Mizzou wrestling community rallies around former star wrestler’s health battle

When Ben Askren joined the University of Missouri wrestling program in 2003, “Tiger Style” was not a clearly defined term.

It was a relatively new concept that had been developed by wrestlers in the program. They described it as a way of living, characterized by excellence, pride for the Tigers and a commitment to helping one another.

Askren became the ultimate embodiment of Tiger Style. He graduated as the program’s most decorated athlete and went on to compete in the 2008 Olympics before embarking on a career in mixed-martial arts.

Askren’s athletic excellence was matched by lifelong friendships and a dedication to helping others. Now, as Askren awaits a lung transplant in the hospital following a multi-week battle with pneumonia, former teammates and the greater Mizzou wrestling community are rallying behind him.

A June 24 Facebook post from Askren’s wife shared that he officially joined the transplant list Monday evening. Doctors began evaluating Askren for a lung transplant last week. He will remain on the list until the appropriate donor match is found, which could take anywhere from days to months, or even years in some cases.

Amy Askren’s first public post about sharing that her husband had “very suddenly” developed pneumonia was on June 7, but a recent Flo Wrestling podcast episode indicates that Askren was first hospitalized May 30.

“It’s going to be a huge adjustment for Ben, but our family is so thankful that his other organs are ok and that there is a path forward,” Amy Askren wrote in her most recent Facebook post.

The initial news of Askren’s hospitalization shocked many who know him, given his physical fitness and long-term attention to his health.

Current Mizzou wrestlers were shaken by the news. Askren, 40, is more than a decorated alum — he returns to Columbia to run practices and speak with Tigers wrestlers on a regular basis. Head coach Brian Smith, who has led the program since 1998, said they see Askren as a role model.

Just like many of his teammates did back in the early 2000s.

“He was the glue to our program in the early years,” Smith said. “I called him the pied piper, because he got people to follow in a great way.”

Askren won Mizzou’s first national championship as a junior and secured a second title during his senior year. By the end of his collegiate career, he boasted a long list of achievements that included being a two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner and three-time conference champion, as well as becoming Mizzou’s first four-time all-American.

His brother, Max, also wrestled for Smith from 2007-10, winning another title for the program. The pair later opened several wrestling schools across Wisconsin together, and those programs have produced some of the nation’s top wrestlers.

Keegan O’Toole was coached at Askren’s academy and later directly by Askren himself. He decided to wrestle at Mizzou, where, akin to Askren, he became a two-time national champion. This spring O’Toole finished with a 0.955 career win percentage and record of 108-5, passing Askren for second in school history.

But their relationship runs far deeper than wrestling.

“He helped me overcome mental obstacles I had as a younger kid and still continue to have,” O’Toole said. “I didn’t have a very good belief in myself in high-level matches. That can translate into more than just wrestling and contribute to your life, as well.”

Experiencing Askren’s helping hand off the mat is not unique to O’Toole. Ry Stone, who was a graduate-assistant coach on the wrestling team when Askren made a recruiting visit, was struck by his drive to see others succeed.

“There are always kids that work hard or do good,” Stone said. “But what set him apart from everyone else was that he wanted to see other people succeed as much as he did. He didn’t have a selfish bone in his body.”

Askren’s maturity helped him form bonds with older teammates, including Mark Bader and Jeremy Spates, who were upperclassmen during Askren’s first season.

Both have fond memories of watching Askren fight or attending the Mizzou wrestling Labor Day weekend reunion that the Askrens now host yearly. But when speaking on their relationship with Askren, conversations with each returned to a story about how he jumps at every opportunity to help someone out.

Bader credits Askren with assisting him in landing his job at FloWrestling, when the company was in its early days as a startup.

“He’s helped other guys on the team start businesses, to start their own wrestling clubs or other business endeavors,” Bader said. “He doesn’t want anything. He just wants to see people be successful in life.”

Askren’s good-faith efforts to always lend a hand — in line with Tiger Style principles — have come back around now. Many have reached out to offer help, and some friends — including Stone, Bader and Spates — have recently spent time in person with the Askrens.

“(The way) his teammates are at his bedside now,” said Smith, who has checked in with Askren’s family and friends frequently between coaching obligations. “And the group chats of the whole program of people caring, even the fans and boosters, for Ben is because they knew the person and what he did for the program.”

People outside of the Mizzou wrestling community have been reaching out, too. One of Spates’ former Mizzou roommates, a non-wrestler, called to check in as soon as he heard the news.

“All of the people that he helped are now like, ‘What do you need?’” Spates said. “’You helped me when I needed it, and I’m here to help you.’”

Askren’s friends describe him as a born fighter and expressed confidence that he would make it through this difficult time. But the experience has been jarring for those closest to Askren, like Stone.

“You reflect on a lot of things in your life,” Stone said. “You see someone that’s one of the healthiest people you know who has never put a bad thing in his body, it just makes you realize that (time) goes by fast, and it could be gone like that.”

This story was originally published June 24, 2025 at 5:30 AM.

Sofia Schwarzwalder

The Kansas City Star