Despite ending his collegiate career as a Penn State wrestling legend, Nico Megaludis always knew he was destined for more.
A four-time All-American, Megaludis enjoyed one of Penn State's most successful lightweight careers. And while he could've relied on the achievements granted through his time as a Nittany Lion, the former 125-pounder desperately wanted to help others achieve their own personal goals.
So, when he wasn't spending ample hours training in Rec Hall, Megaludis studied business administration and finance, before securing a career as a financial planner at Megaludis Financial.
"I like to be busy working out and training still, but I also have a passion for helping people and families with finances," Megaludis said. "At the same time, I have also had a goal to be the best in the world with wrestling – and I've found that my two polar opposite passions actually complement each other. I got the best of both worlds and I'm pretty busy, but I like it that way."
After rounding out a successful collegiate tenure with a first-place finish at the 2016 NCAA Championships at Madison Square Garden, Megaludis pursued a career on the international wrestling circuit. Already having so many achievements notched on his belt, he then set out to cinch an allusive Olympic gold medal.
Though he immediately qualified for the 2016 Olympic Trials in Iowa City, Iowa, the 23-year-old failed to meet the freestyle qualifications – but despite the adversity, Megaludis wasn't quite ready to hang up his wrestling shoes. He'd instead set out for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
This time, Megaludis thought, there was nothing getting in his way.
And then came a global pandemic.
"This year is like a science fiction year," Megaludis laughed. "Obviously, things have been different, but I've done a great job of adapting and kind of figuring out my life. There isn't much else to do other than training and working, so actually I've used the quarantine to my advantage."
Luckily, Megaludis' parents made training in quarantine a little easier –providing their son with a wrestling and weight room from the comfort of their Pittsburgh home. Not to mention, Nico and his father, Daniel Megaludis, just so happen to work as partners at Megaludis Financial.
"As far as work goes, it's fun to be with my dad. As we decided to partner together, we quickly realized that a lot of our strengths complement each other professionally," the former Nittany Lion said. "We're blunt with each other, we say what's on our mind and we get stuff done. It's an open relationship for us."
But this father-son bond started long before their work partnership.
Almost like clockwork each night at Penn State, Megaludis called his father to brief him on both his academic and athletic endeavors. And growing up with his father as a coach led the Megaludis men to an inseparable bond that would stretch into their professional careers.
"He's always been involved with my wrestling career ever since I was young," Megaludis said. "He knows how I wrestle; he knows how I think; and so, we've always had a good relationship. He knew what he had to do to make me successful, but I also understood the responsibility at a young age."
Megaludis said his father taught him the importance of balance – something that would prove to be essential as he embarked on his post-grad career.
"I basically have had two jobs ever since I graduated," Megaludis said. "At first it was difficult to get down a structured schedule with work and wrestling. It's been kind of an adjustment as I found out what was working and what wasn't working."
While Megaludis works with a local team of five financial planners at his firm and trains at Pitt's National Training Center, the former Nittany Lion admits that he often misses the dynamic of a collegiate team experience.
"It's something that every day I think about – there's just nothing like running out to hundreds of screaming fans in Rec Hall. The environment and the passion of Penn State proves that there's nothing like it," Megaludis said. "I could go on and on about my college team, but the important thing is that we always complemented each other's work ethic – and it's something I'll remember for the rest of my life."
With the optimism Megaludis brings to each of his passions, not even an injured ACL could break his dreams of becoming the best. And until he's made a full recovery, the future of his Olympic dreams remains uncertain – but never out of reach.
"I obviously want to be the best in the world – and that's why I'm still doing it. But I also want to be the best financial planner I can be, so I can help every person I possibly can," Megaludis said. "Each day, I strive to wake up being as optimistic as possible. Everyone wants to be the best, but I think you have to break it down day-by-day. Wake up positive and always find ways to get better."
