The 68th episode of the Five Point Move Podcast welcomes back two-time World Team member Benji Peak (72 kg, NYAC/Position WC), who is returning to the fold in more ways than one.
Along with being one of the most gifted Greco-Roman wrestlers in the United States, Peak is also one of the nation’s most resilient. Last year, he suffered a broken neck while training and his future in the sport was, at least temporarily, in doubt. But following surgery — and months of arduous physical therapy — Peak was cleared to get back on the mat and resume what is, and has been, a standout career that has included numerous international medals and two US Open titles in conjunction with his aforementioned pair of World Championship appearances.
Another item concerning Peak is a change in geography. Prior to the injury, Peak was a resident athlete at the US Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for just under two years. Now, the Wisconsin native finds himself as an inaugural member of’18 World Team member and freestyle Olympian Sam Hazewinkel’s Position Wrestling, a new venture that functions as both a team and training facility that features several other well-known Greco-Roman athletes such as two-time World rep Brady Koontz (55 kg, TMWC), Rhett Peak (60 kg), and recent U20 National titlist Brett Back (67 kg). Peak delves into the decision-making process surrounding his joining Position Wrestling and how it has gone for him in Oklahoma thus far.
There is also the competitive aspect. At the time when his segment was recorded, Peak was on the cusp of departing for Croatia in advance of the Grand Prix Zagreb Open, the year’s first “Ranking Series” event. Following the tournament, he — along with other top US athletes — will remain in Croatia for a prolonged training camp before making his way over to Tirana, Albania for the second “Ranking Series” competition of 2026, the Muhamet Malo Memorial.
Peak speaks on these topics and more throughout the episode as he also shares thoughts on watching friends battle one another, the rise of Doane University, and how he plans on progressing towards the World Team Trials in April.
A Few Highlights
Peak on the response to his injury at the hospital
“I got to the hospital and was telling them that I hurt my neck and they were like, Oh, yeah, no problem, we’ll just send you to the back. They weren’t rushing it, they just thought that I was a little banged up. Like, This guy has come in and just wants to make sure that he doesn’t have anything wrong. But then I got the imaging and they came running into the waiting room, because I was just waiting in the waiting room to see what happened. This little waiting area. They come in running in, they put me in this huge brace, put me on a stretcher, and they were panicking. I’m like, What happened? And they said, ‘You’ve broken your neck in two different places and we need you to not move it at all.’ It was really scary. I was panicking. Once they started saying that, I was freaking out.”
Peak on the initial prognosis
“I told them how I had done it, that I was wrestling at the Olympic Training Center. And they came back and said, ‘Well, the good news is that you’re going to be able to wrestle again.” She said, ‘I’ve seen this injury. We’ve never seen it in someone as young as you, but I’ve seen it in some older people and have seen how well they recovered, and we’re not worried about how you’re going to recover. We think that you’re going to recover great as long as you wear this and you don’t move.’ They were like, As long as you do what we tell you to do, you’re going to be fine.”
Peak on joining Position Wrestling under Hazewinkel in Oklahoma
“Sam had reached out to me a few months ago telling me that he was starting this Greco team. You know how many times I’ve heard, ‘Oh, we’re starting this Greco program here, it’s going to be amazing, we’re going to make sure that all of our athletes are taken care of…? I’ve heard it so many times to where when Sam first said that I didn’t really hold my breath. And then he called me again and he was serious. He was like, We’re going to get you guys here, we’re going to make sure that you guys are taken care of, we’re going to pay for these trips, and we’re going to make sure that you guys are in the best position possible to win. And the more that he talked to me about it, I was like, You know what? This seems perfect for me. I was looking for something like this where I was going to be able to travel more. It just seemed like the perfect fit at the right time. It was more about if I could get the training partners I need there to find success while I’m in the US, and he was able to do that for me.”
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