Brandon Ruiz (USA) vs Michael Knutson (SWE) at the 2011 FILA Grappling World Championships Mile Stones
The past couple of years mark some major mile stones in my life. Last year (2012)
marked 20 years since I started wrestling. As a young high school wrestler I always
wanted to be like the coaches and athletes that I saw at wrestling camp who could
say "I've been wrestling for 15 years", or "I've been wrestling for 20 years."
For some reason that inspired me and made me want to have a long and
successful career as an athlete. Last year I hit that goal. This past winter
(2013) I was inducted into the Taylorsville High School Wrestling Hall of Fame.
This spring I was also inducted into the Taylorsville High School Hall of Fame
for my athletic achievements. It was a very satisfying feeling to have been
recognized for my wrestling and grappling career and what continues to be
lifelong achievement and contribution to the sports of wrestling and Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu.
This year, 2013, also marks two more significant mile stones for me. The
first (chronologically speaking) is my 10 year mark in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I've
been very fortunate to have some great instructors, friends and training
partners who have helped me reach some very lofty goals. Jiu Jitsu allowed me to
achieve on a world stage and to pick up where wrestling left off and add
submissions to my overall grappling philosophy. Over the past 10 years I’ve
achieved black belt rank in Jiu Jitsu and won many titles and honors. My biggest
high light (so far) has been winning the 2011 FILA Grappling World Championships
in which over 25 nations were represented. It was truly a sweet experience.
The final mile stone, and the most significant, is the completion of 10 years
of marriage to my wonderful wife Brynne. She has been a great help and support
to me. There have been so many ups and downs on my road as an athlete and she
has been there helping me at each step of the way. She was pretty much baptized
by fire as only two weeks after we were married we moved to Colorado so that I
could live and train at the Olympic Training Center. Brynne had no idea what she
was getting into and the type of dedication that it would take for me to be
competitive at that level. She went through some puzzling and confusing times
early on and gave up a lot to help me in my wrestling pursuits at the OTC.
In addition to being 100% committed to our marriage and family Brynne has
committed 100% support to my athletic career. When I’ve been up she has
celebrated with me, when I’ve been down she has helped me keep going. She is a
great example of what it means to be a team. I’ve been very fortunate to have
her as my wife and best friend. Without her support I wouldn’t have been able to
achieve the goals that I have. I wouldn’t be the athlete and man I am today
without her positive influence.
My mile stones are satisfying to me and they mark major achievements not only
in my athletic endeavors but in my family and personal life. The take away from
my mile stones is Commitment. I’ve been able to reach these goals because I’ve
committed myself and my efforts to them. It hasn’t been easy being committed to
striving for a world class athletic career or a happy enduring marriage, but it
has been absolutely worth it.
Without commitment there is no lasting achievement and no lasting legacy that
can be reached. If you would have more success and happiness in your life stop
and take a look at what you’re committed too. Are you all in? Or are you just
passing time? Find your passion and commit to it 100%. There will be both good
times and bad but in the end they all add up to compose the richness of your
life experience. In the end that is the only thing that we take with us.
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