I went to high school with Jeff, a smart, athletic guy who I knew would go far somehow. I saw him at our reunion in October and met his financee, a sweet girl named Ally. A few months ago I found Jeff on Facebook, as I’ve done with many old friends.

One day I got a message from him to all his Facebook friends saying that he and Ally were contestants on American Gladiators! Jenny and I watched Jeff compete in the semifinals last Monday and watched Ally WIN the competition last night! They both fought hard and were relentlessly supportive of each other, and the show really played up their newlywed angle. Even though we aren’t close friends, I was thrilled to see a guy with whom I competed in school now appearing on national television. One of my favorite parts was seeing how little he has changed. He’s still the same smart, athletic guy he was in high school, confident without being cocky. The pressure of NBC’s cameras, the lure of $100k and a new car, and the presence of Hulk Hogan as MC didn’t inflate his head too big or turn him into an obnoxious showoff. Congrats, Jeff and Ally!