10 Things We Learned From Kurt Angle: Homecoming

7. Kurt's Strives For His Father's Memory

Happy Father's Day to my Dad #RIPDad. And Happy Fathers Day to ALL of the dads out there. May you all have a wonderful Father's Day. I remember my father before he passed away when I was 15 years old. . I didn't see him much because he worked so hard to provide for his wife and 6 kids. I DO remember how tough he was. My dad was invincible to me. I literally thought that nothing could hurt him, until he died in a construction accident. He didn't say much but my dad didn't have to. He was no nonsense, no filter. I found out after he died that he was so proud of me, and that he would brag about me to his friends. THAT made me so happy. My dad wasn't affectionate. He taught me how to shake hands like a real man, strong and firm. He also taught me work ethic. My dad believed nothing comes easily. You need to earn it. He was right. So Dad, thank you for teaching me how to be responsible, and to be accountable for my actions. You taught me so much about being a real man. So if you remember 1 good thing your father did in your life, hold on to that. Remember it. And if your dad wasn't around to support you, remember that too. Hold on to that feeling and NEVER make your child feel that way. We can learn so much from our fathers', good and bad. Carry the memories with you so you can be the best dad you can be. Happy Father's Day.

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One of the reasons Vince became such a strong father figure for Kurt was that he lost his own father at a young age. Dave Angle was a crane operator known for taking a head role on the PPG building, one of the tallest buildings in Pittsburgh. While training locally, Kurt would often take his workouts and jogs to parts of the city where he can look out onto the skyline and see buildings his father worked on, helping him to reflect and giving him the determination to succeed in his memory.

David Angle sadly died in a construction accident after falling while working on a building site. The loss had a profound effect of Kurt, driving him on but also making him seek out strong, positive replacement father figures like his amateur wrestling coach, Dave Schultz, and later Vince McMahon from his time in WWE. Schultz himself would die tragically before getting a chance to see Kurt win his gold medal in the Atlanta 1996 Olympic games after being shot dead by the eccentric millionaire John Du Pont. This was later dramatised by Hollywood in the film Foxcatcher.

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