Your faith got here about through wrestling, right?
I’ve at all times been hooked on sports. I desired to be within the NFL. And then I finished growing. So I assumed, I suppose I’ll attempt to be the most effective wrestler. I had loads of success and I won, but I wasn’t wrestling to my potential because I used to be afraid of losing. I felt like if I lost, then I wouldn’t be as priceless an individual, and I’d be embarrassed. I’d get tight and never have the opportunity to compete even near to the way in which I could practice.
I moved to the Olympic training center my senior yr of highschool, and the coaches asked me to start out coming to a Bible study with them. I said, “Yeah, I’ll go.” I’d jump off a bridge in the event that they told me to. I just desired to win world and Olympic titles, and in the event that they thought studying the Bible would help, then I’d do it. So I went to the Bible studies. Never read a Bible before. I used to think, How can anyone read it? It’s so big, and the words are so small. But I began having fun with the stories from the Bible. And then I moved to Ohio State and commenced going to Bible studies there.
But I wasn’t fully committed. I used to be still doing loads of my very own will, living how I desired to. My goal was to be a four-time NCAA champion—that’s a giant goal in wrestling. I made it to the finals my freshman yr and I ended up getting pinned. That was heartbreaking for me. It was the primary time I had ever been depressed. I’m a comfortable guy, but I used to be just broken and didn’t check with anybody for every week, didn’t eat.
My strength coach called me and he was like, “All right, you realize what you bought to do now? You got to provide your whole life to Jesus. You’ve got to be more committed to him than you’re to wrestling.” I said , “I don’t even know tips on how to do this, or what that even means .” I just prayed that night that God would help me be more committed to him than anything in my life. And I began being more disciplined with studying the Word myself.
Then, seven months later, I became the youngest world champion within the history of USA Wrestling. I went from being the second best in college wrestling to the most effective on the earth. I didn’t get any higher at technique, and my shape didn’t get any higher. But God, he freed me from my identity of being a wrestler and from my value coming from winning wrestling matches, to my identity being his child. And my purpose is to know him and trust in him and, Lord willing, to bring other people into faith. I used to be capable of compete rather a lot harder.
Is that something you’ve seen occur with other wrestlers you realize?
In 2016, there have been seven guys on the Olympics—five of them were Christians who were really passionately following the Lord. You go to any wrestling camp, there’s Bible study almost every night with 40, 50 guys there.
The guy who was leading the study on the Olympic training center, his name is Gene Davis. And he’s worked for Athletes in Action for 65 years, and he’s still teaching. There’s so many individuals who’ve poured a lot work into the game, in regard to faith. You begin to study God, and also you’re like, Wow, I need to only follow him because I really like him, and he loves me.
I saw there was a worship service on the Olympic trials.
The Olympic trials were on Saturday. And then on Sunday, we just had a Bible study, we were singing, and a pair people taught. About 230 people got here.
It was an excellent approach to end the weekend, because some people’s dreams got crushed. Only six people achieved what they got down to do. It was approach to get refocused on what’s most vital.
What do you think that is special about wrestling as a sport?
Wrestling forces you to look inside so, so deeply. You’re going on the market to fight someone else. In the moments beforehand, you could have loads of questions that come into your head that you could have to cope with. So that’s something people don’t see.
My friend who’s a wrestling fan said one thing he likes about wrestling is that you could have to get beat up rather a lot to be good—you could have to lose rather a lot and learn from it.
Yeah, every wrestler experiences it. I’ve at all times been larger for my age too. So I used to be wrestling kids rather a lot older than me. I used to be beat up rather a lot as a child. I’ve also had this weird belief in my ability to win ever since I used to be a child. I’d get beat real bad by someone. And I’d be like, Yeah, the subsequent time, I’m going to beat them. And then they beat me again. … But that belief never wavered for some reason. I feel God gave that mindset to me.
We speak about losing well as Christians, but what do you, as a Christian, see that’s good about being competitive and about winning?
In my profession, I’ve traveled to places like Russia, Dagestan, Iran, Georgia, and Ukraine. A number of the places I am going, nearly all of persons are Muslim. But they’ll take heed to what I even have to say because I’ve won rather a lot. That gives me a chance to have the opportunity to inform them, “Well, that is what I think, and that is what’s helped me in my profession.” It’s just being real in regards to the way God’s worked in my life. And they listen.
Did your faith change your mental approach to the game in other ways?
One major change that took place early on in my faith was—it was, if I didn’t win, but my teammates won, that was an issue for me. I used to be jealous. I wasn’t comfortable for them.
I would externally say good job, but, internally, that was something I actually struggled with. God helped me with that. I desired to be comfortable for my friends and genuinely wanted them to do well. But I couldn’t do this before. God taught me how, and helped my heart, to only love other people more.
What do you consider the culture of youngsters sports now, where you could have to start out young, be committed 24/7, travel, and all that?
It’s definitely not what you could have to do. I do know stories of many various those who have made Olympic teams and commenced wrestling in highschool. Kids should do things they enjoy, start slow, work on technique, and have a good time. When they begin to grasp competition more, they’ll get into that.
The issue is, parents all consider their kids are going to go to the NFL or NBA. But it’s just not the reality. Only a pair of individuals get to do it. Kids can improve in a less intense, more fun environment. Parents need to relax out.
I do clinics; we have now our own camp that we run each summer. I’ve been around loads of kids and their parents. Some of the children are crying out on the mat. They’re too young to even understand what’s occurring. They’d be higher just learning a pair moves, a way, after which playing a game.
Twenty years ago, no Olympians needed to cope with social media. You have greater than 300,000 followers on Instagram. How do you balance promoting your personal brand and specializing in your sport?
Social media is pretty draining. I’m seeing pictures of my competition and seeing what persons are saying. I don’t wish to see comments about me and take into consideration that. I don’t really get too involved with it.
Is there anything you’re looking forward to about this Olympics?
Doing the opening ceremonies and all that on the 2016 Olympics was really cool. But once I look back, my favorite part was the wrestling. I’m just looking forward to wrestling.
The last Olympics was during COVID-19. Everybody needed to wear a mask, you needed to get COVID tested day by day, no family could come. I’m looking forward to it just being back to normal.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
