Christoper Edmonds wrestling career reads like a story book.

Chris explains that his wrestling career began in 1978 when “Sterling Guy Person bet me that I wouldn’t be able to survive a wrestling practice.” After he made it through the practice, Edmond vowed not to quit until he was able to beat Guy and Tommy Wade, who wrestled at 112 and 116 pounds.

Edmond weighed 150 pounds, but with the technique that the pair knew, they gave him a good beating. He said that by the time he learned enough moves to beat them, he had become hooked on wrestling.

As a senior, Edmond won the Nassau County championships and finished second in the New York State Championships. He also won the NYS Greco-Roman title and finished second in freestyle.

Edmond’s wrestling went to a new level when he received a grant in aid to the University of Tennessee, where he was coached by seven-time national champion and National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member Gray Simons.

After being an NCAA champion and two-time All-American for the Volunteers, Edmond became an assistant coach for Tennessee. He combined what he had learned from his high school coach and mentor Terry Haise and Simons to formulate his own coaching style.

Edmond then returned home and joined Haise in the coaching ranks at Freeport High School.

He worked as an assistant coach at Nassau Community College while working as a correction officer and hostage negotiator for the Nassau County Parole Department. As a coach and mentor, Edmond inspired and taught many young wrestlers how to be outstanding on the mat and successful as members of the community.