Bodybuilding legend Ronnie Coleman‘s road to recovery has officially begun. The eight-time Mr. Olympia discussed the events leading to his hospitalization during an interview aired on July 23, 2025.
In June, family and friends close to Coleman announced that he was battling a serious health condition. At the time, updates on his health were limited. Days later, he was transferred to a specialized medical facility, where doctors discovered that he was suffering from a life-threatening case of sepsis — an aggressive bloodstream infection.
His condition remained serious but stable. However, during his hospital visit, doctors informed Coleman he’d have to undergo immediate minimally invasive heart surgery to improve his quality of life. Now, having finally made it home from the hospital, “The King” is reliving the experience.
Ronnie Coleman Opens Up About Coma and Septic Shock in First Interview Since Leaving Hospital
During the interview, Coleman looked back on his latest set of challenges.
“I do this seminar, and I don’t remember what questions were asked. I remember walking off because I had to ride a guy’s back, got downstairs to my chair and then I’m like okay, I got to do a meet and greet. I go out to do the meet and greet and Ron, I don’t remember doing the meet and greet.”
“I got irritated somewhere along the way and right there at the end when it was all over with, I got up and said I need to go outside and get some air. She said I got in my wheelchair, went outside, I ran over a curb and fell and hit the ground. She says some paramedics came over.”
After struggling to cope with intense pain following his meet and greet obligation, Coleman’s daughter called 911.
“I woke up and I’m just in all kinds of pain. I yell over to my daughter, Lola, I’m in a lot of pain! I don’t know what’s going on. I’m in a lot of pain. I remember all that. I remember saying that to her. She’s crying, somewhere along the way she picked up the phone and called mama. Mama is like call 911.”
“Paramedics got there, and they are like, man, you called us right at the nick of time. You’re in a lot of trouble there.”
Doctors intubated Coleman and put him into a coma while attempting to save his life from sepsis.
“They put me in a helicopter and flew me to a cardiac hospital where they deal with heart issues. I ended up in septic shock, and I ended up getting that,” he shared. “They put me in a lightweight coma, put this breathing tube down my throat.”
“Doctors did say that my heart had been working at 20%,” he adds.
It was an eye-opening experience for Coleman, who admits he stopped having his heart checked for the past two years:
“For the last 20-something years, I’ve been getting echocardiograms. I’ve been getting heart [checks], ultrasounds, and everything for the last 20 years. Crazy me, I’m like oh man, I’m alright, I don’t need all that hard stuff no more. And for like two years, I didn’t do anything. I didn’t have my heart checked in no kind of way.”
Despite the scare, Coleman hasn’t given up on his dream of walking without assistance by 2027.
“I don’t give up on that. I was going to therapy twice a week. I also get in the pool twice a week. I do a little pool work, along with my therapy, and all the other stuff. Been doing my workouts, my cardio. As soon as I leave therapy, I go straight to the gym.”
Coleman remains one of the most visible ambassadors for the sport of bodybuilding. He shared that his popularity today eclipses what he experienced during the prime years of his career when he strung together arguably the best résumé of all time.
Having undergone over 13 surgeries for his back, spine, and neck, fans can rest easy now that Coleman is on the road to recovery. Our team at Fitness Volt wishes him strength and resilience on his path back to pristine health.
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