Brother: Illinois World medalist wrestler ‘legendary’

Former Buffalo Grove High School state wrestling champion, two time all-American and 2006 Greco-Roman World bronze medalist Lindsey Durlacher will be remembered as a legend, according to his brother.

“He believed that he could do anything, a Superman-type attitude,” said Dave Durlacher, Lindsey’s older brother. “He believed that if somebody told him you can’t do something, that was extra motivation for him.”

Lindsey Durlacher, 36, died in his sleep at his Denver home early Saturday while recovering from surgery, according to a statement from USA Wrestling. He suffered a broken sternum in a snowmobile accident in February and spent a number of days in a Denver hospital’s intensive care unit earlier this week, Dave Durlacher said Sunday night.

Wrestling ran in the Durlacher family and, as Dave Durlacher pointed out, the youngest in a household of three boys can end up tough as nails.

“He had two older brothers who used to beat on him, so his dad got him a mat and put it in the basement,” Dave Durlacher said. “The youngest usually becomes the toughest.”

Durlacher, who coaches wrestling at Buffalo Grove High School, said he and his brother, Mike, a state place winner while at Buffalo Grove High School, were Lindsey’s biggest fans.

“We supported him,” he said. “We went to every tournament. We tried to give him that extra boost to get him to that next level.”

Durlacher said although his younger brother’s life was cut short, he packed a lot into that time.

“He lived on the edge,” Durlacher said of his brother. “He got to see the world — Cuba and Russia — to see places that no one else has been too.”

Lindsey Durlacher took home the World Greco-Roman bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China, and in 2007 took fifth, helping the U.S. win its first World Team Title. He was an undefeated high school state champion with a 44-0-1 record in 1992, and was a two-time all-American at the University of Illinois.

Durlacher also placed second in 1997 and fourth in 1996 at the NCAA Championships, was a silver medalist in 2003 and 2007 at the Pan American Championships and won the U.S. Open in 2006 after five years as runner-up.

“We lost a true champion today,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.”

In 2007, he was inducted into the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Associate Hall of Fame after a coaching career at the University of Illinois, the U.S. Naval Academy, Northwestern University and Northern Illinois University.

“Lindsey was a world-class athlete,” his older brother said. “He’s basically a legend.”

The Durlacher family is planning a memorial service at Buffalo Grove High School on either Thursday or Friday.

“Where it all started,” Dave Durlacher explained.

The cause of Lindsey Durlacher’s death remained undetermined as of Sunday night.