2008 Woodie Awards
Olympian instructs CORE class
Groves juggles wrestling, teaching at university
Brandon Edelman
Issue date: 5/18/04 Section: Sports
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Climbing the stairs to the second floor of Olin Hall wearing a backpack, khaki pants and a long sleeve button-up shirt, William Groves exudes the aura of a college professor. But just as in the case of Clark Kent, another identity lurks beneath his business attire.
When he is not teaching CORE 2428: How Today's Athletes Obtain the Cutting Edge, Groves is preparing to represent the United States as a free-style wrestler at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens.
"Athens will be my first trip to the Olympics and I am very excited," Groves said.
Groves, now 28, is well experienced after having wrestled for 18 years.
He will wrestle free-style in Athens, which differs from Greco-Roman style in that holds are permitted on the whole body instead of just from the waist up.
Groves' said that contrary to many beliefs, his childhood was not filled with hours of wrestling.
"I would say that not very much of my time was spent wrestling," Groves said.
"My parents felt it was very important not to burn out too early. As a youth I traveled for wrestling five to six times a year only to major tournaments."
After growing up in Chicago and moving to London, where he went to boarding school for five years, Groves returned to attend Iowa State University where he wrestled.
"In college I wrestled and did school work, but that was pretty much it," Groves said. "Every now and again I would go out, but it was pretty rare."
After completing his undergraduate studies, Groves decided to go for his Ph.D at Ohio State University.
With the support of his parents, he did not give up wrestling.
"My parents were very instrumental in my development both academically and athletically," he said.
"They expressed the importance of doing my best no matter what the outcome."
While that is a feat in itself, what is even more impressive is that Groves started attending Iowa State at the age of 16 and graduated at the age of 21.
When he is not teaching CORE 2428: How Today's Athletes Obtain the Cutting Edge, Groves is preparing to represent the United States as a free-style wrestler at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens.
"Athens will be my first trip to the Olympics and I am very excited," Groves said.
Groves, now 28, is well experienced after having wrestled for 18 years.
He will wrestle free-style in Athens, which differs from Greco-Roman style in that holds are permitted on the whole body instead of just from the waist up.
Groves' said that contrary to many beliefs, his childhood was not filled with hours of wrestling.
"I would say that not very much of my time was spent wrestling," Groves said.
"My parents felt it was very important not to burn out too early. As a youth I traveled for wrestling five to six times a year only to major tournaments."
After growing up in Chicago and moving to London, where he went to boarding school for five years, Groves returned to attend Iowa State University where he wrestled.
"In college I wrestled and did school work, but that was pretty much it," Groves said. "Every now and again I would go out, but it was pretty rare."
After completing his undergraduate studies, Groves decided to go for his Ph.D at Ohio State University.
With the support of his parents, he did not give up wrestling.
"My parents were very instrumental in my development both academically and athletically," he said.
"They expressed the importance of doing my best no matter what the outcome."
While that is a feat in itself, what is even more impressive is that Groves started attending Iowa State at the age of 16 and graduated at the age of 21.
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