Passing It On: Olympian Ken Chertow looks to inspire future generations through Gold Medal Training Camp System

Photo: Ken Chertow (middle) with former campers turned NCAA champions and counselors in Pat Glory (left) and Zain Retherford (right).

Editor’s Note: This article appeared in WIN’s Volume 32 Issue 8, which printed on May 5, 2026. Visit KenChertow.com for more info.

By Tristan Warner

For more than 30 years, Ken Chertow has built his wrestling camps around a simple but powerful idea: surround athletes with the very best and challenge them to become their best.

That philosophy continues to drive one of the most respected camp systems in the country, one that blends elite-level instruction, world-class facilities and a culture rooted in discipline, motivation and long-term growth.

“I work to surround our campers with the very best coaching staff and facilities in the nation,” Chertow said.

That commitment is evident in the staff alone.

On the men’s side, Chertow’s camps feature a rare concentration of Olympic-level experience. In the storied history of Penn State wrestling, only six alumni have made the U.S. Olympic Team. This summer, as many as three — and potentially four — of them will be on the mat at camp, including Zain Retherford and Frank Molinaro, both longtime staples of the Chertow system.

“They were at my camps as kids multiple times,” Chertow said. “Now they’re back, helping lead the next generation.”

Kerry McCoy, whom Chertow coached at Penn State, is also expected to make an appearance, further strengthening a lineage that connects past, present and future at the highest level of the sport.

That generational pipeline is intentional.

“I try to mix young superstars with current legends and college coaches,” Chertow said. “Generational talents.”

The same approach carries over to the rapidly growing women’s side.

Chertow’s Super Girl Camp has seen significant growth in recent years, welcoming more than 100 athletes last summer alone. The expansion reflects the rising popularity of women’s wrestling, and the camp’s commitment to meeting that demand with elite resources.

This year’s staff includes three-time Olympian and four-time world medalist Odunayo Adekuoroye, along with Mercyhurst coach Alexia Wagner, a 2020 collegiate national champ, and a lineup of All-American-level collegiate wrestlers serving as counselors. WIN’s 2026 Terry Steiner Women’s Coach of the Year, Alexio Garcia, who led McKendree to the inaugural NCAA Women’s Championship team title, will also be in the mix.

“Girls are autonomous,” Chertow said. “We hire a lot of women to lead that. The girls’ camp is going strong.”

Beyond the staff, the environment itself has evolved.

Chertow’s move to the Spooky Nook Sports complex marks a major step forward, offering a unique, all-in-one experience where athletes can train, eat and stay on the same property. With expansive mat space, attached hotel accommodations and additional amenities like a fitness center and rock-climbing wall, the facility allows campers to focus fully on development. It also doubles as a first-rate amenity for parents and coaches attending alongside their student-athletes.

“We learn, wrestle, eat and sleep on the same property,” Chertow said. “It’s a great environment for improvement.”

The expansion doesn’t stop there. In addition to the Pennsylvania location, Chertow is now adding a Spooky Nook site in Ohio, making the camps more accessible to wrestling families across the Midwest.

But while the facilities and staff are elite, the true value of the camp lies in its structure and purpose.

Chertow’s two-week Super Gold and Super Girl intensive camps are designed specifically for serious wrestlers, those athletes who want more than just instruction: the ones who are seeking transformation.

“Our camps are the best in the nation for serious teen wrestlers,” Chertow said.

A typical day emphasizes not only technique and live wrestling, but also mindset, discipline and personal growth, the same principles that shaped Chertow’s own career.

“I want our campers to be inspired,” he said. “We want them to leave camp both much improved and highly motivated to do the work necessary to succeed and excel.”

That inspiration often comes in the form of lessons that extend far beyond the mat. Chertow is known for weaving core values into the camp experience through simple but powerful messages, many of them drawn from his own journey.

When he left home in West Virginia for Penn State over four decades ago, his mother gave him a message he still carries today: “Don’t settle for being good…when you dream of being great!”

That mindset became a foundation and remains a cornerstone of his camps. Other guiding principles, which can be seen scrawled across his camp system’s copious T-shirt designs, reinforce the same message:

• “Intensity…that’s what it takes to be a champion.”
• “Hard work makes dreams come true.”
• “A commitment to excellence…requires discipline.”

Those lessons resonate with first-time campers and across generations of former Chertow camp attendees. Many former campers now return as coaches or bring their own children to experience the same environment.

“I love when past campers bring their kids,” Chertow said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Ultimately, the appeal of Chertow’s camps goes beyond technique, beyond facilities and even beyond the star-studded staff. It’s about growth and being surrounded by excellence. And it’s about leaving a better person than when you came. Chertow prepares every camper to leave ready to chase something greater.

At its core, the mission has never changed. Like his mother passed on to him, Chertow is leaving successive generations of wrestlers with some of life’s most meaningful advice: don’t settle for being good when you dream of being great.