"I didn't trust my heart anymore": The Traitors' Bob Harper reflects on a key milestone in his recovery after his heart attack

Bob Harper, known for his appearance on The Traitors US season 3, recently reflected on a significant milestone in his physical and emotional recovery journey, after experiencing a heart attack in 2017.

In an exclusive interview with People on February 1, 2025, he shared that his experience on the reality show became a turning point, challenging his fears and helping him rebuild trust in his body.

“For the longest time, I didn’t trust my heart anymore,” Harper explained.

He underscored the emotional and physical toll his heart attack had on him, and how the experience of pushing himself during The Traitors helped him move forward in his healing process.

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Bob Harper's life-changing experience on The Traitors

While participating in a physically demanding challenge on The Traitors, Harper profoundly confronted his limitations. In the fourth episode of season 3, he and his teammates were tasked with carrying heavy replicas of Easter Island statues up a steep hill. As the task became increasingly difficult, Harper found himself struggling to keep up, requiring assistance from his castmates to complete it.

“That day really f**ked me up,” Harper reflected on the moment.

He went on to emphasize how the challenge forced him to confront the reality of his physical condition following his heart attack. Since his cardiac arrest, which occurred during a workout in February 2017, Harper had primarily relied on yoga for exercise, hesitant to push his physical limits.

“Since my heart attack, I completely changed the way I work out. And for years all I've done is yoga,” he noted in the interview.

His participation in the challenge, however, marked a shift in his approach to fitness. Following The Traitors episode, Harper stated,

“Since Traitors and since that day, I have definitely changed the way I work out and I’m doing a lot more challenging things, which feels really good.”

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The emotional toll on Harper and support from fellow contestants

The experience was not just physically challenging but also emotionally taxing for Harper. The aftermath of the task led him to reflect on how much he had changed since his heart attack.

"I am still coming to terms with my physical limitations,” he said.

During the filming of the challenge, fellow The Traitors contestant, Britney Haynes, provided some lighthearted support to Harper. As they both struggled with the heavy statues, Haynes joked,

“Do you think you can kind of fake another heart attack or something?”

Harper laughed at the moment and suggested they fake an injury to leave. Despite the humor, Haynes later reflected on the emotional weight of the experience when she saw the footage.

“I loved watching it for a different perspective because honestly, when we were actually in it and doing it, I was having fun with you,” she said to Harper.

Haynes also admitted to Harper that she didn’t fully understand the gravity of the situation until later.

“I wasn't seeing it through the lens of what an actual touching experience it was for you to have this realization of who you were versus who you are.[It] made me have a different appreciation for what was happening in the moment,” she shared.

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A shift in perspective and moving forward

Bob Harper has previously spoken about the emotional challenges following his heart attack, particularly the identity crisis he experienced. In a 2020 People interview, he said,

“People don’t realize, until you are a survivor, the emotional struggles that you go through, the identity crisis.”

He shared that he questioned his identity as a fitness professional after no longer being able to push his body to its physical limits. This emotional struggle also played a role in Harper's recovery process. In his book The Super Carb Diet, he described experiencing feelings of depression, saying,

"'My heart gave up on me,' repeated in my head. Rationally, I knew this was crazy, but I couldn’t stop it."

Harper also emphasized how his heart attack shifted his perspective on life. He previously shared on the Today show that he no longer stresses over trivial things, focusing instead on what truly matters.

“I said I would focus on the things that really matter in life. Friends. Family. My dog. Love. Happiness,” he recalled.

His journey toward physical recovery continues as he embraces a more balanced approach to fitness, aided by his experiences on The Traitors.

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Stream new episodes of The Traitors on Thursdays at 9 pm ET on Peacock.