Before I left Iowa last week, I picked up a signed copy of Dan Gable’s book, A Wrestling Life. This is not simply one of the very best wrestling books I have ever read, it’s one of the most motivational and inspiring books I’ve ever read.
If the name Dan Gable is not familiar to you, I’ll bring you up to speed. Gable was an NCAA champion at Iowa State University and an Olympic gold medalist at the 1972 Winter Games. After winning gold, Gable retired from wrestling and went into coaching. He won fifteen NCAA team titles for the Iowa Hawkeyes, including an astonishing nine in a row during the 1980s. He is considered not only one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, but one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.
Gable never stepped into world of pro wrestling, but that shouldn’t deter anyone – wrestling fan or no – from reading this book. A Wrestling Life is less an autobiography and more a collection of stories about Gable’s life. He discusses everything from losing his last match in college to winning gold to the shocking murder of his sister when he was only a teenager.
Gable is raw and honest at all turns, and his enthusiasm for wrestling and teaching shines through every chapter. Gable’s relentless drive to be the best at what he did will have you examining your own life and seeking the same kind of motivation to fulfill your own dreams.
A Wrestling Life was a quick and inspiring read, one I will probably revisit again soon. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
You can find A Wrestling Life by Dan Gable on Amazon.com, but may I strongly suggest you bypass Amazon and support the Dan Gable Museum and National Wrestling Hall of Fame by purchasing through their website instead.