(00:00:00) Hi, this is J.G. Preston. And this is portfolio. There's a lot of money involved in the Olympics. Just look at the hundreds of millions of dollars at us television network. Shall out for the right to broadcast the games, but the tens of millions of dollars that companies spend to gain official Olympic sponsorship it cost money for athletes to prepare for the Olympics to primarily so that they can cut down their job time to spend more time in training. But that money not Millions but a few thousand can be hard to come by. My guests today are to minnesotans who have a good chance to compete at the Seoul Olympics shot. Put her on Bacchus and Greco-Roman wrestler Duane Keselowski and we'll talk about who pays for the Olympic Dreams coming up next here on sport folio. Before we get started actually talking here. I might as well let you know what the phone number is because you may participate if you like if you have a question come to your mind over the course of the hours. We talked about track field wrestling Olympics money or whatever else we wind up talking about. Give us a call to to 76 thousand is our phone number here on sport Foley 02276 thousand. When you call, please be kind. We're breaking in David O'Neill as our telephone person today very competent man, but there's a few no first time is always rough with anything. So say if you reassuring words to David when you call in, please two two seven six thousand is our phone number here on sport folio. Well gentlemen, Ron. I wish you'd been here when Potter was still her because I just wanted the three of us to come in here and kind of glower over buys a little bitty snively little shrimp, you know, we could have just kind of scared him. He would have been fun Dwayne and I didn't have the same impact just There's else. I want to talk with you guys a little bit about your personal backgrounds and your involvement in your sport and then we'll kind of talk about some of the other issues involved with trying to compete in the Olympics Dwayne Keselowski. You are the wrestler of the crowd. How old are you 28? So you've been at this sport for a quite a while, I would assume well actually the sport of Greco-Roman wrestling. I've been at about three years that all that's right. It's a the school of Greco-Roman really isn't a large school of knowledge and in the United States and most wrestlers in the United States do not even participate in the Greco-Roman style until after they're out of college. Now, we talked we had J Robinson from the U of M on here a couple of months ago. Just talking about some wrestling related matters and we did talk at that time a little bit about the difference, but I'll have you explained it to because Greco-Roman is really not a lot like the kind of Freestyle Wrestling that those of us who watch high school or college wrestling are used to seeing it. It's got some big differences. Yeah, that's correct. There's Stiles wrestled in the Olympics one is freestyle. And the other is Greco-Roman style. The freestyle most I guess is most like the style that you see in college and high school the college and high school technically is called folk style and they only wrestled in the United States but the wrestlers at decide to wrestle freestyle after they've wrestled high school and college United States find the transition pretty easy. There's not a lot of difference a few scoring differences, but basically a good folk style wrestler will be a good freestyle wrestler. The Greco-Roman style. However is quite different and the type of wrestler that that is successful in Greco-Roman is is built a little differently little shorter a little more powerful type wrestler and the freestyles a little longer and probably is the more endurance type training and I guess the best analogy was be a Greco-Roman wrestler is a hundred - man and your freestyle wrestler is more like a Miler huh? And it needs more you need more power because Greco-Roman style you can only perform the moves from the waist up so you can't grab a guy by the legs where you see a takedown shot in high school or college wrestling. Well, you could but it's your league you can do it because that's humor. I like that you do anything you want but you can't grab with your arms. You can't trip with your legs every all the moves are from the waist up. So you cut down that the offense by about half or more than half because of that limitation, but the object is still the same you're trying to get the guy down to the Mount and a bit and eventually pin him. Although I suppose those must be few and far between if you're just limited to the waist up, correct. You don't get as near as many pins in Greco-Roman style as you do in the folks Tyler freestyle. Hmm, and the objective is to expose your opponent's back to the mat and points are given based on the degree of difficulty in doing This those moves. So if you have just a short small tilt or something from on the mat, it's you can score one or two points. If you throw the person from his feet to his back you can score as little as 3 and as many as Five Points based on how difficult the referees determined that move is us, there's a little objectivity built into the scoring system to there's a lot of and when you're wrestling in Europe and you have Chaz avakian referee a Yugoslavian referee and maybe a French referee you have a lot of (00:05:23) objectivity (00:05:25) and throughout the rest of the world. This is primarily what people start wrestling as youths correct a Roman style. Yeah in Europe. The Greco-Roman style is a most popular style between freestyle and Greco-Roman satu styles that they wrestle and you know, it's kind of like real men don't eat quiche what we say real men wrestle grass. That's what's not in Europe. He even in the manly World of Wrestling Greco-Roman is not for everybody. That's correct. Now you grew up around the Twin Cities here, didn't you? No. No, I grew up in South Dakota. Oh, yeah both my brother and I wrestled at the University of Minnesota Morris and the School of Wrestling in Minnesota is in Minneapolis. And so we both moved here and that's where we started Greco-Roman wrestling to train his Greco-Roman style. That's correct. And your brother Dennis is your twin brother. That's correct, which is the only reason I invited you on because I'm a father of twins and very personal things. The only reason I'm here that's comforting. So it says they're not you train together most of the time literally wrestling each other. Yes. We are each other's best and sometimes only trading partners, but when it comes to actual competition, you don't wrestle in the same weight class now and the reason for that the reason we don't wrestle the same way classes. They only take one person per weight to any the Olympics of American Games world champion the international stuff and we would be competing against each other for the 1 spot on the team. So technically we're both size and frames are such that were 220 Pounders, but my brother Russell's a 220 pound class and I wrestled the the 222 286 class the heavyweight class, correct? So you are very much out Mast most of the time you're on the map. Well, I've I don't like to think that if (00:07:15) Mass yeah about Mass, (00:07:17) that's correct. They are there bigger, you know taller and heavier. Most of them do way closer to the top of the range than the bottom of the range like you do. That's correct. Okay. Ron Bacchus is also here Ron. I think your name a lot of people the people who read the Agate type in the lot of the international tournaments. No Dwayne because he's you've been in last few years. You've been in Pan American World University. Yes. Well the damages correct championships. You've had a lot of that kind of for a sport that doesn't get a lot of attention. Do a lot of major International competition exposure, but I think since Ron competed at the University of Minnesota for so many years and one whole bushel load of Big Ten championships with five altogether in the shot put and discus and indoor and the outdoor (00:08:01) to and 03 odds are all in a shot over their business in their to my senior year my last year. I won The discus (00:08:07) also in congratulations also run. I see you just won the the u.s. Indoor chopped Championship couple weeks ago in New York. Terrific 68. What was that? (00:08:16) 68 3 and 3/4 inches. That's that's quite a way. That was really I was pleased with the distance. (00:08:21) I hate to be a downer but how much does a shot way 16 pounds like a bowling ball a little smaller. I cannot imagine throwing a bowling ball sixty eight feet and neither. Can I I guess the size doesn't make a difference in the actual circumference. Well now Ron how old are you 25 and you grew up not too far from here, right? No Cold Spring Minnesota beautiful Stearns County. (00:08:43) Yep, that's the place (00:08:44) and you didn't actually start off with you. New started to (00:08:47) Hamlet Hamlet University at my freshman year. I went one year (00:08:49) were you thinking about competing at this level and the track and field world at that (00:08:53) point while eventually I wanted to compete at a higher level division one and eventually the (00:08:57) Olympics. So you'd even when you enrolled you weren't you didn't think you'd really go for years at (00:09:01) Hamlin know I didn't I thought at the time I really didn't know I knew it was a good starting point and I guess I figured at that after a few years I'd know when to move and I guess move up and I guess after the first year was time for me to go to University Minnesota and compete division one. Hmm (00:09:18) not now since you've gotten out of the out of the you if you held a full-time job doing anything. I know you stayed in training virtually all the time, since you got (00:09:24) out it's been two years since I've competed for the University of Minnesota and I haven't really had a full-time job. I coached high school track last year at Cooper High School, but this year I'm not working just training full-time concentrating on the Olympic team in the Olympics (00:09:39) that when you on the other hand you have worked. I mean more or less full time. I write as correct. I've worked I graduate from University, Minnesota Morris and One and I've worked in insurance as a career since mmm as a sales agent. That's correct. So we've got but then again you two have got to put in an awful lot of time just physically to stay in shape to be able to compete at the international level, and eventually we like to Hope in September. It's all in the Olympics. So this is one of the things I want to talk about today is how you guys balance not just the time, but then also the money I mean, you know when you're working you got some money coming in maybe not enough for all the things you got to do when you're not you got to look at some other ways to get old talking to Dwayne Keselowski was a Greco-Roman wrestler and Ron becasuse shot-putter both among the best in our country and both with a good chance of competing in the Olympics. This September and Seoul South Korea. My name is J.G. Preston, and this is portfolio on ksjn 1330. It's quarter after 12:00 on the snowy Saturday afternoon. If you have any questions about for our guests about their Sports about the Olympics and about what they're trying to do, you can give us a call and ask your question at to 276 thousand 227 Mm our phone number here on sport folio. I do want to talk about how you go about trying to raise the money Ron. I don't know if you remember you and I talked on the phone a couple of weeks ago about the time you're competing in something down here and you mentioned that you personally had tried to tap into some of these corporations around the Twin Cities it seem more than eager to spend huge sums of money when it comes to official corporate sponsorship corporate endorsement of the Olympics, but when it comes to a guy who actually wants to try to make it and doesn't need a whole lot compared to the big piles or spending you found that it was not easy to get anybody to hear your plate. (00:11:22) No, I think the public sometimes when the commercials come on TV saying, you know, we're sponsoring the Olympics were helping, you know, no one gets there alone. I think the public has a false image of what the companies are really doing their giving large amounts of money to the United States Olympic Committee in exchange for rights to use the Olympic sealed Olympic symbol and most companies because you know there Profit motivated, you know, they're out to make a profit and they're using it as a marketing plan, you know marketing scheme and to just give an individual money to train on does not is not effective Mark as far as marketing as you know, give buying the symbol and using that on their packaging your advertisements. So I think the public does not really get the true sense of what's really going on and I tried companies 3M they weren't interested, you know several other companies and it just didn't work out. I mean, they weren't interested in talking to someone who was trying to make the Olympics. So in who hasn't had a who hasn't been in the Olympics, you know, what have you done? You know, I'm trying to make the Olympics and I think I have a good chance. Well that holds about as much weight as you know, I don't want it doesn't hold very much weight. And so I tried the corporate route and I decided to go the hometown route and I went back to my hometown a Cold Spring and the people there and through the local Lions Club. We organize Olympic Training fund. Mmm, and we did some benefit dinners. We just did some local advertising we ask for donations to the Lions Club for Olympic Training fund currently. It's a 1988. I'm using the money from the fund but we're trying to have the fun continued Beyond me and maybe other athletes in the area and maybe 1992 could draw from the fun. So I actually just went to my hometown and I've got a lot of support and really really good support from the whole Community. It really worked out real (00:13:22) well, so it's become virtually instead of one of these slick multi-million dollar campaigns. Like you see it the corporate sponsorship. Well, this is this is almost a passed the Hat (00:13:29) type exactly, you know, it's $50 here $100 there from that, you know, the people of Cold Spring and the response has been better than I thought and the support in the community almost means more because that's where I grew up. You know, these people have been behind me the whole time. They knew who they know who I am and they believed in me and that (00:13:46) Makes me feel great and just to put this in perspective a little more. I think I saw the figure 4 3 m is 12 million dollars. They spent for corporate use of the logo in their advertising. And and how much would you run? How much would you need to be able to train for the Olympics a for the 10 or 11 months? Whatever it was that you really seriously got into your pre-olympic training mode (00:14:06) there. I think what we're talking was living expenses and training expenses is what a person needs and requires a base and that (00:14:15) isn't able to pay the rent (00:14:16) just against around the food, you know doctor bills Insurance things like that and it's around $1000 a rough estimates thousand dollars a month and we raised about seven eight thousand dollars now (00:14:27) Hattie really? Yeah just from (00:14:29) folks. Yeah folks and Company local companies have contributed very culture in Granite Company places like that and have some people relatives with all my relatives of you know, really been behind me and my brothers and sisters my parents and it's a turn out to be quite a quite an affair. It's (00:14:46) Because right now your job is preparing for the Olympics. I mean, you're done what you're working out six seven hours a day six days (00:14:52) a week. Yeah train twice a day approximately three hours each session and that varies depending on the day and you know where I am in my training of its early season or late season, but yeah, it's a full-time job and it's not just the working out. I think you have to you have to you know, rest between sessions. So after my morning session, I have to rest and get ready for the night session after that, you know, it involves cooking and cleaning and just they'll you know, keeping yourself going. It's a full test 24-hour job (00:15:24) really it could because it's you're still worried about paying the rent. We haven't got this Coterie of maids Cooks (00:15:29) certain. I do my own shopping cleaning and it really, you know, you're always focusing you always thinking what can I do to enhance and better my training (00:15:39) we've got some caller standing by here on sport Foley. I'm going to go to you in just a second. But before we do Dwayne, I want to get your part of the fundraising story. Little bit. What kind of attracted me about Ron was the whole idea of Lions Club pancake breakfast in Cold Spring helping send the guy to soul and your case. What grab my I was last summer walking out of the Metrodome after a Twins game. I saw your visages up there with your wrestling Garb on on an immense billboard across the street from the Metrodome with your home phone number on it saying basically, we need your support the tell me the story of the billboard. I thought that was a great idea. It was again being a student of the University of Minnesota Morris through the some people. I knew in admissions up there some people that I knew it in a Glee's they kind of Spawn the idea of getting neg Lee's to donate some board time or or a billboard to help us in our fundraising effort and they kind of left it up to us to as far as how he wanted to promote it how we want to do. Pierre and we kind of got our heads together and we took a photo and developed, you know, I guess a logo and and that was kind of startled took. Yeah, they took a couple months before we finally got it up and it was uh, it was up and around the Twin Cities for a couple months and a lot of a lot of people did see it we did get some phone calls and raise a small amount of money, but more than anything it did get visibility up there and I think what hit most people wasn't that G look at these guys. They're amateur wrestlers trying to make them fix. It was like boy things must be tough if they're getting their foot in their self up on a billboard asking that was I guess the impression I don't think it's the one we want to do. I mean, how did that feel seeing you and your brother up there Larger than Life begging for money. I know I was impressed right? It was I guess it was a pretty good feeling when you know, we took a photo of it and I'll have that. I don't have the billboard anymore, but we got a photo and you know, it's cut it was Of fun and it's fun to get the stories. Everybody had a story about what they were doing that day and they're driving down the road and look up and see his billboard and go. I know those guys, you know this type of thing. So it's kind of funny now Ron's a single guy, right Ron. Yes, but you got a family to support that's right. I'm married and I have two children five year old and a two year old. So I mean just talking about living expenses. I mean this is this is especially crucial to a guy who's got a family. Oh, absolutely. There's you know, one thing back to talking about corporate sponsorship and it's type of think people say well if 3M is giving 12 million dollars to the Olympic Committee. Doesn't that come to you? How does that get you? Well, I guess the misconception is that that money does go to our governing bodies USA Wrestling has a governing body track and field as a governing body and they get a portion of that 12 million all nouns Sports. Gyro it split up. I think probably equally unless you know like Subaru is The downhill ski endorsement or what have you but this money goes to set up venues. For example, the sports festival last year was in North Carolina and wrestling, you know, the money goes to pay hotel rooms for the wrestlers coming in to pay for meals, you know, there's a per diem or that we get meals to rent the gym to pay the referees to do, you know everything to set up the venue to pay the airfare to and from the competition just to directly involved with the competition not anything to do with the preparation for the competition. Yeah. There's really nothing that comes. You know, I don't get a check and say here Duane, you know, you missed three days of work. It's a hundred a day. Here's 300 bucks that never happens now and I haven't had anybody you know that that I owe my rent payment to or rainbow food, right? Nobody says no, we're not going to charge you any money because you're gone, but your kids are still leading me why silly, you know, those things all those things keep, you know, those bills keep coming. So the money does go to the governing bodies and I'm sure they couldn't do what they do without the money but there isn't a trickle-down effect, you know, the athlete does not receive no compensation for you know expenses whether while they're training and I've been training for almost 4 years for this spot this 80, you know, the 1988 Olympics. Oh and have you been working while you've been training all along? Oh, absolutely. I work Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance company and the nice thing about being Insurance. You do have flexibility. You're not on a clock and 825 thing but I'm still responsible for production and in contributing to the company and the growth of the company and that never lets up how understanding our your employer's about your commitments to wrestling. Well, I've been working with MassMutual for about a year and a half and my boss Pete Schulte over there Minneapolis has been I would say one of a kind just very very exceptional. He's II started with him and I had these production requirements and education requirements everything else after I was there for three months I left for a month to you know, yeah chicken pieces World Championships. Well, there's not a lot of employers you ate. Well, first of all, I can only work 30 hours a week. And then after I'm here for three months, I want to leave for a month. Now. There's not a lot of employers are going to leap over the table and say please you know work for me but he's really been exceptional. I've missed on the average two to two and a half months a year. I mean, this is a total time gone, you know, attending competitions and training and that not to mention the fact that I probably only am able to work, you know a six-hour day because of my training mmm, that's and it's not just time lost but income lost for you too. Oh absolutely that you know, there's only so much you can do in a six-hour day in terms of productivity. So how do you supplement that fundraising and clearly the billboard was not a big dent in the budgets of Other things have you done to to get some money and just to cover your living needs. We've done a few things some successful some not so successful. We probably the University of Minnesota Morris alumni have been very very helpful. We did a mailing Rod Borg advertising in Eagan who's a um, alumni did some art work force and then we had some person donate the printing and we developed a brochure that basically we told our story and and I was short version and we mailed his brochure to the University of Minnesota alumni. He was Minnesota Morris alumni and and we raised you know, some funds helped to defer our expenses on cause we're always behind the eight ball though, you know, it gets sometimes it's okay. Sometimes you're wondering how you going to pay the rent the next month. So we've been moderately successful. So there but in the money we've raised evolved in like Ron said and twenty and forty dollar denominations. We haven't Anyway come across with yours, you know, here's a big check how it's all been. You know, we've been scrapping all the way and it takes a lot of time on about Ron situation. But I mean, it sounds like you're robbing Peter to pay Paul, you know, it's like, you know, go travel somewhere to do a clinic and you get paid $100, but you miss hundred, you know, you could have made a hundred dollars at work that day, you know, you run around trying to do things or even if it's time away from the family, which I have plenty of I'm gone enough The Way It Is Well, then you have to weigh that, you know the benefit and the return so it's you you almost need a full-time fundraiser working for you just a handstand 'l the logistics of asking people for money. That's right. So I've done that through my (00:23:39) family. Really? Yeah, my brother John and my all my brothers, you know, Chuck Pat and Doug my sister borrow my parents they really Can the bull by the horns, and they've really done most of it so I can I can concentrate on the training because not so much time, you know time away from training time away from family, but at the emotional, you know, the emotional commitment to trying to raise funds, and I don't know about you doing but sometimes it's hard to be asking people, you know, give me this money so I can train sometimes it's just hard to do sure and give me something for nothing which isn't true. But sometimes that's what you feel and so I have I have my family doing doing heading up the fundraising for me and it's been the best, you know, I can sit back and drain. (00:24:22) It says 12:28 here on ksjn 1330 the programís portfolio. I'm J.G. Preston. We got some callers waiting and we'll get to you after finishing the first half of our discussion here to to 76 thousand is our phone number bill. I know you were holding for a while either if we answered your question, or you just got to kind of a crick in your neck holding the phone next year. If you want to call back feel free because we'll start taking some questions now 2276 thousand our phone. Marines portfolio and we invite you to talk to Dwayne Keselowski. Greco-Roman wrestler. Ron back is shot-putter a couple of guys that if things go their way will be on National Television International television in Seoul this September competing in the Summer Olympics got a caller on the line in Brooklyn Park. Hi Denise. Go ahead. You're on. (00:25:06) Yes. I have a question for Dwayne. Yeah. I was wondering or estimating how much it really costs to go to the Olympics how much money he would need to make the (00:25:18) team got it from here on (00:25:19) out. All right, or just from January 1st to (00:25:23) September here in the Olympic year, right? I guess if you throw everything in Dwayne, I mean and I guess even including the fact that if you you're generating some money as you continue to work, but I know as a summer goes on and you get into the Olympic trials and stuff like that. You got to take large chunks of time away from that even but if you could if you could raise all the money you needed to do it. Laughter, but between now and then how much would it be? Well it we're talking about eight months time and that's not total time away from my job. But there is in those eight months. There is a requirement of three months totally away from work. Wow, and that's you know, that's once a team has selection traveling to to Germany to Colorado Springs Training Center to California as a pre Olympic Training and then the time in Seoul is almost three months and and you include three months of total time loss. And then the partial time that you missing, you know, it's between six and eight thousand dollars that I need to raise to just supplement and what I'm able to earn or raised by myself because once the once the team is actually picked at the trials, then you stay together as a team until the Olympics. Is that the way it works? That's well. Generally we do have a couple breaks two-week breaks to come home and relax and stuffing and at my example earlier the team is Like it in June at about 10 days later we go over to Germany for 17 days to compete and train and I don't have to pay an airfare out to pay room and board while I'm there but I still owe my rent. I see a little groceries and and insurance and all those bills keep coming in while I'm gone and that's just an example of you know, what when I am traffic still wife and two children who will be expecting to see right above the poverty line. Why don't my wife doesn't yeah, I wife won't be real thrilled about moving, you know home or something with her her mom and dad. Well, I'm you know off around over in Europe. So yeah, that's right those bills keep coming. So so like Ron you're estimating somewhere around a thousand a month, maybe a little more to kind of keep the wheels turning that's correct. Yeah (00:27:34) situations are different. My situation is different. Sure. My bills are a lot less. My living expenses are a lot less. I don't have a family, you know, it all depends on the individual so it all you know where that person's So much money they need so it's an individual kind of thing. (00:27:50) One thing I wanted to talk about with you. Ron is the fact that you're a member of the New York Athletic Club, which is not something that you just go and fill out a registration form and give them your Initiation fee and you join. It's a real prestigious thing and the track and field world. But while that may not help you on a day-to-day training level at least then at they do support you when it comes time for. Well a lot of the competition he's been out in the last month us indoor Nationals and all that other stuff. You can talk about the Nya see and how that works (00:28:17) unlike I think the wrestling a lot of the track and field meets our invitationals and you're responsible for getting yourself to those meets with the New York. Athletic Club does for me is they pay for my plane ticket they pay for my hotel and they do give me some money a day for food during the camp during the competition's so they actually, you know reimburse me for somebody traveling expenses. So I'm not losing that and it gives me the opportunity to compete in order to qualify to go to the I was in order to qualify to go to the US Nationals. So that's their function is, you know, really paying for expenses to travel to meets in order to compete (00:28:54) but that's as far as it goes. I mean you hear about some of these these guys in the amateur, especially the Truck World The Bill Rogers and Edwin Moses is the world that get the appearance fees and all that kind of stuff but and World shop pulling that doesn't exist as (00:29:07) we're not the most glamorous event out of the field. Yeah you do. There are you know athletes such as Carlos said o Moses who make a large amount of money through appearances. They require more to compete in one meet as an immediate appearance than the national average for income isn't it's so you can be you can be sure that they're okay they have enough money to train (00:29:32) on but this is the tippy tippy tip of the iceberg. (00:29:34) Oh, yeah, that's those are the Elite athletes. Those are the high exposure athletes. It's really a media thing. I don't the top shot putter in the top hundred meter dash owner should not be This should be equal in the eyes of the are equal in the eyes of the sport but not in the eyes of the (00:29:49) public. You can be every bit as good in the shot put is Carl Lewis aren't hundred meters, but you'll never come close to having the same kind of exposure and income potential and never Ron Bacchus and Dwayne Keselowski Our Guest on sport Foley 02276 thousand is our phone number if you have a question for him talking about their Olympic hopes for 1988 and how they're going to pay for it one way or the other you talked about the lack of exposure Ron. Is it does it does it bother you at all kind of working in a vacuum? I mean you won the you won the National Championship here last month in New York. There was a couple sentences in the in the newspapers here locally in the place where you more or less grew up and competed at the inter Collegiate level for so many years at what point. Does that really get under your skin? (00:30:30) It's sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn't there's a point where I enjoy being anonymous where I can train live my life. I'm not always a shot putter, you know, I'm just a person and And I just like to live my own life and do my own thing. So it's nice in that way where people a lot of the the pro athletes or the top athletes. They they don't live their own life, you know, a lot of people are in their lives because they're so popular on the other hand. You work very hard at something you you do very well at it. You be nice to get some recognition. I'm fortunate to have good people around me my coach and my family my friends. So I do get recognition from them. You know, I have a good support system, but the general public and they've been pretty good to you know, I'm surprised I'm always surprised when someone off the street goes aren't you that shot putter. I mean that makes you feel really good. Yeah, but yeah, you know, sometimes you do something you work very hard you win a National Championship and you know other other events warrant a front-page, you know coverage which would be mundane in comparison. You know, if you really compare a national championship to say just a game of the season or a play or something like (00:31:49) that, you know, I would suppose a guy could put up with a little bit of the inconvenience of being a celebrity if many were making a couple hundred thousand bucks a year as opposed to wondering where the rent check was coming (00:31:59) down that Canal that can always help. I just I think it's it's unrealistic for an amateur athletes such as doing and I to ever ever even think that we're going to make any money or make a lot of money and one thing at the realize too. It makes my story may seem kind of easier while he went to his hometown. He got money. No problem. He's training. Well, this is 1988. This is the Olympic year. It's not going to happen. Other than that year dried in 1889. ER, you know 90 they're going to say, excuse me, we gave at the office and he ate and so they're not going to do it again. It's you know, once every four years then you'll get a little money. So but if you spread out the, you know, the total hours spent training and the pay that you actually get I mean it'd be ridiculous to even imagine. Wager the wage per hour that you might learn and you're not you're not in it for that. You're not in it for the money you're in it for the opportunity to compete in the Olympics and it's been a dream of mine since I've been in sixth grade and my family of you know said, you know, this is the Olympics this is this is it this is the ultimate and I guess, you know, if they would have said this is pro football. This is the ultimate I might have gone that direction but you know, I've always wanted to be an Olympics and I guess if I am in an Olympics, you know, I can always work ahead of the rest of my life to work and I have a career. I just want the opportunity. That's all I wanted. (00:33:19) So that was the 76 Olympics then the kind of got you (00:33:21) start. Yeah, you know, I heard of Mac Wilkins these great throwers and then my brother's all my brothers through the shot and discus a little bit and we're always in sports and so they would always get me in the yard and you know hand me those bong what am I supposed to do with this and they they show me and sling the discourse around and it was a you know from then on I just took it on my own. I've always been involved in (00:33:41) sports because of the money do you feel This is your only chance to make it in the Olympics. (00:33:46) No, not at all. Really. (00:33:47) No, I mean, I know that I (00:33:48) think if you really want it you're going to find a way and he's found his way. I found my way. Everybody finds their way to do it. I think my potential I'm young in the sport of shot putting (00:34:03) a thrower seem to be able to compete well into their 30s 40s. Well (00:34:07) feel people in the 14th. But yeah, well, you know order was in his thirties as last Olympics, but I think you know, you can go up to 32 34 years old and I think at your Peak you're at age 30 between 28 and 32. I think that's in that in that age range is where you're going to reach your Peak as you know, in a strength events such as weight lifting shop putting something like that maybe in wrestling. I think it's the same. So I even feel that my potential is in the 92 Olympics, even, you know, world record potential goal, you know, you know to really dominate the sport in the world is down the road for me, I would sure like the You do that because I you know, my whole premise on this whole training and full-time training is I don't want to ever have to look back and say oh if I only would have you know done this, you know, I don't ever have to look back and you you know regret anything, you know, not giving it a hundred and ten percent. That's the whole premise of my training (00:35:03) Dwayne the Kozlowski a how much longer do you feel like you can continue to balance wrestling and work and family. I mean, how much longer do you think you can make the commitment that the age of 28 to trying to have it all what time is it? Yeah, (00:35:18) you get the one o'clock (00:35:20) is it seems that way sometimes it's really always talk about it's like being a juggling you got three balls in the air job family and training Olympic shot and I'm just trying to keep him on the air till September but that's about as far as you can see it right now, huh? That's it. That's pretty you know, it's a 28 years old and And some of the things that maybe I've bypassed in my life in terms of career time with my family these types of things are you know, they just weigh heavily over time and I'm just like Ron I'm not going to look back and say hey God, I should have done a little more this or a little more of that or whatever. I'm totally committed right now and I'm fully confident that with the correct trading correct attitude. I'm going to be on that Olympic team and that's more than I've ever hoped for in my life to to represent the United States of America in the Olympics. And after it's over it's over. I don't see I'm not gonna have any regrets and something that you know that no one will ever take away from me, but I'm going to move on. I've got a good good career good company. I'm working with beautiful family, you know, so I'm happy. Hmm you do you think if you didn't have your brother, too? To wrestle with that you would have even stuck it out this long in the thing of it. Is that make a difference. Well, my brother was wrestled the Greco-Roman style beginning in 82. So he predated you in the thing sure. He was first runner-up for the 84 Olympic team. He lost in overtime for them for the spot on the team the person that beat him great groups and of the Marines was a silver medalist and my wife and I travel to Los Angeles to watch the Olympics sat in the stands with my brother watch Olympics. And I said, hey I can do this and my brother said and you hadn't taken up Greco-Roman before they know I when I got out of college and 81 I was done I gave away my wrestling shoes and and socks and everything the bread I was all done and she's I was watching his here in Haiti For Thought. Yeah. This would be that bad that a lot of thoughts wondering why I ever made that decision since then but moved back to I was in South living in In South Dakota at the time and shortly thereafter. I found a job in the Twin Cities moved my family here and started trading. But this is it the end of the line and September you would guess absolutely and they'll be only one person happier than me the one it's over and I'll be my (00:38:00) wife (00:38:01) are you kids old enough to be happy about it too and it's over. I don't know. My five-year-old told me other day when he grows up. He wants to be a wrestler some no. No, that's not a dolphin something. Yeah. They don't abuse your body neither some money in it. So say your announcer. Yeah, that's a life don't work. And sometimes you get paid to it's kind of fun. It's 17 minutes before one o'clock here on ksjn 1330. I'm J.G. Preston Iran's portfolio wrestler Duane Keselowski and shot put her on back as for my guests couple of guys. I think you'll be singing. The Olympics is September and soul talking about their Sports their lives their hopes are Eames their money or lack of it two two seven six thousand is our phone number. If you have a question for either one of these gentlemen, 2276 thousand is our phone number on sport folio, you know, you've with you guys in particular, I mean a lot of what you're trying to do is based on your friends and family kind of rallying behind you emotionally and financially, I mean what would happen if you didn't make the Olympic team, I mean both you guys have a very good shot. But the how much does that you get really nervous about that as you're preparing. Thank God I got to make those are these people are going to be so disappointed or how do you handle that run? (00:39:16) I don't I don't think about it. Huh? I know I'm gonna make the Olympic team and I don't think about the process of making the team right now. I'm thinking about what metal do I want in the Olympics it for me. I'm not thinking beyond the Olympics about anything because once you think Beyond it personally, I might I feel once I think beyond the Olympics what I'm going to do it, you know at once that time comes I start diminishing my goal of being an Olympic. So I sent I make it the center of my life. If I don't make the team, I don't make the team I gave it my best shot. I mean, that's all you can tell you can say in the best is all you can do but inside I know I'm going to make the team (00:39:55) and I think clearly after winning the indoor Nationals you've got to be and there's three spots on the Olympic teams. Yeah, you've got to think you've got a terrific shot right there. Right? (00:40:02) I've no I might have made it to I just want to see what metal I can get. No. Hmm. (00:40:06) When is the actual Olympic trials and track and field the Olympic trials (00:40:10) are in Indianapolis and they start July 15th. And I think I think they run to like the 19th. I'm not sure all I know the shot put is on the July 15th at 11:15 in the morning. And then sometime again get a night at 7:30 for the finals and then the Olympics the Olympics are insole in there on September 23rd at 9:15 in the morning and again at 4:30 at night. (00:40:35) So that's Korean time. Yeah, (00:40:38) so I know what I have to do, but in each case (00:40:40) it comes down to one day. (00:40:41) Yeah, it is. It's one day. You know one meet you have to be in the top three. They don't care if you were sick, you know the week before whatever you have to be ready that day to compete (00:40:52) twice. And how many throws do you get each (00:40:54) to you? Well, actually it's run into sessions. The morning session is a qualifying round and they take the total number of qualifiers. So there's 25 30 whatever they narrow it down to 12 throwers the top 12 with three throws. And then it's the (00:41:10) only they add up your top (00:41:13) three know they take the best of your top three. So you get three the three throws the morning session and they take your best role in the top 12 throwers their best throws advance to the finals that night that night or semifinals and finals and then that night it's a clean slate. Hmm, and then you get three throws and then the top eight after the first three throws get three more throws in the finals. Mmm. And then those the put the three people with three best throws make the team or metal or (00:41:42) whatever, but but Or semi final throes don't carry over to the (00:41:45) finals. No, they don't in the evening session they do. Oh, okay, then (00:41:49) it's a really if you make the finals you've got basically 640 choose (00:41:53) from right if you're in the top eight. (00:41:55) Yeah. Yeah, you know, you're right, but you can't fall by the wayside and (00:41:59) there's no not at all and it's the only shot puts the only event where you compete twice in the same day in the Olympics and track and field. It's I don't know why they do that. But the discus it's the qualifying Zone one day in a finals are another day, but it's the only event where you compete twice and it surprises me because it is such a demanding, you know, such a very powerful event. It's not like, you know, you can recover, you know, right afterwards. It's it's it takes a lot more out of you than you think emotionally and physically it, you know, you pour everything you have inside on six different occasions, you know, you're you're letting everything out and it really drains, you know, it's you'd be surprised how fatigued and how tired you feel after a meat (00:42:40) so it's no different turning that around then would be Other track and field event as far as the recovery time. I mean, it'd be tough (00:42:47) - I think it's even more. I think it's even more demanding CL Runner can recover in 25 30 minutes. I think it you know, after the competition there a race last says, you know 10 seconds Sir our last, you know, two minutes or whatever our our event lasts up to two three hours. So you're emotionally peaked for two hours, you know, and so that's where it really drains you because even when the other (00:43:11) guys are throwing you're still pretty charge you you have to be concentrating and what (00:43:14) you're doing and you know, and then six different times you have to exert a hundred percent of your energy and so it's a little more fatiguing one more tiring Than People imagine and So that I was just that's why I'm surprised that they have this that event twice in the same day, but I still way it is so prior to the competition. I will mimic that and throw it twice and in one day and try to get myself some day. Yeah, it's best I (00:43:40) can and Dwayne. What's the what's the process for picking the Greco-Roman team for the Olympics? Well, we have two selection tournaments. The first tournament is the what we call the final Olympic qualifying tournament. And basically that is all the wrestlers in your weight class would travel to the tournament site and we wrestle wrestle through a normal round robin tournament in the top six wrestlers Advanced to the final qualifier final team selection tournament, and that that's held about a month later. So only six can go to the final selection tournament and then we wrestle we call ladder tournament whereas if you were Ranked number 1 after the first tournament you're on the top of the ladder and was like those bowling things in the the TV Championship. We're like five starts running again six and the winner Russell's for and the winner Russell's 3 and on us, right? That's right. And it's two out of three so really, yeah. So if your numbers 6, you've got a long way to go even if you want the first two matches each each match, you have to beat five different people. You have to win 10 matches in a row to be on the Olympic team. So you want to be on top of that ladder and have it come down to one match. Is that a six? Yeah, you you just sit there and watch everybody else wrestle and you're on top of the ladder and they make it to you and then you go out there and take them into that amazes me about wrestlers is when you get the competition how many times a guy I'll wrestle in a day how many periods ago Russell? I mean, it's just such a physically demanding sport and just to keep doing it. I mean you'll cause you're drunk you'll do this later in one day, right? No, no. Not believe it over to the final Olympic qualifying tournament is done over two days. And then the ladder is done in over three days. So there you got guys wrestling two and three matches a day, right? Oh, yeah. Yeah, you usually Russell two or three a day and that sounds tough. And yeah it if you're trained right though bar and an injury, you should recover between matches and still be able to go, you know, almost almost a hundred percent of what you were the first match sometimes. The first match is you most difficult because you you kind of lethargic maybe you have little jet lag or what have you and you your second third matches year, you know better match for you. I'm just judging from all the things that you and Dennis have competed in over the last couple of years representing the us but is it safe to say that you're both kind of the favorites in your weight classes when it comes to Olympic competition both brother u.s. Yeah, both my brother and I are ranked number. In the United States in our weights, Dennis has not lost to a u.s. Wrestler in three years. Wow, and I am not lost him two years. We've both represent the United States in the world championships the last two years and were the highest Place winners for the US team in both those years. My brother was a silver medalist in August here and was the first the highest just represented the second highest finish we've ever had period in the Championships. He Wow, Mike halleck of Robbinsdale Minnesota and we will talk about anonymity my calc of robins L won a gold medal in the Olympics or excuse me the world championships in 85. This is a full field. It's not the Olympics where we had the boycott is a full feel that he won the World Championships first ever for the United States and he got a little (00:47:22) column. I've never heard of I got a I (00:47:25) know (00:47:26) Know (00:47:26) the name but you could certainly put me on a list of people who would not been able to tell you. He was the only Gold Medal winner in US history at the world championship. That's right. Wow, and my brothers effort here. It's kind of interesting people don't I guess they don't appreciate because you have to know what it is before you can appreciate or not appreciate it. But in the last in 84 Jim Martinez of Osseo was a bronze medalist in the Olympics in 85 Mike Houck won the World Championships first ever for Greco-Roman wrestling in 86. I finished fourth. That was the highest finish the US team that year and last year. My brother was a silver medalist. These are all Minnesota wrestlers in and we've represented some of the highest finishes that the US has ever received in that sport in the last four years, and we've managed to remain pretty well Anonymous you doing that and we have a very good chance. There's ten spots on the Greco-Roman team and we have a very good chance. Of winning six of those spots really how Martinez the two of you and then who else daelin wasman in Apple Valley and mr. Morgan John Morgan and Bloomington, Aha and actually we have another wrestler named Daryl goal. Our who unfortunately is in the same weight as mr. Morgan. John Morgan was one of the other they are ya so we have six weights that we're all right number one and those weights right now and we trained together. It's just it we have a real good school and knowledge of Greco-Roman wrestling. We trained together push each other and where the people to beat and so it's exciting. Let's go back to the phones here on sport folio on ksjn 1330. I'm J.G. Preston. My guests are wrestler Dwayne Keselowski and shot put her on Bacchus 2276 thousand a phone number will go to Minneapolis. Hi Bill. (00:49:13) Hi employees of their country. Like to get some comments on them about how other athletes and other parts of the world ways of funding (00:49:30) that's a very good topic because Ron I know you and I talked about how you feel. Like you have to be in full time training in the shot put here because you say that the other top competitors across the rest of Europe and all over the world their full-time to and they're supported by their (00:49:44) governments. Yeah, there's no fundraising as far as they're involved and what they're you know, what they go into camps 9829 months of the year. They're in Training Camps where everything is provided for them. They have food meals the laundry's done from there's maid service. They have massage therapist. They have doctors and training facilities. It's almost like you didn't cased building. Hmm. So I mean, they don't have to go out in the 20-below weather, you know and go from training the training with a you know, with a, you know a wet head. So they're you know, they're in these buildings and they're trained in a government supports them. So that's their situation and they have a coaches. Right there and they have the best coaches in the country. No, their opportunity is for the top athletes in the country and they and it goes down the hole to the other levels. They have a very good support system from a very young age. They you know to when they get up to the top level that you know, the kids are always involved in sports and with good coaching. So even even at the Young level there's good coaching there's training facilities or Sports schools. So they're they're very much, you know concentrating, you know on the sport and that's the I guess that's their job, you know to compete and to do well and that's why they do well so they're training full-time. They don't have to worry about anything else. They just worried about training now, there's you know, that's the price, you know, that's you know, that's their country. That's what they do. You know, I you know, I would prefer to be in this country no matter what so, you know, there's a price to pay our I don't think of it surprising. It's a privilege to be here United States. So I guess you know you put up with it or whatever, you know you deal with it, but that's what Do and that's why sometimes it seems that they may dominate in certain events. Will it's just because they're better trained their knots when they're not and devote more time to it. Yeah, you know and they're not so much better athletes and I don't think they are better athletes. I think that they just have a better situation and some of the Americans. (00:51:43) So if you were designing the world from scratch you would you'd be in the US but you'd like to see maybe a similar type of for the elite athlete subsidized training type of concept where you do have a chance to just kind of (00:51:55) focus on it. I would think I would want a little more centralized like some I would like a little more government support as far as camps and training facilities, you know, I wouldn't trade you know, this my situation. I'm a very happy person. I you know, I'm happy with what's going on in my life, but I would like to see more internet more support from the government as far as training facilities and and and things like that where you could go to and get the help that you need a government-sponsored. I wouldn't you know, I don't think should get a paycheck necessarily notice the amateur sports is what we're supposed to do but just a little more government support as far as you know helping you out with bills maybe and having some training facilities I think would really help (00:52:38) Olli you know folks jeez we get right down to the end of the hour and all of a sudden you call pouring with questions let's go to New Bright and try to squeeze in a quick one from Hank go ahead (00:52:46) and cook I cook it you know the point about competing in two events in one day you know fact is that if everybody who's competing is playing on the same field and all competing into it what difference does it make now it's in many ways it's sort of like you know a team saying that well you know we would have want except that it rained well you know what does that mean is that mean it didn't rain on the other team or I understand what you're saying I'm not saying I'm not saying it's a disadvantage I'm just saying it's tough It's you have stuff on you individual yes exactly (00:53:14) doesn't (00:53:15) exactly exactly as your performance in the second session you're right it's all equal for everyone I'm just saying I'd rather have it on I'm just saying it's the only event That they do it and it just seems unusual. I'm not saying there's advantage or disadvantage for anyone but it's uncomfortable but it's why it's just it's just something that's unusual. Yeah that why you know, why couldn't they split it up like the other events? I was it was just it wasn't I'm not trying to you know say anything or making a point by it. I'm just saying that's just the way it is and was interesting. That is that way (00:53:43) you guys were kind enough to take time away from friends family and the gym the to come over today. I want to give you just a chance to let people know if they want to contact you about maybe, you know, kicking in a little bit of support or whatever Dwayne. How could they people get a hold of you? Okay. I have a home number. That's very easy. Thank you to memorize its 566 1988. Hey funny that uh, yeah funny that and and we have operators taking calls now and the thing is is as I like Ron mentioned early something for nothing. We neither of us want something for nothing. We both do clinics we work with young people. We actually it's fun to work with young people. Because I can put myself in the same situation. Remember when it be nice if when I was that young somebody would have came in that is trying out for Olympic team a chance to meet him this type of thing. So even if you don't feel like you want to contribute money, but if you want to get either of us are to meet you kids and talk to me inspiration. We'd love to do it. That's wrestler Dwayne Keselowski and Ron back a shot putter. I can people if they were interested in pursuing this with you get a hold of you my numbers little more (00:54:51) difficulties 3315643 or you can get a hold of me through the Cold Spring Lions Club or University of Minnesota track program roig react. I have a lot of contacts there. And again like Dwayne said I you know, I love working with young people and I Was A Boy Scout and eagle skeleton young and I enjoy it and I'll you know always open for suggestions and working with people and it's always a lot of fun at you know, brightens up our day and puts a little you know, Pizzazz and harder workouts and our training. So we're always open (00:55:22) for something my contribution to the effort thanks to Jeff Walker associate producer. Winking and David O'Neill. I'm J.G. Preston Iran's (00:55:28) portfolio. (00:55:36) You're listening to ksjn 1330 Minneapolis st. Paul coming up on one o'clock world and national news from the Associated Press has next right after that stick around Mark High state has the week in review here on ksjn 1330.