# Lee Kemp - From Benchwarmer to World Champion :: Ep 6 The Full Tilt Podcast

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-full-tilt-podcast-7722676/lee-kemp-from-benchwarmer-to-world-champion-ep-6-the-full-tilt-podcast
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-full-tilt-podcast-7722676/lee-kemp-from-benchwarmer-to-world-champion-ep-6-the-full-tilt-podcast.md
Podcast: [The Full Tilt Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-full-tilt-podcast-7722676)
Published: 2026-03-26T11:30:00+00:00
Episode link: https://thefulltiltpodcast.transistor.fm/s1/6
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/ee4a4e43/e3c5a2c6.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-full-tilt-podcast-7722676/episodes/lee-kemp-from-benchwarmer-to-world-champion-ep-6-the-full-tilt-podcast
Duration seconds: 5448

## Resource

Hatch sits down with wrestling legend Lee Kemp to unpack his journey from adopted kid and benched basketball player to three-time NCAA champion and three-time World Champion. Lee tells how he discovered wrestling almost by accident, became obsessed with Dan Gable at a 1972 camp, and then shocked the sport by beating Gable at 18 years old. He shares stories of turning Wisconsin into a national powerhouse, surviving brutal World Team Trials, winning his first World title, and the lifelong impact of the 1980 Olympic boycott on his identity and purpose. This is a raw, honest look at obsession, mental toughness, and the cost of chasing greatness. If you care about wrestling, mindset, or what it really takes to chase greatness, this episode is a masterclass. 0:00:00 – Opening stories, Full Tilt intro, and why Lee Kemp is a wrestling legend 0:08:00 – Adoption, move from Cleveland to rural Chardon, outsider experiences, and accidentally finding wrestling after riding the bench in basketball 0:20:00 – The 1972 Dan Gable camp: obsession with Gable, copying his training, and deciding to go “all in” on wrestling 0:32:00 – High school breakthrough: upsetting the defending state champ, building belief, and the win that changed his career trajectory 0:45:00 – College years: almost going to Michigan State, choosing Wisconsin, and helping turn the Badgers into a national contender with multiple NCAA champs 0:58:00 – From NCAA star to World Team contender: the OW “snub,” getting talked into the World Team Trials, and battling Joe Carr and Dave Schultz in the mini-tournament 1:10:00 – Making the 1978 World Team: nine matches in four days at altitude, brutal Gable-led training camps, and the lead-up to Mexico City Worlds 1:20:00 – Winning his first World title, international rivalries, an…

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## Transcript

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