Rulon Gardner (born August 16, 1971 in Afton, Wyoming) is an amateur wrestler in the Greco-Roman discipline from the United States. His strength is often attributed to the physical labor on the dairy farm he grew up on. He graduated from Ricks College (BYU-Idaho) with an Associates Degree and the University of Nebraska. He has his teaching credentials in Physical Education, yet he has never taught in the classroom. His love is working with disadvantaged children and is currently making his profession as a motivational speaker. Wrestling has been contested at every Summer Olympic Games since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics except only the 1900 Summer Olympics. ... The 2000 Summer Olympics or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were the Summer Olympic Games held in 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ... At the 2000 Summer Olympics, 2 different Wrestling disciplines were contested: Freestyle Wrestling and Greco-Roman Wrestling. ... The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, were held in Athens, Greece, from August 13 to August 29, 2004. ... Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place in the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall and was split into two disciplines, Freestyle and Greco-Roman which are further divided into different weight categories. ... August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... Afton is a town located in Lincoln County, Wyoming. ... Andrell Durden (top) and Edward Harris grapple for position during the All-Marine Wrestle Offs. ... Alexander Karelin throwing Jeff Blatnick Greco-Roman wrestling is a form of amateur wrestling practiced throughout the world. ... Dairy Farm International Holdings Limited is a retail company in Asia, with her base in Bermuda. ... Name Brigham Young University-Idaho location (main campus) Rexburg, ID 83460 Established November 12, 1888 as Bannock Academy August 10, 2001 as BYU-Idaho Community Urban Type Private coeducational Classification Parochial Religion Owned and closely controlled by the LDS Church Enrollment 10,730 Faculty Not Availble President Robert Wilkes - Interim... Brigham Young University-Idaho (BYU-Idaho, or BYUI) is a four-year university owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter_day Saints, located in Rexburg, Idaho. ... The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a state-supported institution of higher learning located in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. Often referred to as simply Nebraska or UNL, it is the flagship and largest campus of the University of Nebraska system. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Rulon is the youngest of 9 children. Geraldine, Rollin, Evon, Ronald, Russell, Diane, Marcella, Reynold & Rulon have all graduated with bachelors of science degrees from their various institutions.

High School Years

Rulon Gardner attended Star Valley High School in Afton, Wyoming, and was a three-sport letterwinner and standout in football, wrestling, and track&field. He was an All-State selection in both, football and wrestling and was also the 1989 wrestling state heavyweight champion. In track&field, he took second at the state finals in the shotput as a senior. Afton is a town located in Lincoln County, Wyoming. ...

As a wrestler Rulon would have most likely been a two time Wyoming State Wrestling Champion, yet his older brother Reynold was slightly better than he was. Rulon claims it was because Reynold played mental games on him and kept him from the varsity position until Reynold graduated. Reynold was the 1988 Wyoming State Heavyweight Champion and was on the Championship Team from Star Valley. Reynold went on to wrestle at Ricks College (BYU-Idaho) following his missionary service for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the church of which Rulon is also a member. Rulon is a great great-grandson of Archibald Gardner, one of the early settlers of Star Valley, Wyoming. Reynold was a NCJAA All American in 1992 and Heavyweight National Champion in 1993. He then fulfilled a wrestling scholarship at Oregon State University in Corvallis Oregon. Reynold was the 1994 & 1995 PAC 10 Conference Heavyweight Champion. Rulon attributes much of his wrestling success to the early battles that he had with Reynold. The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ... Archibald Gardner was a famous resident of West Jordan, Utah and Star Valley, Wyoming. ...

Junior College Years

Gardner attended Ricks College for two years and as a sophomore, he was the NJCAA national heavyweight wrestling champion. Brigham Young University–Idaho (BYU-Idaho or BYU-I) is a four-year university owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ...

Wrestling career

Gardner is perhaps most well known for his defeat of Alexander Karelin in the 2000 Summer Olympics. Karelin had been undefeated for thirteen years, and had not given up a point in six years, prior to his loss in the gold medal match to Gardner. Alexandr Alexandrovich Karelin, or simply Alexander Karelin, (Russian: Александр Александрович Карелин; born September 19, 1967 in Novosibirsk, Russian SFSR) was a dominant Greco-Roman wrestler for the Soviet Union and later, after its dissolution, for Russia. ... The 2000 Summer Olympics or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were the Summer Olympic Games held in 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ...

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. At the 2004 Olympics, he was unable to repeat his 2000 performance, although he did win a bronze medal. After the bronze medal match, he left his shoes on the mat as a traditional symbol of retirement. Mika Kallios KTM125 racing motorcycle A motorcycle, also called a motorbike or just a bike, is a single-track, two-wheeled vehicle powered by an engine. ... Partial hand amputation For the song Amputations by Death Cab for Cutie, see You Can Play these Songs with Chords Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma (also referred to as avulsion) or surgery. ... The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, were held in Athens, Greece, from August 13 to August 29, 2004. ...

Gardner fighting fellow Olympian Hidehiko Yoshida (gold-medalist in Judo) in mixed martial arts competition

Gardner has since begun competing in mixed martial arts and in 2005 he became the host for a professional wrestling league called Real Pro Wrestling. Image File history File linksMetadata Rulon_Gardner_versus_Hidehiko_Yoshida_at_PRIDE_Shockwave_2004. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Rulon_Gardner_versus_Hidehiko_Yoshida_at_PRIDE_Shockwave_2004. ... Hidehiko Yoshida (吉田秀彦, September 3, 1969-) is a Japanese gold-medalist judoka and MMA fighter. ... Judo , gentle way) is a martial art, combat sport, and philosophy which originated in Japan. ... Mixed martial arts (commonly referred to as MMA) is a combat sport in which two competitors attempt to defeat each other by potentially utilizing a wide variety of fighting techniques, including striking and grappling. ... Mixed martial arts (commonly referred to as MMA) is a combat sport in which two competitors attempt to defeat each other by potentially utilizing a wide variety of fighting techniques, including striking and grappling. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Real Pro Wrestlings Logo. ...

Aside from his Olympic medals, his achievements include:

• U.S. Champion in 1995, 1997, and 2001
• James E. Sullivan Award for amateur athlete of the year, 2001
• Gold medal, World Wrestling Championships, 2001
• Jesse Owens Award, 2001
• United States Olympic Committee Sportsman of the Year, 2001
• ESPY award for U.S. Male Olympic athlete of the year, 2001
• Pan American Games champion, 1998
• World Cup Champion, 1996

The James E. Sullivan Award is awarded annually by the Amateur Athletic Union to the top amateur athlete in the United States. ... James Cleveland Jesse Owens (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete. ... The 10th Anniversary ESPY Award. ...

MMA record

On the 31st December, 2004 Rulon Gardner fought Hidehiko Yoshida in a mixed martial arts 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 medallist in judo. Hidehiko Yoshida (吉田秀彦, September 3, 1969-) is a Japanese gold-medalist judoka and MMA fighter. ... Mixed martial arts (commonly referred to as MMA) is a combat sport in which two competitors attempt to defeat each other by potentially utilizing a wide variety of fighting techniques, including striking and grappling. ... PRIDE Fighting Championships logo PRIDE Fighting Championships (PRIDE or PRIDE FC for short) is a major mixed martial arts organization based in Japan, and currently promoted by Dream Stage Entertainment (DSE). ... PRIDE Shockwave 2004 was a mixed martial arts event held by PRIDE Fighting Championships. ... Judo , gentle way) is a martial art, combat sport, and philosophy which originated in Japan. ...

Gardner won the bout via unnimous decision.

External Links

• Official Website
• Rulon Gardner's page from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
• Rulon Gardner's MMA record
• Rulon Gardner's U.S. Olympic Team bio, featuring a typical day at the Training Center
• Rulon vs. Karelin on YouTube.com
• "Nine minutes: How the Sydney Olympics changed wrestler Rulon Gardner's life", Deseret Morning News, 11 February 2007