Mark Schultz made his first step back into wrestling at Colonie Central High School Sunday, Dec. 14.
The world and Olympic wrestling champion conducted a clinic for approximately 12 wrestlers at the school’s old gym, while the annual Linda Stuart Memorial Duals Tournament took place down the hall.
Schultz estimated it was the first time since 2005 that he had even been in a room teaching other wrestlers.
“It’s been a long time,” said Schultz. “It’s emotional.”
Schultz’s Colonie stop was the first of three events he was part of in the Capital District. In the afternoon on Dec. 14, he presided over sneak peek screenings of “Foxcatcher” — a movie based on his book about what happened to him and his brother, Dave Schultz, at the Foxcatcher Farm in Pennsylvania. Then on Monday, Dec. 15, he visited a jiu jitsu studio in Malta.
The idea of bringing Schultz to the area came from Journeyman Wrestling Club founder Frank Popolizio Jr.
“To me, the biggest thing about it was bringing him back into the wrestling fold,” said Popolizio. “It’s important to learn from history, and he’s an integral part of American wrestling history.”
“It’s quite an honor having a guy of his caliber here, and he hasn’t been involved in wrestling for quite a while,” said Colonie athletic director Joe Guardino. “To have him here at Colonie is a treat.”
Schultz’s life has been a rollercoaster. At the clinic, he told the young wrestlers his story of how he went from being a struggling high school grappler to being a two-time world champion and a gold medalist at the 1984 Olympics. He talked about the hard work he put in and the secret notebook of moves he kept as he rose to the top.
“There’s no secret to being a successful wrestler — just conditioning and training, that’s all,” said Schultz.
Schultz’s life turned upside down in 1996 at the Foxcatcher Farm, where he and his older brother Dave worked as wrestling coaches. The farm’s owner, John du Pont, established a private wrestling school there, but began exhibiting odd behavior. On Jan. 26 of that year, du Pont shot and killed Dave Schultz. The multimillionaire was convicted of murder later in 1996.
Mark Schultz wrote about those events in his autobiography, “Foxcatcher,” which are now about to be seen in wide release on movie screens across the world. Schultz, who also worked on the movie as a consultant, said it was surreal to see his story brought to life by director Bennett Miller and actor Channing Tatum.
“I felt incredibly grateful that, first of all, I found such a great director — Bennett Miller — to make this film,” said Schultz. “When I found out Channing Tatum was going to play me … he’s such a great actor, but he’s also such a great athlete.”
Schultz went on to become a successful mixed martial arts fighter and then a collegiate wrestling coach until 2002, when Brigham Young University ended the program Schultz was working for. He continued working as founder of the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club until that ended in 2005, which is when he stepped away from the sport.
Now, Schultz is back in the spotlight as “Foxcatcher” hits movie theaters.
“People ask me ‘why did you write this book’ and ‘why did you make this movie,’ and it was to immortalize my brother,” said Schultz. “That’s the most important thing.”
