BILLINGS — Mike Zadick wouldn’t miss this opportunity for the world.
And it won’t be the first time he’s rooted for his older brother Bill Zadick as he guided Team USA in Paris.
Mike Zadick, 46, will definitely be cheering his brother Bill Zadick, 51, on as he leads the United States national men’s freestyle wrestling team at the Paris Olympics Thursday through Sunday.
In the process of building Benchmark Wrestling in Augusta, which will feature a wrestling room, weight room and all-purpose space, Mike Zadick is on his way to Paris.
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“Right now, it’s been gaining some big momentum,” Zadick said of developments in the construction of Benchmark, which in mid-April 406 MT Sports reported that on-site dirt work might begin in May. “I’ve had a lot of people coming in that are skilled in their trade and have come in to help me. I have multiple engineers working on it from mechanical, to structural, to civil, to architectural. We have the site prepped up to elevation and ready to go. We are hoping while I’m in Paris, we’ll have the guys rough-in the plumbing.”
The estimated price of Benchmark Wrestling was earlier reported by 406 MT Sports as $2.7 million and fundraising was underway to help the project succeed. As of now, Zadick is pleased with the progression of the project. Some days things seem to cruise along and other days there may be a snag, but then there’s a lucky break where friends and volunteers show up to help.
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“I don’t really have a schedule. I’m at the mercy of not everybody is a volunteer, there is a lot of expense out there, but because of a few hangups the guys scheduled to be here had to move to the next job,” Zadick explained. “And I’m sitting here waiting and waiting and two guys showed up and saved the day.”
“For me and this, it is humbling and unbelievable support. I can’t say their names and thank them enough for their support. A lot of the things these guys are doing, I couldn’t thank them enough.”
While building Benchmark Wrestling is what the former four-time state champion wrestler for Great Falls High from 1994-97 is pouring his energy and ambitions into now, he’s going to take a break. After all, his big brother and former Bison four-time state champion from 1988-91 Bill is coaching Team USA.
Zadick and his mom Toni were scheduled to depart Great Falls for Paris on Monday.
“Mom wants to be there and support him,” said Mike Zadick. “We will crush it and make the best of it and get there and be able to recover and acclimate and cheer on Team USA. It will be fun.”
Bill and Mike’s father and Toni’s husband, Bob Zadick, passed away in 2020 at the age of 80. Bob Zadick was one of the state’s biggest wrestling enthusiasts and traveled near and far supporting his sons, who went on to All-American careers at Iowa and success at the international level.
“Dad not being around, to me my gut tells me my dad is talking to her and saying, ‘Go over there.’ This might be her last big trip overseas. She is excited,” Mike Zadick said of his mom. “My mom and dad traveled the country for our big events, and this is another one for her to be there for.”
Mike Zadick explained that the wrestling lifestyle has been very important to the Zadick family over the years.
“It has just been a way of life for us since we were born,” he said. “Bill and I rode with our dad down to the 84 Olympics. Sitting in the driveway, the Olympic Games in Los Angeles were sold out. My dad wanted his kids to be down there to impact us to believe we can be Olympic champs one day. I was 6 years old and Bill was 11. The tournament we drove out and we didn’t have tickets. But he had the vision we would get in and we got there and didn’t miss a session and watched the Olympic Games.”
The Zadick brothers have a bond. In 2008 in Beijing, Mike said his brother was his workout partner at the Olympics.
From left, brothers Bill Zadick and Mike Zadick pose for a photo while visiting the Great Wall of China during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Mike was a member of the wrestling team at Beijing and Bill was his workout partner.
Bill Zadick is in his eighth year as the head men’s freestyle coach for the United States and has been on the national team coaching staff since 2009. This will be his second Olympics as head coach. In 2021 with Zadick as head coach at the Tokyo Olympics, all five U.S. men’s freestyle qualifiers won medals.
“I’ve very proud. I think it is kind of when you live it your whole life, I’m not ecstatic, meaning you kind of look at the future and the growth and it is expected I guess, somewhat,” said Mike of his brother, Bill. “Just because he was originally a developmental coach through USA Wrestling. He was a resident athlete first when he won his World title and after his wrestling career he became an assistant coach, which was a developmental coach. And he worked that pipeline all the way up.”
Mike Zadick said that he knew of at least seven people from the Treasure State that would be cheering for Bill and Team USA live in Paris.
“We have a Montana kid out there coaching the team,” said Mike Zadick. “It means a lot to those individuals as it does myself as he is my own brother. Whether it is just a Montana kid and you love wrestling and you want to watch at the highest level possible, it goes hand in hand. It makes it definitely sweeter to have a Montana kid out there representing as coach.”
