The call came with just a couple of days' notice.
How would Kyle Ruschell like to compete in the Pan American Championships in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil?
The Crittenden, Kentucky, native hadn't competed in 2 and 1/2 years.
But Team USA needed a wrestler. A wrestler wasn't able to make the Championships earlier this month and the team needed someone to travel to Brazil and weigh in.
Ruschell had a visa for Brazil that he used several years ago, so he was able to go.
"I told them if I'm going to go, I'm going to compete," Ruschell told Andy Furman on The Andy Furman Podcast.
Ruschell did more than compete.
He went 3-0 and won the gold medal.
Even wrestling a weight class up.
He last competed at 154.4 pounds, but that weight class was filled and the need was at 163 pounds. So Ruschell had to wrestle up at 163.
For his efforts, Ruschell was named Team USA's wrestler of the week on May 10.
Ruschell talked about wrestling, his tournament and more on The Andy Furman podcast.
