Ex-Olympian Ben Askren died four times before | College News
Ben Askren has been through a lot during the previous six weeks.
The former Olympic wrestler and MMA fighter underwent a double lung transplant after struggling a extreme case of pneumonia, according to quite a few updates posted on Facebook by his spouse, Amy, beginning June 7.
On Wednesday, Askren offered his own replace in an Instagram video shot from a hospital mattress. In it, he shared constructive information about his restoration, along with the relatively surprising revelation that he “died four times” during the ordeal.
“I actually just read through my wife’s journal because I don’t remember anything from May 28 to July 2,” stated Askren, who coughed considerably continuously all through the video. “No recollection, zero idea, no idea what happened. … It’s like a movie. It’s ridiculous.
“So I only died four times, where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds. That’s not ideal, you guys know that. But I got the double lung transplant. I made it out to the other side of it — gaining quite a bit of strength, learning to use everything again.”
Askren, 40, was a two-time NCAA Division I champion and two-time runner-up for Missouri and competed for the U.S. at the 2008 Beijing Games, making it to the quarterfinal spherical.
He went on to have a profitable profession as an MMA fighter, profitable title belts in Bellator and ONE Championship and competing in UFC, before retiring in 2019. Askren now runs a youth wrestling academy in Wisconsin.
As an athlete, Askren usually competed at around 170 kilos. This week, Askren stated, he weighed in at 147 kilos.
“I haven’t been 147 pounds since 15 years old, so I lost like 50 pounds in a 45-day period,” Askren stated. “So, man, that was a battle.”
He added that “the thing that was most impactful to me was all the love I felt from everybody.”
“The outpouring of love from the wrestling community, it was just so amazing,” Askren stated. “Felt so good. And so, you know, I’m more motivated than ever to keep giving, get back and do what I can and help out the best I can help out. I love you guys. I appreciate you guys. It’s been tough, not only on me, but my whole family and my close community. So I appreciate everything.”
Stay up to date with the most recent information in faculty basketball! Our web site is your go-to source for cutting-edge faculty basketball information, sport highlights, participant stats, and insights into upcoming matchups. We present every day updates to guarantee you’ve gotten access to the freshest data on staff rankings, sport outcomes, damage experiences, and main bulletins.
Explore how these trends are shaping the longer term of the game! Visit us repeatedly for essentially the most partaking and informative faculty basketball content material by clicking right here. Our rigorously curated articles will keep you knowledgeable on match brackets, convention championships, teaching adjustments, and historic moments on the court.



