Wrestlers flock to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where Olympian Georgi Ivanov and his father opened a world-class training facility
Chance brought Georgi Ivanov to Council Bluffs, Iowa, as a teenager. In 2017, the Bulgarian-born Olympic wrestler chose to return and build a life and businesses here. “It’s a full-circle kind of thing,” the Lewis Central High School graduate said, explaining that Southwest Iowa felt like home thanks to support from his host family and the community—including the mayor.
Ten years after competing in the Rio Olympics, Georgi is now inspiring a new generation of wrestlers at a world-class facility he runs with his father, Ivan. We caught up with The Best Wrestler founder to learn about the philosophy and relationships that have shaped his incredible journey.
How did you make your way to Iowa, originally?
My father was working as a wrestling coach on a global level. In 2003, he was invited to host a wrestling camp in Council Bluffs. He stayed for three months, befriending a farmer from Underwood, Iowa, who visited my family in Bulgaria. Years later, that connection changed my life.
By the time I was 15 years old, I was wrestling with the best club [in Bulgaria]. I was living like a professional athlete until I had a back injury. The summer I was recovering, that farmer from Underwood came to Bulgaria and invited me to visit Iowa. A few months later, I was in Council Bluffs.
You stayed and wrestled here in high school. What inspired you to return to Iowa after studying and starting your career elsewhere?…