20 QUESTIONS WITH... Chas Betts
Chas Betts made his first U.S. World Team in Greco-Roman wrestling in 2009, but the Minnesota native has improved dra- matically since then.
The gains he has made were evident when he won April’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City. Betts, who now trains at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, is scheduled to compete at the Olympic Games on Aug. 6 in London. He wrestles at 84 kg/185 lbs. Betts took time out of his busy schedule to answer 20 questions for USA Wrestler. 1. Favorite movie? Goodfellas and Taxi Driver 2. Favorite TV show? The Sopranos
3. What kind of music do you listen to in your iPod before you compete?
I don't listen to music before I wrestle. I prefer to talk and joke around with Andy Bisek to stay calm and relaxed. 4. Favorite food when not watching your weight? BBQ Ribs
5. Favorite sport other than wrestling? Other than wrestling, I enjoy playing handball and soccer. I don't follow other sports as a fan too closely, though. 6. Favorite athlete to watch in another sport? Muhammad Ali
7. Favorite wrestler and why? My favorite American wrestler of all-time is Dave Schultz. His wrestling credentials speak for themselves, but I love hearing about what an international personality and ambassador he was for the sport.
8. Best piece of advice you've received? Be at peace.
9. What kind of advice would you give a younger wrestler who is just taking up the sport?
Don't dwell on any losses, and don't become complacent with any specific wins.
10. Best moment as a wrestler so far? Making the 2012 Olympic Team, without a doubt. 11. Name three people you would love to invite to dinner? Bob Dylan, Ricky Gervais, and Danny McBride. 12. What is one thing you are afraid of? An elevator getting stuck.
13. How did you become involved in wrestling? I took it up in first grade after my dad brought me to practice. It was one of those things that just kind of "clicked" for me. 14. What do you like best about training in Colorado
Springs?
The proximity of everything that we could possibly need at the training center. It's nice to be a two-minute walk from the wrestling room, sauna, cafeteria, sports medicine, recovery cen- ter, etc.
15. What is one thing about you most people don’t know? I have a degree in Art & Design focusing on Motion Graphics
and Animation. I also collect wrestling gear from all over the world. 16. Any idea of what you will do after your competitive career is over?
I would love to become an art director or motion designer for Chas Betts wins the Olympic Trials. Brooke Zumas photo.
a house working on large scale projects. 17. What do you do to pass the time during a long road
trip?
I like to bring my camera and document the trips, or else start a blog for each trip and write almost every day to keep my fami- ly and friends updated. It helps pass the time and makes me pay more attention to some of the things I may otherwise miss. 18. Coolest place you've traveled to and why? Istanbul, Turkey was probably the most unique for a number
of different reasons. I visited during Ramadan and stayed with their national team. They would wake me up in the early morn- ing hours before the sun came up to have their last meal of the day with them all the time. The whole team took me in and treated my like I was one of their own teammates and that was pretty special.
19. What does it mean to make the 2012 Olympic Team? It means everything. It means that my 20-year wrestling career has all built towards an awesome peak and that I finally achieved my dreams and get to live them. 20. Funniest guy on the team and why? Andy Bisek and I share the same sense of humor, so proba- bly him. I spend a lot of time laughing at Ellis Coleman, but I'm not sure he is always meaning to be intentionally funny.
21 USA Wrestler
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