GREENVILLE — Olympic wrestling medalist Nate Carr encouraged Greenville City Schools students to work hard, persevere through challenges, and consider the purpose behind their goals during a visit arranged by local businessman and former wrestling coach Marty McCabe.

Carr’s visit included school assemblies, wrestling demonstrations, and talks with members of the Greenville wrestling program. His message connected the demands of competition with the responsibilities students will encounter throughout their lives.

A former standout wrestler at Greenville High School, McCabe brought Carr to the district after meeting him at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp two summers ago, where Carr was the keynote speaker.

“Marty’s been working on this for a little bit, and finally it worked where I could come up, and I’m excited to be here,” Carr said.

Carr won three consecutive NCAA wrestling championships at Iowa State from 1981-83 and earned a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

For Greenville students, however, his visit offered more than a chance to meet an accomplished athlete. Carr discussed mental toughness, individual responsibility, teamwork, and the faith that guides his life.

“You’ve got to make weight. You’ve got to improve your skills. You’ve got to get mentally tough,” Carr said.

Those demands, he explained, help wrestlers develop habits that extend beyond competition. Although athletes step onto the mat individually, their preparation and performance contribute to something larger.

“Wrestling is an individual sport, yet you have the team or company perspective,” Carr said. “You’re part of the company, part of the team, but yet you go out, and you do your best.”

Carr compared that balance to the workplace and family life, where individual effort can strengthen the people around someone. He said wrestling can reinforce giving full effort, being a dependable partner, and following through on responsibilities.

“We go out, we compete, we give 100%, and that helps our team,” he said.

McCabe said Carr’s character and enthusiasm made him someone Greenville students could learn from, regardless of their wrestling experience.

“You can learn a lot from his character, as well as his hard work ethic and his successes,” McCabe said. “It’s all tied together.”

The opportunity to bring Carr to Greenville grew from the impression he made on McCabe at the FCA camp. McCabe said that meeting renewed his own enthusiasm for coaching and the sport.

“When I met him two years ago at the camp, boy, just being around him, he just gets you fired up,” McCabe said. “You can’t be around him and not be fired up.”

Carr said he spoke to two groups during his Greenville visit, including a full assembly. He described sharing his Christian faith through his personal story.

“I really mentioned Christ as it relates to my story,” Carr said.

Faith also shaped Carr’s explanation of how he handled disappointment during his athletic career. Reflecting on his Olympic experience, he said competition had at times taken too prominent a place in his priorities.

“I was a believer, but for sure, maybe I was putting wrestling before God,” Carr said. “God is first.”

For Carr, putting God first means looking beyond athletic accomplishments when considering what gives life meaning. His message connected the discipline needed to pursue a championship with the importance of keeping that pursuit in perspective.

Through his work with FCA and other Christian organizations, Carr uses wrestling stories to introduce broader questions about commitment, struggle, and what makes a goal meaningful.

“Is what you’re struggling for worth it?” Carr asked.

Carr said his Christian faith gives him confidence that the struggle has lasting purpose. While athletic honors can fade, he pointed to the eternal rewards he believes come from following Christ.

“When God gives out crowns in the kingdom, they definitely will not fade,” Carr said.

He encouraged young people to see wrestling as a chance to challenge themselves, build skills, and keep working when progress gets difficult.

For McCabe, the visit also provided encouragement as Greenville’s wrestlers prepare for their season.

“I’m just excited for the season, and I think Nate will help us get pumped up to work hard and do well,” McCabe said.