Dan Russell

An update on my mom: so many have reached out asking how to pray, and we are grateful. We now know she is facing stage 4 metastatic cancer in the dura around her brain, lungs, abdomen, bones, and spine.
We are holding tightly to hope, faith, and love. Believing for peace that surpasses human understanding that reminds us this life is not the end of the story. None of us know the number of our days except God, and we trust Him with every single one.
Please continue praying for strength, comfort, wisdom for her care, and moments of grace for our family through this journey.

Staying curious and asking thoughtful questions are two areas I want to grow in. The older I get, the more I realize that good questions can open doors that quick answers never will.

From grade school days in Wilder population 440 to 75 countries across 38 percent of the world, wrestling has shown me that people have far more in common than we realize.
As a kid from southern Idaho, I never imagined the mat would become a bridge to the world. From being bullied to becoming an Olympic Coach, the journey taught me that perseverance, respect, and hard work can change lives.
I learned it through wrestling, the oldest documented sport and one of the most universal traditions on earth. It lives in every culture and every corner of the world.
Nearly ten percent of these countries I experienced alongside World Veteran Champion and Goodwill Ambassador Saleh Mohammed Alzriqat. We were born on opposite sides of the world, yet wrestling created a lifelong bond built on mutual respect and shared purpose. Syria became my 75th country visited. I am honored that I got to experience part of this journey with my friend Saleh.
Wrestling for Peace is bigger than sport. It is about connection, respect, and proving that even in a divided world, we can still meet in the center and shake hands.

To a westerner this food choice may be questionable...
But I am the grandson of a farmer that wasted no part of an animal. Today my grandfather would be proud. My gracious hosts shared with me sheep brain, stuffed intestine and sheep tongue. Delicious and Loving Life in the BIG City of Damascus.

I visited history with two history makers, Syrian National Wrestling President Mohammad Al Qzaz and World Veterans Champion Saleh Azriqat.
Together, we visited Hammam Al Selsela, the legendary bathhouse near the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
The hammam’s story stretches back nearly a thousand years, perhaps even deeper into the Roman and Byzantine bathing traditions of ancient Damascus.
“Al Selsela” means “The Chain,” named after the iron chain once stretched across the nearby street to stop horsemen from riding recklessly near the sacred quarter.
For centuries, steam has risen through those chambers while empires collapsed outside its walls.
Roman.
Byzantine.
Umayyad.
Ottoman.
French.
Assad.
War.
Revolution.
Still the baths remained.
Walking through the domed marble halls felt like stepping outside time itself. Warm steam drifted beneath ancient ceilings for centuries. Men sat quietly speaking Arabic in low voices while attendants poured water across worn stone floors polished smooth by generations of human hands.
What made the moment even more memorable was sharing it with Mohammad Al Qzaz and Saleh Azriqat, men still making history themselves.
A place built by history, visited with men still making history.

Dinner with friends.
Damascus Syria holds one of the world’s most acclaimed culinary heritages. It perfectly balances the energy of legendary street food with the elegance of hidden courtyard dining.
Friends + Food = Belonging.

Mothers shape lives in ways that are often impossible to measure. Their impact is not only found in grand sacrifices or unforgettable lessons, but in the daily acts of care that slowly become the foundation of who we are. A mother teaches resilience through patience, kindness through example, and strength through the way she keeps going even when life is difficult. To all moms: thank you for the countless ways you shape lives, inspire growth, and make the world gentler and stronger at the same time.

The 1990s were a great era for Greco Roman wrestling in Finland. I had the honor of being invited to compete in the Paini Cup in Helsinki during that time.
I lost a very close match in the final to a strong wrestler competing for the Soviet Union USSR. Like so often in this sport, the result on the scoreboard is only part of the story.
Many people outside of wrestling do not fully understand the bond that wrestlers build when competing against each other at that level. The intensity on the mat is quickly followed by respect and friendship off it. After the match, we were already sitting together at dinner, sharing a meal and talking like old friends.
It is also worth remembering the wider context of that period. The Cold War between the USA and USSR, and the rivalry between East and West was strong in sport, especially in wrestling. At the same time, we were connecting in arenas all over the world through wrestling, meeting the same opponents repeatedly and building respect that went beyond politics and borders. The Soviet Union itself was dissolved in December 1991, so this competition took place just before that historic moment of change.
That match was even broadcast on Eurosport, and in this photo you can see us taking a picture of the TV with the two of us competing. iWe were reliving every moment, move by move.
Even though I lost the final, it remains a beautiful memory. Wrestling has a unique way of building connection across borders, languages, and political divides. During the 1990s, Finland was an important hub for international Greco Roman wrestling, with strong competitions and athletes from across Europe and beyond.
Medals are forgotten, but the meaning found in shared struggle and mutual respect becomes something far greater than victory. Wrestling for Peace

23 years ago this month, I traveled to Iran as head coach of the United States wrestling team for the Takhti Cup in Tehran and Sanandaj. At a time when the United States and Iran had no formal diplomatic relations, wrestling created something politics could not: respect, connection, and understanding.
Our United States team included Andy Hrovat, Dean Morrison, Brian Keck, T.C. Dantzler, and Mike Ellsworth. We competed in front of passionate, highly knowledgeable crowds against some of the best wrestlers in the world. The competition was intense, but what stayed with me most was the hospitality and respect shown to our athletes by the Iranian people, coaches, and officials.
Our freestyle team finished third overall, and Mike Ellsworth won Greco Roman gold. But beyond the medals, the trip reinforced a powerful truth: finding purpose beyond the podium.
Twenty three years later, I still believe wrestling remains one of the few bridges strong enough to bring divided nations together. Wrestling for Peace.

1986 Cedar Falls Iowa
157 pound Greco Roman All Americans
Can you name them?
Bonus: Where are they now?