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In the Olympic finals for the gold medal, Matt was pitted against Alexander Karelin, the Russian legend, who had never been defeated. Matt wrestled up the courage to face Karelin. He tells the story of his gold-medal match:

"At the Centennial Games in Atlanta, both Karelin and I advanced to the gold-medal match. The reality for me was that I was no longer competing against Karelin. To face the giant with the correct state of mind, I had to diminish the giant. I raised my personal limits. I visualized Karelin as fat, even lazy. When we walked onto the mat, he seemed weaker and I felt stronger."

"We wrestled to a dead heat in regulation. In overtime the standoff continued. It was left to the referee to award a single point that would declare a winner. The 1-0 decision went to the two-time defending Olympic champion, Karelin."

On the medal stand that night, waving an American flag, Matt was proud of representing his adopted country so well, and for doing his personal best. As Matt stated,

"So many emotions swept through me on the medal stand that night. But when my emotions subsided, satisfaction overwhelmed me. I had faced my giant with dignity and poise in the biggest match of my life."

When a terrorist bomb exploded in Olympic Centennial Park Matt Ghaffari was the first Olympian to visit the victims. His account remembers the moment:

"The terrorist scenario in Atlanta presented the Olympic Class of '96 with a rare opportunity to put the ideals of Olympism into action under a global spotlight. It was the chance to demonstrate that the attributes of an Olympian have substance beyond the playing of games. This was my message as I visited the Atlanta hospitals where the injured were being treated."

"Summoning more inner strength than I'd ever needed for a wrestling match, I walked into the hospital room of a young girl. It was an Olympic experience I never expected. When I placed my medal around the little girl's neck, it could not have mattered that my medal was silver instead of gold. Her smile was my victory."

The Olympic Spirit in YOU!
Being an Olympian is not just about winning medals. It is about doing YOUR best. How can you apply this Olympic spirit to your life?

• List three challenges that you face; they might be at school, in sport, in work, or in relationships with other people.
• Write a paragraph on how you could apply positive attitudes to the challenges in your life. Consider how you can apply those principles whether you be facing your own personal "giant" or a "giant" problem you have to solve, such as doing better in a subject.

More Athletes

Ann Meyers Drysdale Bart Conner Billy Mills Baron Pierre de Coubertin Gail Devers Greg Barton Henry Marsh John Naber

Karch Kiraly Mary Lou Retton Matt Ghaffari Milt Campbell Nadia Comaneci Nancy Hogshead Paul Gonzales Terry Schroeder

For more great stories about Olympians, ask your librarian for books about Olympic spirit, including Awaken the Olympian Within complied by John Naber, and The Olympic Dream and Spirit, Vol. 1, 2, and 3, with Bob Schaller.