Jared Maynard shares his incredible journey of surviving a rare autoimmune disease that left him on life support. He discusses re-learning basic functions before returning to powerlifting, setting PRs just one year after his ordeal. The podcast also delves into his resilience, stoicism, and the transformative power of strength in overcoming adversity.
Jared's battle with autoimmune illness showcased resilience and determination in facing life-threatening challenges.
Recovering from severe illness, Jared's journey emphasized the transformative power of strength, both physical and mental.
Jared's return to powerlifting post-recovery highlighted the enduring impact of perseverance and the importance of building resiliency.
Deep dives
The Journey Through Illness
Facing unexpected challenges, Jared experienced a life-altering illness that began with feeling unwell and led to a baffling cascade of symptoms, eventually diagnosed with HLH. As his condition rapidly deteriorated, Jared found himself on life support in the ICU with liver and kidney failure, requiring dialysis. The severity of his illness, including hemorrhaging and multiple organ involvement, highlighted the grave reality of his situation.
Recovery and Rehabilitation
Following his battle with severe illness, Jared embarked on a grueling path towards recovery. Initially weak and barely able to hold an iPhone, he underwent physical and occupational therapy sessions to regain basic functions like standing and walking. His mental strength and determination, coupled with support from healthcare professionals and loved ones, propelled him through the arduous process of relearning essential movements and activities of daily living.
Strength of Mind and Body
Throughout his ordeal, Jared demonstrated resilience and fortitude in the face of tremendous adversity. Grieving what was lost, he found solace in the unwavering support of family and friends. Leveraging his background as a physiotherapist, Jared navigated the mental challenges, balancing the urge to push himself with the necessity for rest and recovery. His physical journey, from simple movements like heel raises to walking with assistance, showcased the transformative power of strength, both physical and mental, in overcoming life's most daunting obstacles.
Recovery and Resilience Through Strength Training
The podcast episode details the journey of Jared, who faced life-threatening challenges and illness. Embracing stoicism, Jared chose to live intentionally and persevere through his hardships. He exemplified strength and determination, both physically and mentally, as he recovered and regained function through a progressive training regimen. Jared's return to powerlifting after a year, hitting a personal record, highlighted his resilience and demonstrated the transformative power of strength in overcoming adversity.
Impact and Inspiration Beyond Personal Triumph
Jared's story transcended personal triumph by symbolizing hope, resilience, and the power of strength training. Through overcoming life-threatening obstacles, Jared's experience inspired and motivated others to persevere through challenges. The episode emphasized the importance of building physical and mental resiliency during good times to navigate unforeseen hardships. Jared's focus on gratitude, inspiring others, and his professional endeavors as a strength coach showcased the enduring impact of his journey beyond personal achievement.
A long lifting career comes with plenty of ups and downs, so we’re accustomed to hearing stories about setbacks, comebacks, and perseverance from our favorite lifters. These setbacks can take many forms, but Jared Maynard’s extraordinary story exists in a league of its own. Over the course of a few short weeks, a rare autoimmune disease took Jared from being a young, strong, healthy man in his early 30s to being on life support in the intensive care unit. With survival odds worse than the flip of a coin, Jared fought his way out of the ICU and started training right away. The major difference is that his training program involved re-learning how to eat, sit up, and roll over before he could focus on squat, bench, and deadlift. Barely more than one year removed from life support, Jared was back on the powerlifting platform setting PRs and deadlifting over 500lbs. In this episode, Jared shares his incredible story with Omar and Dr. Trexler, and talks about how years of lifting likely saved his life and set him up for a remarkable recovery.
00:00 Not talking crap about our guest today as part of our Iron Culture apology tour
02:12 Introducing our guest Jared and his journey
10:40 The potential recurrence of mononucleosis and Jared’s plan if it does
14:49 Treatment and testing modalities
21:52 The crucial role of lifting in Jared’s journey and the gradual process of recovery
32:13 Restoring activities of daily living
41:25 Jared’s mental challenges and stoicism
50:40 Getting back into training and competing a year later
1:02:08 Setting the example to motivate and the recalibration of perspective
1:12:11 Jared’s study of stoicism
1:15:35 Where to find Jared and what’s next for him
