Tinker Airman to compete in international meet Published Jan. 18, 2011 By Brandice J. O'Brien Staff Writer Tinker AFB, OK -- Senior Airman Jerry "Robby" Hedrick knows he's lucky, very lucky. The 552nd Maintenance Operation Squadron Material Management apprentice has dedication, an athletic talent and a supportive unit. Because of those three factors, he was one of eight Airmen chosen to compete in the February's annual Dave Shultz Memorial International Wrestling Meet held at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Additionally, Hedrick will travel to Idaho and the Suples International Wrestling club, after the Shultz meet, for two months to train for the world-team trials. "It's a privilege to go," Hedrick said. "It's not a right for me to represent the Air Force through wrestling. It's an honor granted to me by my unit and commanders. None of this would be possible if we weren't working together on this -- from the section level all the way up to the Air Force level. I'm really just a small part in the collaborative wingman process." Hedrick, a lifelong freestyle wrestler, joined the Air Force team and began Greco-Roman wrestling three years ago when he enlisted in the military. By chance the Oklahoma native and University of Oklahoma graduate had received an e-mail about wrestling and boxing programs offered by the Air Force Sports program. On a whim, he submitted a package for the wrestling program. "I hadn't wrestled in nearly 10 years," said the 29-year-old Airman, who competes at 66 kilograms, or 145-146 pounds. Hedrick said Air Force Wrestling Coach Richard Estrella -- a retired master sergeant who was a coach at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing -- selected him and approximately 20 others. Excited, Hedrick thought he would participate in freestyle wrestling, in which the goal is to pin the opponent to the mat. "And then I found out he is a Greco guy," Hedrick said. "I was a little apprehensive; I had never done Greco before in my life." But, that didn't deter Hedrick from joining the team. He worked with Coach Estrella and his teammates to learn the techniques and basic moves. Though different from what he knew, Greco offered new challenges. "Greco is very, very challenging for me because it only focuses on upper body techniques -- throws, locks and holds," Hedrick said. "I came from a collegiate, freestyle background where you can do throws, shoot low and do a takedown. One is not better than the other or easier than the other; they're just different facets of the same game." Hedrick said wrestling is not about skill as much as it is about having heart, tenacity and excellent physical conditioning. "A lot of matches are won on heart, not talent," he said. "Tenacity is important because you're constantly working, fighting for positions, holds and locks every second of the match because you can't run from your opponent or hide on the mat." With the will to improve and strenuous practices that include four-mile runs, weightlifting, perfecting techniques, conditioning matches and studying film, Hedrick continues to perfect his craft. This year, he was one of eight chosen to be a part of the team. Master Sgt. William Schmitz, Hedrick's direct supervisor, said he isn't surprised. "While it is easy to get caught up in exploiting one's talents, Robby does not talk about how good he is. Instead, he shows you every day," Sergeant Schmitz said. "Airman Hedrick is definitely all that is great about the Air Force and his state of Oklahoma." Capt. Eron Pyles, 552nd MOS Mission Support Flight commander, agreed. "Airman Hedrick has demonstrated significant personal and professional leadership in his duty performance as an apprentice," the captain said. "He is an exceptional performer and I am proud to have him as one of my troops. "This is an amazing opportunity for Airman Hedrick to showcase his Air Force pride, dedication and high personal standards as world-class athlete," Captain Pyles said.