Find out more about what happened to Ryan Lochte following a video posted sharing his recovery journey after a devastating accident.
Lochte ranks as the third-most decorated swimmer in Olympic history, trailing only Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky.
His seven individual Olympic medals are the second-highest in men's swimming history, again behind Phelps. Lochte competed in four different Olympic Games, with the latest being in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
After being out of the spotlight following USA Swimming further moving past his era during the 2024 Paris Olympics, many fans are wondering about Lochte following a surprising health update.
What Happened to Ryan Lochte?
Six-time Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte recently shared details about a major car accident he was involved in last November.
The 39-year-old swimmer talked about the incident on the Athletes Only Podcast, where he explained that the accident occurred while he was on his way to pick up his children from school.
Lochte recalled how he collided with a parked garbage truck after the car in front of him swerved to avoid it, leaving him with no time to react. The impact caused significant injuries, breaking his femur and causing "blood [to gush] from [his] head:"
"They're like, 'He's dead. He's not breathing. He's dead.' Blood gushing from my head. Still have a couple stiches in there. Broke my femur. Completely broke my femur in half. Totaled my car."
He had previously kept the news private until his recovery was complete. He and his wife, Kayla Lochte, shared a video on Instagram covering what has happened since the accident.
For many people this was the first they had heard of the car accident Lochte was involved in.
Ryan Lochte Is Still Haunted By Crash
During the podcast appearance, Lochte further explained the physiological trauma from the accident, stating he "still get[s] scared when [he] get[s] in the car to go to physical therapy," and he still has "visions of white lights flashing:"
"I still get scared when I get in the car to go to physical therapy. I still have visions of the wreck. I still have visions of white lights flashing in my eyes. Not knowing that I’d wake up and see my family again."
Moving forward he says every time he wakes up he is "so thankful," putting life into perspective as "in a blink of an eye" it can be over:
"When I wake up, I’m so thankful. In a blink of an eye, your life can be over. I’m so thankful that no one got injured except me."
While talking to the host, asked if he remembered earlier in their conversation how he's not "really religious but I believed someone was up there" and then explained how he needed an "extra five percent" to see it:
"You know how I said earlier I wasn't really religious but I believed someone was up there. And I need that extra five percent for me to see it?"
Lochte described that he felt "God was watching [him]" during the crash, sensing a greater presence saying to him "It’s not your time:"
"I saw it. God was watching me, and he was like, 'It’s not your time.'"
Lochte hosts an elite swim camp called "Legendary" offering personalized coaching from the 12-time Olympic medalist, focusing on swimming techniques, Olympic training strategies, and athlete development.
