Speaking with The Schmo, Ban Askren gave a frank assessment of where he currently stands physically:
I’m doing great compared to what I was doing a month ago and great compared to a month before that
But I still got a long ways to go.
While progress is clear, the road back is far from smooth:
My cardio though, bro. I get so tired so fast.
I run up a flight of stairs. I’m like, it’s no good.
For Askren, the experience reinforced the mindset he’s long preached about embracing hardship:
People were able to see that the words I speak are the words I live by.
I’m gonna wake up every day. I’m going to work hard.
That discipline now plays out in smaller, more fragile increments than before:
When you’re that sick, you think day by day. I am being for real.
What moved him most, however, were the people:
Even just showing up in the hospital and sitting next to me when I I couldn’t speak, right?
There were people showing up when I was wasn’t awake…I think if there’s one thing I am personally going to try to do better… Is show love to other people and try to, you know, pay attention to when other people are going through hard times and make sure I’m there for them.
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