AEW star Darby Allin has opened up about his unique relationship with fear and the motivations behind his high-risk lifestyle. During a recent episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Allin explained that his constant pursuit of dangerous stunts—including his successful summit of Mount Everest—is driven by a desire to stay grounded and focused on what truly matters in life. He noted that being at “death’s door” helps him ignore the drama and gossip that occupy the minds of many in the professional wrestling industry.
“Honestly, people ask me, like, why do you do all the things you do? You find out what’s most important in life when you’re actually at death’s door. So when you’re constantly there, it keeps you grounded and level-headed, like what’s actually important? Because I see a lot of people concerned of such stupid shit, like the drama or the gossip. And I’m like, is any of this gonna matter when you’re actually at your deathbed? But if I’m constantly at my deathbed, I feel like it keeps everything in focus of what’s really important. So yeah, I like being there,” Allin said.
Allin reflected on his childhood, admitting that he lacked confidence in middle school and feared his life would amount to nothing. He found that by confronting fear directly through stunts, he was able to build self-belief and break down mental barriers. This mindset eventually led him to the peak of Mount Everest, a challenge he chose specifically because it cannot be manipulated through internal politics or “kissing ass.”
“In wrestling, you can politic, and you can lie and kiss ass all you want, but I never wanted to be that guy. And it’s not just in wrestling, it’s in day-to-day life, all types of businesses, there’s a lot of ass kissers and politickers, but I figured when you do something like Mount Everest, you can’t politic your way to the top, because you’ll die trying. You actually have to put the work in. And that’s what was so great, because I was sick and tired of just being around fake ass f**king people. And then I was like, I’m willing to risk my life to prove to myself that I can do this,” Allin added.
The 33-year-old noted that reaching the summit provided him with an “overview effect,” putting his personal problems into perspective. He described the experience as humbling, stating that fighting for survival on a daily basis removes any sense of ego. Allin admitted that the reality of the danger hit him hardest when he said goodbye to his mother and brother at base camp, realizing he might never see them again before his final push to the summit.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Insight with Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can listen to the full episode on any major podcast platform or watch it on the Chris Van Vliet YouTube channel.
