Man, these life-changing athlete success stories have straight-up kept me alive some weeks. No cap. I’m sitting here in my freezing-ass garage in suburban Denver right now—November 18, 2025, it’s 19°F outside, my breath’s fogging up the laptop screen, and I’ve got “Rocky” theme on repeat like the basic bitch I am. And honestly? I’m only writing this because if I don’t dump these stories somewhere I’m gonna lose my shit again.
Let’s start with the one that wrecked me hardest—Michael Phelps. Y’all know the dude won 28 Olympic medals, whatever. But the part nobody talks about enough about is 2014 when he got that second DUI, gained a ton of weight, and told Bob Bowman he wanted to die. Like actually said the words. I read that in his book while sitting in my truck outside a Walmart in Aurora because I was too depressed to go inside and buy groceries. That hit different. Because I’ve been there—minus the 28 medals part, obviously. I was 35 pounds heavier than I am now, hating myself, scrolling X at 3 a.m. seeing everyone’s highlight reels.
Phelps checked himself into rehab and came out the other side winning five more golds in Rio. Bro was literally suicidal and then stood on the podium while the national anthem played. Every time I want to delete my Strava account because I ran a 10-minute mile like a chubby goblin, I think about Phelps doing butterfly with a broken wrist in 2008 and I just… keep going. Here, read this if you don’t believe me: Phelps talking about suicidal thoughts.
The Story That Made Me Sob in a Surf Shop Parking Lot
Bethany Hamilton, dude. Thirteen years old. Shark takes her arm. One month later she’s back in the water. ONE MONTH. I watched Soul Surfer again last week and had to pull over in the Salt Lake City airport cell-phone lot because I was ugly-crying so hard snot was on my hoodie. People walking by probably thought someone died. What killed me is she said the hardest part wasn’t losing the arm—it was losing her identity as “the best girl surfer on Kauai.” I felt that in my soul. I used to be the guy who could bang out 50 push-ups without breathing hard. Now I get winded putting on socks.
But Bethany paddling out with one arm, duck-diving waves that would terrify grown men with two arms… that’s the kind of life-changing athlete success story that makes you go “okay, maybe I can do one more rep.” Here’s her site if you need to cry today too: https://bethanyhamilton.com
The One Everybody Forgets But Hits Like a Truck
Wilma Rudolph. Polio as a kid. Told she’d never walk without braces. Wore a leg brace until she was 12. Then won three Olympic gold medals in 1960. Rome. On a cinder track. In an era when Black women weren’t even supposed to be fast. I found out about her because my mom (who grew up in segregated Tennessee) mailed me Wilma’s autobiography when I was going through my divorce. I read it in one night, chain-smoking on the back porch even though I’d “quit” three times already.” Wilma talked about running barefoot because they couldn’t afford spikes. BAREFOOT. I complained about my $180 Hokas having a tiny rip. Yeah. That shut me up real quick.
Real Talk: These Stories Work Because They Ruin You Too
Here’s the messy truth—these life-changing athlete success stories motivate me every day but they also make me feel like absolute garbage sometimes. Like I’ll be feeling good about a 7-mile run and then remember Derek Redmond tearing his hamstring in the 1992 Olympics and finishing the race with his dad holding him up and suddenly my little run feels pathetic. That video lives rent-free in my head: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2G8KVzTwfw&t=4s (watch it, seriously, but have tissues).
And yeah, sometimes I hate them for it. Sometimes I want to throw my phone when I see another “rise and grind” post. Because real life isn’t a 3-minute highlight reel. Some days I still can’t get out of bed. Some days the depression wins. These athletes lost too—just not on camera. Phelps lost years to addiction. Bethany lost her arm and almost her life. Wilma lost her childhood to illness. The redemption only feels sweet because the fall was so brutal.
Look—just pick one story. One. Watch the Derek Redmond video right now. Or google “Jim Abbott no-handed pitcher” (dude threw a no-hitter with one hand!!). Let it wreck you. Then go do one hard thing today. One. Send the text. Do the push-ups. Apply for the job. Cry in your car if you have to—hell, I do it weekly.
These life-changing athlete success stories aren’t about being unbreakable. They’re about breaking and getting back up anyway. And if a one-armed surfer girl and a formerly suicidal swimmer can do it… maybe my dumb ass can too. Now if you’ll excuse me I’ve got a date with a pull-up bar and approximately 400 grams of self-loathing to work off. Go be legendary today. Or at least try not to quit before lunch. —Some random 30-something dude in Colorado who’s still very much a work in progress
