Tulsa Policeman Lives Out Dream By Winning Gold

A Tulsa police sergeant just got back from San Diego where he won two gold medals at the police and fire Olympics.

Now he will represent at the world championships in Ireland.

Tulsa Police Sgt. Brian Hill, 37, wrestled last week in the police and fire championships in San Diego.

It was more than just a competition for Brian, it was the rekindling of a dream that faded, but never died.

He wrestled at the University of Oklahoma on scholarship -- a career that didn't end the way he wanted.

"I got hurt early in my freshman year," Hill said. "I suffered through it in my sophomore year and was told by the doctor I would never wrestle again after I had my shoulder reconstructed."

The idea of wrestling again was always in the back of his mind, so when he heard of the competition, he began training in January and wrestling with some of the best high school wrestlers in Green Country as well as mixed martial arts fighters.

"Pretty much, I was a vagabond, going anywhere I could to find the toughest kid, the best kids, men I could wrestle to prepare me for it," Hill said.

He competed in the 185-pound freestyle division in the ages 30 and up category and won the gold medal.

He also competed in the Greco Roman open division, which meant he was competing with everyone older than 21. That style is all upper body, and he took the gold in that as well.

"I only wrested four matches," Hill said. "The first one was the toughest one. Aa guy from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office in San Diego -- that one went the distance. I did three more matches for separate divisions, winning all those by fall."

The best part was between periods and after each match, as Brian walked to his corner for his towel and water, his young son and daughter supported him and high-fived his success.

What no one knew is Brian tore his rotator cuff – the same one he tore in college -- during training a few weeks before the competition, but he wrestled anyway and still took home the gold.

He'll have surgery to reconstruct it in August, so he'll have plenty of time to train for the world championships next fall.