Mel must have noticed my depression.

As I shuffled into New Lumber to buy some work gloves, he stopped me, "Have you called him yet?" Wha..huh?

I was caught off guard, moping about not having a good subject to write about this week and Mel eyed me sternly as I gave him a sheepish shrug.

"Here's his number," he said, " I'll give it to you AGAIN."

He pulled a neat looking framed artwork from the shelf by the counter and showed me the number on the back and I dutifully wrote it down.

"You'll love this guy, give him a call!" and with that, I shuffled back out the door and into my truck.

Call it dumb luck, but the little fire Mel lit was enough for me to get out my cell phone. Five minutes later I was standing in a driveway shaking hands with a powerfully built guy dressed in workout gear (though it was more like putting my mitt into a vise).

"How ya doin'.. Ron Cole!" he said as I tried not to wince.

After the feeling returned to my writing hand, I got out my notepad and camera.

Ron was already in full stride, bubbling over with enthusiasm.

"This is my art work," Ron pointed, as we walked up the driveway. Hung on the siding where garage doors used to be are the sort of paintings that, at first, look like the kind you might make yourself at the Puyallup fair, only more refined, more colorful and much larger.

"I do these too, and I give them to the kids," Ron said, picking up a child's chair, painted in primary blues, reds and yellows, along with squiggly squirtings on selected portions of the seat and arms.

"I've been compared to Jackson Pollock!" He reported brightly.

It was a lot to assimilate, the brightness of the artwork, along with Ron's energetic explanations.

Mesmerized by the colorful paintings and furniture, I was a little confused. "Mel told me you're a wrestler, is that right?"

Ron grinned and went into rapid fire details of his storied life and career. In encapsulation, this is it:

Ron grew up in San Mateo, California, attended Southern Oregon State University where he graduated with a B.S. in Humanities/Social Behavior.

During school, he wrestled and played football, winning titles on the mat in league, district and regional meets.

But his athletic successes went by the wayside after college.

"I tried out for the 1976 Olympic team and I broke my ankle. I was a finalist in the 1980 games but that was the year of the boycott."

Ron's voice trailed off uncharacteristically at this.

"Those were bad times,... and I didn't watch myself too well."

In a sport dominated by athletes who routinely keep their hair high and tight, Ron's hair is fairly shaggy. He explained, that soon after his ankle injury, his minister blessed him and told him, "Your strength will match the length of your hair."

Then, one of Ron's sons, Jr., told him about a wrestling tournament in the town of Elma, Washington, and asked Ron if he would compete.

"I said, I'll do it," Ron replied, "but we have to compete together....and I won all three weights."

Ron's zeal for competition returned and he began training for The Veteran's World Freestyle Championships. After winning silver medals in 2002, 2003 and 2004, Ron stepped up his training regimen, and two weeks ago at the championships in Istanbul, Turkey, Ron beat out Germany's Artur Sammet and Erhard Schmelzer, who ended with bronze, and finally Romania's Ambrus Lubovic for the gold.

In a quote from the website, TheMat.Com, fellow USA team mate Roye Oliver said about Ron's performance in Istanbul, "I couldn't see anybody touching him in the E Division, he was too powerful for his opponents. He believed in himself and he went out and won it. Ron is very strong for his age."

Ron has had his share of injuries in the sport. Some of which would permanently sideline those who are less determined and motivated.

"I was in a car wreck, broke my neck." In the course of his sports career, he has broken his shoulder and leg as well. "I'm officially retired now...it can't get any better than winning at the finals."

Ron runs his personal training business out of his home, where he has the basement rooms set up with all the necessary tools for maintaining physical fitness. "This is the stomach room...it's for working on your core strength."

At 56 years of age and 198 lbs, there is little question that he is in good shape.

"I run between two and a half and four miles a day and I work out for forty-five minutes." Ron easily lifted a huge dumbbell on the end of a bar with one hand. "...and Edgar here is my running partner!"

Now that Ron no longer competes, he uses his physical skills to teach.

"I used to coach at Eastside Catholic High School in Bellevue, I'm looking to coach closer to home." and his motivational skills for personal training. "I do seminars and strength and conditioning training." He pointed to a wall where his "Be A Champion of Yourself" flyer hung, right next to a signed photo of a hydroplane driver.

"I'm working with Dave Williams right now!" he said proudly.

Ron is also very proud of his artwork, calling it, 'Skooldoodle' which is hung alongside various plaques, medals and photos on the walls of his gym. He explains the titles and thought process behind each one.

"I call this one 'World Championship' and I used all the colors of the uniforms of the athletes who were there," Ron explained.

Ron uses ordinary enamel house paint and his canvases are regular drop cloths. It's a bit of simple genius.

The works do indeed resemble the 'drip' and 'action painting' techniques of Jackson Pollock, and when I pressed Ron about how he does it, he demured, smiling, "I use different ways to apply the paint...not much with brushes."

Ron would love to have a gallery showing of his work. He promises to give a percentage of the proceeds to help underprivileged kids with wrestling programs and he's open to other suggestions.

On my way out of his gym, Ron crushed my hand once again and pointed to a favorite phrase in bold type on his bulletin board and read to me out loud, "The Door Can't Open Unless You Knock At It First."

If you are interested in Ron's artwork or would like a personal fitness trainer, you can reach Ron at 206-841-4616 or via email at jststayfit@aol.com.