A Wrestling Life ― The Inspiring Stories of Dan Gable

What does it take to be an Olympic gold medalist and to coach a collegiate team to fifteen NCAA titles? In A Wrestling Life: The Inspiring Stories of Dan Gable, famed wrestler and wrestling coach Dan Gable tells engaging and inspiring stories of his childhood in Waterloo, Iowa; overcoming the murder of his sister as a teenager; his sports career from swimming as a young boy, to his earliest wrestling matches, through the 1972 Olympics; coaching at the University of Iowa from the Banachs to the Brands; life-changing friendships he made along the way; and tales of his family life off the mat. A celebration of determination, teamwork, and the persevering human spirit, A Wrestling Lifecaptures Gable’s methods and philosophies for reaching individual greatness as well as the incredible amount of fulfillment and satisfaction that comes from working as part of a team.

Whether we are athletes or not, we all dream of extreme success and are all looking to make our future the best it can be, but along the way we will undoubtedly need time to recover and rejuvenate. Let these stories inspire you to find your path to strength and achievement along whatever path you take.

Dan Gable has been named to several Halls of Fame including the USA Wrestling Hall of Fame, the US Olympic Hall of Fame, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and is the namesake of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. In 2002, he was appointed to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. He has been named the top wrestler of the 20th Century by Gannett News Services, is listed as one of the top coaches of the 20th Century by ESPN, and is named Iowa’s top sports figure in the past 100 years. In 1996, Gable was named one of the 100 Golden Olympians,” an honor bestowed to the top 100 U.S. Olympians of all time. During the 2012 Olympics, he was inducted into the FILA Hall of Fame Legends of the Sport category, becoming one of three people in the world to receive this honor. He resides in Iowa City, Iowa, with his wife Kathy.

Born and raised in Connecticut, Scott Schulte has been a fan of Dan Gable his entire life. He enjoyed success as a high school wrestler and runner and as a high school wrestling and track coach for many years. The father of two sons and two grandchildren, he is a professional writer. He lives in Milford, Connecticut.