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Wrestling Changed My Life (Wrestling Podcast)

#64 Lee Kemp - 3x NCAA Champ, 3x World Champ, 2008 Olympic Coach

Wrestling Changed My Life (Wrestling Podcast)

Wrestling Changed My Life

Sports

4.91.1K Ratings

🗓️ 21 October 2019

⏱️ 76 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Lee Kemp, known as one of the greatest wrestlers in United States history, was a three-time Gold Medalist in the World Championships, a four-time Gold Medalist in the World Cup of Wrestling, a two-time Gold Medalist in the Pan American Games, a seven-time national champion, and was named the United States Wrestling Federation “Man of the Year” in 1978. He was inducted to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1989. He has been featured three times in Sports Illustrated Magazine (February 1977, April 1982, May 1982). Life Magazine featured Kemp in their “1984 Olympic Preview” issue along with Michael Jordan, Carl Lewis, Edwin Moses and Greg Louganis. Lee Kemp was born and spent his early youth in Cleveland, Ohio and later moved to Chardon, a farming community 30 miles northeast of Cleveland, where he was a 2-time Ohio state champion finishing his junior and senior years with an undefeated record of 55-0-0, with 24 pins. Kemp attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a full athletic scholarship winning three NCAA titles at 158 pounds and placing 2nd as a true freshman losing on a split referee’s decision in overtime. After his freshman year Lee Kemp didn’t lose another collegiate bout posting 108 victories and one draw against collegiate competition that included a win over the legendary Dan Gable.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to the show folks. This is wrestling changed my life. Here we go.

0:03.6

You know when you're going for that run late at night, there's no one there but you.

0:07.4

You're not trying to show off, you're not trying to do it.

0:09.8

If you're not trying to do it, you're not trying to do it.

0:10.8

You're doing it because you want to win under the lights.

0:14.3

We can endure anything and adapt and pivot and change.

0:23.0

Wrestling gave us that ability.

0:25.0

I would say nothing in life has impacted me

0:28.0

or the things wrestling has taught me in terms of

0:31.0

self-reflection, resilience.

0:33.4

Toughness.

0:34.4

Some guys have it, some guys don't.

0:36.2

Adversity, 100% how to pick myself up and be a man after I failed.

0:41.6

And everything that is shaped my life and where I'm at today would not be

0:46.7

there without the values and basically the lessons I've learned through the sport of wrestling.

0:51.3

For me, wrestling wrestle saving my life

0:53.1

because it allowed me to focus and channel my energy.

0:58.9

We're fortunate if you wrestle,

1:00.1

because if you wrestle,

1:02.4

natural talent helps, but it's 5% of the ingredient.

1:08.4

It pales in comparison to heart and technique and effort. It humbled me, taught me humility. Nothing can

1:15.8

humble you more than wrestling. I think it's the learning to adapt, right? You

...

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