David Goggins

Submission 1,512

About

David Goggins is an American retired Navy SEAL and athlete known for performing as an ultramarathon runner, ultra-distance cyclist, triathlete and public speaker. Goggins' motivational quotes and his performance often are used in ironic memes similar to Chuck Norris facts memes. Beginning in the late 2010s and 2020s, Goggins became a prominent online figure, particularly after his appearances on The Joe Rogan Experience.

Online History

Around 2016, David Goggins first began posting content on social media platforms such as Twitter / X,^[8] which he joined in July of that year. One of Goggins' earliest pieces of online content that went viral is from the YouTube^[1] channel Tennessean on October 3rd, 2016, in a video titled "Pull Ups World Record Attempt" in which the athlete tries to break the world record for the most pull-ups in 24 hours. The video (shown below) amassed over 3.2 million views and 26,000 likes in eight years.

Online Presence

David Goggins has a substantial online following, with over 1.9 million followers on Facebook,^[4] 10 million followers on Instagram^[5] and 905,000 on Twitter / X.^[8] The athlete garnered notable attention on the internet around 2018 and 2019, mostly for his inspirational quotes and workout routines, which were later memed by people on social media.

For example, on September 25th, 2019, YouTube^[2] user @CaptainSinbad shared a video in which he acts like he is Goggins (shown below, left), amassing more than 1.8 million views and 100,000 likes in five years. On October 9th, 2022, the YouTube^[3] page @stepmatesTV uploaded an animated video skit of Goggin's meeting Elon Musk on Mars. The video (shown below, right) amassed over 2.6 million views and 284,000 likes in two years.

Goggins presence in memes is notably treated in a similar manner to Chuck Norris, as Reddit user u/Eld223^[6] shared on July 6th, 2020, an image macro of the athlete paired with the text "Favid Goggins wakes up his alarm clock." The post (shown below) amassed roughly 144 upvotes and eight comments in four years.

David Goggins On Joe Rogan's Podcast

David Goggins has been a recurring guest on Joe Rogan's podcast JRE over the years. His earliest appearance on the show^[7] was posted on February 19th, 2018, which amassed more than 13 million plays and 301,000 likes in six years.

Personal Life

David Goggins was born on February 17th, 1975, in Buffalo, New York, United States. His first memoir, Can't Hurt Me, was released in 2018, and his second memoir, Never Finished, was released in 2023.