He Snapped His Leg in Half at Iowa… Then Ran a Marathon and Became a Bodybuilder

Nick Phelps was a backup punter at the University of Iowa when his life changed in an instant — a devastating leg injury on the field left his bone protruding through the skin. Doctors said he might never walk the same again. What followed was a journey of resilience: three surgeries, a year away from football, and a complete rebuild — physically and mentally. Not only did Nick return to the field at Idaho State, but he also ran a full marathon… and is now transforming his body as a competitive bodybuilder. In this episode, we talk about the injury, the pain, the comeback, and what it means to completely redefine yourself after sports. 0:00 Introduction 3:00 Catching Up 5:00 Okoboji Iowa 6:30 Being a Multi Sport Athlete 14:30 Running a Marathon after 3 surgeries 24:30 The Mentality of Walk on 26:48 10% Chance of amputation 31:11 Going to Idaho State 42:11 What’s the Ideal diet 45:11 Steroids 55:11 Reason for running 26 Miles 58:11 End Social Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louiestec50/?hl=en X: https://x.com/lstec50