This weekend LDS wrestler Justin Ruiz will be competing to land a spot on the Olympic wrestling team and fulfill a lifelong dream.
“I’m feeling excited,” Ruiz said. “I’ve been training for this for most of my life.”
In fact, Ruiz began wrestling in junior high school and has competed ever since—with the exception of his two-year mission in Chile.
“When I decided to go on a mission, it wasn’t a concern,” he said. “When I got back I had lost some ground, but I feel the Lord blessed me to help make up for the lost time. I gained so much from the mission—much more than I could have gained through wrestling.”
Ruiz became a two-time NCAA All American while attending the University of Nebraska, and today he is the top-ranked U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler in his 211.5 weight division, with four consecutive national titles under his belt. He has also wrestled for four world teams, winning a bronze medal in the world championships in 2005.
Ruiz made his first attempt to qualify for the Olympics in 2004, but during the Olympic trials he lost a spot on the U.S. team to Garrett Lowney. Despite the loss, Ruiz traveled to Athens to serve as a training partner for Lowney and other Olympic wrestlers.
“I was obviously disappointed, but I still wanted to see our country succeed, so I wanted to help in any way that I could,” Ruiz said. After this experience, he became more determined than ever to get to Beijing. And if Ruiz makes the Olympic team this weekend, he says it will only be a stepping stone to his ultimate goal—to win an Olympic medal.
“To make the team would be a huge accomplishment—something I’ve been dreaming about all my life. At the same time, it’s just a step I need to take my ultimate goal of winning a medal at the Olympics.”
No comments:
Post a Comment