The family traces its roots to the earliest settlers of Star Valley. 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 has awards, trophies and plaques, plus T-shirts signed by fellow Olympians. This Time, Rulon Gardner Survived Small Plane Crash. Im happy.. 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. The client takes a seat facing Rulons desk, and Lydia sits in Rulons chair while he stands behind her. That one stung. At the 2000 Olympics, Wyoming native Rulon Gardner shattered global expectations on the wrestling mat. When the high school team needed a new coach soon after that, he got the job. Gardner, trained by Bas Rutten, won the bout via unanimous decision. 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 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. So, how much is Rulon Gardner worth at the age of 51 years old? 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. @RulonGardner. She was 45. Today Im not the person I want to bethe person I should be, he continues. @TeamUSA. My parrot, Gardner jokes. You want me to do a clinic for free? He apologizes to the room for his hoarse voice, which he blames on his coaching. Oh. 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. Under the category of. Its the last official day of the season, but Rulon says now the work really starts. Its a tragedy, Rulon said, fighting back tears as he stood shirtless, addressing his weight in the season premiere. Gardner's snowmobile wreck made a lasting impression on him: He reflects on it frequently, and it has cost him feeling in his feet. Myself, right now, my biggest thing is my weight. Rulon Gardner is a Wrestler, zodiac sign: Leo. In other ways, Rulon has a presence. Theres just one catch: He has so many autographed items, he doesnt know who signed many of them. Speaking to TMZ, he said: "I still wanna give more back to the sport, the sport that I love, and that's wrestling. He knows a few things about planning for the unexpected and would be happy to answer your questions about any type of insurance. Its about that time, Rulon says. 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. BYU-Idaho) in Rexburg, Idaho and as a sophomore won the NJCAA national heavyweight wrestling championship. Rulon Gardner's net worth It opened in November after Gardner spent more than two years trying to . She showed him real estate purchase agreements, contracts and more. Welcome back, a man on the waitstaff said, as Rulon made his way to a table. Rulon Gardners income source is mostly from being a successful Wrestler. 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. Subscribe to @olympics: http://oly.ch/Subscribe American wrestler Rulon Gardner shocks Russian wrestling Legend Aleksandr Karelin to win gold at Sydney 2. Gardner also had something in his eyes Karelin was not expecting: confidence. Not during the night on the mountain waiting for a rescue helicopter to spot him, or the grueling recovery from frostbite and hypothermia. But wrestling was the route Rulon decided to focus on. Youre the coolest, Moses tells him, as they both delight in the excuse to catch up and reminisce about their time on the show. And thats positive.. It may not always be easy, but Rulon has no plans to quit. Think about how its presented to the typical American consumer in TV commercials. He talks to the state qualifiers about visualizing their day. [15] While at Nebraska, Gardner finished fourth in the 275lb. 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. @5PtMove. A friend introduced Rulon to their niece, who just needed a small loan to get more financing. 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. 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. A Golden Opportunity: Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner visits Elko., Ramsey, David. [20], Gardner served as an analyst for NBC Sports coverage of Wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Karelin hadn't lost a match in 13 years and was . After an FBI investigation, she pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering and was sentenced to 34 months in prison. My mom said, Is this the kid that I raised? He has been impaled on an arrow, broken his neck,. "I wanted to be a coach. John Daley Reporting Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner heads to Boston today for a speaking engagement with a new story of survival to tell. The two heavier weights point first to the technique they learned from him. May 31, 2020. Rulon Gardner: The Man Who Wouldn't Die Olympic hero Rulon Gardner has fallen off trucks, tumbled off tractors, and gotten stuck in a baler. 437 Rulon Gardner Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images EDITORIAL All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 437 rulon gardner stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. After several hours in his makeshift shelter, he stopped shivering, which led him to believe that he was dying. He is quiet but he holds peoples attention when hes talking to them. Rulon Gardner has lost 150 pounds and is targeting a comeback Credit: INSTAGRAM. ET. It was a David vs. Goliath showdown that shocked the world. Byers seeks to escape Rulon Gardner's long shadow., Weinberg, Rick. He lifts women up off the ground with one arm, if they want him to, and most of them do. Gardner took the tests required to get his insurance license in 2018. 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. There was an incident in New Zealand, when contestants had just returned to the show after a holiday break, and he needed a chiropractor. As heavier weights, they just have a little more time before their semifinal bouts. They drop $20 bills on the table for books with personalized inscriptions. He and Justin were the heaviest team on the ranch. In November 2018, he and wife Kathleen Kennedy received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, an . And he seems fine with the arrangement. Rulon Ellis Gardner (born August 16, 1971) is an American retired Greco-Roman Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler. He didn't even start wrestling until his freshman year of high school and became a state champ his senior year. 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. There are two Patriots balls, one with the Super Bowl XXXVIII logo and one with signatures from a bunch of players. But Gardner certainly isnt most athletes, and approached his Olympic final believing that second-place would be a satisfactory achievement. Link to: Home Valuation / Home ValuationHome Valuation She used that money to get a loan for $1.2 million, which later had to be repaid with substantial interest and late fees. During his efforts to regain his composure and regroup, he fell into the freezing Salt River with his snowmobile. Near the end of the legendary clash of titans, the chiseled Karelin stepped away from Gardner's fleshy grasp and bowed to the new champion, who was about to become an overnight American celebrity. Rulon Gardner is living a quiet life, just the way he likes it. 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. [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. Gardner is known for his defeat of three-time reigning gold medalist Aleksandr Karelin at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Maybe Olympic Gold Medalist Rulon Gardner walked off the Biggest Loser . SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. 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. 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. 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. 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.. Rulon schmoozes, telling stories and jokes before Lydia steers things back toward business. I wanted to be a better teacher than a wrestler.". But in the end, he found his inner steel. 4 So when Rulon filed for bankruptcy and authorities collected his possession to be auctioned off, they couldnt touch the medal. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. 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. Ryan Thorburn is a sports writer at the Boulder (Colo.) Camera with a degree in journalism from the University of Wyoming. He has appeared at corporate events, celebrity golf tournaments, trade shows, and conventions. He thinks about his journey the past 20 years. However, the future Olympian did not immediately command his sport on the farm or even at Star Valley High School. 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. Gardner won a bronze medal at the 2004 Games. Gardner achieved world notoriety in 2000 when he stunned Russian Greco-Roman legend Alexander Karelin to win the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics. Accessed Jan. 10, 2013 at, Foy, Paul. But the shaved head and approachable demeanor remain. 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. He tells everyone to put their hands in. 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. These are always fun crowds, Gardner says quietly. 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. 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 . All those people who told me I could never get here and get on this stage, Im going to show them. He played the part. According to court documents, they have $3,116 in combined monthly income. I gotta make some changes.. As of 2023, Rulon Gardner's net worth is $100,000 - $1M. But I got the point.". Rulon wrestled his brother Reynold to break up the monotony. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. I try to use it to inspire and get kids motivated to come out for wrestling for us., When he looks back with 20 years of hindsight on the match that first made him a household name, he draws inspiration from Karelin. If anyone above her had made any sort of decision like that, she wouldnt be privy to it. I got my health back, I got my fitness and I got my life back. 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. 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. After 16 weeks on the show, Gardner had lost 173 pounds. The museum is located at 138 S. Washington in Afton. And Rulon is thrust into the same conversation hes had with countless strangers over the last 20 years. April 28, 2011, 9:25 AM PDT. After losing 173lbs, he decided to leave the programme early for personal reasons. Despite facing such dramatic odds against the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of all time, he decided to try and win gold to silence his doubters. Rulon doesnt go up the stairs to his seat during the break, opting instead to stay in the holding pen. Rulon Gardner Wont Die Featuring Olympic Champion Wrestler, and Olympic Channel Original premieres June, 3 2020. 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. Rulon started paying her $24,000 a month. The auction of some of Gardner's most treasured items will seek to pay off debt in a $3.9 million bankruptcy case. 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. 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. Its nice to be able to do this, Gardner says. 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. He also has licensing deals, as well as print and television endorsements. It's been 20 years . WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. He is from . His win made him the only American to ever win both a World and Olympic title in Greco-Roman wrestling. I didnt want to leave.. Karelin tried to break Gardner's will quickly. 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. L-R . 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. Afton welcomed hometown hero Rulon Gardner with a huge parade. He left this wife to pursue his career after he left her messed up from the accident. She presented a business plan that looked solid. 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. In 2010, Rulon was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. And thats the story that he stuck to for nine years. Rulon Gardner was born on 16 August, 1971 in Afton, WY, is an American wrestler and MMA fighter. The 49-year-old wrestler was born in . Instead, he takes each challenge and uses it as a means to improve his life. . 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 also works as an insurance agent at JRI Insurance in Payson, Utah. 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. "So I asked myself, 'Why am I doing this?' He lets the manager of one local insurance outlet put him in a headlock for their photo. [2] Karelin was previously unbeaten for 13 years in international competition. Against harrowing odds, Rulon emerged as the victor. 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. He said, Ill call you tomorrow, Rulon says. He was unable to repeat his 2000 performance, coming away with the Bronze medal, and after his match, he placed his shoes in the middle of the mat as a symbol of retirement from competitive wrestling. @Olympics. 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. After the speeches, assistant coach Rad Martinez gathers everyone in the center of the mat. But the idea of himof Rulon Gardnerbeing a quitter, that one hes ready to put to bed. Keep pushing. Though he concedes he needs to follow his own advice. Nobody bats an eye as the wrestler shoves gauze up his nostril and his practice partner sprays the mat down with disinfectant. Its one in a long line of injuries he has battled throughout 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. Gardner: I'm 43 years old now, and if I'm going to live to, hopefully, be 80 years old, I've got to get healthy. He also declined the opportunity to wrestle in the professional WWE ranks. Rulon Gardner was born on August 16, 1971 in Afton, United States (51 years old). Even the greats can't just walk back into the spotlight and pick up . Gardner competed once in mixed martial arts and in 2005 he became the host for a professional wrestling league called Real Pro Wrestling. Rulon is walking carefully. After falling into the river four times, Rulon was unable to move any farther and he decided to build a shelter and wait for a rescue team. One of his fellow contestants even remarked in a solo confessional to the camera how strange it was not to get a more detailed explanation. They spent the night in freezing temperatures with no fire or shelter. He thinks about headlines in the Star Valley Independent, back in his hometown in Wyoming that was so happy to claim him when things were going well. I can pick them both up if you want, he jokes about his more than 400 pounds combined of state champion wrestlers. Rulon has never dwelled on the negatives in his life. The arena staff rolls up six mats, leaving two in the center of the gym, one for the 5A championships and one for 6A. The problem: She had been fabricating documents, according to the FBI, including the ones she showed Rulon. 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. 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. usurped legendary 3x Olympic & 9x World champion Karelin . Gardner has a little car and a little traveling companion: Gus. Ultimately, his snowmobile became stuck between two large boulders. Its a long story. [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]. 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. 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