first Greco-Roman gold, back in 1984. 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 is known for his defeat of three-time reigning gold medalist Aleksandr Karelin at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Curbs can be trouble if hes not watching his landing spot. Rulon, in his life, has collected medals upon medals, each one from high school through college saved in Ziploc bags in his home to prove it. 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. He says one day he took a trash can up to the curb, nobody ever came to pick it up, and two days later a neighbor dragged it back in. His second great grandfather was Archibald Gardner,[3] who was one of the early settlers of Star Valley, Wyoming. The arena explodes as the referee slaps the mat to signal a pin, and Rulon claps excitedly. 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. They told him that wasnt allowed; he told them he couldnt get out of bed without it. Sometimes crazy stuff happens. In a normal year, not interrupted by a pandemic, the high school wrestling season runs November to February. One, two, three, state titles!. He was on The Biggest Loser, hosted by Jillian Michaels. 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. In some ways, Gardner blends in amid the hundreds of wrestlers and dozens of coaches. But he also knows hes Rulon Gardner. Under the category of. Gardner stands in front of the crowd and runs through his well-rehearsed life story. Of course, he says. 4 He was on The Biggest Loser, hosted by Jillian Michaels. 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. Rulon is sentimental. While the COVID-19 pandemic has shut down life for so many in the country, Rulon has kept moving. The result of having no feeling in his feet is that sometimes hell miss a step. Rulons weight is still a battle. In January 2011, he was announced as a contestant on season 11 of the American reality television show, The Biggest Loser. He clips his ID to a carpenter loop on his pants. Today, Gardner has taken the lessons learnt and built a new life for himself. Elsewhere, on another mat, Jacks teammate Jacob Hendrickson has suffered the same fategetting pinned despite being aheadwith two assistant coaches in his corner because the matches ran concurrently. The men swam an hour in 44F (7C) water to reach shore, and then spent the night without shelter. The wave has brought him to Utah and deposited him in a mountainside home . The client takes a seat facing Rulons desk, and Lydia sits in Rulons chair while he stands behind her. 2 Recreation Board, Indigenous People in Wyoming and the West, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/brian_cazeneuve/04/26/Rulon-Gardner-Olympic-bid/index.html, http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnclarke/2012/09/19/after-amputation-motorcycle-accident-and-plane-crash-olympic-gold-medal-wrestler-rulon-gardner-now-faces-bankruptcy/, http://www.usawct.org/news/2002_2003/RulonGardner.htm, http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765613285/Bankruptcy-trustee-postpones-Rulon-Gardner-auction-reconsidering-what-possessions-he-will-keep.html?pg=all, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,997892,00.html, http://elkodaily.com/sports/a-golden-opportunity-olympic-gold-medalist-rulon-gardner-visits-elko/article_d08e7a52-3dc1-11e2-9ffd-0019bb2963f4.html, http://www.gazette.com/articles/gardner-142117-byers-sometimes.html, http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/espn25/story?page=moments/89, http://www.whsaa.org/archives/wrestling/1989/1989.asp, Green River Historic Preservation Commission, Natrona County Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Natrona County Recreation Joint Powers Board, Sublette County Historical Preservation Board, University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources, Cazeneuve, Brian. She showed him real estate purchase agreements, contracts and more. Since 1908, the United States has won 12 Greco-Roman medals. Even if a mat is just an inch or two thick, a full day of stepping on and off of them can lead to a few missteps. All three men in the plan swam for an hour in seven degree-water to reach the shore and spent the night without shelter, but no life-threatening injuries were sustained. His family barn burned down when he was a kid. 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. Trending News. Most coaches sit in the chairs, but Rulon stands behind his. With the help of some business mentors, Gardner is living a more stable life selling insurance, is an ambassador for a work-safety app, visits schools and workplaces as a motivational speaker, and stays in touch with his sport as a high school wrestling coach. Gardner has a little car and a little traveling companion: Gus. 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. Sports Illustrated is here! he tells him. He has written three books Cowboy Up: Kenny Sailors, The Jump Shot and Wyoming's Championship Basketball History; Black 14: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Wyoming Football and Lost Cowboys: The Story of Bud Daniel and Wyoming Baseball. He has appeared at many corporate events, celebrity golf tournaments, trade shows, and conventions. He also takes pride in the fact that even if he wouldnt have ultimately taken his old practice partner Dremiel Byerss spot on the 12 Olympic team, at least he made everyone in the room work a little harder. And thats the story that he stuck to for nine years. He talks to the state qualifiers about visualizing their day. 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. My mom said, Is this the kid that I raised? 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. 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. He was willing to answer questions about anythingfrostbite, bankruptcy, divorcebut not that. Even though it was one of the things that almost killed me, it was truly amazing. The Star Valley Pioneer and History Museumin Afton, Wyo. Today Im not the person I want to bethe person I should be, he continues. 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. [7] 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. [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. He did not appear on the final episode of the season, except in the background of scenes of other contestants. "He had a great lock on me, and another three or four inches I would have let it slip," Gardner recalled in an ESPN.com story four years later. Rulon Gardner is crammed into the drivers seat of a 2006 Volkswagen Beetle. Now, his dark gray, short-sleeve button-down shirt dangles over his belly and hangs out in front of him, unlike the singlets that cling to his body in both the poster and on the book cover. 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. On the other side is all of Rulons professional contact info and a list of insurance brands they hawkand guess what Rulon signs every time somebody bugs him for an autograph. He walks around the perimeter of the room, shoes off, thick white socks resting below his tree-trunk calves, and watches his kids spar. The culprit: one of his own wrestlers. As a pro boxer, she identified with his wrestler mentality. To get back to that weight. Rulon wrestled his brother Reynold to break up the monotony. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. In 2010, Rulon was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. After several hours in his makeshift shelter, he stopped shivering and started having visions, which led him to believe that he was probably dying. Both will advance to Day 2, starting with the semifinals in the morning, two wins away from the top spot on the podium. Gardner became famous as a Wyoming farm boy, but his Mormon family has ties back to Utah for generations. Because I learned so much about myself. 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. When youre famous, he says matter-of-factly, people just give you stuff.. Because the human body and the human mind can overcome anything.. chants, Gardner fought off Karelin's aggressive attacks in the second period, and in overtime to capture the gold and the hearts of spectators around the world. Due to the physical damage, a saw had to be used to remove his boots. But he estimates his weight is about where he started on Loser. Herriman High has a break now, as the tourney progresses through the middleweights, before the schools two other wrestlers compete. . In 2002, two years after his Olympic triumph, he was involved in a snowmobile accident. After the finals, the arena lights come on and the whole Herriman cheering section swarms the group on the floor. 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. I feel that my personal goals have been reached here on The Biggest Loser, and its my time to go home. But none of that is to say Talmage and Traycee dont want it. Traycee was a heavyweight last season, before cutting down to 220 this year. 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. Warr, a senior with braces on his teeth, clutches his practice partners foot two feet off the ground and stares back with rapt attention as Rulon discusses technique. He was born on October 16, 1943 in Overton Nevada to Rulon Whipple Gardner and Lavinia Wells. He travelled over 9,000km to Japan to take on judo Olympic gold medallist Hidehiko Yoshida. Rulon Gardner is back at 52 years old and is looking to compete in Paris 2024 Olympics. Rulon began a regular wrestling season while in junior high and continued with the wrestling seasons until he graduated with a degree in physical education from the University of Nebraska. Thats why people dont know the full story. The sun is starting to set. For one week every year, Star Valley would have a wrestling camp, which always concluded with a tournament on the weekend. Others are still drinking the Kool-Aid, he says. Rulon Ellis Gardner (born August 16, 1971) is an American retired Greco-Roman Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler. Updated: 6:17 ET, Jul 19 2021 FORMER OLYMPIC star Rulon Gardner opened up over hitting rock-bottom that included spiralling debts of 3million. His headgear is on, his knee pad is up and his warmup outfit is cast aside, as hes down to just his singlet. 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. 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 Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. He then earned a scholarship to attend the University of NebraskaLincoln. Perhaps most importantly, in this whole arrangement, is that the company is accommodating of his schedule. Im the eye candy, Rulon jokes. Earning back all the goodwill his initial rise to fame afforded him. Jack has his head down, arms grabbing the trusses along the side of the metal bleachers. Rulon says one of the images that stands out from that day was in the final second of the match, when both wrestlers knew it was over. Rulon moseys around and cant stop himself from giving advice to some of the wrestlers on other teams. Rulon says he was a victim, and the paper trail backs him up. She used that money to get a loan for $1.2 million, which later had to be repaid with substantial interest and late fees. In episode 17, he arrived at the group weigh-in wearing his cut-off yellow T-shirt, jogged up a flight of stairs, turned to face his fellow contestants, clasped his hands behind his back and announced: This is gonna be my last time on the scale. Tournament organizers hold medal ceremonies, one weight class at a time, with wrestlers posing atop the podium with their new hardware. At one point, he became separated from the group. He has appeared at corporate events, celebrity golf tournaments, trade shows, and conventions. I dont feel good about it. The specifics, he says, he really cant get into. Hopefully, they can see that. In episode 16, he was bungee jumping over New Zealands Milford Sound, espousing the importance of winning immunity to remain on the show. 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. Not during the night on the mountain waiting for a rescue helicopter to spot him, or the grueling recovery from frostbite and hypothermia. How much does he weigh now? The work continues for the former heavyweight champion of the world. Herriman High has back-to-back state champs. 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. It sounds like a script the Rocky IV writers came up with: An invincible Goliath from Siberia nicknamed "The Experiment" arrives at the Olympic Village packing a 13-year winning streak. 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. Im happy.. I probably would have lost the medal for good if I hadnt gone on the show, Rulon said. Through it all, though, he says hes still glad he went on the show. That was just a small dumbbell shy of 500. The harrowing experience cost Gardner the middle toe on his right foot, which he keeps in formaldehyde in a jar in his refrigerator, to remind him of his mortality. 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. Empty shelves line the wall to his right, but various items from his vast memorabilia collection fill the ones to his left. Rulon Gardners income source is mostly from being a successful Wrestler. He left his wrestling shoes on the mat, signaling that it would be his final competitive match. 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. After the Athens Olympics, Rulon had gained 210 pounds, culminating in total body weight of 474 pounds. Unable to move any farther, Gardner decided to build a shelter and wait for a rescue team. But life moves on. After an FBI investigation, she pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering and was sentenced to 34 months in prison. The living room, in a more modest home than the crowded driveway might suggest, is full of reminders that hes lived a charmed life of celebrity. 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. That would be impossible. He says some, many of whom gain back considerable weight after they leave the show, feel the experience ruined their lives. @5PtMove. The family traces its roots to the earliest settlers of Star Valley. Rod Zundel talks to Rulon about. A Golden Opportunity: Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner visits Elko., Ramsey, David. She was the daughter of the apostle of the LDS church. They all smile as he pulls them in tight. . He was raised on a dairy farm in Wyoming, where the family grew crops and milked cows twice a day. Thats another tricky one. 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. Wrestlers are seeded into 16-man brackets in 14 weight classes, and each round of the tournament starts with the lightest weights and progresses on upward to Rulons old division. He believes NBC wanted to make him look like the Olympic brat. He says trainers would do things like give him too short a jump rope or put a massive weight plate on his back while he was planking. Hey Mount Olive wrestlers, this is Rulon Gardner. Rulon even gave him his phone number so they could text each other. Rulon has to toe the line. But behind the scenes, he says it was miserable. I knew every piece and how to use it. Most Olympic champions will tell you that self-belief is key to being the best in the world. [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. There are rows of pull-up bars and headshots of wrestlers whove qualified for the Utah state tournament in years past. You want me to come give a speech? He wouldnt have his gold medal without it. It is the latest foray in a string of jobs that includes owning a gym, driving a forklift and working as a medical device rep for Johnson & Johnson, which is when he put many of those miles on the Beetle. He points to some of the younger members of the team and tells them theyre the future. Gardner won a bronze medal at the 2004 Games. He tells everyone to put their hands in. Nine minutes. All Rights Reserved. He and his first wife Sheri lost their daughter, Stacey in a terrible car accident on December 26, 1990. After losing 173lbs, he decided to leave the programme early for personal reasons. JRI insurance has a branch in Payson, 60 miles south of Salt Lake City, about a 50-minute drive south of Herriman High. He was raised on a dairy farm in Wyoming, where the family grew crops and milked cows twice a day. Now, standing in the dark, he watches the kids under the spotlight trying to earn their own. The one person that can change it is me.. As each finals match starts, an announcer over the loudspeaker introduces both wrestlers, along with their hometowns, season records, past accomplishments on the mat, parents names and GPAs. As yesterdays scene repeats, with wrestlers from various schools swarming the mats to get loose, Herrimans two heavier weights are nowhere to be seen. Gardner served as an analyst for NBC Sports coverage of Wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics. @TeamUSA. Gardner is strong enough to handle the steering wheel with two thick fingers and a thumb. They share a big hug and run into the tunnel, into the basement level of the arena, to go celebrate. Their contingent leaves the mat and the two teammates save their most excited celebration for each other. Rulon came back to the Olympics in 2004 to defend his title and took home the Bronze medal. He's a gem! Rulon cant outrun his past, nor does he seem to want to. When he was eventually rescued, he was experiencing hypothermia and severe frostbite. That all changed when Gardner, the youngest of nine children in a Wyoming farming family, captured the first international title of his life by defeating Karelin 1-0 to win gold and make himself an overnight star in the U.S. in the process. I didnt choose to leave, he says. He isnt supposed to talk about it. At the end of practice, Gardner has the team sit on a rolled-up mat in the corner of the room so he and the assistants can deliver a speech.

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