We were lucky to catch up with Wilson Du recently and have shared our conversation below.

Wilson, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

TheMissionHQ was born out of a very personal struggle.

When I was first diagnosed with kidney failure, I was overweight, stuck on dialysis, limited in what I could do physically—and honestly, I had no hope. I started searching online for someone like me—someone who was on dialysis, losing weight, fighting through it, and coming out stronger.

But I couldn’t find anyone.
No stories. No guides. No one who understood what I was going through.

So I decided I had to become that person myself.

I lost over 130 pounds while on dialysis. I trained my body, shifted my mindset, and eventually completed an Olympic-distance triathlon—with a “Kidney Needed” flyer on my chest. After receiving my transplant in 2022, I made it my mission to be the person others find when they’re in that same dark place searching for answers, strength, or just a little bit of hope.

That’s why TheMissionHQ exists.
It’s not just a gym. It’s a sanctuary—for the chronically ill, for the elderly, for the underdog, and for anyone who’s ever felt unseen or forgotten.

Here, people come to get stronger, to heal without judgment, and to build something real together: community.

And we fund it in a simple but powerful way—through our regular members. Every personal training session, every gym membership, every class supports this mission. Our paying clients know exactly where their money goes: back into a place that changes lives.

This isn’t just business.
It’s deeply personal.
It’s the mission I was born to live.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Wilson Du—but today, most people know me as the Renal Warrior.

Before my health collapsed, I was highly successful in real estate and finance. I had the income, the lifestyle, and the accolades. But I was also silently suffering. I had been obese my entire adult life, carrying not just physical weight but emotional pain that I masked with work and food. I had all the signs of success, but inside, I was lost.

Then came the diagnosis: kidney failure.
In an instant, my world changed. I was 35 and told I would need to rely on dialysis to stay alive.

I remember one of the first days on dialysis, I attempted to walk just ten feet. That short walk was the most painful experience of my life. But strangely, that pain gave me clarity—it cut through everything else I was feeling. Emotional pain, depression, fear… all of it got quiet in those moments of movement. So I did it again the next day. And again.

That walk became my ritual.
My therapy.
My rebirth.

I committed myself to the process—physically, mentally, and spiritually. I lost over 130 pounds while on dialysis. I competed in an Olympic-distance triathlon wearing a flyer that said “Kidney Needed.” I did what people said wasn’t possible—not because I was strong, but because I refused to give up.

Along the way, I made a promise to God:
“If You give me another shot at life, I will spend the rest of it serving others.”

On March 8, 2022, that promise became real. I received a life-saving kidney from Amy Hewitt, the Executive Director of the National Kidney Foundation. She didn’t know me personally—she had simply heard my story and chose to give me the ultimate gift.

Since then, my life has been defined by that promise.

I’ve helped countless others navigate their own kidney journeys—coaching them through weight loss, building the right mindset, and helping them qualify for transplant. I’ve guided patients in understanding the donor process and, more importantly, I’ve stood with them as they found their donors.

Some of the most beautiful outcomes have come from this mission. People like Amy McCann, who was once a member at my gym, felt called to become a living donor after hearing my story. She lost over 100 pounds in the process and ultimately donated her kidney to a complete stranger—on her birthday. That’s the ripple effect I live for.

I’m not even close to where I used to be financially.
But I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be spiritually, emotionally, and purposefully.

Today, I don’t chase income—I chase impact.
I don’t build wealth—I build warriors.

I was once the man desperately searching for someone to show him the way.
Now I wake up every day trying to be that person for someone else.

Because in the end, this isn’t just my story.
It’s a mission.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

There are many moments I could point to—but one that defines my resilience more than any other happened in silence, long before there were any finish lines or headlines.

It was during my early days on dialysis. I was still over 300 pounds, mentally broken, and unsure if I even wanted to keep going. My body was failing, and I felt invisible. No one knew how much pain I was in—not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. I had lost control of everything in my life, and the future felt impossible.

One day, I decided to take a walk. Just ten feet.

That ten-foot walk became one of the most painful things I had ever done. My legs ached, my joints screamed, and my body begged me to stop. But oddly enough, that pain was clear. It was something I could finally feel—something that cut through the depression, the hopelessness, the noise in my head.

So I did it again the next day.
And again.
Every single day, I walked. Ten feet turned into twenty. Then fifty. Then a block.
I was still on dialysis. I was still sick. But with every step, I got a little stronger.

That walk didn’t make headlines. There were no cameras. No medals. Just me, fighting in silence. But that’s where my resilience was forged—in the unseen moments where nobody clapped, but I kept showing up anyway.

Years later, that same resilience carried me through an Olympic-distance triathlon while still on dialysis. It carried me through 5.5 years of relentless treatment. It helped me keep a promise to God. And now, it’s what fuels everything I do for others who feel like they’ve hit the end of the road.

Resilience isn’t about how strong you are when people are watching.
It’s about who you choose to be when no one is.

That first ten-foot walk is still the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
But it changed everything.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

To be honest, some of the most powerful lessons in business and leadership came long before I ever got sick.

Early in my real estate career, I was fortunate to learn under two of the best: Mike Ferry and Tom Ferry. They were my first business coaches, and they gave me the foundation I didn’t know I’d one day need to survive something far greater than a tough market. They taught me how to set clear goals, how to break things down into daily action, how to stay disciplined through adversity, and most importantly—how to react when life doesn’t go as planned.

At the time, I was focused on business growth. But what they taught me became the framework for how I would fight for my life years later when I was diagnosed with kidney failure.

When dialysis entered the picture, I didn’t fall apart. I fell back—on what they taught me. I knew how to approach overwhelming situations with structure. I knew how to rebuild momentum from zero. I knew how to lead myself, even when no one was watching. That mindset—built in boardrooms and sales offices—is what helped me survive the darkest season of my life.

During those painful years on dialysis, I also found strength in voices like CT Fletcher. I used to blast his motivational tracks while walking through the pain, pushing through fatigue, and training while hooked up to a machine. His fire lit something in me when mine felt like it was dying.

Today, CT is more than just someone I looked up to—he’s a my adopted father. I call him Pops! Life has a way of bringing things full circle when you stay committed to the mission.

All of this has shaped the entrepreneur and leader I am now. The business world gave me the tools. The pain gave me the purpose. And together, they gave me the path I walk today—not just to build things, but to build people.

Because at the end of the day, success isn’t about what you earn.
It’s about what you overcome—and who you help rise because of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.themissionhq.org
• Instagram: RenalWarrior2016
• Facebook: Wilson Du