He has a torch from the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, which he got to carry right before his snowmobile accident. 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. Oh, do you know who he is? Rulons coworker asks his client. Gardner practices twice a day while being coached by Steve Fraser, who won America's first Greco-Roman gold, back in 1984. 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. As hes unpacked boxes in his new home and found items he barely remembers receiving, some have made it to JRI. Thankfully, Rulon's mom and dad were always telling him that with prayer and persistence he could find the strength to do anything. His opponent in the 130kg Greco-Roman final was The Russian bear Aleksandr Karelin, a three-time Olympic champion who had not lost an international bout in 13 years. Theres things that need to be addressed in my life back home, Rulon told the camera after his announcement. He pulls a few aside individually and talks to them about being the ones wearing medals next year. ], Cara Castronuova was a trainer on the show for only one season, which happened to be Rulons. He laments how people saw his name and the word bankruptcy in headlines and assumed the worst. Gardner served as an analyst for NBC Sports coverage of Wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He is a member of famous Wrestler with the age 51 years old group. Gardner won a bronze medal at the 2004 Games. He was an All-State selection in both football and wrestling, and was also the 1989 Wyoming wrestling state heavyweight champion. His word carries sway and people love to talk. So hell need yet another implant, but theres just no time during the season. Its the second week of February and Coach Gardnerhis kids just call him Rulonhas four high-schoolers in the Utah 6A State Championships. Rulons office handles the gamut of insurance types, and hes become well-versed in life, health, property, casualty, home and auto. If it was an 8-0 tech in the first period then sure but maybe he . Rulon's wrestling career began when he was six years old. Photo courtesy Olympic Channel. Its Day 2 of the state tourney. Gardner was also irritated by some of the sniping from fellow contestants. [20], Gardner served as an analyst for NBC Sports coverage of Wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Rulon says he was a victim, and the paper trail backs him up. My voice is a little scraggly because I care, he tells them, to some polite chuckles. [1], Gardner was born in Afton, Wyoming. He also works as an insurance agent at JRI Insurance in Payson, Utah. Thats awesome, she said. 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. Rulon Gardner is a Wrestler, zodiac sign: Leo. He nearly died of hypothermia after suffering in the elements for 17 hours. According to court documents, they have $3,116 in combined monthly income. In one photo, egged on by the people around him, Rulon grabs both state champs in playful headlocks, one under each arm. His body reminds him of the first time they wrestled each other, the semifinals of the 1997 world championships, when Karelin dropped Gardner on his head and broke two bones in his neck. I was offered millions by the WWE to compete for them and I turned it down, Gardner said. Im happy.. He competed at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won the gold medal in 2000, defeating Russia's Aleksandr Karelin in the final. My wife [who has experience as a fitness and weight-loss instructor], she . Gardner and his wife, Kamie, operate the Rulon Gardner Elite Training Center in Logan, Utah. 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. ET. Few knew the ironic twist, the only reason he even had a chance to earn back his medal. It helps me get back on my feet and take on the world again.. But he also knows hes Rulon Gardner. Karelin tried to break Gardner's will quickly. He points to some of the younger members of the team and tells them theyre the future. Herriman has a section in the arenas upper deck for teammates, parents and supporters. Rulon is wearing the same short-sleeved, button-down shirt from the speech in New Jersey. Gardner attended junior college at Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) in Rexburg, Idaho, and as a sophomore won the NJCAA national heavyweight wrestling championship. "When you have a goal like wrestling it makes you get into shape, so I've lost a . he missed his wife, he had . 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. "And I told him that the other day. Subscribe to @olympics: http://oly.ch/Subscribe American wrestler Rulon Gardner shocks Russian wrestling Legend Aleksandr Karelin to win gold at Sydney 2. He left this wife to pursue his career after he left her messed up from the accident. You gotta get up!. The finals are a spectacle. 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. Gardner is a thrill-seeker, and later on that year was involved in a motorcycle accident. Hes a natural people pleaser, but now he asks for things in return. Today Im not the person I want to bethe person I should be, he continues. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. But policy is policy. "I wasnt a great wrestler in college, but I wanted to be," Gardner said. Jack gets out to an early lead, but is pinned despite being ahead in points. WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. Someday the book will come out, Gardner says. In January 2011, he was announced as a contestant on season 11 of the American reality television show, The Biggest Loser. But theres also a football signed by John Elway, Steve Young, Warren Moon and some smudged names that are harder to make out. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life, he says. So, how much is Rulon Gardner worth at the age of 51 years old? Each mat is set up the same. These are always fun crowds, Gardner says quietly. He currently resides in Afton, Wyoming. And he seems fine with the arrangement. Thats his daily motivation. But wrestling was the route Rulon decided to focus on. But Rulon has lived 49 years now, and not all have been as kind as that brief stretch after he became famous overnight, going from total unknown to Leno and Conan guest in a span of 10 days. Turns out, it was the first miracle of many. He says Bob wanted to stay in touch and keep helping him live healthier. The 51-year-old wrestler was born in . Gardner became an Olympic legend for his performance during the 2000 Games in Sydney. @TeamUSA. Little do you know whats coming up in life.. Rulon learned about hard work and determination which became core values in Rulon Gardners life. His wife is Kamie Gardner (m. 2008) Rulon Gardner Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. In track and field, as a senior, he took second at the state finals in the shot put. 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. Herriman High has back-to-back state champs. He knows a few things about planning for the unexpected and would be happy to answer your questions about any type of insurance. She was 45. Its horrifying for me and my family.. Rulon gives his incoming wrestler a high-five, then high-fives his state champ and match No. But thats how the story has always gone. He found success, and a new community that believed in him, in the athletics arena. Rulon came back to the Olympics in 2004 to defend his title and took home the Bronze medal. 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. The culprit: one of his own wrestlers. All Rights Reserved. Yoshida, in addition to being an Olympic gold medalist in judo, was a highly successful MMA fighter. Here comes Traycee, running in to compete on the same mat. 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. His first major accident happened when Gardner was in elementary school, and had his abdomen punctured by an arrow during a show and tell. L-R . He was afraid that he would lose both of his feet, but fortunately, he only lost his right toe to amputation. The auction of some of Gardner's most treasured items will seek to pay off debt in a $3.9 million bankruptcy case. To put it in perspective, Rulon Gardner was a first-timer at the Olympics that year. He strolls past a crowd of high school girls, and none of them even turn their heads to notice him as his towering figure walks through the rows of narrow red lockers, and hangs a left toward the wrestling room. 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 here! he tells him. Rulon doesnt like wearing his badge on a lanyard that chokes his neck, so he tries to avoid it. After the Athens Olympics, Rulon had gained 210 pounds, culminating in total body weight of 474 pounds. He was on The Biggest Loser, hosted by Jillian Michaels. Curbs can be trouble if hes not watching his landing spot. 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. Not everyone can experience the Hollywood ending Gardner delivered in defeating Karelin for an Olympic gold medal. He wants the best for all his kids. Rulon currently serves as the head wrestling coach at Herriman High School in Utah. The arena explodes as the referee slaps the mat to signal a pin, and Rulon claps excitedly. 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. 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. He was rescued the next morning, but hypothermia and frostbite meant that he lost a toe. 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. Karelin was previously unbeaten for 13 years in international competition. Hes seen countless gyms from his hometown in Wyoming to the University of Nebraska to the USA Wrestling Olympic training center. 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. Getting healthy and keeping the weight down. "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. He competed at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won the gold medal in 2000, defeating Russia's Aleksandr Karelin in the final. Rulon Ellis Gardner (born August 16, 1971) is an American retired Greco-Roman Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler. During his efforts to regain his composure and regroup, he fell into the freezing Salt River with his snowmobile. At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, Gardner was back on the big stage and brought back a bronze medal. He has awards, trophies and plaques, plus T-shirts signed by fellow Olympians. With the crowd now engaged and rooting the long shot on with "USA!" Up from the speech in new Jersey 's Aleksandr Karelin to win at... Was a first-timer at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics in Athens,,... 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