I started wrestling when I was 5 years old. At 24 years old now, I have been in wrestling for 19 years, longer than most of my fans have been alive. Wrestling actually wasn't the first sport I ever tried. I played Tee-ball a year earlier, but I was so competitive at a young age, that I thought it was too easy and I gave it up. I wanted to steal bases and throw double plays, not have a ball right in front of me on a tee! So I tried wrestling. One day my elementary school teacher passed out flyers that were made by our local youth program, Edgewood Wrestling, and I brought it home and my parents said yes. The craziest part about it is that neither of my parents ever even played sports in school, let alone wrestle, but that turned out to be the biggest reason for me staying in the sport. I have seen so many wrestlers get burned out from the grind of wrestling, especially with extra pressure from parents. I never felt any pressure because wrestling was so new to my family that everything I accomplished was fun because I enjoyed it, not because my Dad wanted me to do it. So the first day of practice comes along at our local high school cafeteria, and I had the biggest surprise when I arrived. No ring or tightropes. I watched the WWF a lot as a kid. I was hoping I would get to hit people with chairs not double legs! My favorite wrestlers were Macho Man Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior, not John Smith and Kenny Monday. I was still hooked right away. My first weight class was 45 pounds. I was a tiny little guy. Along came my first tournament and I was pumped and ready to go. My Mom packed me some Gatorade and a little lunchable, and my first pair of wrestling shoes, Asics. I saw how big the 1st place trophies were and I immediately wanted one for my room at home. I didn't know that there were 12 other 45 pound kids that wanted the same thing! I got pinned my first match! I hate to admit it, but I got cradled up and pinned in my first match ever by a kid who had his Mom in his corner coaching him. The good part was that this tournament gave out participation trophies. I went to pick up my trophy and look at my bracket to see what place I had finished. My Dad told me I was 8th place. The funny part is I didn't really place, he told me I was 8th because on the bracket it said 8th Annual Tournament! Poor kid. I believed him. Here I am running around showing my trophy off to my family, saying I placed 8th, when really I was probably the worst kid there. I wasn't always seeing Gold. After getting that first trophy, I wanted more, and I would do whatever it took to get one. That's when the hunger started, and that's when the journey began.

- Jordan