untitled

[first lines]

Mark Schultz: [Mark gives a speech to a school of young students] Hello. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk to you today. My name is Mark Schultz. I wanna talk about America, and I wanna tell you why I wrestle.

[Mark holds up his Olympic gold metal to the kids]

Mark Schultz: This is an Olympic gold metal. I won this three years ago at the 23rd Olympic games in Los Angeles, California. This is more than just some piece of metal. It's about what the metal represents. The virtues it requires to attain it.

[Mark's first meeting with John du Pont]

John du Pont: You look good. You look strong. Fit.

Mark Schultz: Thank you, sir.

John du Pont: Feeling confident?

[Mark nods yes]

John du Pont: That's one of the most important elements of entering a match is feeling the confidence, knowing that you're going to win. Feeling it inside. If you get - go to a match knowing you're going to win that match, odds are you're going to win that match. You're training with your brother Dave?

Mark Schultz: Yes, sir.

John du Pont: Great Dave Schultz?

Mark Schultz: Yeah.

John du Pont: And I'm talking to the great Mark Schultz. Do you have any idea why I asked you to come here?

Mark Schultz: No.

John du Pont: No. Well, Mark, do you - do you have any idea who I am?

Mark Schultz: No. No.

John du Pont: Some rich guy calls you on the phone. I want the great Mark Schultz to come visit me. Well, I'm a - I'm a wrestling coach. And I have a deep love of the sport of wrestling. And I wanted to speak with you about your future. About what you hope to achieve. What do you hope to achieve, Mark?

Mark Schultz: Well, I wanna be the best in the world. I wanna go to the Worlds and win gold. I wanna go to the '88 Olympics and win gold.

John du Pont: Good. I'm proud of you. Are you getting the support that you need?

Mark Schultz: What do you mean, sir?

John du Pont: Well, you know how the soviets support their wrestlers.

Mark Schultz: I do.

John du Pont: Mark, we as a nation have failed to honor you. And that's a problem. Not just for you, but for our society. When we fail to honor that which should be honored, it's a problem. It's a canary in a coal mine. Do you bird-watch?

Mark Schultz: Uh, no.

John du Pont: You can learn a lot from birds. I'm an ornithologist. But more importantly, I am a patriot. And I want to see this country soar again.

Mark Schultz: I want that too.

John du Pont: I can see that.