Trail Running Blog

US Olympic Wrestling Legends Have More Than Athletic Ability

Wrestlers are not just your average athletes. In order to reach the caliber to earn the title of World Champion and Olympic gold medalist, each wrestler must have a substantial amount of guts. If you take a look at the history of many wrestling legends, you’ll see that they have more traits in common than just their physical abilities. Wrestling superstar Dan Gable said, “Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.” That is exactly what sets these individuals apart from the crowd.

When you’re watching Olympic wrestling matches in person or on your television screen, you probably notice each individual’s moves, skills, and setups. If you scratch the surface and take a closer look at each athlete’s background, you’ll find more than meets the eye. Through the history of Olympic wrestling, many of the champions share some commonalities. You’ll find men who overcame cancer, accidental injuries, dyslexia, bullying, and poverty. You’ll find athletes born into large families, men who worked on farms as children or in shipyards during earlier portions of their lives, and each of these men developed strength and toughness in the process.

Wrestling legends over the years have had much more than strong muscles and quick moves; they have had guts. For more details on the lives of some remarkable US Olympic wrestling legends, take a look at this infographic.