Never Stop Pushing: My Life from a Wyoming Farm to the Olympic Medals Stand

Never Stop Pushing: My Life from a Wyoming Farm to the Olympic Medals Stand

Never Stop Pushing: My Life from a Wyoming Farm to the Olympic Medals Stand

Never Stop Pushing: My Life from a Wyoming Farm to the Olympic Medals Stand

Paperback

$21.99 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

Never Stop Pushing is a motivational autobiography by Olympic Greco-Roman champion wrestler Rulon Gardner (Gold Medal, 2000; Bronze Medal, 2004). This inspiring memoir comes from one of the world's most remarkable athletes who achieved arguably the greatest upset in individual sports history when he defeated the Russian Alexander Karelin — three-time Olympic champ, undefeated and unscored upon for a decade before his match with Gardner — in the 2000 Gold Medal match. Rulon Gardner tells the story of his impoverished upbringing as one of nine children in a close-knit Mormon family on a farm in Wyoming, where in performing unceasing chores he developed tremendous strength at an early age. Gardner writes about his struggles in school made arduous by learning disabilities that have challenged him his whole life. Also, after winning his Gold Medal, we read how this champion survived a snowmobile accident that marooned him outdoors for eighteen hours in high country. Rulon Gardner recovered from this and went on to defend his Gold Medal at Athens in 2004 — yet another comeback from this athlete who was supposed to simply fade away.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780786715930
Publisher: Hachette Books
Publication date: 08/17/2005
Pages: 352
Sales rank: 216,312
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Rulon Gardner grew up in a Mormon family on a Wyoming dairy farm. He is a two-time Olympic Medalist (2000-Gold, 2004-Bronze) in Greco-Roman wrestling. His 2000 Gold Medal match is called "The Miracle on the Mat." He continues to give motivational speeches for corporations and events (i.e., Roche Pharmaceuticals, Special Olympics Hall of Fame Gala, Behr Paint, USO Navy Tour, etc.) charities, and schools across the country, as well as celebrity appearances at wrestling camps throughout the country. In addition, this year he will be honored at the Gene Autry Courage Awards in March in Phoenix as an athlete who has overcome physical adversity to succeed (also honored will be Bethany Hamilton, surfer whose arm was bitten off by a shark, and Aaron Ralston, climber who cut his arm off after it was trapped by a boulder), NASPE Hall of Fame Award in Chicago and the YMCA Honors (Person of the Year) in Salt Lake City.

Rulon is also the color commentator for the Real Pro Wrestling league on Pax and Fox Sports. Asics released his signature shoe, the "Rulon." Rulon is the Spokesman for State Games of America and has become an honorary board member for the Sports for Kids Foundation. Rulon has decided to retire from Mixed Martial Arts competition, after his defeat of Yoshida in Japan on New Year's Eve.He lives in Wellsville, Utah.

Bob Schaller is the author of thirty books, including The State of the Game with Denny Crum, The First Black Quarterback with Marlin Briscoe, and The Top Stars of NASCAR. Schaller is also a contributing editor to Skating, Splash and American Hockey magazines.

Table of Contents

1Never Stop Pushing1
2Dumbo From the Farm6
3Rural Roots24
4The Gardner Clan33
5Never Stop Pushing II41
6Barn Burns, Hope Survives56
7The Boy Who Made Every Day Count61
8Leaving the Valley83
9On My Own Two Feet in the Heartland91
10To Be a Teacher107
11Chasing My Wrestling and College Dreams116
12Heroes134
13The Route to 2000139
14Journey to Gold158
15The Miracle on the Mat167
16Who Am I Now?191
17Validation: Defending the Gold at the 2001 World Championships203
18Miracle in the Mountains218
19Another Run at the Olympics274
20Athens, 2004303
21Never Stop Pushing, Period318
Index327
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews