How did John Brenkus meet his wife, Lizzie Brenkus? Relationship explored as Sports Science founder dies following battle with depression

John Brenkus, the host of the Emmy-winning show "Sports Science," passed away on 31 May after a long battle with depression, something he openly spoke about before his death. He is survived by his two children and wife, Lizzie Brenkus, whom he had previously met while traveling on a plane.

The news of his death was shared by his family in a statement that also encouraged anyone battling depression to seek appropriate help. It read:

"It is with profound sadness that we share the news that John Brenkus has passed away. John, co-founder of BASE Productions, founder of Brinx.TV, and co-creator and host of the six‑time Emmy Award‑winning Sport Science, had been battling depression. John lost his fight with this terrible illness on May 31st, 2025. His family and friends ask for privacy and encourage anyone struggling with depression to seek help.”

More about John Brenkus's marriage to his wife, Lizzie Brenkus

John Brenkus was the co-creator of the six-time Emmy-winning show "Sport Science," which examined the athletic prowess of different athletes through different experiments conducted from a scientific perspective. He later sold the show's rights to ESPN in 2017 and lived in Utah when he started struggling with depression. During his 2023 appearance on the Never Shut Up podcast hosted by Marcellus Wiley, John Brenkus spoke about how his dog saved his life during a depressive episode when he attempted to take his own life. He said:

"I spiralled into a deep, deep depression and I was flat out s*icidal. So much so ...I was ready to do it, my dog, Zeplin came to my rescue, literally. Pulled on my pants, on my jeans and literally was going crazy, wouldn't leave me alone."

John Brenkus married Lizzie in 2004, and the couple were married for twenty-one years until his passing. The couple had met by chance or what John Brenkus called a "brink of midnight" moment, referring to a moment when everything changed for him. During his conversation on the Art of Fatherhood podcast, Brenkus recalled how he met his future wife after a ticket mix-up on a plane. He said:

"For me it was the moment when I sat down on a plane next to my wife. I was traveling with somebody else but we had a ticket mix up, so I sat down next to my wife, fell instantly in love. We had a mechanical problem on the plane, we had to get off the plane spend at the airport for five hours and the second that I saw her, I actually went up to the person I was traveling with, and said 'I will give you $100 to stay away from me, cause I just met the girl I am gonna marry.'"

He further added:

"And she called her parents and she called her parents and said 'I just met the guy I'm gonna marry' And when we landed in LA, I asked 'what are the chances I get your number,' She said 'pretty good' and later discovered we lived from two blocks from each other. From that point on everything in life changed."

In the same podcast, John Brenkus shared the moment of epiphany that led him to want children. He said:

"I got married when I was 31 had my first child at 34, so you know it's interesting is I was scared going into it. ...When the event happened I was in my car in on main Street in Venice, California and I was in a little two seater convertible and I looked up in the rear view mirror there an SUV some guy on the cell phone and I could tell 'oh my god, he was gonna plow through the back of my car and I am gonna die.' The first thought that went through my mind was I haven't had a child yet. This is gonna suck to die like this and not have anyone to carry on the family legacy...My car got totalled and walked away fine. My wife was out of town, and I called and said we need to have kids right now."

Lizzie Brenkus, who now works as an endurance athlete and entrepreneur, previously trained at the Long Beach Opera Company, according to Men's Journal. She recorded a version of the song "Christmas is My Favorite Time of the Year" with her husband, who played the guitar. The video, which is uploaded to their channel Brink of Midnight, features appearances from several athletes. The proceeds are donated to the unite4good: Foundation. In a 2014 interview with PR Newswire, Brenkus shared how the idea for the song came about. He said:

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"We wrote the song and made a video originally just for our annual family Christmas card, but when we finished it, everyone kept telling us that it was the catchiest song they've ever heard. All that feedback really fueled us to actually record the song and make a video with the 'Sport Science' team. 'Sport Science' has always been such a force for positivity and fun that it was a perfect fit."

The news of John Brenkus' death, at the age of fifty-four, has led to an outpouring of tributes from fans and other people who worked with him on "Sports Science."

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