How UFC Star Ben Askren Cheated Death
After a near-death experience with a double lung transplant, the speaker realized the power of daily discipline regardless of how you feel. Even on days when breathing feels off or energy is low, commit to doing something - whether it's a workout at a different time or breathing exercises. Progress
1h 5mKey Takeaway
After a near-death experience with a double lung transplant, the speaker realized the power of daily discipline regardless of how you feel. Even on days when breathing feels off or energy is low, commit to doing something - whether it's a workout at a different time or breathing exercises. Progress isn't about feeling perfect; it's about showing up consistently, even when conditions aren't ideal. This mentality, forged through years of athletic training, became the foundation for recovery from losing 60 pounds of muscle and being unable to walk for two months.
Episode Overview
A former professional wrestler and MMA fighter shares his harrowing journey of surviving a rare necrotizing pneumonia infection that led to a double lung transplant. After being unconscious for 37 days and losing 60 pounds, he discusses his recovery process, the mental resilience developed through athletics, and how the experience transformed his perspective on priorities, gratitude, and faith.
Key Insights
Athletic Discipline Translates Directly to Medical Recovery
Years of training as a wrestler and MMA fighter provided the mental framework for recovery. The same discipline that pushed through difficult training sessions became the foundation for daily rehabilitation - doing breathing exercises, physical therapy, and workouts even on days when feeling terrible. This mindset of "showing up regardless" proved essential when most days didn't feel good for nearly a year post-transplant.
Necrotizing Pneumonia Can Develop from Minor Infections
A simple staph infection on the elbow that seemed to clear up entered the bloodstream and developed into necrotizing pneumonia - where the body literally eats the lungs from the inside out. The initial symptom was back pain, which was misdiagnosed as a muscle spasm. This highlights how serious conditions can present with seemingly benign symptoms, making early medical intervention critical.
Immunosuppression Creates a Permanent Trade-Off
Transplant patients must take immunosuppressants for life to prevent organ rejection, which significantly weakens their ability to fight infections. This creates a permanent vulnerability requiring lifestyle adjustments like wearing masks in crowds and avoiding certain environments. The dosage can decrease over time as the body adapts, gradually improving energy levels and immune function.
Near-Death Experiences Amplify What Was Already Important
Rather than completely restructuring priorities, the experience intensified existing values - family, meaningful work coaching wrestling, and gratitude. The speaker felt proud of the life lived before the incident, suggesting that regular reflection on priorities prevents needing a crisis to course-correct. The major shift was increased patience, deeper gratitude, and a commitment to Christianity.
Time Becomes More Precious After Mortality Encounters
Post-recovery, the speaker actively divested from business investments that weren't deeply passionate pursuits, even if they were only minimally time-consuming. Every new opportunity is now filtered through the question: 'Is this worth time away from my kids and family?' This ruthless prioritization emerged from recognizing that life continuation isn't guaranteed.
Notable Quotes
"I woke up and it was uh you know, I say wake up. I was awake sometimes, but I I uh to my recollection, I I don't recall any any of it. Nothing. And so that when I when I like wake up the first time or when I come to some type of cognitive understanding of what's going on."
"They said, 'You need to get him to the hospital as soon as you can.' So, when I woke up, my wife's like, 'Hey, we're going to the hospital.' I said, 'Dude, you made me go to you make me go to the hospital.' I say, 'I'm not going back to the hospital, damn it. Um, you know, I got stuff I want to do today. I don't want to go to the hospital.'"
"I always think about the people I meet in the hospital now... this guy was in the hospital for nine months and he was sick and he got a double lung transplant and then almost immediately one of the two lungs rejected... and he is now living with two new lungs from two different people. So I always I try to reflect on yes, my situation was tough, but it could always be tougher and at the end of the day, I could always not be here. So I'm quite grateful for what happened."
"The amount of days I felt really good since then has been very limited. And so, it's, you know, even on the days where you don't feel good, are you going to get up and do something? because you just sit on the couch, you're you're not going to get better. And so even on the days you don't feel good, maybe you're not going to do as much as you had planned, but you're still going to do something."
"If I would have died there, which I came pretty close to, um, I had a great life. Like, I really got to do what I love for uh, for a living and coaching wrestling, running the wrestlingmies. I think it's very meaningful work and that you're helping the next generation of young person not only get better at wrestling, but get better at life. Um, I love my wife. I have a great family. So I was really lucky in that I was it didn't take me to die to figure out that oh I have a bunch of misguided priorities like I think my priorities were were pretty good."
Action Items
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1
Commit to Daily Action Regardless of How You Feel
Adopt the mindset that even on bad days, you'll do something toward your goals - even if it's less than planned or at a different time. This discipline compounds over time and prevents the downward spiral of inactivity. Track your consistency rather than perfection.
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2
Audit Your Commitments Through the 'Family Time' Filter
For each business investment, project, or opportunity, ask: 'Is this worth time away from my family? Am I 100% passionate about this?' If the answer is no, actively work to remove it from your plate, even if it means negotiating exit terms from existing commitments.
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3
Practice Mortality Reflection Without Waiting for Crisis
Regularly ask yourself: 'If I died today, would I be proud of the life I've lived?' This reflection helps you course-correct priorities before a health crisis forces the issue. The speaker's positive reflection during recovery came from years of intentional living.
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4
Seek Multiple Medical Opinions for Persistent Symptoms
If symptoms persist or worsen despite treatment, don't accept the initial diagnosis. The speaker's back pain was initially dismissed as a muscle spasm when it was actually necrotizing pneumonia. Advocate aggressively for your health, especially with unusual symptom combinations.