Last year, a critically acclaimed film called The Iron Claw based on the life of the Von Erich brothers hit theatres. It showed the harmful effect an abusive family has on a wrestler’s mental health. To excel in sports, one has to have a clear mind so that they can dedicate fully to the craft. One reason for this being possible is if the athlete has supportive people around him. That’s why having a family that stands by in solidarity is very important for them to excel. That is exactly what Kyle Dake has with him.

His family has played a crucial part in his career, which has seen him become the world champion in four successive years from 2018 to 2022. He also won the bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Dake is the oldest child in the family aged 30. He was born in the city of Lansing in Michigan, where he has continued to live to this day. He has said that his family is very supportive of his career. However, he is now also dealing with the loss of one of his biggest supporters, his father. Here’s more about his family-

All about Kyle Dake’s most supportive mom, dad, and siblings

Kyle Dake was born on 25th February 1991. The names of his parents are Doug Dake and Jodi Dake. Doug was an accomplished wrestler himself, as he was the NCAA All-American in 1985. He would then go on to become an assistant coach for the Cornell University wrestling program. Under the guidance of his father, Kyle started wrestling at the mere age of four. Instantly, he showed natural talent and inclination to the sport and knew he was meant for it.

This was bound to happen genetically, as his lineage demanded it. His grandfather was a wrestling coach too. He was thus a product of two successful generations. Kyle decided to choose Cornell University for his collegiate career. It was a decision that immensely paid off as he went on to have one of the most successful careers wrestling has ever seen. He amassed a record of 137-4, going on a win streak of 77 matches. This was almost unthinkable and shocks people to this day. His father couldn’t be more proud. Kyle’s mother, Jodi, was also an All-American at Kent State and has been a huge pillar throughout his career.

His younger sister Kristie Dake and brother Corey Dake are also wrestlers. Corey followed Kyle’s footsteps and joined Cornell for his collegiate career. Kyle has been married to Megan Dake since December 2016 and has three children. Their names are EllaJo, Emilia, and Leo. His family has always been a huge support to him. But there was a huge blow in his personal life as he lost his father, Doug, just a week before the Paris Olympics trials.

The Olympian’s dad left an irreplaceable void in his life

During the Olympics trials, Kyle Dake easily dismantled Jason Nolf to secure his berth for the US Olympics Wrestling team. He did this not once, but twice. In the first match, Dake won with points 4-1. He would repeat this again in the second match, this time with a scoreline of 3-1. It was a day of triumph and joy for him. But Kyle was still reeling from the loss of his father just nine days before that. After the match, he opened up to the reporters and admitted that it was hard for him to fight without his father. He said, “I wish he was here, you know I wanted to do him proud and it’s hard to find the words to say how much he means to me”. “He was the reason I got into wrestling. I just really miss him.” Evidently, he was having a tough time moving on.

But Kyle Dake will have another opportunity to make his family proud as he will compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics. He has a chance to improve from his bronze medal from Tokyo. Surely, he will have the backing of his family for this. Many consider him the favorite to win the gold medal in his division. Only time will tell if these predictions come true.