Oregon State wrestler Tim Patrick proves his strength everyday on the mat. He’s come back from breaking his neck, and has a toughness about him that has allowed him to recover 100 percent. Patrick comes to Oregon State from Milwaukee High School as a four year letter winner, with a career record of 135-18. Tim Patrick took a moment to discuss his experiences on and off the mat for this week’s Everyday Champion profile.

Q. What extracurricular activities are you involved in outside of wrestling?

Kyle Bressler and I are the representatives from wrestling. And we put in our input to the committee and we get our voice out. If we want something changed we have the opportunity to speak out and talk about it. I don’t have a huge role, but I think it is an important role. Linda Johnson has a lot of important information and we pass it along to the other guys. It’s our responsibility to give that information to the rest of the team.

Q. What are your responsibilities as a wrestler?

On and off the mat you have to be aware that people are watching you, especially the freshman on the team. Always being on your best behavior is one of your responsibilities and just being who you are.

Q. Why did you choose to major in Human Development and Family Sciences?

I want to work with elementary and early education. I want to be a teacher. I would also like to coach wrestling at the high school level.

Q. You also played football and ran track in high school. What was it about wrestling that made it your number one sport?

It was the competition. That is why I participated in sports. My mom and dad never really pushed me to play, but they encouraged it. They always left it up to me if I wanted to do it or not. Football I loved it, but I always wanted to be the guy making the plays, and that doesn’t always happen. Track was something I did in between seasons. But wrestling allowed for one on one competition and I liked the personal responsibility you have as a wrestler because everything is on you. There are no excuses.

Q. You broke your neck last year. How is your recovery going and what did you learn in that process?

My recovery is going well. I’m back 100 percent and my range of motion is good. I was out about seven or eight months and it was really tough to get back and do it. What went through my mind the first week I got hurt was if I was going to go back. I talked with my family and I still didn’t know for sure, but a few weeks later I knew I wanted to get back into it as soon as I could.

It was a long process, a painful process. Not physically, but mentally and emotionally trying to get back on the mat. And I think that my coaches and family really helped me out with that.

Q. What is the best part about being at Oregon State?

The best part is my education and the opportunity to wrestle. I focus on those two.  

Q. What do you do to prepare before a match?

We always have a routine. Coaches always want us to have a routine. I always stretch my neck out, that’s huge for me. Then I jog around till I get warm and I stretch. Then I drill my go to shots and then I try to get almost a full match in, two to three minutes live so I’ll be ready for the match.

Q. How has wrestling for Oregon State influenced you?

It’s influenced me a great deal. I’m really thankful for the coaches that have come in. They are intense and good guys, with good morals and I think that really affects the whole team. I think that they have a big impact on us. I look at them as role models, and I think a lot of kids on the team do too. Wrestling isn’t an easy sport and I think the coaches have taught all of us a lot more than we thought we would learn.

Q. I heard one of your goals is to try out for the Olympics. Talk about why you set that as a goal for yourself.

Well we wrestle collegiate style in season. But then there is Greco style, which is what every other country does. No other country wrestles collegiate style but the U.S. and so I thought it would be fun. I love the competition and the more wrestling the better. And I always want to try to be the best I can. It wasn’t as big of a goal until recently when I started wrestling at the college level. I just want to be able to continue doing what I love to do until I don’t, which probably won’t happen.