Gary Wayne Harding Q&A

Gary Wayne Harding transferred to North Carolina over the past offseason after spending his first four years at Oklahoma State. There, the redshirt senior qualified for the NCAA Championships twice.

Now ready to make a statement at UNC, Harding sits down with GoHeels.com for a Q&A to give fans a better look at who he is both on and off the mat.

Q: For those who don't know you, how would you describe yourself as a wrestler?

A: I wrestle hard and I wrestle the whole match. I'm a conditioned wrestler. I base a lot of my wrestling on being well-conditioned and out-conditioning guys with everything. I think I wrestle hard in every position. I grew up in Oklahoma, so I was always going to Oklahoma State duals. I remember watching Coleman [Scott] there. I grew up around that environment, so that helped.

Q: What was the transfer process like for you after having success at Oklahoma State?

A: It was a really easy transition. I knew Coleman. I didn't know Bryce [Hasseman] super great, but he's someone I took to really well. It was just really easy compared to a lot of the schools where you don't know anybody. I was comfortable right out of the gate, coaching staff wise, so that honestly is what made it so much easier, compared to going somewhere where I wasn't comfortable with the coaches.

Q: What have you enjoyed most about UNC so far?

A: In general, everybody I know is involved with wrestling. I base everything, while I'm here, on wrestling. I'm comfortable with my teammates and the environment. I love the environment of the wrestling team. It's a super open place to learn, and it creates an environment where you can get better every day. I'm able to pick up something from everybody, and that's what really great. It feels like a family, and it is. I've spent a lot of time doing school and wrestling. That's the gist of it right now.

Q: After you graduate and are finished with wrestling, what do you want to do?

A: Coaching is probably my aspiration. I love this sport. I'm not sure. I haven't really thought outside the box of wrestling. My degree is in political science, and my degree before I transferred was secondary education and social studies. I'm not quite sure, I just really love wrestling.

Q: Do you have any New Year's resolutions?

A: Stop giving up early takedowns (laughs). That's the number one thing that comes to my mind, quit giving up that first takedown. It's hard to think of a non-wrestling related one because that's pretty much all I do. But, I would say going to bed before 10 p.m.

Rapid fire round…

Q: Favorite post-weigh in food?

A: A pretty simple turkey and cheese sandwich, not too much. I like something pretty bland and light. And a lot of water.

Q: Favorite musician?

A: I'm a country music guy. I can't really tie myself to one guy. I don't like the new country as much, but the early 2000s. The stuff these days doesn't suit me nearly as much. A little Toby Keith. It's really hard to go wrong with Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, George Strait, those guys.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: My favorite movie of all time is Troy.

Q: Dream job?

A: Have you ever seen the show Meat Eater? If I could do any job, I would do that. I love the outdoors, hunting and fishing. It's right up my alley to cook it after. I think I would do a wonderful job at that. I could definitely do bizarre foods, too.

Q: Summer or winter?

A: Summer all the way. I was born on the water. Summer, all day.

Q: Favorite cheat meal?

A: One of my favorite things, and I think it's happened because of wrestling, but I love salmon. For my cheat meals, I would definitely cook my own meals. I never eat Mexican food during the season because it's so salty. But I might also want to go with a greasy burger. Or some wings. Oh, but I love bread. That's my number one thing, is just bread. I love bread, in all fashions. So, definitely bread.

Scoreboard Slider

University of North Carolina Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Gary Wayne Harding

Related Videos