Hey there, I'm JD!  I was born into a large family in Northwest Ohio. I'm the second oldest out of five children.  At the age of 10 I was coached by my dad, James Bergman, (who was one of 14) and several uncles.  When I attened Oak Harbor High School, there were 5 Bergman’s (my 2 bros, my 2 cousins, & I) on the Oak Harbor high school varsity lineup at one time, not including my uncle George Bergman, the head coach. During my High School athletic career I played both football and I wrestled.  After an injury my sophomore year, I came back and finished my High School career with an 85-0 record and 2 Ohio state championships under my belt. After graduation I also won 3 National titles in the Olympic styles during the summer which landed me a scholarship to THE Ohio State University.

 

While attending THE Ohio State University, I started out wrestling as a true-freshman at 197 pounds and finished 3rd in the NCAA. The next few years accumulated with 3 knee surgeries, torn shoulder labrums, and torn rib and chest cartilage. I ended up a 3 time All-American for the Buckeyes and then set my eyes for the gold. After winning my first 3 matches in the 2008 US Open, I blew out my good knee completely and I was sidelined again with a 4th major knee surgery. I got back to rehab and came back in 2010 to win the US Open and the USA World Team trials and wrestle in the 2010 World Championships in Moscow. After being undefeated domestically for over a year, and with my eyes set on a 2011 World medal and an 2012 Olympic gold …I tore a disc in my low back wrestling in a competition in Belarus in 2011. I later found out it was bleeding on my spinal cord. Experts said I needed back surgery to be able to even walk and play with my future kids, let alone train for the Olympics. Doctors also told me I needed to have shoulder surgery and a 5th knee surgery… I did not get any of the suggested surgeries.