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Dan Gable won wrestling gold in the 1972 Munich Olympics without surrendering a single point – a nearly unthinkable feat that former ISU coach Bobby Douglas likened to a single pitcher throwing two no-hitters in one World Series. Complete dominance on the biggest of stages. As Gable zeroed out his final Olympic opponent, television commentator Frank Gifford called him, almost whispering the words, “the most dedicated athlete I have ever known.” How did little Danny Gable – a peewee swimmer, a scrappy YMCA boxer, a little leaguer – grow up to become one of the world’s most honored and respected sportsmen? 
Dan Gable grew up in Waterloo, Iowa during the 1950′s and early 60′s. One of the most popular television shows in that era of low-def, black-and-white broadcasts was called This is Your Life. It was partly a documentary and partly what we’d now call a reality show. Each week, host Ralph Edwards would bring a notable guest to the stage in front of a live audience, shouting ”This is your life.” He’d then outline the guest’s life, bringing on old friends, teachers, and colleagues to surprise and chat with the honoree and to reminisce unrehearsed about the times past – the good times and the tough times.
On FRYday, September 2, with the help of our friends at Berthel Fisher & Company, we honored legendary wrestler and coach Dan Gable with our own live version of this show. The fully-staged event provided a great opportunity to learn more about the life of this inspirational sportsman. Plus, it provided a wonderful chance to thank Dan for all that he has accomplished – so far. There was big screen documentary video and lots of guests on hand to help Dan remember his collegiate career and two NCAA championships, his Olympic Gold Medal, and his unprecedented coaching success at Iowa.
Some of the surprise guests included Tom and Terry Brands, Jim Leach, Bump Elliott, and Hayden Fry along with video messages from Frank Gifford and Lute Olson, among others.