Most kids want to play with toys or dress up as superheroes.
All Ivan Popov wanted was cauliflower ears like his dad.
The Russian-born Australian grew up in Siberia and was surrounded by wrestlers - his father Vladimir was a former world champion and Olympic bronze medallist at the 1988 Seoul Games.
"Me and my brother wished we had broken ears like them," he told AAP.
"For a wrestler, a broken ear is like a passport or business card. That's why we wanted to be like our dad.
"We tried to break them ourselves; it sounds insane but that's what it is. Maybe the age of 17 was my first broken ear and I was like `check this out! I'm a pure wrestler now!"
Popov and his family emigrated to Australia in 2001 and he became a citizen two years later.
He went on to make history by winning Australia's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in wrestling since 1978 at Delhi 2010.
The 204cm giant is now heading to his first Olympics to compete in the 130kg Greco Roman division, one of four wrestlers named on Tuesday - alongside Vinod Kumar, Sahit Prezreni and Talgat Ilyasov.
Australia only sent one wrestler to the London Olympics.
Popov took a lengthy break from the sport after missing the 2012 Games, during which he spent time back in Russia and got married.
But upon his return he won back-to-back national titles in 2015 and 2016, success he hopes to carry into Rio come August.
"I'll do my best to get a medal," the 33-year-old said.
Uzbekistan-born Illaysov is also aiming for an Olympic podium and redemption after being forced to withdraw from the 2004 Athens Games.
The 35-year-old qualified in the 74kg freestyle division and had been touted as Australia's best hope of a wrestling medal in more than 50 years before being ruled out with a spinal injury.
He enjoyed a stellar 2015 season, claiming numerous Australian and international titles.
"They're all hard workers but especially Talgat," Wrestling Australia president John Saul said.
"He has a chance to make up for the Olympic Games he missed and I know that he will do that exceptionally."
Australia hasn't won an Olympic wrestling medal since London 1948, when Jim Armstrong and Dick Garrard took home bronze and silver respectively.
AUSTRALIA'S OLYMPIC WRESTLING TEAM
Sahit Prizreni (Kukes, Albania) - 65kg freestyle
Talgat Ilyasov (Samarkand, Uzbekistan) - 74kg freestyke
Ivan Popov (Omsk, Russia) - 130kg Greco-Roman
Vinod Kumar (Sonepat, India) - 66kg Greco-Roman
