Ronnie Coleman, the eight-time Mr. Olympia and a legend in the bodybuilding world, recently faced a scare that was even more intense than any competition or workout session. Just a few weeks back, he experienced a serious medical emergency that really shook up the fitness community.

So, his family shared an official statement on his Instagram, saying, “We want to inform Ronnie’s fans, supporters, and the bodybuilding community that Ronnie Coleman was admitted to the hospital on this past Sunday morning due to a serious medical condition. He is currently receiving expert medical care and continues to show incredible strength and resilience. At this time, we are not sharing additional details, as the focus remains on Ronnie’s recovery and well-being. We kindly ask for your understanding and support in keeping the environment respectful and free of speculation.”

As seen on his official YouTube channel, what began as a routine public appearance in Wisconsin quickly deteriorated into a grave health crisis. That Saturday, Coleman seemed to be doing great, discussing with fans and signing autographs. By the afternoon, though, his speech started to slur, and his behavior got a bit erratic. It was pretty obvious that something was seriously off: he was dealing with sepsis.

Doctors quickly realized how serious things were: his organs were starting to fail, his temperature shot up to 104°F, and he had fallen into septic shock. He was given strong antibiotics while being put into a medically induced coma and connected to a ventilator to help with his struggling heart, kidneys, and liver. After looking into it more, they found out that the infection was coming from an abscess in his leg, which had led to the sepsis.

While he was recovering, the doctors found out that he had a damaged heart valve. Ronnie Coleman had two successful procedures done: first, they drained and removed the abscess, and then they performed a transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) to fix his heart.

After those procedures, he was slowly transitioned out of intensive care and eventually sent home to Dallas, where he could relax and recuperate with his family by his side. When he came back, Coleman shared a message for his fans.

Ronnie Coleman went candid about his situation

Ronnie Coleman’s message after everything he went through was just as impactful as any of his championship wins. In a heartfelt social media post, he shared in the caption, stating, “This was a tough one y’all and this sepsis infection almost took your boy out. It was by the grace of god that I’m still here with you all and that’s why I feel a responsibility and obligation to use this platform and my voice to raise awareness.”

Ronnie, wanting to help others steer clear of what he went through, kicked off the “Ronnie Strong” movement. He teamed up with the Sepsis Alliance to spread the word about the quick and serious threat of sepsis. He believes that if sharing his story saves even one life, it’ll all be worth it. So, Coleman’s close call with death really shows just how quickly sepsis can hit anyone. Even with all the fear and uncertainty, his comeback teaches us a thing or two about resilience and hope.

While he’s recovering at home and his daughter’s incredible act of bravery is still making waves, Ronnie is all in on making sure his story does more than just inspire—it’s about educating too.