July 16, 2000
It seems a lot of good athletes come from Star Valley, Wyoming.
The farming community has had lots of state championship teams in basketball, wrestling and football.
But folks there are thrilled to see one of the their own headed to Sydney for the Olympics.
Olympic Specialist Shelley Osterloh has the story.
Wherever Rulon Gardner goes in Star Valley, he's stopped and congratulated.
Community leaders declared July 4th, "Rulon Gardner Day" and he was the Grand Marshall in the town parade.
Gardner and his wife Stacy live in Colorado Springs, where she works as a school teacher to support his training. But home is Afton, Wyoming, where he grew up on the family farm.
Rulon Gardner, Wrestler: (RULON IS TALKING TO A COW AND SCRATCHING IT'S HEAD) "IT'S TOO GOOD TO GIVE UP, A LITTLE ITCHING LIKE THAT."
Gardner is the youngest of nine children. He owes much of his success to lessons learned on the farm.
Rulon Gardner, Wrestler: "GROWING UP IN THE FARM, I HAD TO LEARN, HEY, EITHER YOU GET THE MILKING DONE EARLY OR YOU GET IT DONE LATE, IT DOESN'T' MATTER, YOU GOTTA GET IT DONE."
Gardner's older brother now runs the family farm. His father is retired, his mother works as a nurse. They are very proud.
Virginia Gardner, Mother: "IT'S BEEN A DREAM THAT HE'S HAD AND HE JUST KEPT WORKING AT IT.... I GET A LITTLE EMOTIONAL."
At the Olympic trials, the 28-year-old wrestler beat out two-time Olympian and silver medalist, Matt Ghafarri.
Now the heavy weight Greco Roman wrestler is gearing up for Sydney, and trying to raise money to get his family there, too.
Rulon Gardner, Wrestler: "RIGHT NOW IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I GET MY FAMILY AND MY PARENTS THERE, TO HELP SUPPORT ME, BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO HAVE A CHEERING SECTION, BECAUSE A CHEERING SECTION DOES MAKE A LOT OF CHANGES."
Gardner says he can win a medal, but its not the only goal.
Rulon Gardner, Wrestler: "THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO BE SATISFIED WITH WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE SOME OLYMPIC GOLD AND I CAN SAY, 'GEE, I DID ACHIEVE THE ULTIMATE GOAL TO BE THE BEST IN THIS WORLD.'"
And this small town Wyoming farm boy will be put the test against best, in September.
Rulon Gardner's friends and family are working on several fundraisers to get enough money to send his wife and parents.
And some of the local merchants in Star Valley have contributed.
Shelley will bring us more about Gardner, his past and his dreams for the future, from Sydney.
