The Childhood Tragedy That Made Kurt Angle Who He Is

The greatest tragedy of Angle's early life came when the future superstar was only 16 years old. As A.R. Schaefer's book Olympic Hero: Pro Wrestler Kurt Angle tells us, Angle's father, David, was his most ardent supporter. David always made a point of attending his son's athletic events, and was fond of telling people that young Kurt was the greatest athletic talent in the family. 

Unfortunately, in August 1985 the supportive father lost his life in a tragic accident. As Angle's autobiography (via ABC News) tells us, David, a construction worker, fell from his crane, plummeting 15 feet and landing on his head. His skull cracked in three places, and he broke both of his shoulders. In a move that goes a long way toward explaining his son's later "with a broken neck" work ethic, he nevertheless walked to a hospital with his own two legs. Sadly, he fell in a coma just hours later. After the family was informed he was never going to wake up, they decided to turn off his life support two days after the incident. 

According to Angle himself, this was the most formative experience of his life. "If I had to point to one crucial turning point in my life that was it," Angle has stated. "I grew up and overcame my fears the day he died. I vowed right then and there to become a champion, to do whatever it took." 

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