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    InterMat Reads: Lee Kemp's Winning Gold

    Lee Kemp with his new book "Winning Gold: Success Secrets of a World Champion"

    Imagine what it would be like to have Lee Kemp as your coach, providing you with more than basic instruction ... but also inspiration and motivation to do your best, not just on the mat, but anywhere in your life.

    Lee Kemp's new book, "Winning Gold: Success Secrets of a World Champion," provides those key ingredients to help wrestlers -- and, in fact, anyone -- from achieving greater levels of success on and off the mat.

    Meet Lee Kemp

    Lee Kemp was arguably one of the greatest amateur wrestlers of all time, achieving success in high school, college and in international competition, despite not having taken up the sport until ninth grade. He was a two-time Ohio state champ for Chardon High School, undefeated in his junior and senior years. Kemp then headed north to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was a four-time NCAA championships finalist, and three-time champ, compiling an incredible 110-3 overall record.

    It was in freestyle where Kemp truly made his mark, as America's first three-time World Champion, winning his first title in 1978 at age 21. In addition, he was a four-time World Cup Champion, 7-time United States Freestyle National Champion and was a heavy favorite for gold earning a berth on the 1980 United States Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team, but was unable to compete because of the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics.

    Kemp was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1990. Nearly two decades later, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (where he was one of the freestyle coaches for the U.S.), Kemp became just the fifth American to be welcomed into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame.

    Kemp now serves as a motivational speaker and business entrepreneur, launching LKNutrition (formerly FORZA Technologies), a nutritional supplement company.

    All of these accomplishments are even more impressive, given Kemp's early life. He was born in Cleveland but given up at birth, and raised in foster homes until he was adopted by a couple who raised him on a farm outside Chardon in northeast Ohio. He took on the name of his adoptive father, Leroy P. Kemp.

    Sharing what made him a success

    Lee Kemp was born to write "Winning Gold" ... and not just because of his impressive accomplishments as a wrestler and coach.

    "From my earliest recollection, I wanted to be great at something," Kemp shares in the foreword to "Winning Gold." "I think it maybe was a subliminal response for needing to feel wanted after being given up at birth and spending the first five years of my life in two foster homes, before being adopted."

    "I do not remember much about that part of my life other than feeling alone and insignificant. From my adoption records, I learned the two foster homes I was in had other children temporarily living there like me, so bonding with anyone was really hard, so I never felt that I belonged anywhere."

    Kemp continues, "As I reflect back I have learned that the struggles and trials I experienced early in my life were actually shaping me for the man I was to become, and without them I certainly would not have had the intense desire to be successful and to feel important and feel like I belonged somewhere."

    "I believe it was an internal struggle for recognition; to be great at something. ("Winning Gold") reflects my thoughts and the things that inspired me along my journey towards success."

    Kemp then shares how he developed as a wrestler ... and how that shaped him into the man who wrote "Winning Gold." In his first two years as a high school wrestler, he describes himself as being "average," with a record of 11-8-3 as a sophomore.

    He writes, "What happened next was nothing short of remarkable. I completed the next two years as an undefeated two-time Ohio state wrestling champion." The trajectory to further success was launched; as Kemp points out a couple paragraphs later, "In only six years, I went from an average high school wrestler to world champion!"

    "This transformation led me on a path to learn the psychological components of not only how to become successful, but how to stay successful."

    Written for anyone to put to work for themselves

    Kemp states the thought processes that helped him develop into a world-class wrestler who later became a successful entrepreneur and motivational speaker -- and are now shared in "Winning Gold" -- can be applied by anyone to achieve excellence in any vocation or discipline.

    Kemp's book is written to help make this happen. "Winning Gold" is a series of more than 70 "messages" -- brief, concise chapters of no more than 2-3 pages each -- that address a specific topic. Message titles include "Breaking Through Fear", "The Battle Inside All of Us" and "Visualization is a Really Powerful Tool!" Each message is written in an upbeat, easy-to-understand, conversational style that helps you the reader not only grasp the concept presented ... but see how it is applicable to your life.

    The format for Kemp's "Winning Gold" is very reader-friendly. You can pick up the book, read a message or two before bedtime or while on break ... and, in fact, turn to the book over and over when you could use some positive coaching to get through a challenging situation or a tough day.

    What's more, "Winning Gold" is appropriate for readers of all ages, from youngsters seeking success in the classroom and on the mat ... to seasoned business professionals wanting motivation and inspiration to take their careers -- and their lives -- to even higher levels.

    To learn more about "Winning Gold: Success Secrets of a World Champion" -- and to purchase a copy -- visit Lee Kemp's official website.

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