News / People
Olympic Gold Medalist Rulon Gardner Survives Plane Crash
Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner, 35, had to use his finely honed survival skills yet again over the weekend. Gardner, along with Randy and Leslie Brooks had been flying over the Good Hope Bay when the plane lost power.
Hitting the water, Gardner along with Randy and Leslie, had to escape the sinking plane and then swim for more than an hour in 44-degree water to reach shore. The three men then had to stay overnight without shelter or fire to keep them warm before a fisherman spotted them on Sunday.
Gardner spoke to CNN on Monday morning and said “I think I’m really lucky.” It’s a phrase the Olympic gold medal winning wrestler has said several times. In 2002 Gardner became stranded in Wyoming while snowmobiling, and ended up losing a toe due to frostbite. In 2004 he was hit by a car while he was riding his motorcycle and escaped serious injury.
Even as a child Gardner appeared to be a magnet for life-threatening scenarios. In third-grade he pierced his chest with an arrow, nearly missing an artery.
Gardner is well known for pulling off one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history when he defeated the Russian Alexander Karelin in the 2000 Sydney Games. Karelin had entered the match with a 13-year unbeaten streak in international competition.
Rulon Gardner retired from wrestling after the 2004 Olympics in Athens and has spent much of his time as a motivational speaker. To hear an audio interview conducted by TransWorldNews with Rulon Gardner go to:
