Business trip
LH grad Pierce headed to Jordan for world championships
Chris Pierce has been able to travel the world because of wrestling, and the Laurel Highlands graduate will make another trip overseas in October when he travels to Amman, Jordan, for the Veteran World Championships.
The 48-year-old will compete in freestyle and Greco-Roman from Oct. 6-11, which he hopes culminates in a world title in his fifth appearance.
Pierce won gold in the World Wrestling Festival in Warsaw, Poland, this past May with a victory over Swalomir Zieba of the host country in the finals at 130 kilograms (286 pounds). Pierce won two other bouts to reach the final in Division C (Aged 46-50).
“It’s a big thrill to go to all these different places over the years because of wrestling, but I am going with the sole focus of earning the gold in freestyle and Greco-Roman,” Pierce said. “I have never visited the country of Jordan, but I have seen plenty of wrestlers from Jordan competing, and they provide some of the toughest competition. The Iranians are also very good at wrestling. The Middle East has some of the best in the world, but I am confident that I can get the job done.”
Pierce is constantly reminded of his age, which is not allowed when he is training and working with clients at his gym, “Pierce Performance Training,” in the Uniontown Mall.
“I hear constantly that I’m too old, but we are not allowed to say those words in the gym,” Pierce said. “For what I do, I am pretty much living in a gym, and I can also promote my business and work with specific clientele when it comes to training. I see it so many times when people get to a certain point in life where they become inactive, let their health go, and that tends to lead to an early grave. They think they are too old to still work out, and I want them to get away from thinking like that.”
Pierce will train with his clients, as he wants to be a coach that “walks the walk” instead of sitting back and criticizing.
“I kind of make it a point to be that coach who will also do the training,” Pierce said. “It pays dividends, and my clients can’t argue with what I am having them do if I am right with them.”
Pierce had a setback several years ago when he had a stroke and also tore every ligament in his knee. He took a year off, but has been injury free and uses those injuries as motivation for himself and his clients.
“I haven’t had any injuries as of late, thank God, but the stroke was a blessing in disguise,” Pierce said. “I thought I was invincible because I trained a lot, but I had to change my training and diet to make sure I didn’t have a recurrence. That not only made me a better athlete but a better trainer. I use my experiences when I work with my clients, and I believe that motivates them to keep working.”
Pierce doesn’t have a plan on taking off his wrestling shoes and leaving them on the mat anytime soon, as the thrill of competition keeps his drive alive.
“I still love getting on the mat and battling,” Pierce said. “I still have goals I would like to fulfill, and I don’t want to use age as an excuse to stop.”