1.
Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.
Dan Gable
Achievement awards aren't really made of material value. They're composed of hard work, perseverance, and an invaluable amalgam called courage.
2.
Pain is nothing compared to what it feels like to quit. Give everything you got today for tomorrow may never come.
Dan Gable
'Abandoning your dreams bears far greater anguish than any suffering you may endure; therefore, persevere with all your might, as tomorrow is not promised.'
3.
The 1st period is won by the best technician. The 2nd period is won by the kid in the best shape. The 3rd period is won by the kid with the biggest heart.
Dan Gable
The initial round is secured by the most skilled craftsman. The second stretch is taken by the one in optimum condition. The third portion is won by the contestant with the greatest determination.
4.
I’m a big believer in starting with high standards and raising them. We make progress only when we push ourselves to the highest level. If we don’t progress, we backslide into bad habits, laziness and poor attitude.
Dan Gable
5.
When I'd get tired and want to stop, I'd wonder what my next opponent was doing. I'd wonder if he was still working out. I'd tried to visualize him. When I could see him working, I'd start pushing myself. When I could see him in the shower, I'd push myself harder.
Dan Gable
6.
Once you've wrestled, everything in life is easy.
Dan Gable
Once you've overcome adversity, everything else is a breeze.
7.
More enduringly than any other sport, wrestling teaches self-control and pride. Some have wrestled without great skill - none have wrestled without pride.
Dan Gable
'Lasting longer than any other sport, wrestling instills self-discipline and dignity. While not all may be adept in it, no one can deny its capacity to evoke pride.'
8.
Raising your level of performance requires a proper mentality and meaning from within. This gives you the ability and drive to work on the things necessary to go to a higher level. When people ask me how to raise their level of performance, the first thing I ask is, How important is it to you?
Dan Gable
9.
If you're afraid to fail, you'll never succeed.
Dan Gable
If you dread disappointment, you will never attain success.
10.
A clean, hard-fought wrestling match is the most honest of athletic contests. There is no technological interventions, no teammates to blame, no panel of judges to bias the score. In wrestling, you compete or you quit. No alibis. I like that
Dan Gable
11.
Wrestling... what men do during boys basketball season.
Dan Gable
Grappling... what males perform during young males basketball season.
12.
Determination is the strength needed to succeed.
Dan Gable
Perseverance
13.
When I lifted weights, I didn't lift just to maintain my muscle tone. I lifted to increase what I already had, to push to a new limit. Every time I worked, I was getting a little better. I kept moving that limit back and back. Every time I walked out of the gym, I was a little better than when I walked in.
Dan Gable
14.
I vowed I wouldn't ever let anyone destroy me again. I was going to work at it every day, so hard that I would be the toughest guy in the world. By the end of practice, I wanted to be physically tired, to know that I'd been through a workout. If I wasn't tired, I must have cheated somehow, so I stayed a little longer.
Dan Gable
15.
There's always ways of motivating yourself to higher levels. Write about it, dream about it. But after that, turn it into action. Don't just dream.
Dan Gable
Generate enthusiasm for surpassing your goals; articulate it, visualize it. But then make it a reality - don't simply stay in the realm of fantasy.
16.
You can't ever work too much because there's no such thing as being in too good condition. You can't ever lift too many weights because you can't ever get too strong. You can't ever wrestle too much because you can always do better.
Dan Gable
17.
I shoot, I score. He shoots, I score.
Dan Gable
18.
Always remember the pain of defeat, and never let it happen again.
Dan Gable
19.
Talent is everywhere, winning attitude is not.
Dan Gable
20.
If you want to train and work hard 3 months out of the year, well, then, UNI is a great place to go. If you want to bust your tail 6 months out of the year, you should be very happy at ISU. But if you want to train and develop into a champion 12 months out of the year, then Iowa is the place for you.
Dan Gable
21.
The obvious goals were there- State Champion, NCAA Champion, Olympic Champion. To get there I had to set an everyday goal which was to push myself to exhaustion or, in other words, to work so hard in practice that someone would have to carry me off the mat.
Dan Gable
22.
There is no mat space for malcontents or dissenters. One must neither celebrate insanely when he wins, nor sulk when he loses. He accepts victory professionally, humbly; he hates defeat, but makes no poor display of it.
Dan Gable
23.
I never won anything by myself. I was always strong because of help that gave me extra strength to win.
Dan Gable
24.
My advice to young wrestlers is that your surroundings really make a difference. You want to put yourself in good, positive surroundings.
Dan Gable
25.
The easiest thing to do in the world is pull the covers up over your head and go back to sleep.
Dan Gable
26.
I can take anyone down at anytime; they can't take me down; no one can ride or turn me; I can control anyone.
Dan Gable
27.
If we don't progress, we backslide into bad habits, laziness and poor attitude.
Dan Gable
28.
Great wrestlers make other wrestlers great
Dan Gable
29.
Right out of high school I never had the fear of getting beat, which is how most people lose.
Dan Gable
30.
Wrestling is the only sport I've ever competed in that puts you totally in a situation of constant motion without breaks. I could play football or baseball, swim -- but there's always some kind of situation that would break my thoughts, break my concentration.
Dan Gable
31.
Wrestlers are a little more dedicated than, and are different from, the other people, which may be strange.
Dan Gable
32.
We, as a wrestling community, better remember it is more than one individual that makes a winner.
Dan Gable
33.
All I worried about was what Owings was doing to me, instead of what I was doing to him. When you start worrying about that stuff, you're going down the wrong path.
Dan Gable
34.
My mind's never gone very far away from what I wanted to accomplish.
Dan Gable
35.
But we've got to work. We can't just live on reputations at all - by any means.
Dan Gable
36.
If you are afraid to fail, you will never succeed.
Dan Gable
37.
My valleys are higher than most people's peaks. I stay at that level.
Dan Gable
38.
Greatness in the mat is achieved through training that make you push to survive.
Dan Gable
39.
I'm delighted to be back in coaching. Our goal is to put Iowa wrestling back on top, and I want to do everything I can to make it happen.
Dan Gable
40.
I've never changed my life since I was 4 and went to the YMCA with a gym bag. I still have that philosophy. In fact, I still have that gym bag.
Dan Gable
41.
A lot of my intensity in wrestling was due to my mental preparation before the matches. I got myself into a different world.
Dan Gable
42.
Wrestling has been a way of life with me day in and day out. I won't get too far away from it. I might walk through the wrestling room once a week. I could go every day if I wanted. But just walk through, make sure it's still there.
Dan Gable
43.
But after that, turn it into action. Don't just dream.
Dan Gable
44.
My coaches were great. My mom and dad. My dad never missed a wrestling meet.
Dan Gable
45.
There's nothing like success.
Dan Gable
46.
My wrestling and family go together. It's always been that way, from day one with my mom and dad, my sister, my wife, four daughters, grandsons, son-in-laws.
Dan Gable
47.
I've been a fanatic about working out all my life.
Dan Gable
48.
I don't think college wrestling is in danger of extinction by any means. But I am concerned if one program drops.
Dan Gable
49.
More endearingly than any other sport, wrestling teaches self control and pride.
Dan Gable
50.
If you're going to stay in the Olympics, you've got to be entertaining and get sponsorship.
Dan Gable
