This was a question a friend asked me and my response.
When did you first consider yourself successful, and what was the defining moment?
Winning the Pennsylvania state high school championship as a senior. That moment defined me—not just because I won, but because I set a state record: 91% of my victories came by way of the pin.
Looking back, that experience stands out even more than winning multiple NCAA titles, the Tbilisi International, or the Collegiate World Championships. Each of which I was named the Outstanding Wrestler. Why the state championships? Because it was the first time I realized I could overcome serious challenges. From that point on, bigger obstacles didn’t intimidate me—they just required applying what I had already learned and trained to handle.
I believe if you asked any financially successful person about their turning point, you’d hear something like:
“Making my first million. After that, I knew I had the formula—and repeating it just became a matter of execution.”
Wrestling teaches that same principle. It prepares children for life by instilling grit, confidence, and the understanding that success isn’t magic—it’s a process. It sets the tone for how we respond to every challenge that are thrown our way.
