Rulon Gardner hooks his entire audience from the moment he starts speaking. Highly likable and down-to-earth, he shares fascinating stories about his childhood as an underdog; the extreme training sessions he underwent throughout his wrestling career; his historic Olympic match against Aleksander Karelin; and his incredible survival of two near-death experiences.
Rulon Gardner speaks on turning negative moments into character-building experiences. As a child, he did not have the easiest life. The family barn burnt down leaving him to milk the cows in below-freezing weather; he was often made fun of at school for his learning disability, and his teachers dissuaded him from going to college because they were sure he would fail.
Rulon breaks down the values that have kept him going through the best of times and the worst of times – basic principles that anyone can apply to their lives. Throughout his life, he had a caring family that instilled him with a high work ethic and impressive resilience. “I have a very strong core, a strong subconscious,” he explains. This enabled him “to focus and continue to push every day, not just in wrestling, but in life.”
Categories: Olympics
