

Hundreds of spectators gathered at Kettle Moraine High School in Wisconsin to witness an outdoor wrestling event on July 31. The Culver’s Stadium was packed by 5 pm with the crowd eager to enjoy a great night of wrestling, music, raffles, a silent auction, and food trucks… but they were also there to support former Olympian Ben Askren. “All proceeds will go toward Ben Askren’s medical care as he fights his way back from an emergent health crisis and subsequent lung transplant,” the school’s website read.
Throughout his career as a wrestler and MMA fighter, ‘Funky’ touched many lives. He was a friend, coach, and mentor to many, and Ava Shaikh, a wrestler at Kettle Moraine High School, is one of them. “He is everything. He is a coach. And not only that he loves the sport and he loves the kids as well… He treats you like family,” she said during the wrestling event. Then there is Charlie Wiza, Kettle Moraine Assistant Superintendent, who has known Askren since high school. “He is a best friend of mine,” he shared. Together, the community hopes to make the event a success.
But originally, the outdoor event was Ben Askren’s idea. He wanted to expose more people to the sport. However, in the wake of his health scare and crucial surgery, his friends converted the event into a fundraiser. Askren, though he couldn’t help them in organizing it like he originally planned, still did his part, despite being confined to his bed… He made the decision to auction his 2008 Olympic singlet to make the evening successful.
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“I was with him this weekend. I said, ‘Hey, could you maybe sign something that I could raffle off.’ And he went into his closet and tossed me his singlet. It was his Olympic singlet. I said, ‘I can’t take this Ben,'” Wiza told news outlet TMJ4. Askren somehow convinced his friend to auction it off.
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“I also hope Ben knows how loved and supported he is,” Wiza added.
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 in the world of the wrestling elite. That singlet wasn’t just gear. It was a symbol of everything he’d earned. But after a double lung transplant, which reportedly cost an estimated $2 million and other medical bills, even that had to go.
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Unfortunately, the wrestler is back in the hospital due to an infection, and while he and his family focus on that, Askren’s friends and the community at large are helping with the finances.
What’s your perspective on:
Is the insurance system failing athletes like Ben Askren when they need it most?
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Ben Askren returns 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.”
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The hospital 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 during his initial stay in the hospital, and he had to relearn certain movements like walking. That momentum has hit a pause for now, but Ben Askren isn’t rattled. “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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"Is the insurance system failing athletes like Ben Askren when they need it most?"