When looking at John Bardis’ experience in the world of wrestling, there is one notable moment many will remember … and it came in a place called Azerbaijan.

In 2007, the U.S. Greco-Roman squad won its first World Championship. Along side U.S. coaches Steve Fraser, Momir Petkovic, Jay Antonelli, Rich Estrella and Shon Lewis sat Bardis. 

As Fraser bellowed out “WORLD CHAMPS!,” Bardis was there, not just a part of the team, but a big part of the team. 

As the Greco-Roman team leader for the 2008 Olympic cycle, Bardis’ rapport with the Greco-Roman athletes on those four World & Olympic Teams made him one of the favorites among pretty much everyone who came across him.

Bardis’ generosity was felt through athletes like world medalists Justin Lester, Brad Vering and Dremiel Byers. It’s now being felt through a donation through USA Wrestling about one of his primary mentors. 

That mentor is Bobby Douglas.

This Spring, Bardis purchased 750 books from USA Wrestling’s Manager of Communications Craig Sesker, who penned a book on Douglas called “Bobby Douglas: Life and Legacy of an American Wrestling Legend.”

He quickly turned around and donated those books back to USA Wrestling so they could be dispersed amongst young wrestlers in the sport who might need to hear Douglas’ story.

“In my opinion, Bobby Douglas is a national treasure for the sport of wrestling,” said Bardis, who is currently the Chairman, President and CEO of MedAssets, a Healthcare Supply Chain. “He’s not only a pioneer, but someone who has been through a great deal. Bobby is a great story.”

Bardis’ donation has already helped USA Wrestling distribute those books to wrestlers within Beat The Streets programs nationwide and to the Tanneyhill Academy in Indianapolis. More than 100 books have also been donated to USA Wrestling state associations. 

With the mainstream media’s emphasis on big money contracts and primadonna athletes, Bardis hopes the Douglas story can inspire kids to push through, like Douglas did.

“You don’t have to be wealthy to wrestle. Wrestling does not discriminate on your status or stature,” said Bardis. “If you want to wrestle, you need heart and access to a mat. Beat the Streets proves that every day. It’s truly the common man sport and it’s also the underdog sport.

“That individual can go by the wayside in wealth or stature, but wrestling really appeals to the individual who is an underdog or who has something to prove and they’re willing to do it through hardwork,” he said.

While successful in business now, it wasn’t always that way for Bardis.

“Having been a wrestler since I was 10, I’ve experienced being able to compete,” said Bardis. “I was that kid who scraped together enough money to get a new pair of wrestling shoes but not much more.

The relationship with Douglas goes way back.

“I was part of Bobby’s first recruiting class to Arizona State,” said Bardis. “Supporting his book is personal to me, but there’s a lot of hope in there. Here’s a guy who came out of nowhere and you can probably go back and find some people who never got out of there.

“By almost any other measure, Bobby Douglas, in the eyes of society and the socio-economic status, was not at the top of the heap,” said Bardis of Douglas’ rough upbringing in Ohio, which is expertly detailed in the book.

“Wrestling gave him the opportunity to be recognized as one of the top athletes in the world, so much so, he was captain of the Olympic Team,” said Bardis.

Giving back is something Bardis has done frequently throughout his career as a businessman, which included sending boatloads of medical supplies to Haiti after the January 2010 earthquake that rattled the tiny island of Hispanola, where the country shares with the Dominican Republic.

“It’s all about passing it on, that’s what our job is,” said Bardis. “The foundation of wrestling has never been economic. It’s always been about the balance of your work, your effort and your result and the pursuit of helping other people.

“Looking at wrestling coaches, they don’t do this to make money, it’s always about building and developing character and using this sport to accomplish it,” he said. “It’s a follow on to the other greats like Dan Gable, Russ Hellickson, John Smith and the Brands brothers.”

Bardis feels Douglas’ story is worth telling and re-telling over and over again. Putting books in the hands of kids who might need that inspiration could be the make-or-break moment for them.

Said Bardis: “This is  generational obligation to send a message of how to help people become stronger.”

Buy the book online: www.bobbydouglasbook.com