Jordan Burroughs penned a heartfelt motivating note detailing his conversation with a group of high school wrestlers as he shed light on the harsh reality of the sport. The American Wrestler recently qualified for the World Wrestling Championships after putting forward an incredible performance at the U.S. Wrestling World Team Trials.
The 36-year-old faced a major setback earlier this year when he failed to fulfill his dream of making his third appearance at the Olympic Games. Jordan Burroughs could not qualify for the quadrennial games in the French capital after losing 0-3 to Jason Nolf and being eliminated on the first day of the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials.
Amid his quest to make a major comeback in the international wrestling circuit, Burroughs took to Instagram to share a motivating message with his followers as he recalled a conversation with a group of high school wrestlers. On being asked by a high school wrestler about how to become the best wrestler in the world he said,
"You work your butt off every single day. You never stop improving, and you listen to your coaches and push your teammates to be better themselves. You seek out challenges and avoid distractions. You fall in love with the process and show up to work every day excited for the opportunity. You operate with honor and courage in everything you do. That’s what it takes."
Furthermore, he revealed the harsh reality of the sport lacking a guarenteed pathway to success and greatness.
"There are no guarantees in this sport. Sacrifice is the price of admission, and hard work just gets you a seat at the table. Keep grinding, and you just may keep your seat long enough to earn that title," he added.
Jordan Burroughs on failing to qualify for the Paris Olympics
Jordan Burroughs spoke about being unable to qualify for the Paris Olympics in an interview with Olympics.com. The former Olympic medalist spoke about facing a dilemma regarding his wrestling career after facing a major setback.
"You know, it's been a hard six months for me. It's been a really hard six months for me. I wasn't sure if I was going to continue to wrestle. Every day is, you know, trying to battle back from my experience at Penn State. Their fans, their coaches, their wrestlers, they discarded (me), made me feel like an outcast in a sport that I helped build. It's been hard, it's been hard," he said.
Burroughs will be in action at the World Wrestling Championships on October 28, 2024, aiming to dominate the international circuit once again.