News : Gable tells VSHS students that hard, smart work is key to success

Dan Gable autographs a book for a Vinton resident during his visit to VSHS.

In what Dan Gable called his first and perhaps only visit to a school to discuss his new book, "A Wrestling Life," the Iowa wrestling legend told Vinton-Shellsburg High School students that working hard and working smart are the key to success.

Gable shared his story with the student body on Monday, before signing copies of his book for readers and fans. Vinton resident Diane Welsh, who manages the Barnes and Noble store in Cedar Rapids, accompanied Gable to the school.

Gable also told the students that adversity can be part of a person's success story. He said that his only loss on a collegiate wrestling mat helped him to become a smarter competitor and helped him become an Olympic champion.

The murder of his sister while he was in high school also motivated Gable to work harder to become a champ. He reminded the students that he also learned the importance of academics, without which he could not have succeeded at college.

Although his parents and only sister are gone, Gable told the students that he is surrounded by people who love him, including his wife, four daughters and several grandchildren. He urged the students to remember that they, too, are surrounded by people who love them.

Gable also shared some of his connections with Vinton. He said that as a child, he often visited the Vinton and Van Horne areas, where some of his relatives lived. And his junior high wrestling coach was Vinton native and UNI Hall of Fame wrestler Martin Lundvall.

See more about Gable's book, published by the U of Iowa Press, HERE.