Iowa 184-pounder Gabe Arnold celebrated his 20th birthday on Tuesday.

“Twenty years of life, and it’s been high and low,” Arnold said.

It’s those highs and lows, though, that have shaped Arnold into how he is on and off the mat. And he candidly talked about how he has dealt with that when he spoke to the media on Tuesday afternoon before practice as the #2 Hawkeyes get ready to face #4 Ohio State on Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“It’s definitely something that doesn't get talked about a lot, especially in college athletics, but, mental health is really important, and that's something I have come to prioritize as I've been in dark seasons of my life and have fought many demons that don't really get talked about enough,” Arnold said. “So, you know, I'm proud of myself for that. It's a battle that I fight every day, but I think I'm on the winning side of it.”

Arnold talked about a tattoo he has that says, “Everything is everything,” a motto he learned from his father.

Everything comes in waves, and different forms,” he said. “And you know, it's all about how you take it, how you deal with it. And I'm learning to deal with it the healthy way, and that's asking for help and going to therapy and doing different things. It’s just … it’s a process and it's a battle. But like I said, I think I'm on the winning side of it, so I'm proud of myself for that.”

Arnold described himself as a “brick-by-brick person.”

“Basically what that means is, whatever gets thrown my way, I'm gonna find a way to figure it out,” Arnold said. “And last year was a very high and low year for me. And you know, I faced many different challenges and struggles and different forms of adversity, with mental health, school, wrestling, you name it, relationships, whatever the case would be. But you know, I think right now I'm in a spot where this is a brand new year, and I'm proud of the growth that I have made, and I am still making.”

Iowa coach Tom Brands praised Arnold’s ability to relate with people off the mat, while being a tough competitor when he wrestles.

“What's nice about it as a coach is you're bringing in guys that can relate and that are really, really good people, and so that impacts your locker room, that impacts your recruiting, because parents see that,” Brands said. “It's not so much even his peers, his future peers, seeing that, which that's part of it. But parents see that, and they pick up on that, and they compliment that on Gabe Arnold, so that's the other side of running a program that's very, linked to the performance side.”

Arnold went 8-1 last season, 3-1 in dual meets, with the Hawkeyes, following a prep career in which he went 123-6.

Arnold, ranked fifth nationally, is 10-1 this season, with his only loss a medical forfeit to teammate Angelo Ferrari at the Soldier Salute tournament. He has found a place in Iowa’s lineup, and feels at home in his second season with the Hawkeyes.

“I’ve got a great support system,” he said. “I got my family out here. I got coaches who love me and care about me as a person, not just as a wrestler. I think at the end of the day, everyone that I have in my circle wants the best for Gabe Arnold.

“My parents have been a big stronghold for me. You know, they've always kept me at the top as best as they possibly can. … Man, without them, I don't know where the hell I'd be.”

Brands said Arnold “loves the limelight.”

“He loves to compete,” Brands said. “He loves to put on a show. He's a showman. He's an entertainer. I mean, the guy's an entertainer.”

“I think it just comes from loving what I do,” Arnold said as he stood in the lobby of Iowa’s new wrestling facility. “And you know how we're in this million-dollar room right now. I mean, this is something to be thankful about. So why not put on a show for you guys and all the fans and donors that donate so much to this program, that do so much for us? Why not give you guys a show? You know, you guys, it's hard for you guys to report when I'm out there winning one-point matches. I’ve got to perform. Tom talks about it all the time, about performing, you and that's what I strive to do every single day — perform.”

Arnold has been battling Ferrari all season, a competition he enjoys.

“At the beginning of the year, I think Tom said it perfectly — there's nothing wrong with friendly competition, competition amongst friends,” Arnold said. “That’s all it is, I think people get so caught up in this and that. It doesn’t matter. We're family, we're brothers, and we're gonna bang it out in this room every single day.”

All About The Shoes

Arnold admitted that he has many pairs of wrestling shoes, but wouldn’t commit to a specific number.

“Way too many,” he said. “I got enough shoes to have a morning workout and an afternoon workout and change those pairs. So, in the morning I'll have a different pair of shoes. Afternoon, I have a different pair of shoes. Next day rolls around. It's the same thing. So I got enough to last me through a couple weeks of just brand new shoes every time.”

He isn’t superstitious enough to have a specific pair when he’s competing.

“Different things that kind of go through my head about what shoes to wear, how I want to look, and stuff like that,” Arnold said. “At the end of the day, it just comes down to look good, feel good, wrestle good. So that's what I live by.”

National Duals 

Brands said there has been a lot of “in-depth dialogue” about Iowa participating in the National Duals Invitational next season, an event that was announced earlier Tuesday.

The 16-team event, set for November 15-16 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, will feature some of the top NCAA Division I teams, with a total purse of more than $1 million. The top eight teams will earn payouts, with the winning team taking $200,000. The second-place and third-place teams will each earn $150,000, while fourth place earns $75,000. Fifth through eighth place will each earn between $50,000 and $20,000. All participating teams will receive $20,000 for attending.

“We're very excited about it,” Brands said. “I think there's other opportunities there as well. I guess they said that it's going to be August (when the field is announced). I think you'll know before then. But as you get closer to August, when the teams are announced, there's some things that are above and beyond that, and that's exciting for a program, especially a program like the University of Iowa wrestling.”

Asked if he would have liked to have had such an event when he was competing in college, Brands said, “That's not why you do it, right? There's just a lot of things that go through my head with that question. And the bottom line is, you got to love what you do, no matter what you're being compensated first. You’ve got to love it first, and when you love it, you will be successful. When you're successful, the rest falls into place. And it's always been that way. Always has been that way. It's just a little bit more lucrative now for eligible college athletes.”