WHO WE ARE FAITH IN ACTION
from mat to
MISSION Wrestlers share their time and talent with The Salvation Army by HUGO BRAVO
Through “Wrestling for All” (above), Olympic Gold medalist Jordan Burroughs hopes to inspire a new generation of wrestlers.
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he first time Jordan Ernest Burroughs stepped inside a wrestling class, he saw how different it was from the pro wrestling he had watched on TV. In the class, there were no intricate storylines and larger–than–life characters with names like “The Ultimate Warrior” and “Macho Man” Randy Savage. But when Jordan won his first trophy at a wrestling tournament, he was hooked on the sport. He went to the University of Nebraska on a wrestling scholarship and won tournaments across the world, including at the 2012 Olympics in London. Jordan Burroughs is now recognized as one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers of all time. “I was raised in Sicklerville, N.J., but my parents worked for a union, Local 332, in Philadelphia,” Jordan says. “My mom would drop me off at The Salvation Army for day camp in the summers. I learned how to swim, play basketball, and met children from other cultures.” He also learned why sports are impor tant for young people. “Sports transcend all backgrounds, economic status, races, and religion. It didn’t matter how nice our houses
were or what kind of car our parents drove. We were all striving to be better at what we were learning,” says Jordan, who was about to host a Saturday wrestling class for kids at The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Camden, N.J. Burroughs is the first Olympic wres tler to volunteer his time to The Salvation Army Eastern Territory. But all over the country, pro wrestling organizations have worked with local Army corps to ring the bell at Christmas, raise funds for children’s programs, and unite as a formidable “tag team” in ministry.
Nashville’s greatest Third–generation pro wrestler Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett had his first match at 18 years old, at his father’s Continental Wrestling Association (CWA). Since then, “Jeff” Jarrett has held over 80 wrestling championship reigns in America, Japan, and Mexico. He is best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he was a multiple–time cham pion and one of the company’s top stars.
Volume 9 Number 6, 2023
