Chosen Suffering: Becoming Elite in Life and Leadership was written by Ohio State wrestling coach Tom Ryan just after Ohio State captured the 2009 wrestling national championship. The book, an autobiography, was written in Columbus, Ohio. Coach Ryan is tough as nails and gets it. This was the first book I read after I nearly died, and Tom Ryan was good enough to send me a signed copy. Chosen Suffering will be great for wrestling fans to read and is recommended for non-wrestling fans. The practical leadership lessons in the book will be of interest to everyone. It is our prerogative to suffer, and nobody suffers quite like wrestlers. Which athletes do you think suffer the most?
Chosen Suffering
The book Chosen Suffering is meant to inspire people. Chosen Suffering is an autobiographical account of Ryan’s life. First, his upbringing on Long Island was not exactly a wrestling hotbed. Ryan then, after high school, became an All-American wrestler at the University of Iowa (at the time, the pre-eminent wrestling program in the nation). After finishing up at the University of Iowa, Ryan became the wrestling coach at Ohio State. He built the program from deep depths to a 2009 national championship.
Under Ryan’s tutelage, the Buckeyes have been contenders every season, They have had a number of notable wrestlers. Kyle Snyder, for instance, was an All-American and represented the United States in the Olympics. Snyder is known by the nickname Captain America. All of these great wrestlers, until 2010, are detailed in Cosen Suffering. However, the most notable wrestler in the program is Sammy Sasso. His story is unbelievable.
Also in Chosen Suffering are life stories from Ryan, who lost a son. Ryan tells of the strength of his marriage, his upbringing on Long Island, and the pressure associated with being the head coach of a major sport at a major university. Particularly noteworthy in Chosen Suffering is the evident life-long dedication of Ryan. He shows himself to be simply exceptional.
Tom Ryan
It is worth saying a few words about the author of Chosen Suffering first. The head Coach of the Ohio State wrestling team is Tom Ryan. He was an All-American wrestler for the University of Iowa. They were the best team in the nation and have since been usurped for the top spot by Penn State University.
Ryan wrote an autobiography; it is called Chosen Suffering. In it (among other things), he tells the story of how the tragic loss of his son led him to find faith and motivation, which he passes on to his players. Ryan got comments and help from many of the other coaches at Ohio State. Most notable among them is the football coach (at that time, Urban Meyer). Ryan gets it and is as tough as nails. Ryan is easy to root for, and it is not surprising that Sammy Sasso fought his way back and wrestled for him.
Sammy Sasso
Sammy Sasso is an accomplished wrestler for Ohio State. He is a 2-time conference champion, and the Big Ten conference has excellent wrestlers. Sasso is a four-time All-American. You can be an All-American by finishing in the top 8 at the National Championships. He is currently a 5th-year senior who had to redshirt for medical reasons in 2024. He was shot and almost died in an attempted carjacking on August 18, 2023. Over more than a year, Sasso has battled back to be on the Ohio State roster. His story is probably the most inspirational in all sports. Sasso is 12-4 so far for Ohio State this season.
Conclusion
Chosen Suffering is a good read that is highly recommended for wrestling fans, but the practical Leadership and life lessons therein will be of interest to everyone. Tom Ryan, the author, is the wrestling head coach at Ohio State and built that program from the basement-dwelling depths to national prominence. Ohio State won the wrestling national championship in 2009 and is a perennial contender. Ryan tells this inspirational story in Chosen Suffering. He is authoring another inspirational story now.
