It was meant to be a symbol of triumph. A rare relic from a once-in-a-lifetime moment on the world’s biggest sporting stage. But now, Ben Askren’s Olympic singlet is no longer a memory in his closet; it’s going up for auction.
At a recent wrestling tournament in Kettle Moraine High School, hundreds of people gathered, not to compete, but to support one of their own.
In a video shared on Instagram by TMJ4 News Reporter Rebecca Klopf, speaking from the scene, stated, “Ben was an Olympic wrestler, but he’s also a mentor, a coach, and a friend to so many people, especially within the wrestling community. Among the things that they’re auctioning off here tonight to raise money for Ben is an item that his friends call just unthinkable.”
Then came the gut punch as she continued, “Ben has handed them his Olympic singlet. He only made one appearance in an Olympic games. It was in 2008 in Beijing for wrestling. And he gave it to them to auction off tonight.”
At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Askren made it through the first round but was unable to move past the quarterfinals. Yet, he managed to prove that he belonged with the elite in the wrestling world. That singlet wasn’t just gear. It was a symbol of everything he’d earned. But after a brutal double lung transplant, which reportedly cost an estimated $2 million and other medical bills, even that had to go.
What led him here? A near-death scare few could have predicted. It began with what he thought was a back spasm. But days later, Askren was unconscious in a hospital bed, med-flighted from Las Vegas to Wisconsin.
In an interview with Flo Wrestling after his hospital release, ‘Funky’ revealed, “At some point, they said, ‘This is not going to work. You either need a lung transplant or he’s gone.’ It was basically bacteria or the virus was eating my lungs.”
From May 28 to July 2, Askren claims that he remembers nothing. His body was deteriorating. Doctors resorted to a desperate life-saving measure, ECMO machines, to keep him alive. He underwent the $2M procedure. But his insurance? Denied him coverage.
That’s when the community stepped up, and so did his rival Jake Paul. The YouTuber-turned-boxer blasted the system in an interview, stating, “It’s just insane—insurance is a f— scam, and it’s so sad. Right when you need these companies, they’re not there.”
So here we are. An iconic singlet traded for survival. A community rallying behind one of its own. And a man, once Olympian and fighter, still refusing to quit!
Ben Askren’s Olympic singlet auction comes amid his return to the hospital due to a “small hiccup”
The comeback trail isn’t always a straight path, and Ben Askren knows that all too well. Less than a week after being discharged, the former UFC fighter revealed he’s back in the hospital following his first post-op checkup. This time, a chest infection has thrown a wrench into his recovery.
Lying in a hospital bed, Askren took to Instagram with a calm but candid update as he shared, “I had my first checkup this morning. They didn’t like the way the last chest tube looked – thought it was infected. Put me on some antibiotics, and then did a few X-rays, and hopefully we get this solved – fast.”
The return comes just days after ‘Funky’ had been lifting small dumbbells, pedaling on a stationary bike, and sharing hope with followers online. He had lost 50 pounds. He had “died four times.” But he was still pushing forward.
Now, that momentum hits a speed bump. But Askren isn’t rattled as he continued, “It wasn’t going to always be all the way up. So, hopefully this is a small hiccup, and I’m back home getting stronger again.”
The road ahead will be long, uncertain, and full of challenges. But if there’s one thing Ben Askren has shown the fans, it’s grit. Whether in the cage, on the mat, or now in a hospital bed, he’s still in the fight. And this time, the whole world is in his corner!
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