Transcript of Introducing: Before & After with Lester Holt

What's it like to die? If you're gonna die, you don't want to die alone. Over the years, I've reported on people whose lives were changed forever in a single moment. Actors. Everything was collapsed in my lung, and I had, like, no way to get air. It was like this breath, it's like it was just everything. Professional athletes.

It was just, hey, I'm gonna get mine. I, I would've never protested. I would've never took a knee. Public figures.

You have a tracheotomy scar? Yeah, yes. The bullet went through your head? Yes. And ordinary people suddenly pulled into a nightmare.

Essentially, if your photo is on the internet, it could happen to you.

A moment that arrives without warning. I heard a giant, enormous boom and blast.

I didn't know if I was alive or dead.

We know the headlines, but what I've always been curious about is what happens after. That's when the rest of the story begins.

We had people try to send bombs to our house.

I got to get back to my family. Is sitting down for this podcast— is this part of your road back? I hope so. And what does it take to move on? I wanted to turn my life into something a little bit more meaningful. I'm Lester Holt, and this is Before and After, a new podcast from Dateline. Conversations with Jeremy Renner, Colin Kaepernick, Gabby Giffords, and more, premiering on Monday, September 14th. Early access for Dateline Premium subscribers begins Monday, September 7th. Follow and subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts.