What does Troy mean when he says he "wrestled with death"? What does this tell you about Troy as a character?

Troy claims that he fought Death and beat him up. Troy feels that not being afraid of Death makes him stronger than Death. Troy uses this metaphor to show he is a fighter and not afraid of the inevitable consequence of having lived.

Troy's statement to have, "wrestled with death" is a metaphorical expression. Fighting with death is not atcually tangible as it might be percieved when analysis is not done. Here, troy wants to challenge the readers's minds to see beyond mere interpretation and to understand that he has recovered from sickness after he overcomes sickness. He wants the readers to understand that he has escaped from the hands of sickness while sick. His recovery symbolises victory over death since life is restored to breath.