Going Through BUD/S After Having Open Heart Surgery

About this video

Navy SEAL Chad Wright recounts his unconventional path to the Teams, which included being medically disqualified from boot camp due to a 7cm pericardial cyst on his heart, undergoing elective open heart surgery, and returning to complete BUD/S Class 278. Wright discusses his career at SEAL Team 8, which was allocated to Africa rather than Middle East operations, and describes a deployment to Tunisia during the Arab Spring where his platoon secured the embassy after attacks. He reflects on the challenges of transitioning out of the military and finding new purpose after service.

Key takeaways

• Wright was disqualified on the last day of boot camp due to a heart condition, underwent invasive open heart surgery, and believes the setback made him more determined and that he wouldn’t have graduated BUD/S without that experience.
• Wright describes his time at SEAL Team 8, which was allocated to Africa, and acknowledges widespread ‘bad attitudes’ among team members who expected Middle East deployments, including his own difficulty with that assignment.
• Wright emphasizes the difficulty of post-service transition and identity, arguing that finding new purpose is crucial, while also maintaining deep respect for the men of Naval Special Warfare despite organizational challenges.

Episode details: published December 12, 2025 · 4.2K views · 26:43 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

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