RIO RAMBLINGS: Wrestling for president

EDITOR’S NOTE: Phil Arnold is the owner and coach of the Alpha Omega Wrestling Academy in Albany. He is currently in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games to watch his nephew, J’den Cox, compete in the wrestling competition. He will be writing a daily blog during his time in Rio.

I know how we can fix everything in this country. We make wrestling the president. Sounds crazy, right? But hear me out: There is something magical about this sport. Yes, there are rivalries. Yes, there are great conflicts between wrestlers on the mat. But once it’s said and done there is a unity that is unmatched anywhere. Russians, Iranians, all the ‘stans it doesn’t matter. Wrestling matters. But more importantly people matter.

The United States had two wrestlers competing yesterday. Quite honestly, I was amazed with both.

Tervel Dlagnev our 125kg entry stirred my heart. Never have I seen such a fierce competitor. Did he medal? Nope, he didn’t. But what he did do was show the world that anything is possible. Looking at paper EVERYONE thought he wouldn’t even win a match. But he won two. Still not impressed? How about this: he won two matches against ranked opponents and just had major back surgery two months ago. People may talk about how America didn’t “show up” in freestyle, but I beg to differ. To me, this guy embodies EVERYTHING I believe in about America.

Our other wrestler? I don’t know where to begin, or if there are even words.

Throughout this entire blog, I have done my best to remain calm and keep my emotions in check. But no more.

Here’s how I really feel about this: My sister and I grew up in the country in a single-wide trailer. Our parents always made sure we had everything we needed, but there was little money for extras.

Our parents were interacial, mom white, dad black. Ever wake up in the morning to have “n-word lover” spray-painted on the back of your home? We have.

How about being laughed at for wearing clothes from a second hand store? We have. But you see, our parents instilled in us that there were NO limits to what we could accomplish. That NO ONE could ever determine our place in society but ourselves. We were then challenged to do the same for our children.

Saturday night, my sister’s youngest sonand my nephew J’den Cox, validated everything my sister and I were taught through our parents. J’den made the podium with a bronze medal performance and proved to the entire world that we really do control our own destiny.

Some may disagree, and that’s OK. But the Bible says to “Train a child in the way they should go, and when they are old, they will not depart from it.”

Throughout this entire process, J’den has been an example of poise and character on an international stage. He embodies the type of role-model on and off the mat that should make everyone PROUD to be an American.

So maybe I was wrong. Maybe I should have named this edition “J’den for President.” Mostly because I can’t imagine anyone that embodies the American spirit more than him.