Eight-time Mr Olympia Ronnie Coleman has revealed he was just minutes away from death after being struck down by a brutal case of sepsis earlier this year – and says it was his 13-year-old daughter who saved his life.
The bodybuilding icon, now 61, opened up about the terrifying ordeal during an recent appearance on Eddie Hall’s podcast The Good, The Bad, And The Beast, describing how his condition deteriorated so fast that doctors told him he was “15-20 minutes” from dying.
“It was getting better,” Coleman told Hall when asked about his ongoing health issues. “Until I got the disease called sepsis about four months ago. The thing pretty much tanked me.
“And I also had a heart valve replaced. […] They were together.”
Coleman explained that doctors initially couldn’t identify what was wrong. “When I went to the hospital, they didn’t know what was wrong with me. So they tested everything. So, when they tested everything, my heart was one of the things they tested. And that’s when they found out I had a deficient left ventricular.”
A heart valve replacement followed, after it was discovered that his heart “was only pumping at 20% for two years in a row.”
When Hall asked just how close he’d come to losing his life, Coleman replied: “I was 15-20 minutes, the doctor told me.”
“I was in so much pain, my body kinda just shut down,” he continued. “I was in so much pain, I was unconscious. I was out. […] I remember waking up in pain – I was sleeping – and I woke up, and this pain was so excruciating that I couldn’t even function. It was real bad,” Coleman added.
What ultimately saved him was the quick thinking of his 13-year-old daughter. She had been spending time with him during a meet-and-greet in another state when the pain took over.
“My daughter saved my life,” Coleman said simply.
Despite the near-death experience, the legendary bodybuilder found a sense of purpose in what happened. “The sepsis saved my life,” he said, explaining that it led doctors to discover his underlying heart issues.
The revelation comes months after Coleman shared the same story directly with fans on social media, describing his fight with sepsis as “one of the toughest of my life.”
“Man, let me tell you, these past few weeks have been some of the toughest of my life,” he said in a video posted on July 15. “Your boy was hit with sepsis, and it nearly killed me. Had it not been for my 13-year-old daughter, it probably would have.”
The Louisiana native’s condition was so severe that his family confirmed he was in hospital “due to a serious medical condition,” sparking global concern for the man who once seemed indestructible.
“I’ve been faced with battles in my life, but nothing like this,” Coleman admitted. “I’m still here because the grace of God still wants me to be here and the support I get from all of y’all, that all helps out a whole whole lot.”
In a written statement on Instagram, he added: “It’s been a long and scary two weeks battling my complications from sepsis – one of the toughest fights of my life. But I couldn’t have fought so hard without the love and support from all of my fans and especially my wife, Susan. Your prayers, your messages, and your belief in me gave me the strength when I needed it most. It’s thanks to you all that I’m as #RonnieStrong as I am today.”
Incredibly, just weeks after leaving hospital, “The King” was back in the gym.
“20 Easy Reps! Feels good to be back in the gym repping that Light Weight Baby,” he captioned one Instagram video showing him performing seated rows and dumbbell shrugs.
Days later, he told fans: “Slowly getting back into training since my Sepsis attack. Yeah Buddy, now when I say Lightweight Baby, you can bet your last dollar that it is lightweight for real. It’s all good though because one day soon I’ll be back to my old self lighting my old weights.”
For a man who has endured more than a dozen surgeries and often relied on a wheelchair or walking stick, simply returning to movement is a triumph. Fans flooded his comments with praise, calling him “an absolute inspiration” and hailing him as “once Mr Olympia, always Mr Olympia.”
Now, Coleman is channelling his fight into awareness. Through his Ronnie Strong initiative, he’s pledged proceeds and support to the Sepsis Alliance to help others understand the condition that almost killed him.
“Most people don’t even know what sepsis is. I didn’t either… until it almost took me away from my family,” he wrote. “If sharing my story can help save even one life, then it’s all worth it. Stay strong, stay informed and thank you for always lifting me up.”
He added: “This movement means everything to me – it’s about survival, strength, and showing the world what we can overcome together.”
Coleman retired from professional bodybuilding in 2007 but remains tied with Lee Haney for the most Mr Olympia titles in history, with eight each. Known worldwide for his monstrous lifts and immortal catchphrases — “Lightweight, baby!” and “Yeah Buddy!” — his dominance in the sport remains unmatched.
Yet, his latest battle may be the one that defines him most.
“I’m going to let God use me as he has done my whole entire life because not once did I ask to be here and not once am I gonna ask to leave him,” Coleman said. “God brought me here and God is gonna have me to leave him when it’s time for me to go.”
From fighting sepsis to returning to the weights that made him famous, Ronnie Coleman continues to prove that the spirit of a champion doesn’t fade — even when it’s 20 minutes from the edge.
Featured image credit: YouTube/TheGood,TheBad,&TheBeast (screenshots)
