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Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wrestler, MMA fighter Ben Askren recounts double lung transplant: 'I only died four times'
Ben Askren, shown before a UFC fight in 2018, said in an Instagram video this week that he's recovering after a double lung transplant. (Julio Cortez / Associated Press) Ben Askren has been through a lot during the past six weeks. The former Olympic wrestler and MMA fighter underwent a double lung transplant after suffering a severe case of pneumonia, according to numerous updates posted on Facebook by his wife, Amy, starting June 7. Advertisement On Wednesday, Askren provided his own update in an Instagram video shot from a hospital bed. In it, he shared positive news about his recovery, along with the rather shocking 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," said Askren, who coughed somewhat frequently throughout 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." Read more: UFC legend Randy Couture suffers serious burns and other injuries in racetrack crash Advertisement 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 round. He went on to have a successful career as an MMA fighter, winning 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 typically competed at around 170 pounds. This week, Askren said, he weighed in at 147 pounds. "I haven't been 147 pounds since 15 years old, so I lost like 50 pounds in a 45-day period," Askren said. "So, man, that was a battle." Advertisement 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 said. "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." Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Wrestler, MMA fighter Ben Askren recounts double lung transplant: ‘I only died four times'
Ben Askren has been through a lot during the past six weeks. The former Olympic wrestler and MMA fighter underwent a double lung transplant after suffering a severe case of pneumonia, according to numerous updates posted on Facebook by his wife Amy starting on June 7. On Wednesday, Askren provided his own update in an Instagram video shot from a hospital bed. In it, he shared positive news about his recovery, along with the rather shocking 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,' said Askren, who coughed somewhat frequently throughout 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 round. He went on to have a successful career as an MMA fighter, winning 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 typically competed at around 170 pounds. This week, Askren said, he weighed in at 147 pounds. 'I haven't been 147 pounds since 15 years old, so I lost like 50 pounds in a 45-day period,' Askren said. '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 said. '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.'
Los Angeles Times
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
L.A. County firefighters to receive Pat Tillman Award at ESPYs
In January, as wildfires tore through greater Los Angeles, more than 7,500 emergency personnel mobilized — confronting searing heat and extreme winds, trying to contain the devastation. Among them stood an Olympic gold medalist and a professional soccer champion. L.A. County firefighters David Walters and Erin Regan, former athletes who were among the 7,500 emergency personnel who responded to the January wildfires in Southern California, earned them this year's Pat Tillman Award for Service that will be presented at the ESPY Awards. The award — named after Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinals safety who left the NFL to enlist in the Army following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and was killed in action — celebrates those with deep ties to sports who have served others, embodying Tillman's legacy. Years before joining the fire department, Walters helped the U.S. win the 4x200-meter freestyle relay gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. He swam the lead leg in the preliminaries, helping the team set an Olympic record that paved the way for a world-record win in the final. During the fires, Walters recounted the exhausting conditions as crews fought blazes that scorched nearly 38,000 acres — claiming the lives of 30 people and destroying homes, businesses and landmarks in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades. 'We're pretty much trying to keep what is left here standing,' Walters told NewNation. 'So we're not laying down. We're staying in our position — that's correct, I did sleep on top of the hose bed last night, just staying ready to do what we can still do.' Walters told ESPN he is honored to serve Los Angeles. 'This has been a challenging year, but also a rewarding one as we watched the Los Angeles community come together to support their neighbors,' he said in ESPN's award announcement. Regan, who joined the department in 2008, once anchored the Washington Freedom to a Women's United Soccer Association title following a stellar goalkeeping career at Wake Forest, where she earned first-team All-ACC honors and broke multiple school records. Outside of firehouse duties, Regan champions female representation in the fire service. She co-founded Girls' Fire Camp, a one-day program introducing young girls to firefighting, and launched the Women's Fire Prep Academy, offering mentorship and hands-on training for aspiring female firefighters. 'My career choice was inspired by my family's history of public service, so receiving this award is a tribute to the many great influences that shaped my upbringing,' Regan said in ESPN's award announcement. 'As first responders, we take pride in hard work and serving others, and I'm truly humbled to be recognized alongside incredible heroes like Pat Tillman.' The ESPYs, hosted by comedian Shane Gillis, will air on ABC and steam on ESPN+ on July 16 at 8 p.m. PDT.
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
New York Sirens stock up in 1st round of PWHL draft by selecting Kaltounkova 1st and O'Brien 3rd
The New York Sirens began restocking their expansion-depleted roster by making a big splash at the top of the order in the first round of the PWHL draft on Tuesday night. HT Image Minutes after selecting Colgate forward Kristyna Kaltounkova with the No. 1 pick, Sirens general manager Pascal Daoust completed a trade with the Toronto Sceptres to acquire the No. 3 pick and choose Wisconsin center Casey O'Brien. Daoust traded top defenseman Ella Shelton to acquire Toronto's first and fourth-round pick, which was 27th overall. The two forwards fill a major offensive hole after New York lost two of their three leading scorers — Alex Carpenter and Jessie Eldridge — as well as starting goalie Corinne Schroeder to Seattle in the PWHL expansion draft and signing process earlier this month. Carpenter and Eldridge combined to score 20 of the Sirens league-low 71 goals last season. Kaltounkova and O'Brien join a lineup that is deep at defense and features Sarah Fillier, last year's No. 1 pick, who finished tied for the PWHL lead with 29 points. Kaltounkova is from the Czech Republic and became the first European-born player to go first in the PWHL draft. She is reunited with Sirens coach Greg Fargo, who coached her at Colgate. Kaltounkova leaves the Raiders after five seasons as the school's career-leading scorer with 111 goals and second with 223 points. O'Brien was this season's Patty Kazmaier award winner after leading the nation with 88 points for the NCAA-champion Badgers. In five seasons, the 23-year-old finished with 274 career points in 182 games to break the Wisconsin record held by four-time Olympian Hilary Knight. The Sirens picked first for the second straight year after once again finishing last in the standings. Two Clarkson defenseman went among the top four picks with the Boston Fleet choosing Haley Winn at No. 2, and Montreal drafting Nicole Gosling at No. 4. The Ottawa Charge were scheduled to pick fifth followed by the two-time defending champion Minnesota Frost. Vancouver won a random draw to have the seventh pick, with Seattle going eighth. The two expansion teams will then alternate the order in each successive round in the eight-team, six-round draft. In landing Shelton, a PWHL defender of the year finalist in 2024, the Sceptres improve a defense that already features Renata Fast. Fast and Shelton are teammates on Canada's national squad and both members of the 2022 gold medal-winning team at the Beijing Games. women's hockey: /hub/womens-hockey This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Mainichi
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Retired judo star Wolf announces move to professional wrestling
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo Olympic judo gold medalist Aaron Wolf announced Monday he is embarking on a new career in professional wrestling. The 29-year-old, who retired from judo earlier this month, has joined major grappling promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling. Wolf won men's 100-kilogram judo gold at his home Olympics in 2021 and finished seventh at the Paris Games three years later. He is scheduled to debut at a New Japan event at Tokyo Dome in January. Wolf, a longtime fan of professional wrestling, decided to make the switch after last summer's Olympics. "I had wanted to go into pro wrestling once I thought I could walk away from judo with no regrets," Wolf said at a press conference in Tokyo. "I am excited to challenge myself on a new stage." The Tokyo native, born to a Japanese mother and an American father, is already a popular media personality, making regular television appearances. With his move into the theatrical world of professional wrestling, he follows in the footsteps of countryman Naoya Ogawa, who won heavyweight judo silver at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics before becoming a pro wrestler. Japan's Hidehiko Yoshida, the 78-kg gold medalist in Barcelona, and Satoshi Ishii, the 2008 Beijing Games heavyweight champion, both went into mixed martial arts after retiring from judo.
