Last week, the Rangely School District hosted motivational speaker Rulon Gardner, who spoke with students and community members about perseverance, resilience and teamwork. Gardner won a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, when he defeated Aleksandr Karelin — known as “The Russian Bear,” “Russian King Kong,” “The Experiment” and “Alexander the Great.” Karelin is widely considered the most dominant Greco-Roman wrestler of all time, earning three Olympic gold medals, nine world championships and a 13-year undefeated streak (887-0) in international competition until Gardner beat him 1-0. Gardner went on to win a world championship in 2001 and a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics, competing after surviving a snowmobile accident that resulted in the amputation of one of his toes. Several members of the Rich and Beth Ford family of Meeker attended his evening presentation, “Everybody Helps Everybody,” and posed for photos with Gardner and his Olympic and world championship medals. Bobby Gutierrez PHOTO