By Smithee H.C.R. No. 305 77R16901 MW-D HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, Brandon Slay of Amarillo, who won the gold medal in 1-2 wrestling at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, is visiting the State 1-3 Capitol on May 23, 2001; and 1-4 WHEREAS, Born in Amarillo, Mr. Slay is the son of Doug and 1-5 Becky Slay, and he has benefited greatly from their love and 1-6 support and that of his grandmother; and 1-7 WHEREAS, At the age of six he began attending wrestling 1-8 practice at the YMCA, and in his first match he was summarily 1-9 beaten by Brandon Brown, sparking a childhood bond that has grown 1-10 into a lifelong friendship and business partnership; refusing to 1-11 give up, Mr. Slay steadily progressed and became Texas state 1-12 champion by the third and fourth seasons; and 1-13 WHEREAS, When attending Tascosa High School, this 1-14 accomplished young Texan and two other wrestlers, Brandon Brown and 1-15 Brandon Caster, formed the "Killer B's" of the school's Wrestling 1-16 Rebels team; they helped their team win the state title in 1991, 1-17 and Mr. Slay continued in his path of victory, garnering three 1-18 state titles and a place on the state championship team as well as 1-19 being a three-time All-American at The Juniors; and 1-20 WHEREAS, Mr. Slay also excelled in his schoolwork, and, when 1-21 he chose to wrestle for the University of Pennsylvania, this 1-22 exceptional individual earned a dual degree from Penn's prestigious 1-23 Wharton School of Business in finance and entrepreneurial 1-24 management, while twice winning second place in the NCAA and 2-1 setting his sights on the Olympics; and 2-2 WHEREAS, In September 1998, Mr. Slay moved to Colorado 2-3 Springs to train at the Olympic Training Center under coach Kevin 2-4 Jackson; his strong faith, determined spirit, and hard work helped 2-5 him to win the 2000 National Championship; a lone Texan competing 2-6 at the 2000 Olympic Trials in Dallas, this proud citizen of the 2-7 Lone Star State won an Olympic berth on June 24, 2000; and 2-8 WHEREAS, At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Mr. Slay 2-9 competed with true Texas honor, courage, and skill; meeting the 2-10 challenges of his staunch competitors, he won the Gold Medal with 2-11 the honesty and sportsmanship indicative of his character and 2-12 career; and 2-13 WHEREAS, Mr. Slay, in partnership with Brandon Brown, that 2-14 childhood friend who handed him his first defeat, has started a 2-15 company called "Greater Gold" to contribute to the sport and the 2-16 community all that he has learned and gained over the years; 2-17 furthermore, he is creating a nonprofit organization called 2-18 "Greater Gold Outreach," which holds rallies in Amarillo and 2-19 establishes scholarships for high school seniors, and he has plans 2-20 to perform other good works for young people; and 2-21 WHEREAS, A champion on and off the mat, Mr. Slay is a 2-22 remarkable Texan living an inspirational life, and his integrity, 2-23 commitment, and strong character make him a source of great pride 2-24 for his state and a wonderful role model for children everywhere; 2-25 now, therefore, be it 2-26 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-27 hereby honor Brandon Slay for his Olympic Gold Medal victory and 3-1 commend him for his many other achievements; and, be it further 3-2 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-3 prepared for Mr. Slay as an expression of high regard by the Texas 3-4 House of Representatives and Senate.