The bodybuilding world is not devoid of injuries. The heavy weight training at the gym often comes with muscle soreness and unexpected injury. However, Mark Oakes’s story is different. He had to undergo a rough patch in 2022 when he realized an intense pain in his shoulder. Despite not giving much attention initially, the 51-year-old Pro World Champ bodybuilder had to get himself admitted to the hospital in a crucial condition.

Mark Oakes’s fight with sepsis made him stronger as he overcame the near-fatal situation with hope. Now, he is busy raising awareness about the condition that is costing too many lives in the U.K.

Mark Oakes speaks about his critical health condition

Oakes lived a healthy life, till sepsis had made him witness the near-death condition. The bodybuilding champion lived an active life with his frequent mountain biking expeditions and karate sessions in which he has a black belt. He lived a sober life and never had a puff. But the 2022 summer turned his life upside down. 

After realizing a clicking sound from the shoulder, Oakes dismissed the first sign of sepsis, thinking it to be an age-related issue. However, by evening Oakes couldn’t move his hand and had to be admitted to the hospital. He witnessed further complications like reduced oxygen levels, pulmonary edema, and the failure of vital organs such as the liver and kidneys. 

The condition deteriorated his situation to the point that the doctors asked the bodybuilder’s wife to bring their son, Lincoln, to bid goodbye to his father. “I also thought it would be easily treated. What I didn’t know was that it killed about 50,000 out of 250,000 people affected in the UK each year,” Oakes confessed to EssexLive while accepting his lack of knowledge about sepsis.

The bodybuilder’s road to recovery

Despite doing all things correctly to lead a healthy lifestyle, Oakes had to witness the near-death experience. But he had the support to fight the odds. Revealing his wife’s efforts during the critical time, the 51-year-old bodybuilder emphasized, “She has had the hardest journey of all of us, without a doubt.”

The bodybuilder’s wife, Heather, remained confident that the storm would settle in the end. And it did happen, as Oakes recovered from his condition and is back home with his family. With his life-threatening experience, Oakes became more aware of sepsis.  He is presently associated with the charity Sepsis Research FEAT to contribute to society by raising awareness of the condition that is claiming lives.

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Not just Oakes, the bodybuilding community is aware of other famous icons in the sport admitting to fatal infections. Brian Shaw, the 4x World Strongest Man champion, suffered from a critical leg infection that could have cost him a leg amputation. However, he was lucky to recover from it. Have you ever come across the seriousness of sepsis in your life? Let us know in the comments below.

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