CLEARFIELD – Both began wrestling as youngsters and were about 6 or 7-years-old. Each collected three state medals as varsity wrestlers at Clearfield. Now, former Bison Timothy Taylor and Brad Pataky aspire to reach another podium this weekend at the Olympic Team Trials in Las Vegas, NV.
Pataky thought about the idea, before he ever took the mat in a varsity singlet.
“I took up freestyle wrestling in the eighth grade and knew it was an Olympic style. I‘ve loved it ever since,” he said.
Pataky continued to dream about the possibilities throughout high school.
“I really took on the freestyle mentality and thought more about the Olympics. I thought it was really amazing to watch the guys on the senior and Olympic level,” he said.
For Taylor, the possibility didn’t cross his mind until he entered the U.S. Marine Corps, where he returned to the wrestling mat.
However, he was afforded even greater training opportunities after he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves. He was assigned to the World Class Athletic Program (WCAP), allowing him to prepare for competition at an elevated national and international level.
Taylor, then, worked his way up the Greco-Roman “Olympic Ladder.” He finished eighth at the 2002 U.S. Nationals, sixth at the 2004 U.S. Nationals and fourth at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials.
“I saw the opportunity I had and realized I could compete at this level,” he said.
Pataky, on the other hand, began to pursue his Olympic dream more recently, when he applied for a redshirt from the NCAA in order to train for the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing.
Both Olympic hopefuls have similar training schedules, as they work out once or twice each day and a minimum four to five days each week.
Taylor said he works out with his teammate Dremiel Byers. Both are members of the WCAP in Colorado Springs, CO. Byers was the 2002 World Champion and a seven time U.S. National Champion. Taylor said his training sessions incorporate both conditioning and live wrestling.
“It’s a lot of hard work, but I’m able to train my body at a higher caliber level. All of my wrestling and training is done in the room. I just show up and wrestle, when it’s time to compete,” he said.
Pataky has kept a training log for the past several months. His log includes practice sessions with the likes of Cary Kolat and Sanshiro Abe, who both have Olympic wrestling experience.
He said both have not only helped him transition from the college to senior level, but in his mat technique as well.
Pataky said most of his training has been done on his home mat at Penn State University. Former Nittany Lion Adam Smith is among his training partners and also ranked a few spots above him at 121 pounds in the most recent senior freestyle rankings.
During his daily workouts, Pataky constantly analyzes his moves in order to polish his skills.
“I work on stance, transitions to and from the mat, set ups and hand fighting. I need to improve in these areas,” he said. “I drill on my feet and from the top and bottom positions. It will help me become a better wrestler.”
According to the Olympic hopeful, the competition is extremely intense. “It’s different in both the room and on the mat at different levels but becomes higher as you grow older.”
Taylor echoed the same thoughts and added, “Off the mat, we’re all friends and a family, but that all changes, when we’re in competition.”
Both have seen their relentless training pay off and experienced success in their respective qualifying tournaments.
Pataky collected gold medals at both the Northeast Regional Trials and the University National Freestyle Championships. By winning University Nationals, he eliminated a spot for another competitor at the Olympic trials.
Taylor, who is currently ranked third in Greco-Roman at heavyweight, backed up his spot with a bronze medal at this year’s U.S. Senior Nationals.
Although the task lying ahead will not be easy, both believe their ultimate goal – a spot on Team USA – is a possibility.
“I’ve trained as hard as anyone and learned to wrestle with this level of competition. I’ve given 100 percent in my preparation and will on the mat,” Pataky said.
“At this level, there are many great wrestlers and every one of them is tough. I believe anything can happen,” he said.
Taylor said it would mean everything to represent his country on the team and knows what he must accomplish in order to do so.
“I need two perfect matches and must win the biggest tournament in the U.S.,” he said.