He's a three time national champion in Greco Roman Wrestling. And he hails from Star Valley, Wyoming. Shelley Osterloh introduces us to Rulon Gardner.

And at throwing his competitors to the mat.

Rulon Gardner beat out favorite, two-time Olympian and silver medalist, Matt Ghaffari at the Olympic Trials.

Gardner -- who is the three time USA national winner -- is anxious to go up against the best in the world at the Olympics -- some of whom he's already beaten in other matches.

"I'm going to work harder than the other person. I'm going to stay in position, and I'm going to control them and I'm going to get them tired," he explains. "By the fourth or fifth minute, I want that person's arms to start going numb where he can't physically try to control me anymore."

28-year-old Gardner developed his strength and work ethic on the family farm in Afton, Wyoming.

"I grew up every day of my life waking up at 6:30 in the morning, going out and changing pipes when it's freezing cold. And by noon it's hot and I go out and spray weeds all day, change pipe, get the cows, feed the cows. I worked all day long, so I think we learn how to work here and learn what it takes, I guess, to be successful," Gardner says.

Farming has been a long tradition with the Gardners. Rulon's great-great-grandfather, Archibald Gardner, was a Mormon polygamist who settled and homesteaded Star Valley back in the 1880's.

"The Gardners are all around the valley. There's a lot of Gardner blood around here," he notes.

And plenty of family to come home to. Rulon is the youngest of nine children. Older brother, Rollin, who now operates the family farm, takes credit for Rulon's success.

"All those years of me picking on him, I guess that's what made him so tough," Rollin says.

His father Reed is retired, but his mother, Virginia, still works as nurse.

Reed beams, "We are real happy for him. And we are proud parents."

But it is wife Stacy who supports Rulon while he trains, travels and competes.

"I work full time as a teacher," she says, "And then we just work together so that if he travels, I stay home and take care of the house and the bills so he can travel."

"I kind of always joke, 'Well, my wife sponsors me,'" Rulon adds.

Stacy says, "I told him that I would work six jobs before he ever worked one, so that he could complete his dream."