Rulon Gardner won the Olympic gold medal for Greco Roman wrestling at the 2000 games in Sydney and became the pride of a nation and a new American hero. In an amazing contest of rookie versus veteran, and the US versus Russia, Rulon captivated the world when he took the gold from three-time Olympic gold medalist Alexander Karelin. His achievement truly embodies what it means to be a champion - his determination, self-confidence and drive to win in spite of overwhelming obstacles is an inspiration to people everywhere. An engaging and inspirational speaker, Rulon shares his story of what it takes to be a winner and shows that with dedication, sacrifice and believing in yourself... dreams really do come true. Rulon's wrestling career began when he was 6 years old. For 1 week every year, Star Valley would have a wrestling camp, which always concluded with a tournament on the weekend. Rulon participated in this from 6 years old until he started junior high school at 12 years old. Rulon began a regular wrestling season while in junior high and continued with the wrestling seasons until he graduated from the University of Nebraska. Graduating from the University of Nebraska with a degree in physical education is something Rulon is very proud of. After graduating from the University of Nebraska, Rulon continued his Olympic wrestling pursuit with full-time dedication. Winning the Gold in Sydney did not come without dedication and sacrifice. Rulon has sacrificed much in order to reach his Olympic aspirations. Rulon has experienced wins as well as losses in his life. Rulon has never dwelled on the negatives in his life, instead takes each challenge and uses it as a means to improve his life. Titles Never Give Up, Never Stop Trying: 7 Points To Success Topics Motivation, Sports, Celebrity, Success, Youth, Empowerment, Self-image/esteem, Goal-setting Click topic above to see more speakers on that topic Speaker's Asking Fee Range $15,000 or more Click on fee range to see more speakers. This is the starting keynote fee range - other programs may be higher. State UT Click on state above to see more speakers from that state. Fees The fee range quoted means the speaker's fee starts somewhere within that range. Note that speaker's fees are subject to change and some speakers may have special fee quotes.