OREM -- For nearly four minutes, he was technically dead. But eventually the defibrillator got his heart beating and Court McGee's life would never be the same.
That was a scary time for McGee, who relapsed into his former heroin addiction three times before ultimately shunning drugs and alcohol.
The result has been something made for Hollywood.
The former Layton High School wrestler was recently named the Ultimate Fighter after winning a mixed martial arts reality show, but that title doesn't even come close to describing him.
With the way McGee has overcome the numerous mountainlike stumbling blocks -- one or two of which would be enough to keep the average person down for the count -- this MMA fighter has fought tougher opponents away from the octagon.
From drug and alcohol addictions to a traumatizing experience as a child that affects the way he looks at hot dogs and hamburgers, McGee has seen plenty of obstacles.
But he's living proof that hard work and determination do pay off.
"The good guy does come out on top," McGee said. "Regardless of the circumstances you come from, there is a possibility that anyone who's struggling out there can overcome it."
McGee, 25, who got his taste for competition grappling at Layton High, recently was featured on Spike TV's reality show "The Ultimate Fighter."
McGee won the show's championship fight, which gave him a six-figure contract to fight professionally with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
But McGee couldn't be enjoying the perfect ending to the story as much if it weren't for all the heartache he suffered, which began when he tried cocaine and, later, heroin for the first time.
McGee's' life also saw him, when filled with drugs and alcohol, drive his Jeep through a red light and get hit in the vehicle's rear. As the jeep rolled over, McGee hung on for dear life as his skin scraped along the road.
The story could have ended in 2005, when he was declared clinically dead after a heroin overdose.
Or when he relapsed three times following that, before finally realizing that he needed to make major changes in his life.
"I indulged myself into recovery and have a network of friends who have the same common goal as me, to stay clean and become a productive member of society and a better person in general," McGee said.
He got a job as a plumber, where he first earned his nickname "The Crusher" because he twisted the wrenches so hard the pipes would break. Then, when he wasn't able to get time off for a fight as he began his MMA career, McGee quit and focused all of his attention on fighting.
That type of attitude was nothing new for him.
"Court's always been a person that, when he gets his mind made up, he goes all the way and gives everything he had," said former Layton High wrestling coach Mike Hansen.
Hansen saw that, when McGee began wrestling and worked hard to improve, he quickly caught up with the more experienced wrestlers. He's also seen McGee make progress in other aspects of his life.
The former coach performed the marriage ceremony for McGee and his wife, Chelsea, who are the proud parents of 3-year-old Isaac and are expecting another boy in November.
"I'm probably most proud of his dedication to his family," Hansen said. "I'm pleased for him that he's done well in this ultimate fighting, and I think Court would succeed in anything he did, but for him to have a good family relationship means a lot to me."
Not all of McGee's challenges have come from his mistakes.
When he was 5, he spent 10 hours tucked behind a hot dog stand at Lagoon after becoming separated from his family. Now, 20 years later, the smell of ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise still bring back haunting memories -- so much so that McGee can't stand to smell those normal toppings, let alone taste them.
But no matter what has gone on in McGee's life, he has learned one valuable lesson that he said has gotten him to where he is today, fighting in the UFC.
"You've got to be willing to work, and that's one thing I was willing to do was work hard," McGee said. "I had a dream and never gave up on it."
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