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Matt Valenti was a two-time NCAA champion wrestler for the University of Pennsylvania. He was an old teammate, coach, and friend of mine. When I was a freshman at UPenn, he was a senior and I watched him win his second NCAA title. He was someone who I looked up to and respected. What he was able to accomplish in wrestling is truly remarkable.

Matt’s father was his wrestling coach when he was younger, but never pushed him beyond where he would push himself. And he was a two-time New Jersey State Champion and won Fargo nationals in high school.

In this episode, we talk about Matt’s history in the sport. And how you have to love it to succeed in any level of wrestling. We talked about how the sport of wrestling has changed since Matt competed. And how the Regional Training Centers have made it much easier for top athletes to be competitive. It was so great to catch up with Matt and hear a little bit of his story.