Rulon Gardner has hit another low in his tumultuous life. The former Olympic gold medalist recently filed for bankruptcy as he struggles with debt.
The Associated Press reports that Gardner, who won gold in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, owes creditors around $3 million on a household income of just over $37,000.
Gardner reportedly disputes much of that debt, saying he is the victim of investment fraud.
Gardner is scheduled to tell his side of the story in a deposition on Oct. 10. A few weeks later, an auction house is scheduled to sell many of his valuables including a sports car, motorcycle, and some autographed memorabilia. The items reportedly were seized by the Cache County’s Sheriff Office on behalf of Gardner’s major creditor.
Gardner’s life has been full of various ups and downs. He has overcome a learning disability, a car crash and a plane crash, and he survived a near-death situation when he was stranded in the Wyoming wilderness in 2002.
Long after competing in two Olympics, Gardner went through a depression and his weight ballooned to 474 pounds. He competed on the TV show “The Biggest Loser,” but left abruptly before its completion. He attempted a wrestling comeback earlier this year, but it ended when he failed to make weight at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials in April.
With all that Gardner has overcome in his life, we don’t expect these financial issues to keep him down.
