Olympic medalist Adam Wheeler shares inspiring story in new book
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by Believe and Achieve
Adam Wheeler is the last American to win an Olympic medal in Greco-Roman wrestling.
But there is much more to his remarkable story.
His inspiring journey is chronicled in Wheeler’s new book – Believe & Achieve: Overcoming Obstacles to Excel.
Co-written with author Craig Sesker, the book follows Wheeler’s unlikely path from an underachieving teenager to the medal podium at the Olympic Games.
Wheeler survived a near-death experience as a baby and overcame a horrific broken leg from his youth while growing up poor as his mother struggled to raise him and his two siblings.
He entered high school as an overweight freshman and during his first wrestling practice was unable to do a push-up or run one lap around the track.
Wheeler won just one match on the junior varsity his first season.
He started drifting down the wrong path, drinking, smoking pot and skipping school. He became ineligible for the wrestling team and dropped out of school.
He eventually found direction under the guidance of Coach John Eisel and turned his life around. He began to excel in wrestling for Lancaster High School. He went 44-3 as a senior before falling short of qualifying for the California state tournament.
He joined the Coast Guard right out of high school and began wrestling for the Navy team, but took his lumps as a teenager wrestling against older athletes on the Senior level.
Wheeler continued to progress and he eventually rose to No. 2 on the Senior level before upsetting world medalist Justin Ruiz at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Las Vegas.
He entered the Olympics as the least talked about member of a star-studded U.S. Greco team that had won the team title at the 2007 World Championships.
That didn’t stop Wheeler, who turned in a surprise performance to earn a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Wheeler joined the Colorado Springs Police Department after the Olympics and eventually landed a position with the SWAT team. He was awarded a Medal of Honor for his role during the 2015 Planned Parenthood shootings that drew national attention.
He started competing in Jiu-Jitsu after retiring from wrestling and he captured a No GI world title in 2014.
Adam Wheeler’s story personifies the journey of someone who worked hard, overcame adversity, developed the right mindset and achieved what he believed.
Copies of the book can be ordered at Amazon.com or by contacting Adam Wheeler on Facebook or Twitter.
But there is much more to his remarkable story.
His inspiring journey is chronicled in Wheeler’s new book – Believe & Achieve: Overcoming Obstacles to Excel.
Co-written with author Craig Sesker, the book follows Wheeler’s unlikely path from an underachieving teenager to the medal podium at the Olympic Games.
Wheeler survived a near-death experience as a baby and overcame a horrific broken leg from his youth while growing up poor as his mother struggled to raise him and his two siblings.
He entered high school as an overweight freshman and during his first wrestling practice was unable to do a push-up or run one lap around the track.
Wheeler won just one match on the junior varsity his first season.
He started drifting down the wrong path, drinking, smoking pot and skipping school. He became ineligible for the wrestling team and dropped out of school.
He eventually found direction under the guidance of Coach John Eisel and turned his life around. He began to excel in wrestling for Lancaster High School. He went 44-3 as a senior before falling short of qualifying for the California state tournament.
He joined the Coast Guard right out of high school and began wrestling for the Navy team, but took his lumps as a teenager wrestling against older athletes on the Senior level.
Wheeler continued to progress and he eventually rose to No. 2 on the Senior level before upsetting world medalist Justin Ruiz at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Las Vegas.
He entered the Olympics as the least talked about member of a star-studded U.S. Greco team that had won the team title at the 2007 World Championships.
That didn’t stop Wheeler, who turned in a surprise performance to earn a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Wheeler joined the Colorado Springs Police Department after the Olympics and eventually landed a position with the SWAT team. He was awarded a Medal of Honor for his role during the 2015 Planned Parenthood shootings that drew national attention.
He started competing in Jiu-Jitsu after retiring from wrestling and he captured a No GI world title in 2014.
Adam Wheeler’s story personifies the journey of someone who worked hard, overcame adversity, developed the right mindset and achieved what he believed.
Copies of the book can be ordered at Amazon.com or by contacting Adam Wheeler on Facebook or Twitter.
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