World famous farm boy

Before Greco-Roman wrestler Rulon Gardner shocked the world and upset Russian Aleksandr Karelin to win the gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, a friend gave him a little warning.

"He said, 'Hey, if you beat Aleksandr, you'll be the man,' " Gardner recalled on Thursday afternoon. "I said, 'Yeah, yeah OK. Whatever.' This was before I wrestled and I beat him. I called him the next day and said, 'Hey, how's it going? Has anybody heard?' He goes, 'You don't know what you've done to us here. You have no idea what you've just done. It's nonstop. People calling; people talking about you.' "

They haven't stopped.

Gardner is one of about 2,500 wrestlers in town competing at the MGM Grand United States Wrestling Championships that started Thursday and conclude Saturday. Wrestlers are competing in the freestyle, Greco-Roman women's nationals, Western Junior Regional Greco-Roman and Veteran's nationals and Western Junior freestyle categories.

Since his epic victory, Gardner has appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Good Morning America to discuss his feat.

He's had the likes of Arizona pitcher Randy Johnson, NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer and golfer Tiger Woods tell him how much he has inspired them.

Not bad for a small town guy who grew up the youngest of nine children with a learning disability and was almost held back from first grade.

"It's too big, beyond me," Gardner said of the attention while signing a stack of photographs. "You know, I'm from a dairy farm in Wyoming."

He paused before adding, "There were 130 people in my graduating class. The biggest thing in my hometown is the cheese factory. I live an hour from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, up in Yellowstone.

"This is beyond me, that's why I say I'm blessed by the Lord. Very blessed."

Gardner, the youngest son of Reed and Virginia Gardner, grew up in Afton, Wyo., population 1,500.

As a child, he spent many hours working on the farm. At school, he was a slow reader and was enrolled in the special education program even while he attended the University of Nebraska.

It's no wonder the country and much of the world have embraced him.

"You go through life and there are small moments, but there is one moment that transforms a person," he said. "The Olympic moment, that was my moment."

The three-time national champion has appeared in the national "Got Milk" print ad campaign and is featured in a new Dr. Scholls commercial. In February, he was awarded the ESPY for top 2000 Male Olympic Athlete.

Gardner has put his celebrity to good use.

He has given motivational speeches at various schools and banquets, conducted wrestling camps and raised $125,000 for the Generations Foundation as a guest on the hit game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

In honor of one of his brothers, Ronald, who died of a rare form of anemia, Gardner has founded a Miracle on the Mat foundation to research possible cures for rare and deadly diseases.

Though he has been on the road since Sept. 7 touring the country, Gardner still marvels at the way people have responded to him. And sometimes, he still wonders what all the fuss is about.

After all, he sees himself as "the same old knucklehead" he was before the Olympics, one who still loves wrestling and will continue to wrestle for as long as he can.

"People wonder why I want to continue wrestling, even though, maybe I've accomplished the ultimate high," Gardner said. "Personally inside myself, I still have a lot of dreams, goals and aspirations.

"If I quit wrestling after Sydney, I think I would have lost a part of who I am. Because even though I could have said, well, I quit on the top, it's not always about being on top. It's about doing your best because you're personally satisfied."

That will be the approach he takes this weekend.

Gardner is the defending champion in the 286-pound heavyweight class.

The top seven finishers here in men's Greco-Roman, top six in men's freestyle and top eight women's freestyle place winners will qualify for the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials in Cincinnati, June 21-24.

The first-place wrestler in each of those categories will receive a bye at the team trials, and the top wrestler from the team trials will advance to the World Championships in New York City Sept. 26-29.

Defending women's world champion Kristie Marano is recovering from a shoulder injury.

Marano, who has only been wrestling for six years, said she is looking forward to competing again.

"I have everything to gain this year," Marano said. "I think I'm 90-95 percent healthy."

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