Rulon Gardner
Encyclopedia
Rulon Gardner is an American
Olympian who competed in the 2000 Olympic games, winning the gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling
upon defeating Russian Aleksandr Karelin, who was previously undefeated in 13 years of international competition. Gardner was also a contestant on the 11th season of the Biggest Loser
.
, Wyoming
. He is the son of Reed and Virginia Gardner and the last of nine children. His second great grandfather was Archibald Gardner
, who was one of the early settlers of Star Valley, Wyoming. He attributes his strength to the physical labor that he performed growing up and working on the family's dairy farm.
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 getting stranded after a snowmobile accident.
He is currently making his profession as a motivational speaker
, often appearing as a keynote presenter and event host. He has appeared at corporate events, celebrity golf tournaments, trade shows, and conventions. He also has licensing deals, as well as print and television endorsements.
After the Athens Olympics
, Gardner gained 210 pounds, culminating in a total body weight of 474 pounds. In January 2011, he was announced as a contestant on season 11
of the American reality television show, The Biggest Loser
. After 16 weeks on the show, Gardner had lost 173 pounds. Gardner shocked the trainers, staff, and contestants on the April 26th episode by announcing he would be leaving the show "for personal reasons", and left the show without a final weigh-in. He is the only contestant to quit in the history of the show. He did not appear on the final episode of the season, except in the background of scenes of other contestants.
, when he was punctured in his abdomen with an arrow
.
In 2002, Gardner went snowmobiling with some friends in the mountains surrounding Star Valley
, Wyoming
. At one point, he became separated from the group. During his efforts to regain his composure and regroup, he fell into the freezing Salt River
with his snowmobile
. Unable to move any further, Gardner decided to build a shelter and wait for a rescue team. He remained stranded for the next 18 hours. After several hours in his makeshift shelter, he stopped shivering, which led him to believe that he was dying. When he was eventually rescued, he was experiencing hypothermia and severe frostbite. Due to the physical damage, a saw had to be used to remove his boots. 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. He told his story on a first season episode of I Survived...
.
On 24 February 2007, Gardner and two other men survived a crash when a light aircraft he was traveling in crashed into Lake Powell
, Utah
. The men swam an hour in 44 °F (7 °C) water to reach shore, and then spent the night without shelter. None of the three sustained life-threatening injuries.
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. He was an All-State selection in both football and wrestling, and was also the 1989 wrestling state heavyweight champion. In track and field, as a senior, he took second at the state finals in the shot put
.
College years
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 then earned a wrestling scholarship to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While at Nebraska, Gardner finished fourth in the 275 lb. weight class at the 1993 NCAA Championships, earning All-American honors. He graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
with a bachelor's degree
in physical education. He attended both Ricks and Nebraska on wrestling
scholarships.
(Aleksandr) in the 2000 Summer Olympics
. 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.
In 2001, Gardner added a world championship to his list of accomplishments with a victory in the finals over Mihaly Deak-Bardos of Hungary. His win made him the only American to ever win both a World and Olympic title in Greco-Roman wrestling.
After the 2000 Olympics he suffered a series of injuries from both a snowmobiling and motorcycle
accident. 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
. He was not able 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 is a symbol of retirement from competitive wrestling.
Gardner competed once in mixed martial arts
and in 2005 he became the host for a professional wrestling league called Real Pro Wrestling
.
Gardner served as an analyst for NBC Sports
coverage of Wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics
.
In April 2011 it was reported by USA Today that Gardner was considering a comeback for the 2012 Olympics.
in a mixed martial arts
(MMA) bout for the Pride Fighting Championships at an event named PRIDE Shockwave 2004
. Yoshida, in addition to being an MMA fighter, was a former Olympic gold medalist in judo
. Gardner, trained by Bas Rutten
, won the bout via unanimous decision.
Mixed martial arts record
|-
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Date
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Result
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Record
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Opponent
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Event
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Method
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Round, Time
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Notes
|-
|Dec 31, 2004
|Win
|1-0
|
Hidehiko Yoshida
|PRIDE Shockwave 2004
|Decision (Unanimous)
|Round 3, 5:00
|-
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Olympian who competed in the 2000 Olympic games, winning the gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling
Greco-Roman wrestling
Greco-Roman wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practised worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908. Two wrestlers are scored for their performance in three two-minute periods, which can...
upon defeating Russian Aleksandr Karelin, who was previously undefeated in 13 years of international competition. Gardner was also a contestant on the 11th season of the Biggest Loser
The Biggest Loser: Couples 4
The Biggest Loser: Couples 4 is the eleventh season of the NBC reality television series entitled The Biggest Loser. The contestants competed to win a $250,000 prize, which was awarded to Olivia Ward, the contestant with the highest percentage of weight loss. It premiered on January 4, 2011...
.
Personal background
Rulon Gardner was born on August 16, 1971 in AftonAfton, Wyoming
Afton is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,818 at the 2000 census.Afton is home to the world's largest elk horn arch...
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. He is the son of Reed and Virginia Gardner and the last of nine children. His second great grandfather was Archibald Gardner
Archibald Gardner
Archibald Gardner was a 19th century pioneer and businessman who helped establish communities in Alvinston, Ontario, Canada, West Jordan, Utah and Star Valley, Wyoming based on flour mills and lumber mills...
, who was one of the early settlers of Star Valley, Wyoming. He attributes his strength to the physical labor that he performed growing up and working on the family's dairy farm.
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 getting stranded after a snowmobile accident.
He is currently making his profession as a motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
, often appearing as a keynote presenter and event host. He has appeared at corporate events, celebrity golf tournaments, trade shows, and conventions. He also has licensing deals, as well as print and television endorsements.
After the Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, Gardner gained 210 pounds, culminating in a total body weight of 474 pounds. In January 2011, he was announced as a contestant on season 11
The Biggest Loser: Couples 4
The Biggest Loser: Couples 4 is the eleventh season of the NBC reality television series entitled The Biggest Loser. The contestants competed to win a $250,000 prize, which was awarded to Olivia Ward, the contestant with the highest percentage of weight loss. It premiered on January 4, 2011...
of the American reality television show, The Biggest Loser
The Biggest Loser
The Biggest Loser is an American reality game show that debuted on NBC October 19, 2004. The show features obese people competing to win a cash prize by losing the highest percentage of weight relative to their initial weight....
. After 16 weeks on the show, Gardner had lost 173 pounds. Gardner shocked the trainers, staff, and contestants on the April 26th episode by announcing he would be leaving the show "for personal reasons", and left the show without a final weigh-in. He is the only contestant to quit in the history of the show. He did not appear on the final episode of the season, except in the background of scenes of other contestants.
Personal tragedies
When Gardner was in elementary school, he was injured during a class show-and-tellShow and tell (education)
Show and tell is the process of showing an audience something and telling them about it, predominantly in North America and also popular in Australia. It is usually done in a classroom as an early elementary school technique for teaching young children the skills of public speaking...
, when he was punctured in his abdomen with an arrow
Arrow
An arrow is a shafted projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.An arrow usually consists of a shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other.- History:...
.
In 2002, Gardner went snowmobiling with some friends in the mountains surrounding Star Valley
Star Valley
Star Valley is located in the United States between the Salt River Range in western Wyoming and the Webster Range of eastern Idaho. The altitude of the valley ranges from to . Three major Wyoming rivers, the Salt River, the Greys River and the Snake River meet near Alpine Junction at Palisades...
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. At one point, he became separated from the group. During his efforts to regain his composure and regroup, he fell into the freezing Salt River
Salt River (Wyoming)
The Salt River is an river draining a valley in Lincoln County in western Wyoming. It is named for several exposed beds of salt and briny salt springs of up 60% pure salt in Idaho that drains into the Salt River via Stump Creek. The Salt River valley was a popular destination for Indians and later...
with his snowmobile
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
. Unable to move any further, Gardner decided to build a shelter and wait for a rescue team. He remained stranded for the next 18 hours. After several hours in his makeshift shelter, he stopped shivering, which led him to believe that he was dying. When he was eventually rescued, he was experiencing hypothermia and severe frostbite. Due to the physical damage, a saw had to be used to remove his boots. 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. He told his story on a first season episode of I Survived...
I Survived...
I Survived... is a documentary television series produced by NHNZ that airs on The Biography Channel. The series premiered on March 24, 2008 and airs new episodes Sunday nights. The show allows survivors to explain, in their own words, how they overcame life-threatening circumstances without...
.
On 24 February 2007, Gardner and two other men survived a crash when a light aircraft he was traveling in crashed into Lake Powell
Lake Powell
Lake Powell is a huge reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona . It is the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States behind Lake Mead, storing of water when full...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. The men swam an hour in 44 °F (7 °C) water to reach shore, and then spent the night without shelter. None of the three sustained life-threatening injuries.
Educational background
High schoolGardner attended Star Valley High School
Star Valley High School
Star Valley High School is a high school located in rural Afton, Lincoln County, Wyoming, and one of two high schools in Lincoln County School District Number 2, along with Cokeville High School...
in Afton, Wyoming, and was a three-sport letter winner and standout in football, wrestling, and track and field. He was an All-State selection in both football and wrestling, and was also the 1989 wrestling state heavyweight champion. In track and field, as a senior, he took second at the state finals in the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
.
College years
Gardner attended junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
at Ricks College
Brigham Young University–Idaho
Brigham Young University–Idaho is a private university located in Rexburg, Idaho. Founded in 1888, the university is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and transitioned from a junior college to a four-year institution in 2001, known for the greater part of its...
(now BYU-Idaho) in Rexburg, Idaho
Rexburg, Idaho
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,257 people, 4,274 households, and 2,393 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,534.4 people per square mile . There were 4,533 housing units at an average density of 928.4 per square mile...
and as a sophomore won the NJCAA national heavyweight wrestling championship. He then earned a wrestling scholarship to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While at Nebraska, Gardner finished fourth in the 275 lb. weight class at the 1993 NCAA Championships, earning All-American honors. He graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska...
with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in physical education. He attended both Ricks and Nebraska on wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
scholarships.
2000 Summer Olympics
Gardner is most well known for his defeat of Alexander KarelinAlexander Karelin
Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Karelin, or simply Alexander Karelin, is a Hero of the Russian Federation and was a dominant Greco-Roman wrestler for the Soviet Union and later, after its dissolution, for Russia. He won gold medals at the 1988, 1992, and 1996 Olympic Games...
(Aleksandr) in the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. 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.
In 2001, Gardner added a world championship to his list of accomplishments with a victory in the finals over Mihaly Deak-Bardos of Hungary. His win made him the only American to ever win both a World and Olympic title in Greco-Roman wrestling.
After the 2000 Olympics he suffered a series of injuries from both a snowmobiling and motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
accident. These injuries included an amputated
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
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
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. He was not able 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 is a symbol of retirement from competitive wrestling.
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
and in 2005 he became the host for a professional wrestling league called Real Pro Wrestling
Real Pro Wrestling
Real Pro Wrestling was a professional sports league of wrestling, similar to the amateur wrestling found in the Olympic Games and at the college and high school level...
.
Gardner served as an analyst for NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
coverage of Wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Wrestling competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, were held at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium from August 12–21, 2008. It was split into two disciplines, Freestyle and Greco-Roman which are further divided into different weight categories...
.
In April 2011 it was reported by USA Today that Gardner was considering a comeback for the 2012 Olympics.
Mixed martial arts
On December 31, 2004, Gardner fought Hidehiko YoshidaHidehiko Yoshida
is a Japanese gold-medalist judoka and retired mixed martial artist. He is a long time veteran of Japan's Pride Fighting Championships, competing in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, also managing to fight in the semi-finals in the Pride 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix...
in a mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
(MMA) bout for the Pride Fighting Championships at an event named PRIDE Shockwave 2004
PRIDE Shockwave 2004
Pride Shockwave 2004 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. The event took place at the Saitama Super Arena on December 31st, 2004...
. Yoshida, in addition to being an MMA fighter, was a former Olympic gold medalist in judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
. Gardner, trained by Bas Rutten
Bas Rutten
Sebastiaan "Bas" Rutten is a retired Dutch mixed martial artist, Karate and Taekwondo blackbelt, and kickboxer. He was a UFC Heavyweight Champion, a three time King of Pancrase world champion, and finished his career on a 22 fight unbeaten streak...
, won the bout via unanimous decision.
Mixed martial arts record
|-
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Date
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Result
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Record
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Opponent
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Event
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Method
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Round, Time
! style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#e3e3e3;"|Notes
|-
|Dec 31, 2004
|Win
|1-0
|
Hidehiko YoshidaHidehiko Yoshida
is a Japanese gold-medalist judoka and retired mixed martial artist. He is a long time veteran of Japan's Pride Fighting Championships, competing in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, also managing to fight in the semi-finals in the Pride 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix...
|PRIDE Shockwave 2004
PRIDE Shockwave 2004
Pride Shockwave 2004 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. The event took place at the Saitama Super Arena on December 31st, 2004...
|Decision (Unanimous)
|Round 3, 5:00
|-
Honors and awards
Aside from his Olympic medals, his achievements include:- U.S. Champion in 1995, 1997, and 2001
- James E. Sullivan AwardJames E. Sullivan AwardThe James E. Sullivan Award, presented by the American Amateur Athletic Union , is awarded annually in April to "the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States". Often referred to as the Oscar of sports awards, it was first presented in 1930. The award is named for the AAU's founder and past...
for amateur athlete of the year, 2001 - Gold medal, World Wrestling Championships, 2001
- Jesse OwensJesse OwensJames Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprints and the long jump. He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the...
Award, 2001 - United States Olympic Committee Sportsman of the Year, 2001
- ESPY awardESPY AwardsAn ESPY Award is an accolade presented by the American cable television network ESPN to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. The first ESPYs were awarded in 1993...
for U.S. Male Olympic athlete of the year, 2001 - Pan American Games champion, 1998
- World Cup Champion, 1996
- Inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, 2010
Published works
- Gardner, Rulon and Bob Schaller (contributor). Never Stop Pushing: My Life from a Wyoming Farm to the Olympic Medals Stand, Da Capo Press; First Edition edition, 2005. ISBN 978-0786715930
External links
- Olympic profile at sports-reference.com
- 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", Deseret Morning NewsDeseret Morning NewsThe Deseret News is a newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is Utah's oldest continuously published daily newspaper. It has the second largest daily circulation in the state behind The Salt Lake Tribune. The Deseret News is owned by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of...
, 11 February 2007 - Gardner's Biggest Loser profile