[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 52 (Tuesday, April 1, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E476]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING PETER J. WIRS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM JORDAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 1, 2014

  Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I join my friend and colleague from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) in drawing attention to an event that is set 
to unfold on April 17 at USA Wrestling's National Open in Las Vegas, 
where Mr. Peter J. Wirs is set to become what I am told is the oldest 
person ever to step onto an international freestyle wrestling mat for 
his very first competitive match.
   I was fortunate to be involved in the sport of wrestling from an 
early age. I know from personal experience just how much dedication and 
discipline the sport requires. When my teammates and I wrestled, we 
faced certain challenges, but the challenges Pete Wirs faces next month 
are far different: He is 59 years old, has suffered a heart attack and 
two strokes, and has diabetes.
   While my colleague from Pennsylvania spoke about the importance of 
Mr. Wirs overcoming diabetes to wrestle, I would also note the 
corollary: He chose wrestling as the sport to overcome diabetes.
   Wrestling is demanding. Who wins and who loses is decided solely by 
the two individuals squaring off on the mat. People have different 
opinions about what percent of training is physical and what percent is 
mental, but everyone agrees that wrestling is an incredibly demanding 
sport, both physically and emotionally.
   Former Speaker Dennis Hastert, a former wrestling coach, often 
commented on the courage, discipline, and perseverance that wrestling 
demands. Paraphrasing the old introduction to ABC's Wide World of 
Sports, wrestling demonstrates the ``thrill of victory and the agony of 
defeat.''
   That will be very important to remember on April 17, when Pete Wirs 
steps onto the mat. From one wrestler to another and one public 
official to another, I wish him the best of luck.
   Mr. Speaker, you may remember that the International Olympic 
Committee's executive board voted last year to expel wrestling from the 
Summer Games. Thanks to the outcry from ordinary citizens from across 
America and around the world, the IOC General Assembly ultimately 
reversed the board's decision and reinstated the sport. But this 
decision gives wrestling only a temporary reprieve. It is still on 
probation, with its status in the future facing further challenges.
   Our country should celebrate the thousands of amateur athletes who 
train for and compete in the sport of wrestling. Today, I am honored to 
commend Pete Wirs and all who rise to the challenge.

                          ____________________