Meyer to receive the Medal of Courage from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
01/26/2006

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Randy Meyer of Sheboygan Falls, Wis. has been awarded the Medal of Courage from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.

The Medal of Courage is presented annually to a wrestler or former wrestler who has overcome what appear to be insurmountable challenges, which may be physical, mental or other handicaps that make his or her achievements all the more uplifting.

Meyer, who was blinded at the age of two by retinal cancer, has achieved remarkable success during his life in many endeavors.

He is currently the mayor of Sheboygan Falls, having won an election for the position in 2004 after serving as an Alderman on the City Council for five years. His community service includes work with the Jaycees, the Kiwanis and Chamber/Main Street.

In 2005, the U.S. Junior Chamber (known as Jaycees) named him one of the year’s Ten Outstanding Young Americans. Nominees for the award were judged on several qualities such as personal improvement or accomplishment, financial success or economic innovation.

In addition to his public service, Meyer owns RM Financial Resources, a successful financial planning business in Sheboygan Falls. He started his business career with Woodmen Financial Resources.

Prior to his successes as an adult, Meyer overcame great challenges in his academic development. Because of his blindness, he had to attend an elementary school for the blind in Green Bay, Wis., an hour from his home. He lived with a host family during those years, only staying with his family on weekends, vacations and summer breaks.

With a goal of being able to live at home and attend school in his hometown, Meyer attended the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped in Janesville, Wis. There he mastered mobility skills with a white cane and was able to realize a dream of attending Sheboygan Falls High School, where he could be with his family. He was able to graduate on the honor roll from high school.

Meyer competed in wrestling at Sheboygan Falls High School, where he qualified for the state championships three times, placing fifth in the state during his senior year. He set a school pin record his final season with 23 pins, finishing with a 31-2 record as a senior

Meyer also wrestled at the Univ. of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where his success on the mat continued. He was a Div. III All-American, placing eighth at the national tournament as a juinior in 1989 at heavyweight. He was a three-time NCAA qualifier. He was a 1989 Wisconsin State University Conference (WSUC) champion and helped UW-Whitewater win three WSUC titles during his years on the team. His career record was 76-39-1. Meyer also earned academic All-American honors at UW-Whitewater and graduated in 1991.

Meyer believes in maintaining a positive attitude, focusing on solutions not problems. He views his blindness as a minor challenge rather than as a handicap. His slogan during the campaign for mayor of Sheboygan Falls was “It doesn’t take sight to run a community, it takes vision.”