Bret 'The Hitman' Hart opens up about health battles outside the ring

After battling opponents in the ring and overcoming years of health issues, wrestling icon Bret "The Hitman" Hart continues to share his story as a spokesperson for the Stroke Recovery Awareness Month on behalf of the March of Dimes.

Calgary-born former pro wrestler Bret Hart told Daybreak Alberta this week he still thinks of himself as a fighter.

"I've been fighting more since I retired than I ever did," he said. 

It's been 15 years since he suffered a stroke that bound him to a wheelchair for three months. His health took another blow when he announced he'd undergo surgery and treatment for prostate cancer.

As of Saturday, the WWE Hall of Fame inductee shared he is clear on the cancer front.

Yet — he says it was the knocks in the ring that took its toll. 

"I've found out the hard way that all those bumps, all those hard falls, all those turn-buckles, all those body slams, there's an incredible price to pay and you pay for it with your body," said Hart.

He is using his experience as a pro wrestler and storytelling to reach out to the public.

"I had someone say to me that 'someday you will look back on this and be glad it happened,' and he's wrong," laughed Hart.

"[But] I did learn from it. I'm living proof there is life after a stroke."

Next, Hart says he'd like to write another book with a focus on his life after hanging up the black and pink tights.

With files from Daybreak Alberta