Amazing Moments in Olympic History: Rulon Gardner

When Rulon Gardner defeated Russian wrestling icon Alexander Karelin at the Sydney  2000 Olympic Games, he pulled off what is now known as the “Miracle on the Mat.’’

The 29-year-old who grew up on a dairy farm in Afton, Wyo., never dreamed he would be remembered for his wrestling, let alone for his Olympic glory.

Up until the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Karelin was well established in the Greco-Roman wrestling world as an invincible opponent. American wrestler Matt Ghaffari had made it his life’s focus to beat Karelin but couldn’t topple the dominant Russian at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.

Entering the 2000 Games, Karelin had been undefeated for the previous 13 years, and he hadn’t lost a point in the previous 10 years. It seemed as if all he had to do was show up in Sydney and collect an Olympic gold medal.

Gardner changed all that when he held his own against his foreign muscular opponent to win the Olympic gold in a thrilling overtime victory in Sydney.

After securing his victory, Gardner became a worldwide phenomenon and was recognized by American and international fans alike. He was well liked by both the media and their audiences because of his jesting, sincere personality. He made his rounds on the media circuit, appearing on NBC-TV’s “Today” show, “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” and an Olympic celebrity edition of the game show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.”

The wrestler made his second and final Olympic appearance in 2004 in Athens, where he earned a bronze medal. Following his final Olympic match, Gardner removed his size-13 shoes and left them in the middle of the mat, a tradition in the wrestling world signifying a competitor’s retirement. Gardner, who was 33 at the time, left the sport with two Olympic gold medals and a world championship.

Gardner grew up on a dairy farm with his eight older siblings. There always were plenty of tasks to be done, so Gardner had a superior work ethic for his young age. Naturally, he and his siblings didn’t always want to do their chores, so he and one of his older brothers would wrestle to see who had the most responsibilities for that day.

Although Gardner had been wrestling since he was 6, he did not make his high school’s wrestling team until he was a senior. As a child, he frequently was picked on for being overweight. His broad size, however, only helped him in his sport, and the late bloomer made the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team.

During his youth, Gardner was your typical little boy. He disappeared and got lost at the most inopportune times, he was accident prone, and he would’ve rather been wrestling than attending to his schoolwork. He overcame a learning disability, and eventually went to the University of Nebraska on a wrestling scholarship.

Although he scored one of the biggest Olympic upsets of all time, Gardner continued to struggle with many challenges. In 2002, two years after the Sydney Games, he got lost while snowmobiling with friends. He spent 18 hours in a -25-degree February night in Wyoming before he was rescued. Because of the frostbite, doctors told him he wouldn’t be using his feet again. He lost a toe, and four surgeries later, he gained back the use of both of his feet.

Before the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Gardner was in a motorcycle accident on his way to wrestling practice in Colorado Springs, Colo. Despite flying over the handlebars, he only had some bruises and a sore right heel.

In 2007, Gardner and two friends were spending the afternoon flying in a small plane. Things went awry when the nose of the plane grazed water and immediately went down. The men spent an hour trying to swim to land in 44-degree water, and they spent the night without shelter. Luckily for them they all survived.

Someone from above is looking out for the two-time Olympic medalist. Gardner’s “Miracle on the Mat” performance certainly is not the only miracle he’s experienced, but it is the one for which he always will be remembered.