His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Thats how thick the NDA was, he says. 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. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life, he says. 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'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. When the new section opens to spectators, theres a mad scramble to race down the stairs and claim the best seats. 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. Curbs can be trouble if hes not watching his landing spot. 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. But so many people in so many hundreds of matches have thought that, then they go out and he basically crushes them.". 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. Each mat is set up the same. Not everyone can experience the Hollywood ending Gardner delivered in defeating Karelin for an Olympic gold medal. Far from hindering his life, his size became his superpower. weight class at the 1993 NCAA Championships, earning All-American honors. "Rulon Gardner Won't Die" Featuring Olympic Champion Wrestler to Premiere on 3 June 2020 . Rulon doesnt go up the stairs to his seat during the break, opting instead to stay in the holding pen. "The gold medal was so far away from what I thought I could do in my life. "But I always wrestle kind of unorthodox, and our feet got tangled and I got under him. There is one tangible positive in Rulons life as a direct result of his appearance on The Biggest Loser. Another client comes out of a meeting with one of Rulons coworkers, and on the way out the door he spots the heavyweight. But Gardner certainly isnt most athletes, and approached his Olympic final believing that second-place would be a satisfactory achievement. Gardner attended junior college at Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) in Rexburg, Idaho, and as a sophomore won the NJCAA national heavyweight wrestling championship. These proved to be particularly important as Rulon embraced numerous challenges in his life. Rulon participated in this from six years old until he started junior high school at 12 years old. 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. But hes a recognizable customer, and several other diners came up to tell Rulon they were fans or he was an inspiration as they passed by his table on their way to and from the buffet. Before the 2004 Olympic Trials he was in a motorcycle accident and then dislocated his right wrist punching the bleachers after losing his cool during a pickup basketball game. So hell need yet another implant, but theres just no time during the season. I learned how to count calories. You want me to do a clinic for free? There are rows of pull-up bars and headshots of wrestlers whove qualified for the Utah state tournament in years past. Rulon Gardner was born on the 16th of August, 1971. In one photo, egged on by the people around him, Rulon grabs both state champs in playful headlocks, one under each arm. Rulon moseys around and cant stop himself from giving advice to some of the wrestlers on other teams. Practically speaking, he is coaching more than that. Olympic gold medalist and (until recently) presumed "Biggest Loser" frontrunner Rulon Gardner has something to say about his sudden and shocking voluntary exit . He said, Ill call you tomorrow, Rulon says. He earned a football scholarship to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His first wife is believed to be Zola. He is the son of Reed and Virginia Gardner and the last of nine children. After several hours in his makeshift shelter, he stopped shivering and started having visions, which led him to believe that he was probably dying. Im the eye candy, Rulon jokes. To get back to that weight. At the time, Rulon and his then wife were operating a gym in Logan, Utah, and Justin was an investor. He then earned a scholarship to attend the University of NebraskaLincoln. At the 2000 Olympics, Wyoming native Rulon Gardner shattered global expectations on the wrestling mat. He had a toe amputated due to frostbite, but the ordeal did not derail his wrestling career. (He notes the irony, again, of him being a spokesman for safety.) They clear the floor and the jumbotron hanging from the ceiling lists which bouts will begin on which mats. Thats the experienceand the last time most people have seen him on the public stagehe says is most misunderstood. [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. Im not gonna just sit down and take whatever happens.. American Olympian who competed in the 2000 Olympic games in Greco-Roman wrestling, winning a gold medal in the 130 kg weight class. You say, 'Yeah, I can beat him.' There are two Patriots balls, one with the Super Bowl XXXVIII logo and one with signatures from a bunch of players. Gardner, trained by Randy Couture at Team Quest, won the bout via unanimous decision. The film immediately follows broadcast coverage of the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials ( full TV/stream schedule here ). 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. Their contingent leaves the mat and the two teammates save their most excited celebration for each other. And Ive never heard a word. Its been nine years. "This is my last time on the scale," Gardner said during the episode's weigh-in. Ultimately, his snowmobile became stuck between two large boulders. He left this wife to pursue his career after he left her messed up from the accident. The frostbitten night on the mountain cost him a toe, after which he recovered to win a bronze medal in Athens in 2004a feat thats as much a part of his legacy as the gold in Sydney. 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. Just an Olympic champion, quietly watching the high-schoolers competing in front of him, chatting only when somebody new sidles up next to him and starts a conversation. Rulon's wrestling career began when he was six years old. Gardner attended junior college at Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) in Rexburg, Idaho and as a sophomore won the NJCAA national heavyweight wrestling championship. He finished his college career at the University of Nebraska, finishing fourth at the 1993 NCAA championships and departing Lincoln with a bachelor's degree in physical education and health. Rulon plays the Dont you know who I am? cardbut, seriously, dont you know who he is? Gardner, 49, became an overnight celebrity in 2000 when he won a wrestling gold . 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. And all the accomplishments that hes had, and all the stories that he tells, it all couldnt happen to a better person. Its an empty feeling every wrestler knows, including Rulon, who puts a hand on his wrestlers shoulder, looks him in the eye and delivers a reassuring message. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? 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. Aside from his Olympic medals, his achievements include: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He outlasted 15 contestants and shed 173 pounds, looking notably trimmer and more fit at 301 in his last official weight check. Gardner became famous as a Wyoming farm boy, but his Mormon family has ties back to Utah for generations. In 2002, Rulon faced a serious life-threatening situation. [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. 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. 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. "I wanted to be a coach. displays the regions early history. For more information: RyanThorburn.com. Theres a curly-headed heavyweight from Fremont High, Weston Warr, whom Rulon has taken a liking to after theyve spoken at a few tournaments throughout the last two seasons. Gardner owns two of them. Rulon Gardner Won't Die: Directed by Adam Irving. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. The night before the tournament, he stopped at a buffet restaurant for dinner. 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 . After the finals, the arena lights come on and the whole Herriman cheering section swarms the group on the floor. Rulon Ellis Gardner (born August 16, 1971) is an American retired Greco-Roman Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler. You can say Im stupid or Im stubborn because I think anything is possible, he said. Instead, he takes each challenge and uses it as a means to improve his life. 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. Rulon Gardner. Cows roam beyond a fence in his backyard, visible from a driveway that runs alongside his house to a fleet of cars in the backa Ford Excursion, Ford F-250, Dodge Durango and the beloved VW Beetle. Months after winning his gold medal, Rulon's toe was amputated . He remained stranded for the next 18 hours. Rulon signed up with his friend Justin Pope, a fellow wrestler (who beat Rulon in junior high) and long-time friend. He isnt supposed to talk about it. 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. Someday the book will come out, Gardner says. Rulon has to toe the line. He graduated from the University of NebraskaLincoln with a bachelor's degree in physical education. He talks to the state qualifiers about visualizing their day. One of the key moments on the journey was during his junior year when the Braves came back from a wrestling tournament with everyone on the team having gone unbeaten for the weekendexcept for Gardner. A Golden Opportunity: Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner visits Elko., Ramsey, David. The office sits in a strip of brick storefronts, and the front door opens to a wall of pristine, snowcapped mountains. 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. This is not LeBron James sitting courtside at his sons basketball game, jovially stepping onto the court, with everyone in the gym streaming his every reaction online. 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