Adam Wheeler understood his life calling from an early age. As a boy he was strongly influenced by his uncles, who served in the military, and his grandfather, a firefighter. Following in their footsteps just felt right.
"I've always felt that I have a duty to serve my community and serve our country," says the semifinalist in the 2015 Search for the Ultimate Men's Health Guy. "It's always been a part of who I am."
But Wheeler waited a little while to earn his badge. First, he had medals to collect.
After a decorated high-school wrestling career in Southern California, Wheeler joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1999 and became a boat rescue swimmer. During his service, he was asked to join the All-Navy Wrestling Team, where he trained under Olympic coach Rob Hermann.
Wheeler set his sights on the ultimate goal: becoming a member of Team USA. At just 18 years old, however, the wrestler had to put in his time before he could rise up the ranks and catch up with his older competitors. He took his fair share of beatings and went through periods of time without winning a single match.
Years of getting pinned paid off in 2003, when Wheeler earned a scholarship to the United States Olympic Education Center. There, he worked toward a college degree while continuing to train.
Making the Olympics roster as a wrestler would be a tall task, since there can only be one competitor per country. To qualify, you have to be number one in your country and top 20 in the world. Even then, there are trials, finals, and additional matches to ensure the best athlete is selected. "They don't want to be fluked," Wheeler says.
But in 2008, Wheeler made it happen: The then-27-year-old earned the top ranking in the U.S. and a spot on that year's Olympic Greco-Wrestling Team. In Beijing, Wheeler captured the bronze medal.
"I've been very lucky and fortunate in my accomplishments and getting to travel the world," says Wheeler. But after Olympic glory, the only thing left for him to do was fulfill his first destiny.
Post-retirement, he joined the Colorado Springs Police Department as a patrol officer, and soon after, became a member of the SWAT team. As a fiercely competitive athlete, the role was a perfect fit for Wheeler.
"There's a lot of training that goes into it," he says. "I love that feeling of working to get better at a skill."
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Wheeler's job has its tragic downsides. In 2012, his training officer, mentor, and close friend was killed in the line of duty. "I see his picture hanging up every day," says Wheeler. "It can be very hard to look at. He had such a huge impact on everyone in our department."
Though he says it's tough to keep morale high in trying times, Wheeler unwinds by spending as much time with his wife and two young sons as possible. He also practices Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and coaches the sport during his downtime.
"I measure success on how I impact the lives of others," he says. "And I feel like impacting others is something that never ends--you just keep doing it," Wheeler says.
That kind of philosophy helped earn him a spot in the Ultimate Men's Health Guy semifinals--a distinction that ranks among his greatest life accomplishments, he says.
"When I was a kid, I used to look at the cover of men's magazines and say ‘I want to be ripped like those guys.' The fact that I'm in the same category with so many amazing men is an honor."
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