We can endure anything and adapt and pivot and change. Wrestling gave us that ability.

I would say nothing in life has impacted me more than the things

wrestling has taught me in terms of self-reflection, resilience.

Toughness. Some guys have it. Some guys don't. Adversity, 100% how to pick myself up and be a man after I failed.

And everything that has shaped my life and where I'm at today would not be there without the values and basically the lessons I've learned through the sport of wrestling.

For me, wrestling saved my life because it allowed me to focus and channel my energy.

We're fortunate if you wrestle because if you wrestle,

because if you wrestle, natural talent helps,

but it's 5% of the ingredient. It pales in comparison to heart and technique and effort.

It humbled me. Thought me humility. Nothing can humble you more than wrestling.

I think it's the learning to adapt, right?

You learn, you learn how to adapt, you learn how to adapt,

you learn how to solve problems.

You know, if I look back at my time, I spend wrestling. If it gave me one thing more than anything else, it's been the toughness.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the wrestling change my life podcast.

It's Monday, May 6th. I'm your host Ryan Warner and our guest today is the

great Jared Cortez four-time Illinois high school state champ, a Penn State graduate. He's now a software sales rep at Red Hat. Really

enjoyed this conversation. And if you were like me coaching in Illinois during the late 2000s early 2010s.

Gerald Cortez was an absolute killer.

He was the man.

He was part of a loaded Marmian team.

And it was just an honor to have him on here.

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