As a child growing up on a Pennsylvania farm, Don Ward never intended to be a wrestler, but a chance opportunity turned into a lifelong passion.

When Ward’s alma mater, Trinity High School in Washington Pennsylvania, found themselves without a competitive wrestler at 154 pounds, he was recruited to fill the position. In his first year of competition, he won the district championship and placed second in Western Pennsylvania.

After his appointment to the United States Naval Academy in 1957, Ward made the varsity wrestling team as a sophomore.

There followed a 20-year career in the United States Air Force, along with opportunity to work with wrestling programs. Stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, he became a certified wrestling official and high school coach in 1961. His final posting was to Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, where he settled down to promote wrestling in southeast Virginia.

Ward started with Jim Green, setting up youth tournaments in Poquoson, Hampton, Newport News, and York County. He then helped found the Peninsula Wrestling Association, a group dedicated to expanding youth wrestling in the area. The PWA founded the highly regarded Virginia Duals in January 1981.

Despite all his other behind-the-scenes contributions over the years, Ward is best known for setting up, maintaining, and rebuilding the antique wrestling clocks used for the Virginia Duals.

Over the last 40 years, Don has participated in the PWA, the Virginia Duals, and the National Collegiate Wrestling Championships held at Hampton University, as well as several Virginia Challenge tournaments.

He was Grand Marshall for the 2012 Virginia Duals and he was named Wrestling’s Man of the Year by Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School in 2011-12.

Don and his high school sweetheart Donna recently celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary.