My wife and I flew back to Iowa a week before the big rematch. As soon as we arrived, my sister called up a couple newspapers to see if we could get them to cover the story, to pull some people to the event. Our fear was that there would only be a few people in the stands. However, word spread like wildfire and by the end of the week, I had appeared in 3 newspapers, 3 TV stations, and 3 radio shows. It was a little overwhelming! Tina was a great sport. The media hounded her as well, and she graciously put up with it.
As the news of the event spread, we began seeing cars with writing on it saying “Go Tina” and “Go Todd” as we would drive through town. Tina was even recognized at a restaurant when she was out to dinner with her family. We were mini celebrities. The only downside was that everyone had their money on Tina. I was a HUGE underdog.
On the morning of the rematch, I felt completely sick to my stomach. It was similar to the way I used to feel before I played sports in high school. About an hour before the showdown, Tina and I were both staged in respective locker rooms at my old middle school gym. From there, I could hear people arriving. My wife informed me that the gym bleachers were packed with people. That made me even more nervous! As it turned out over 300 people showed up, many who were there to support me! Probably the most unexpected attendees were my grandparents on my father’s side. My mother and father divorced when I was 5 years old, so I’ve never been super close to my father’s family. All along, this rematch had been about me and my demons, but with so many people there supporting me, I felt like now I had to make them proud!
Sadly, I’m not going to divulge the outcome of the rematch on our website. You’ll have to wait for the documentary to come out! However, if you’re absolutely dying to know, send me an e-mail and I’ll let you in on the secret!
I do have to thank everyone who not only attended the rematch but everyone who helped in making the event possible. Me and my silly little quest was received with open arms and I’m proud to say I’m from Mount Vernon, Iowa. We even raised $573 for the American Cancer Society, all donated in Tina’s name.
We’re now going to start post-production. We’re going to try to work as fast as possible, but we’ll have to balance that with the other work we have (the work that pays the bills). As soon as the trailer is up, we’ll let everyone know!