Wrestling with Elite Status

The NCAA celebrated his amazing accomplishment by presenting him with its 2026 Silver Anniversary Award in January during a special ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Ackerman shared the spotlight with three other NCAA legends earning the honor: former Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees, Purdue University; five-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Tamika Catchings, University of Tennessee; and tennis great Dr. Lauren Witmer, Millersville University (Pa.). Ackerman says the experience was delightfully surreal.

“Sharing the same award with those greats was almost laughable,” said Ackerman. “I’m so far removed from my time competing that you kind of forget that it was kind of a big deal, so it was really cool to be reminded of and reflect back on those times.”

Ackerman’s remarkable rise to national championship glory has been chronicled many times, highlighting his inspirational journey in overcoming the loss of both legs at 18 months old due to bacterial meningitis. His road to greatness featured no shortcuts.

“The culture of our wrestling room was tough, man,” said Ackerman. “When I was a freshman, guys like [national champion] Cory Christensen ’98, Tim Norton ’98 and Ben Kalainoff ’99 just beat on me. There were no excuses — we held each other accountable.”

Mastering a Winning Mindset

Grueling practice battles helped a lot, but getting better wasn’t just about the physical aspect of the sport.

“Wrestling is 80 percent mental,” said Ackerman. “Coach [Ron] Peterson could get into my head and make me think about things. He knew how to motivate each of his athletes, recognizing that we all tick differently.”

As things began to click and Ackerman started piling up wins, his confidence began to soar. “I had a belief in myself that was a bit irrational,” he admits.

Long before his championship showdown against unbeaten and defending national champion Nick Slack, Ackerman vividly envisioned his coming glory.

“Even though I had never qualified for the [national] tournament, I convinced myself that I was going to win it. I repeated that belief aloud in front of my mirror hundreds of times for a year and a half. So, by the time I got to the title match, I was like, ‘Here we come, I’m going to win this thing.’”

Bold positive thinking has carried Ackerman to fulfilling success in his professional life as well, serving others who have suffered limb loss as a certified prosthetist for the past 20+ years across Iowa. He and his wife, Rachel, have three sons who are all — not surprisingly — multi-sport athletes.

Ackerman’s message to his family, his patients and all of us is to believe in yourself and to keep pushing forward, regardless of circumstances and outcomes.

“There’s something to be said about the power of the mind. Sometimes you’re going to struggle, but you’ve got to grind through it and stay determined to make things good. That’s what living is all about.”