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"Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.”
This is a famous quote by former American wrestler Dan Gable. His quote captures the reality that the gold medal that you win is just a token. The real value of the medal lies on the kind of character that you forged in order to achieve your goal.
What the quote means
The quote by Dan Gable deeply means that the true value of an achievement is not the physical reward that you receive, but the sacrifice, hard work and character that you have built in order to earn it.
Olympic gold medals, in fact, are technically made of sterling silver with a thin plating of actual gold. However, Gable is speaking metaphorically. He says that the metal that an athlete wears around his neck is just a symbol.
The medal is also a representation of the hard work and gruesome training that an athlete goes through.
And by calling guts a "hard-to-find alloy," Gable tries to say that talent, sweat and determination are not always enough on their own. You need to balance it with psychological strength that includes mental toughness, raw courage and the willingness to endure pain and overcome self-doubt.
Where it comes from
While the quote comes from Dan Gable himself, it stems from his philosophy during his Olympic boxing playing career as well as his coaching career. He quite literally lived the quote even before he said it.
At the 1972 Munich Olympics, he won gold medal in freestyle wrestling quite dominantly. He remained undefeated in the tournament, and did not surrender even a single point to any of his opponents.
Post his retirement, he became the wrestling head coach of University of Iowa, and led the team to 15 NCAA National Championship titles. He pushed his athletes into taking up gruelling and intense training sessions that tested their "guts" regularly.
How to apply it today
The process: You have to trust the process. If your goal is to write a book, your success shouldn't be about having a "published book". It is about sitting on a chair and writing about something, even if it doesn't make sense.
Be uncomfortable: It is okay to be uncomfortable sometimes. You might dread taking up some tasks but those tasks could very well be necessary.
When you hit the wall of resistance, you have to identify it as the exact moment where the "alloy" is formed.
You have to then force yourself through the 10-minute block of resistance that will help you to build your mental strength.
Practice "aggressive determination": Determination is not just about aiming to achieve something. It is also about your refusal to accept defeat or a setback.
If you are having a bad day or if your plan fails, you shouldn't write the entire week off. If you had a terrible morning, you have to try to work towards a better afternoon. And if you missed a deadline today, you have to show up early tomorrow. Simply put, it is about consistency over perfection.
About Dan Gable
Dan Gable was born on 25 October, 1948 in Waterloo, Iowa in the United States of America. From 1967 to 1970, Gable wrestled for the Iowa State University, and held a combined high school and collegiate record of 182-1.
He went undefeated in 64 high school matches at the Waterloo West High School, and recorded 118-1 at the Iowa State University. Gable competed at the 1972 Munich Olympics and won a gold medal in the lightweight division.
He did not give even a single point to any of his opponents across six matches, and played the tournament with a knee injury. He also clinched gold at the 1971 World Wrestling Championships and the 1971 Pan American Games.
In 1977, Gable took over as head coach of University of Iowa, and led them to 15 NCAA Championships, along with 21 Big Ten titles. He also served as the head coach of the US Olympic freestyle wrestling teams in 1980, 1984 and 2000.
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