Benjamin Lee Peterson (Born June 27, 1950 in the Barron County, Wisconsin) was the winner of the gold medal

Gold medal

A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...

 in Freestyle 90 kg

Wrestling at the 1972 Summer Olympics

At the 1972 Summer Olympics, 20 wrestling events were contested, for all men. There were 10 weight classes in Greco-Roman wrestling and 10 classes in freestyle wrestling.- Freestyle:-Greco-Roman:-Medal table:-Participating nations:...

 wrestling at the 1972 Summer Olympics

1972 Summer Olympics

The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....

  as well as earning a Silver Medal

Silver medal

A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....

 at the 1976 Summer Olympics

1976 Summer Olympics

The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...

 representing the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. As a college wrestler, Peterson was a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa State

Iowa State Cyclones

The Iowa State Cyclones are the athletic teams of Iowa State University. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams in 12 sports.*Men's sports...

. He founded the "Camp of Champs," which brought in Olympic wrestlers to train with high schoolers. Peterson also coached wrestling at Maranatha Baptist Bible College

Maranatha Baptist Bible College

Maranatha Baptist Bible College and Seminary is a Baptist college in Watertown, Wisconsin, offering a wide range of undergraduate degrees, including Bible, business management, accounting, office management, sport management, elementary and secondary teacher education, nursing, humanities, English,...

.

His brother, John Peterson

John Peterson (wrestler)

John Peterson is an American wrestler and Olympic champion in Freestyle wrestling.-Olympics:Peterson competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich where he received a silver medal in Freestyle wrestling, the middleweight class...

, was also a two-time Olympic medalist in wrestling as well. John won the silver medal at the 1972 Olympic Games. The brothers then reversed roles, with John winning the gold medal in 1976. Both brothers received their silver medals after being defeated by the same man, Levan Tediashvili

Levan Tediashvili

Levan Tediashvili is a former Soviet wrestler and Olympic champion in Freestyle wrestling.-Olympics:...

 of the Soviet Union. Both brothers were also inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Peterson grew up in Cumberland, Wisconsin

Cumberland, Wisconsin

Cumberland is a city in Barron County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 2,280 at the 2000 census. The city is located partially within the Town of Cumberland.-Recreation:...

, attending Cumberland High School before attending Iowa State University

Iowa State University

Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...

.