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

This book was great, it showed anyone who read this book that if you put your mind to it, and work hard you can do any that you set your mind to. This book taught me to never give up on any of the challenges that lie ahead of me. I was also able to connect to this book with the wrestling standpoint, i wrestle Freestyle which is different then Greco-Roman, but its another Olympic style of wrestling. Rulon Garnder is my favorite athlete, not because he won the Olympic Gold, but because he work harder then anyone else who made it to the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, with injury and everything, he never gave up on anything he did. When he was stranded in the woods of Wyoming, the "middle of nowhere" as he said, he never gave up, waited patiently for someone to rescuse him. This was the best book i have ever read, not just because of the wrestling, but because of the lessons it teaches the reader.

"Never Stop Pushing" is the autobiography of Rulon Gardner, who staged one of the biggest-ever upsets in Olympic history by defeating the long-standing Russian world champion Alexander Karelin in the 2000 Sydney Games Greco-Roman heavyweight wrestling final. Gardner's story shocked and surprised me since his gold-medal achievement makes up only part of the book. Instead, as Gardner himself states, the most remarkable time of his life was, ironically, his near-fatal accident whilst snow-mobiling near his Wyoming home. The moment-by-moment depiction of his struggle to survive a freezing cold night while waiting to be rescued forms the centerpiece of the narrative. The description of his ordeal is interspersed with details of his wrestling career and is recounted in full later on in the book. Gardner also describes his childhood, which is something quite apart from the normal experience of most modern-day Americans. Brought up as the youngest of a large Mormon farming family, he spent long periods alone laying irrigation pipes and milking cows and lived quite an isolated life. At school he looked forward to meeting kids his own age but instead his learning disability set him apart and he made few friends. His struggles to go to college and get a degree, like his brothers and sisters, form another substantial part of the book. You end up rooting for him to succeed. Rulon comes across as an immensely likeable, soft-hearted guy. A few of his experiences struck a chord with me and I shuddered slightly as I recognised myself a little in the text. I particularly enjoyed his honesty - he describes crying on the way to an out-of-state wrestling meet after his coach tells him off for being late. I can't imagine many celebrities being that truthful. NSP is by turns sad, joyful, entertaining and exciting. You get to learn about the politics of sport and how hard it can be for minority sports athletes to pursue their dreams. I would have liked a little more detail at times, for example, Gardner tells us he has bought a house in Colorado and you think, When? Why? but overall this is a remarkably well structured and pacy autobiography. As an afterthought, I'm reminded of something Vince Lombardi said, "It is time for us all to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever - the one who recognises the challenges and does something about it." I guess you could say that this book shows that Rulon Gardner is a supreme "doer" and a true champion of sport.

This is a great book for all people, especially those who haven't had everything in life given to them on a silver platter. This book, with its uplifting and motivational stories from Rulon's life, inspires the reader to find the positive in life, and work hard to acheive your goals-no matter how difficult. Although this book is written in the framework of olympic wrestling, it's universal themes will appeal to any reader.

This is a must read for the wrestling fan. If his story wasn't real it would be almost as if it was written for TV. It is very informing for people who already know Rulon, and for those who don't you get to hear the real story behind Americas greatest Greco Roman wrestler ever. It is a great book to give young athletes to show them anything is possible.

Rulon's story is a true inspiration. From humble beginnings to international stardom, the journey was never easy. The book recounts how even though he was met with many challenges, from a learning disability to nearly dying in the frozen wilderness, Rulon show that with determination, faith and a desire to Never Stop Pushing, we all can succeed. This is a great read for anyone.