As he weaves around trucks, zipping up I-15 North through Provo, Utah, he may be the biggest human on the highway,. Rulon has never dwelled on the negatives in his life. Previously, he spent three years as a medical-device sales rep, working a territory stretching from Montana to Nebraska. Rulons achievements in the program were nothing short of astonishing. Rulon Ellis Gardner (born August 16, 1971) is an American retired Greco-Roman Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler. 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. Its a fairly light dayjust 15 minutes of drilling, followed by two full six-minute matches for each wrestler, same as theyll go tomorrow at States, with just 30 seconds between periods. 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. Oh, do you know who he is? Rulons coworker asks his client. Four years later, Gardner was the last big man standing in Sydney. Through it all, though, he says hes still glad he went on the show. Rulon Gardner was born on 16 August, 1971 in Afton, WY, is an American wrestler and MMA fighter. You cant sit and dwell on it. Sometimes crazy stuff happens. 10 of 10. She used that money to get a loan for $1.2 million, which later had to be repaid with substantial interest and late fees. For more information: RyanThorburn.com. He did not appear on the final episode of the season, except in the background of scenes of other contestants. In the second period, Traycee connects on a headlock and sends his opponent to his back. Photo Credit: NBCNews.com Many details concerning Jeffs' wives are not known as a majority of them still keep to themselves and are not vocal about their FLDS lives. He graduated from the University of NebraskaLincoln with a bachelor's degree in physical education. Despite failed comeback, Rulon Gardner is not finished wrestling., Clarke, John. Search instead in Creative? 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. When he was eventually rescued, he was experiencing hypothermia and severe frostbite. The Star Valley Pioneer and History Museumin Afton, Wyo. One client leaves and its on to the next one. Thats why people dont know the full story. Can I talk to the parents about insurance afterward? View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. He paid her $24K for the first six months, then $36K for the next three, about a quarter million total. In track and field, as a senior, he took second at the state finals in the shot put.[14]. His goal is to get back to his wrestling weight of 265lbs (120kg). Its about that time, Rulon says. But so many people in so many hundreds of matches have thought that, then they go out and he basically crushes them.". Its fitting that Gardner sells insurance. After several hours in his makeshift shelter, he stopped shivering, which led him to believe that he was dying. This time Gardner stayed upright, and the two massive men danced chest-to-chest through a scoreless three-minute first period. He is from . [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. Nine minutes. Its an interesting twist, being both the new guy and the celebrity. Gardner stands behind him, hands on Jacks shoulders, imparting a few final words of wisdom as they wait for his mat assignment. He concedes that the motorcycle crash in '04 could have done him in, and the . They spent the night in freezing temperatures with no fire or shelter. But he also knows he cant risk pushing them away. 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 wouldnt have his gold medal without it. I was walking out there saying, Well, Im at least guaranteed a silver medal.". 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. He has a torch from the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, which he got to carry right before his snowmobile accident. He has awards, trophies and plaques, plus T-shirts signed by fellow Olympians. Today Im not the person I want to bethe person I should be, he continues. Rulon Gardner's income source is mostly from being a successful Wrestler. He doesn't call, text or e-mail and only occasionally sends letters in the mail and they're long on generalities and short on detail. Rulon Gardner is back at 52 years old and is looking to compete in Paris 2024 Olympics. 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. [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]. Most Olympic champions will tell you that self-belief is key to being the best in the world. He doesnt expect to sleep much tonight. That same drive that helped me succeed [in wrestling], is the same drive that helped me survive in the wilderness, he said. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. He was on The Biggest Loser, hosted by Jillian Michaels. displays the regions early history. Karelin at the time had not had a point scored on him in 6 years and . 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. Now hes just one of the coaches. 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. Yoshida, in addition to being an Olympic gold medalist in judo, was a highly successful MMA fighter. But behind the scenes, he says it was miserable. he missed his wife, he had . Rulon Gardners income source is mostly from being a successful Wrestler. Irving said that at first, the film feels like the climax of Gardner's life is only 37 minutes in (when he wins the gold), but it's really . 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 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. He already had a relationship with NBC, working as a TV commentator for the networks coverage of the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Gardner won a bronze medal at the 2004 Games. At the time, Rulon and his then wife were operating a gym in Logan, Utah, and Justin was an investor. Gardner put out statements after the episode aired, too, saying hed achieved his goal and was ready to go home to his wife. Months after winning his gold medal, Rulon's toe was amputated . 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. I didnt want to leave.. 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. He is from . His great-great-grandfather Archibald Gardner was a bishop in the church and helped build the famed Salt Lake Temple. My mom said, Is this the kid that I raised? We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 16 August. (Herriman competes in 6A, the classification for the biggest schools in the state.) While Gardner has been working out of the office for a few months, he officially moved his stuff in last night. Herriman High has a break now, as the tourney progresses through the middleweights, before the schools two other wrestlers compete. That's all because of Rulon, right there, he said. Welcome back, a man on the waitstaff said, as Rulon made his way to a table. Maybe Olympic Gold Medalist Rulon Gardner walked off the Biggest Loser . Gardner, now a 51-year-old, wants to compete again at the 2024 Summer Olympics. We are committed to making our website ADA compliant. No one was more surprised by his victory over . Rulon Ellis Gardner (born August 16, 1971) is an American retired Greco-Roman Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler. Gardner was born on Aug. 16, 1971, in Afton, in western Wyomings Star Valley near the Idaho border. 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. Thats his daily motivation. I dont feel good about it. All I can do is use the experiences of my life to inject knowledge into our youth, Gardner says in the film. He stands alone, essentially in the corner of the gym farthest away from any crowd. 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. 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. 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. Hes a natural people pleaser, but now he asks for things in return. 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. There are not many people who can compete with him physically. Because I learned so much about myself. Today, Gardner owns and operates the Rulon Gardner Elite Training Center in Logan, Utah, with his wife of two years, Kamie. Thats another tricky one. He was raised on a dairy farm in Wyoming, where the family grew crops and milked cows twice a day. Most famously, Gardner spent a February 2002 night in the wilderness after his snowmobile overturned and dunked him into an icy river multiple times. DETAILS BELOW Rulon Gardner (born August 16, 1971) is famous for being wrestler. Its horrifying for me and my family.. 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. Due to the physical damage, a saw had to be used to remove his boots. FORMER OLYMPIC star Rulon Gardner opened up over hitting rock-bottom that included spiralling debts of 3million. I can pick them both up if you want, he jokes about his more than 400 pounds combined of state champion wrestlers. The auction of some of Gardner's most treasured items will seek to pay off debt in a $3.9 million bankruptcy case. [15] While at Nebraska, Gardner finished fourth in the 275lb. 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. His win made him the only American to ever win both a World and Olympic title in Greco-Roman wrestling. He certainly could have died in 2002 when he got lost on his snowmobile and spent the night almost freezing to death in the Wyoming wild. 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. Now, standing in the dark, he watches the kids under the spotlight trying to earn their own. Rulon plays the Dont you know who I am? cardbut, seriously, dont you know who he is? In one photo, egged on by the people around him, Rulon grabs both state champs in playful headlocks, one under each arm. 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. He had a toe amputated due to frostbite, but the ordeal did not derail his wrestling career. After 16 weeks on the show, Gardner had lost 173 pounds. , money, salary, income, and assets. Thats why I work so hard right now, to try to regain my name. But I got the point.". The success I had in wrestling, which I learned on the farm, now I use it in the insurance business and in the wrestling community. In November 2018, he and wife Kathleen Kennedy received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, an . He was an All-State selection in both football and wrestling, and was also the 1989 wrestling state heavyweight champion. "And I told him that the other day. Theres things that need to be addressed in my life back home, Rulon told the camera after his announcement. Gardner is known for his defeat of three-time reigning gold medalist Aleksandr Karelin at the 2000 Summer Olympics. JRI insurance has a branch in Payson, 60 miles south of Salt Lake City, about a 50-minute drive south of Herriman High. That season featured partners competing in tandem. Rulons office handles the gamut of insurance types, and hes become well-versed in life, health, property, casualty, home and auto. Empty shelves line the wall to his right, but various items from his vast memorabilia collection fill the ones to his left. After several hours in his makeshift shelter, he stopped shivering and started having visions, which led him to believe that he was probably dying. All those people who told me I could never get here and get on this stage, Im going to show them. 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. rulon gardner first wifecopper infused socks side effects. How much does he weigh now? I surprised myself probably more than them.. 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. After 16 weeks on the show, Gardner had lost 173 pounds. None of the three sustained life-threatening injuries. I learned how to count calories. The client takes a seat facing Rulons desk, and Lydia sits in Rulons chair while he stands behind her. They drop $20 bills on the table for books with personalized inscriptions. Rulon is currently making his profession as a motivational speaker, often appearing as a keynote presenter and event host. He points to some of the younger members of the team and tells them theyre the future. Some kids want it more than others, but few want it as bad as he used to, 20 or 30 years ago. 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 short version, Rulon says, is that he was presented an opportunity to invest in a real estate venture in 2006. [21], Gardner attempted a comeback for the 2012 Olympics[22] but was unable to make the 264.5 pound max weight limit for the U.S. Olympic Trials and therefore ineligible to compete for a position on the Olympic team. He clips his ID to a carpenter loop on his pants. Both will advance to Day 2, starting with the semifinals in the morning, two wins away from the top spot on the podium. And Rulon is thrust into the same conversation hes had with countless strangers over the last 20 years. 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. Its Day 2 of the state tourney. After retiring from his event by adding a bronze medal in the Athens 2004 Olympics, Rulon the wrecking ball Gardner accepted an invitation to compete in a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) bout. Rulon wears many hats and maintains several revenue streams, but from the Got Milk? posters at his speaking engagements to the business cards with his Olympic photo on them, part of his appeal is still simply being Rulon Gardner. You see people that do amazing things, Rulon said, and they sit back and they think that theyre just gonna keep succeeding because of that. But he knows its not always that easy. He also has licensing deals, as well as print and television endorsements. [2] Karelin was previously unbeaten for 13 years in international competition. 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