Podbit · Modern Wisdom
The median life expectancy after a double lung transplant is just 6.5 years. Ben Askren rejects this as his benchmark — pointing out that most transplant recipients are elderly and unwell, not ex-professional athletes who were in peak health when disaster struck. His goal is 39 years.
Where this was said
At 30:35 · chapter starts 26:40
One of the most revealing moments of the episode comes when Ben reflects on what he thought about when he was closest to death — had he lived a good life? His honest answer is yes. He was proud of the life he had been living: coaching young wrestlers, running his academies with his brother, loving his wife and children. He didn't need to nearly die to discover that his priorities were misguided, because they weren't. What the experience did do was amplify the things that were already right. [1] — Ben Askren "Ben Askren says that nearly dying didn't reveal that his priorities were wrong — they were already good. What it did was amplify the right …" 26:48 He became more patient. He felt gratitude more acutely. After 16 years of attending church without it fully clicking, he became — in his words — a Christian, not just 'Christian adjacent'. And he began divesting from business investments that required his time but didn't generate real passion, asking every prospective commitment the same question: is this worth time away from my family? Chris draws a parallel with a line from Peaky Blinders: 'Everything after that was extra.' Ben agrees: the extra is what he plans to spend as fully as possible.
Ben Askren says that nearly dying didn't reveal that his priorities were wrong — they were already good. What it did was amplify the right things: more patience, more gratitude, deeper faith, and a sharper filter for what deserves his time. He now asks of every opportunity: is this worth time away from my family?
The median life expectancy after a double lung transplant is only 6.5 years, though Ben believes this statistic does not apply to him given his prior health.
The longest living person post double lung transplant has survived 38 years, and Ben Askren has set a goal of surpassing 39 years.
Ben Askren and his brother run 9 wrestling academies across the state of Wisconsin through Aspen Wrestling Academy.
The longest surviving double lung transplant patient lived 38 years. Ben Askren's goal is 39 — which would make him 80. And if stem cell technology for growing personalised organs matures in the next 15–20 years, he's already told his doctor he'll volunteer to be first in line for a second transplant.
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