50. Wyoming: Rulon Gardner (Afton)
Raised on a dairy farm in Star Valley, Wyoming, Gardner built immense physical strength by hauling hay and wrestling cattle. His defining moment came at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the Greco-Roman super heavyweight division. Facing the legendary Russian Alexander Karelin—who had not lost a match in 13 years and had not surrendered a single point in six years—Gardner pulled off the “Miracle on the Mat,” securing the gold medal in one of the most stunning upsets in Olympic history.