Wrestling Hall of Fame induction just part of Rulon Gardner's dream

Rulon Gardner's tale is well-documented. From his early days of wrestling as a youngster in Afton, Wyo., to winning a gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, his rise to heroic icon is one of fairy-tale proportions.

"Everyday, I still look at it like a child would. I still say to myself, 'Wow, is this ever cool. I can't believe it is really happening to me,' " said Gardner from Oklahoma on Friday.

His wrestling took him to places he never imagined, and it brought him fame and glory he only dreamed of receiving. This weekend, that dream continues with his induction into the Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla.

"It really is pretty hard to express how grateful I am for this honor," said Gardner. "I feel so blessed. I never got into wrestling for the glory. I got into it because I thought it was great to be able to get out on the mat and do battle against someone else, to go out and see if all the work you do was enough. I got in it to see if I could really be as good as I thought I could be."

Gardner rose to fame by pulling off one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history when he beat Russian Alexander Karelin for the Greco-Roman wrestling gold medal. Karelin had won the gold in the three previous Games, was undefeated for 13 consecutive years and had not even yielded a single point for more than six years before facing Gardner. The American scored a point in the second round of the gold-medal match and held on for the 1-0 win.

"I don't think anyone expected it," said Gardner, "probably not even myself. I had confidence in myself. I believed, but c'mon, he was who he was for a reason."

Gardner proved his victory wasn't a fluke when he backed it up by winning the World Championships the next year. He endured a well-publicized snowmobiling mishap in which he was stranded and frostbite eventually cost him one of his toes, but even that couldn't stop him.

Gardner fought his way back on the mats and won the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

"I think winning the bronze ranks right up there with my career highlights," he said. "I think it showed the kind of heart I had to come back and continue wrestling."

Gardner now lives in Logan, where he owns and runs the Rulon Garnder Elite Training Center, a 25,000-square-foot gym. He has about 130 kids he helps coach.

"The sport has given so much to me, and I love trying to give something back," said Gardner.

Many would say Gardner already has given plenty. And now, with his induction as a distinguished member of the Wrestling Hall of Fame, the sport is giving him one more gift.

e-mail: mblack@desnews.com