2021 Camp Grant Recipient: Corbin Purdum
Heritage High School’s Corbin Purdum is one of the 2021 RBS&HF Wrestling Camp Grant recipients.
To kick off the 2021 nomination and application season, the RBS&HF elected to offer $250 grants to be used toward fees for wrestling camps. The board chose to focus on the three high schools in Colorado where Coach Barron led teams—Fort Lupton High School in Fort Lupton and Heritage and Columbine High Schools in Littleton. Coaches chose the recipients based on exhibiting strength and honor on and off the mat, as well as need and other circumstances. Along with the grant money, each recipient received a RBS&HF T-shirt for themselves and one to give to another wrestler at camp.
We asked each wrestler to submit a short note about what wrestling means to them and how it’s been an asset to their lives. Here’s a message from Corbin Purdum of Heritage High School.
“The very first time I met Coach Barron at a Duke wrestling camp [at Cherry Creek High School], my wrestling shoes were old and hanging open completely. Without hesitation Coach Barron took his shoes off his feet and let me use them for the entire camp. I was also blessed with the opportunity to learn from him over at Columbine High School for freestyle, and was able to have him coach me at a few tournaments. I always wear the Heritage hoodie he gave me for good luck. It is indescribable the impact he had on the entire wrestling community, as I’m sure you know, and every coach and wrestler I know has endless respect for him. I think that it is amazing what you are doing with this Ray Barron Strength & Honor Fund and I cannot thank you enough for giving me this opportunity. I would say that to me, wrestling is a way of life. Wrestling is a reason to do things that are hard. Wrestling is my motivation to get up and go to practice when I know it will be long and tiring and difficult. Wrestling is the reason why I go to the gym wearing a hoodie and sweatpants on days that I don’t have practice and even sometimes on days that I do. We all do it for the love of the sport. In addition, I strive to show strength and honor by putting my head down and working hard, whether that means in wrestling or in school or anything else I strive to accomplish, and by setting goals that would make Coach Barron proud. Finally, I always try to help and encourage those just coming into this sport, because I know that because I had Coach Barron to help me, I am much more confident as a wrestler and as a person, and I hope to pay that forward to the next person.”