Stories About Us!

Written: 9-20-16

It was the summer of 1985 and I was preparing to enter my Sophomore year of high school. My best friend Jon and I decided to attend a well-known two-week Intensive wrestling camp in Oregon to hone our wrestling skills for the upcoming season. We had ulterior motives also. Both of our fathers insisted that we work if we weren’t in school or playing sports. We figured this was a good way to burn two weeks out of the summer without having to work. After the first day of the camp, we both wished we had stayed home and worked.

The word intensive was an understatement. It was brutal. The schedule included 6:00 AM five mile runs, two two-hour intensive wrestling sessions and an additional two-hour evening conditioning session. There was an ambulance parked outside the gym and we saw more than one athlete hauled off to the hospital. We later learned that up to thirty percent of the wrestlers quit and went home from each camp. So much for getting out of work that summer!

The camp used a point system to motivate the athletes. At the end of each session two or three wrestlers would be given “bonus points” for performing at a high level. A large number of wrestlers would be given “negative points” for “dogging it.” The ultimate goal for each athlete was to have enough points at the end of two weeks to receive a T-shirt that read “I DID IT!” Now, these T-shirts were a badge of honor. If an opposing wrestler saw you wearing one of these shirts at a meet or tournament, you gained instant respect and maybe even a competitive advantage. If you earned one of those shirts, everyone knew you were tough!

At the end of the first week of camp, I was holding my own. The muscle soreness was almost gone and those 5 mile runs and wrestling sessions were getting easier. I was starting to feel better about the whole situation.

 Then it happened: I was drilling single leg takedowns with my partner, he hit a hard shot, I heard a loud “pop” and felt excruciating pain shoot through my knee. My partner started yelling for one of the coaches.  The coach walked up, asked if I needed to go to the trainer’s room? Now, I knew that I was in bad shape but I answered “I’ll be alright.” I got up, and attempted to continue wrestling while hobbling on one leg. Finally, I gave in to the pain and started limping toward the medical room.

“That’s a negative point Nerenberg” I heard the coach yell behind me.

“Perfect” I thought as I hobbled away.

“In fact, make it two negative points” The coach continued.

I walked into the medical room and was shocked to find every training table occupied and the walls lined with disabled athletes. It was almost comical. A young trainer approached me and asked “What’s wrong?”

“My knee”

“Ice it.” Was the reply. As I was thrown a bag of Ice.

After a night of tossing and turning I awoke to a swollen, painful Knee. “I’m messed up.” I told Jon.

He just shook his head.

At this point I had a decision to make? On one hand, this was my out. I knew something major was wrong. I could bail out and it would be totally justified. On the other hand, I could choose to put on my “Big Boy Britches” and suck it up! Besides, how could I leave Jon and let him brag that he finished and I didn’t?

My pride overruled my pain. I spent the next week running and wrestling as a one-legged bandit. Basically getting my butt kicked by anyone and everyone that wanted a piece of me. I managed to rack up a few more “negative points” along the way also.” But I never went back to the medical room and I didn’t miss another practice.

The final feat to complete camp was to run a half marathon on the last morning.

 “Are you gonna run it?” Jon Asked.

“Do I have a choice?” I answered with a smile.

I limped my way through the run. Jon met me at the finish line with a smile and his “I did It” t-shirt in hand. I knew I didn’t have enough points to obtain one of the highly coveted shirts.

“They have to give you one after all you’ve been through? Jon exclaimed.

“No they don’t! And I don’t need that shirt!” I replied

“In my heart I KNOW I DID IT!”

The day we returned home to California, my high school coach took me to the local SPORT clinic to have my knee examined. The trainer examined me then called in Dr. Wall the knee surgeon. He moved my knee a couple different directions causing me to fly off the examination table.

“At the very least, you have a torn meniscus. Maybe more.” He said flatly.

“I can operate on Saturday.” He said with a smile.

After I woke up in the recovery room, Dr. Wall paid me a visit.

“Shane, it was worse than I thought. You tore the meniscus and had a partial tear of one of the ligaments. I can’t believe you were able to finish that wrestling camp? Don’t worry, I got you fixed up. With some hard work you’ll be ready for football season.” He said with a twinkle in his eye.

I’m older now and on cold mornings that old knee tightens up on me. When it does, it takes me back to the summer of 1985 and the life lessons I learned as a fifteen-year old kid. The adversity, the challenges and the CHOICE to overcome them was something that helped shaped my character as a man.

I learned that what others may perceive as a failure may be ones’ greatest triumph!

That the mettle of a man isn’t measured when he stands victorious in the spotlight, rather, it is measured when he is down and out and it seems there is no way to press on. That’s when true character shines through.

I learned that a strong will and perseverance will crash through barriers that seem impossible.

I learned there is always one more fact to every persons’ situation that we just don’t know. Be slow to judge another mans’ situation.

I learned that quitting is not an option!

When life knocks us down we have a choice to make: We can lay down, wallow in self-pity and quit or, stand back up, suck it up and move on. Every time you stand back up, you can say:

I DID IT!

The choice is yours?