"I'm gonna watch," he declares, then almost to himself adds, "I can't be such a chickenshit.". Gable's definition of relaxation is what most people might consider the hardest work of their lives. "I still don't think I have forgiven him," she says. Then doctors told him he couldn't wrestle people any longer, and the Christmas tree and the chain saw nearly took away the Takedown Machine, and that is just about that. he thought. Maybe that's why it hits him now. They needed the clarity of Gable's obsession. Another fall might be more than he can handle. Katie tore off toward the cabin, with Dan sprinting after her, Mack chasing in the car. I did tons of laundry and cooked tons of food for the kids. All ended up with former athletes, and only Molly lives outside the state of Iowa. "I have this son. 8. He needs something to do. They followed him on his journey and counted his successes as their own. "They were doing it before I died," he says, then catches himself. Hes worked his tail off to get where he is right now, she said during a shopping trip around Iowa City one afternoon. He graduated from high school 64-0, a three-time state champion. Thus, ending his 181-match winning streak. Then he stopped coming. All he can do is wait for headlights to shine through the windows, letting him know one of his girls has come back home. A former Iowa wrestler stops to swap war stories, then suddenly backs up, a look of horror on his face. Still, most afternoons he found himself drawn to the Iowa wrestling practices, sitting in the bleachers like a fan, offering tips. Mackie Gable, Dan's youngest daughter, steps outside and finds her father weeping. Generations now have come and gone, and Gable remembers the losers more than the winners. His wife, Kathy, sat at the computer, waiting on the coffeemaker to start. A KID WHO DOESN'T KID AROUND - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com Gable was joined Monday by his 13 grandchildren, his wife Kathy, daughters, Jenni, Molly, Annie and Mackenzie, and sons-in-laws One of Gable's son-in-laws (to his left) was pictured holding three . "After what wrestling did for my dad and his family, after their tragedy. People always ask me what its like being married to a famous person. He cracks jokes about his cauliflower ear and when the mood strikes, pulls down his lower lip and exposes scar tissue. Wright Thompson is a senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. People nod when he passes, and he zips his Iowa wrestling coat. Kathy Carpenter was 19 when she married Gable, whom she met through a former boyfriend of hers. Now he is losing again. Sitting by himself in the dark, Gable struggled not to cry. Married a decade ago, Kathy and Dan Gable have three daughters, Jennifer, 6; Annie, 4; and Molly, 8 months. "My dad's gold medal hangs above the fireplace. But if I had a sprained ankle, Id work right through it. Sometimes Gable just mouths words, intense, forgetting to speak. On their first date, they went on a bike ride. The Gables measured time in seasons, their world growing as small and insular as Dan's. He's got to be careful. He had gold in his eyes thats all there was to it. After all, this is wrestling, not chess.. This is the Gable family's favorite part, because it echoes their own lives: a general and his troops, happy to be finished with the battle but missing the fight. I knew he was going to create opportunities for us at Iowa so that we didnt have to beg, borrow and steal to become a national power. After finishing, he walks up a narrow stairwell, toward the lobby of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Taking on other people's pain is why he left the sport. Dan is screaming now too, spittle flying out of his mouth. Dan Gable likes the direction wrestling is headed She wanted to wrestle in junior high school, but her mom wouldn't let her join the boys team. It is 7:30 p.m. Dan Gable runs to the local food store, makes a few purchases and runs back to his apartment. "I got out of it to save my life.". One by one, his four daughters called. Contacts: Chris . At the end, Dan always falls silent, tears in his eyes, no longer thinking about an old movie but about his wife and his girls. I missed seeing his face in the crowd., Gable was 15 when he was hit with what he calls the worst thing that ever happened in my life.. His family panics with him. Over beers at the bar in the Lansing cabin, he recalled: In Munich, I knew hed win. Gable sighs, a look of mock resignation on his face. This battle has, as Kathy Gable says, awakened a sleeping giant. "Kath! ESPN The Magazine This story appears in ESPN The Magazine . "I never wore a mouthpiece," he says suddenly. The Gables invested so much in their only remaining child that everything touched by Dan took on a talismanic meaning. At age four, Gable became active in the Waterloo Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and participated . Mack swerved off the road, pulling his son from the car. He is best known for his tenure as head coach at the University of Iowa where he won 15 NCAA team titles between 1976 and 1997. . In the kitchen, Kathy starts laughing, imagining the scene. He got better, more dangerous. In fact, theres much about Gable who at times watches the movie Rocky for inspiration that remains a mystery: On a June afternoon when thermometers hit 95, Gable stood soaked in sweat after a workout in the yard of his parents cabin on the Mississippi River near Lansing, Iowa. . The Okies would give him a couple of oil wells anytime he wanted to go there to coach … but Dan never will leave Iowa. He went 39-0 this season, winning a second straight 220-pound state title. What's he doing!? His daughters are funny, pretty and intense. I said to myself, She cant be here with me, but she can look down on me and be proud. I tried to accomplish much more for her, Gable recalled. Dan Gable Leaves Wife For a Jar of Pickles - Wide Right & Natty Lite Gable has used his fame to bring awareness, and to lobby behind the scenes, constantly working the phones or getting on planes. I love wrestling its my whole life. Gable, who lost only one match in his entire college career his record was 181 and 1 admits he has an obsession with fitness. Fierce showdowns with Peekers seem like a comical use of the authority he built by demanding everything from himself and from athletes who wanted to be like him. He began competing in sports at an early age, but realized that wrestling was his true passion around middle school when an unfortunate tragedy struck his family. Danny Mack "Dan" Gable (born October 25, 1948) is a retired American Olympic wrestler and head coach. A young man stepped out of the crowd, pointed toward the hat and said one of the few English words he knew: "Gable.". She was the loving wife of Kevin M. Gable with whom she celebrated they're 36th Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Andrew Cutraro. Like the Owings loss. Dan Gable's Home Gym - RossTraining.com Andrew Cutraro, "I don't know where I'm at when it comes to this Olympic wrestling," he says. During the holidays, Gable sits in front of his television and watches "White Christmas." And then, Dan Gable talked about what it was like on the victory stand: My life flashed before me during the National Anthem. Mackie rushes to find Kathy, who comforts him. "He brought his work home with him a lot," Mackie says. Dan's parents fought, torn apart by the murder. "I had to get it out of me," he says, still sniffling, wiping away his tears. Ask Dan Gable: What was it like to win an Olympic gold medal? More recently, he has had to deal with stinging criticism from coaches around the country who accuse him of spoiling the sport he loves. But Gable lacks the Hollywood style and loud-mouthed bravado of a Namath or an Ali. Carver loved wrestling and he loved excellence. The Network is a community of wrestlers who help each other in business and in life while supporting the sport that has played such an important role in every member's life. My sisters death affected my whole life. His is not a beautiful body. But few know the man behind the legend the father who sits patiently through a daughters dance recital, the husband who spends afternoons pruning his wifes raspberry bushes, the son who permits his parents to keep the gold medal on display in their home because it makes them happy.. They have four daughters; Jenni, Annie, Molly, and Mackenzie. Mack slapped Dan, hard, across the face, then hugged him. He has these things locked in trapdoors and eeeek " -- he makes the creaking sound of an old hinge opening -- " they start coming out. So did his family. Gable once again is on the trail of what many believe is an impossible dream. Kathy Gable - Biography - IMDb With this in mind, Gable spoke with WIN editor Mike Finn about what makes a good partnership between a head coach and his assistants and actually compares it to a good marriage. When he comes to a trail blocked by a fallen tree, he turns around, making a note to come back later with a chain saw. A Wrestling Life: The Inspiring Stories of Dan Gable Iowa City High's Ben Kueter named Dan Gable Class 3A Mr. Wrestler of Diane Gable, Dan's older sister. He brings it up on his own, and the story trickles out. Back and forth. She ducks into the suite, scans the room and calls, "Mom?" former university of iowa wrestling coach dan gable will be awarded the . A lot of times, I take one of my star wrestlers with me when I visit the hospital, Gable said. "It burns," he says, gritting his teeth, and he sounds supremely happy. Today, Gable still resides in the Hawkeye State with his wife, Kathy. We recommend . "Ride him like a dog!" After finishing the magazine article I pitched the idea for a full book. Leaning over, he carefully wipes the snow off with his hand. . Its like pulling teeth to coax Gable into talking about his private self hed much rather talk wrestling. It drew us all closer together, Gable said. She tapped him, asked if he knew anything about the Olympics getting rid of wrestling in 2020. Dan Gable - Coaches, Timeline, Childhood - Dan Gable Biography - Famousbio Hidden in his past, before he ever wrestled a match, there's a story most people don't know. Discover Dan Gable's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Dan Gable won 13-4 in a match that would serve as the central motivation for Owings two years later. Among numerous other civic causes that he supports, Dan continues to help the sport of wrestling. Dan was on the left side of the bed, on his stomach. The reverse lights are on by the time Gable reaches the car. You never know what will make a difference to a kid in trouble or to a guy who thinks hes dying. Mackie's just up the road in Dubuque, and they get together as much as they can, mostly around wrestling events. ", "I feel bad for my dad," Mackie says. 4. If I get too close to a wrestler, I cut myself off. Chosen to coach the 1984 U.S. Olympic wrestling team, he once again smells the gold once again, he will try to snatch victory away from the heavily favored Soviets. One of Gable's hobbies, which can seem like an obsession, is studying the health benefits of heat. Most of the guys at the table are young, and they see Gable as superhuman. There's a sign above his head that says: Whatever Happens In The Hot Tub Stays In The Hot Tub. Today, a month after the IOC decision, he sinks down into his hot tub, which overlooks a wide yard of snow, downrange from the two cement deer that, on occasion, real deer like to hump. The Gables always seemed to be one bad night from breaking apart, leaving Dan without a family: alone.