NORFOLK, Va. – We talked to two-time NCAA qualifier and CAA Champion and 2006 ODU Athlete of the year, Adam Wright to see what he has been up to since graduating from Old Dominion. Wright sits seventh on the career wins list with a 120-31 record.
What have you been up to career-wise since graduating from ODU?
When I graduated in ’07 I started out working as a project manager for Riddleberger Brothers, a Mechanical Contractor. I worked there for two years and transitioned to a Commissioning Agent/Certified Balancing Technician at Annandale Balancing Company. After five years of sharpening my tools at Annandale Balancing, I got on with the City of Harrisonburg as the Facilities Manager. It was a brand new position at the time and I have grown over the previous three and a half years there.
What’s the best thing you learned in the wrestling room that you use in daily life now?
In the wrestling room I learned discipline and mental toughness. Not everything will go your way in any aspect of your life, you just have to learn to adjust and recover.
If you could give advice to any ODU wrestler, what would it be?
My advice would be to make the most of any failure. Resist the temptation to give up. Instead, make a realistic assessment of where you went wrong and then take the steps necessary to correct the problem.
What was your favorite part about being an ODU student-athlete?
My favorite part was the camaraderie between the student-athletes. I still keep in contact with many of them from several other sports.
What was the hardest part about your major (Mechanical Engineering) while being a student-athlete?
The hardest part about my major was balancing my school work load with my athletic goals. Although I didn’t obtain my ultimate athletic goal, what I have learned from being a student-athlete at ODU has set me up for success where I am now.
What’s your favorite memory from ODU?
I have several fond memories from my time at ODU. My favorite memory was undertaking the change of culture from the Gray Simons era to the Martin regimen; embracing the challenge of building the program to where it is to this day through hard work and dedication.