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Hey everybody, it's more Pattison.
I'm back once again for another funenomenal podcast
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on the network. Here this week
I've got another amazing guests doing incredible things.
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But before we get to that,
I want you in remind you to
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go to my website, wwwom Pattison
nflcom and of course you can see all
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these other really incredible podcast people overcome
an adversity and finding their way and,
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as always, encourage you to go
to itunes and give a ratings and review.
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Helps with the popularity of the show, which just gives us more exposure
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to these amazing stories that are out
there. Number two, we have the
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film, the NFL film on Everest. That's coming out in September. I
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will keep you posted on that.
We are having a big program here in
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some Valley Idaho on the twenty three. It's going to be exciting, it's
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going to be amazing and all to
go to higher ground, which leads me
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to my third point, the philanthropy
tab. Everything I do in terms of
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of philanthropy fundraising goes to my campaign
within higher ground called a Milias Everest.
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My daughter is epileopsy. She's fighting
a way through that and higher ground is
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this an amazing organization helping in a
lot of cases military people coming back,
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that are wounded, they are banged
up, that have called to issues,
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and higher ground is there to help
serve those people in so many ways.
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Okay, let's get into the day's
podcast. I've got an incredible guy actually
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met through higher ground, named David
Voorbura. David, how you doing?
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Hey, mark, excited for this
common buddy? Yeah, you know,
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I actually I was going to start
off with something you far in the past,
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but I was going to write I
gave you due respect and called you
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by your first name. There's another
name that you're associated what it called?
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Mr Your relevant yeah, buddy,
the infamous title. Yeah, so let
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me just set this up and now
I'll let you take it off from there.
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So one of the common bonds that
you and I have, and we
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have a lot of them, as
it all turns out, is that you
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were an NFL football player. You
look like one, you have the heart
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of one and it certainly you had
your day in the Sun. But you
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know, by the time and night, in two thousand and eight I was
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drafted in one thousand nine hundred and
eighty five by the raiders. By the
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time that you got drafted in two
thousand and eight. Obviously I'm older than
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you are, they broke it down
from twelve rounds down to seven rounds.
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So explain exactly what this term means, Mr Relevant, and what that meant
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on that particular day for you.
Yeah, so it's funny to set the
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stage here. I was slated as
a mid to late round pick, right
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for whatever that is in the imperfect
science that is the NFL draft. And
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the draft rolled on and on.
I think most of my friends were probably
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drunk could pass out by the time
that my name got called. I just
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so happened to be the two hundred
and fifty second pick in the two thousand
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eight draft, crowding me, Mr
Irrelevant. Now I had no I and
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this even existed. It's like five
picks to the end and somebody in the
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room says, Hey, I heard
the last pig like gets a car or
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something, and at the time I'm
driving a moped at the University of Idaho,
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so I might do anything's an upgrade
for me. I'll take a car,
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even if it's a hand me down. So we google it and then
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it's like this whole week out in
Orange County and they celebrate the first or
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the last. Is the first and
there's all and I'm like, well,
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that'd be kind of fun. And
then, sure enough, right Scotland Ahan
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is a head coach of the rams. He calls me. I end up,
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you know, and he says,
listen, don't worry about this title,
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we're drafting you to play man.
Come ready to go, and that's
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all I needed to hear. Right, call me Mr anything you want.
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I got drafted in the NFL and
you know, the travesty is actually the
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second to last pick, because he
doesn't get all the HOOPLA, the media
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platform. I got phone to Orange
County, drove a Lamborghini for the week,
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Disneyland, the Playboy Mansion Tonight,
show all that stuff, which is
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all fine. It's a little tongue
in cheek. But, like I said,
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like I was going to use this
foot in the door guys like you
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and me mark, like we're going
to blast it wide open and create an
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opportunity. Yeah, that's great,
that's great. You know, as you
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were talking about, I am from
the Pacific northwest to or you. You
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grew up in Eugene, Oregon,
and all of a sudden. You find
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a home at the University of Idaho
and I've been there in Moscow Idaho.
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You actually used to stay there for
the huskies when we play Washington State Pullman,
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which is only about eight miles away. And you know when you came
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and we were first introduced to each
other a month ago, we were recording
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now, on July twenty seven.
This show will come out probably in a
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month or so, but when we
talked a month ago, or so,
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you know I was. I was
really impressed with your size, which isn't
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at normal for a linebacker in the
NFL. You look like you fit that
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role perfectly. But I'm always surprised
at how you know, typically a guy,
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especially who makes it all the way
up and into the NFL regardless,
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because when I was the seventh round
pick, I wasn't Mr a relevant cause
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we have twelve picks right. Yeah, so you know, but at the
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end of the day, you and
I got drafted around the same your seventh
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throwne on my seventh rone. I
looked the part for Washington at the time.
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You looked the part like you could
have played for Washington, the USC
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or any other roople the time,
but how does a guy go from Eugene
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organ the backyard, you've got University
of Oregon that is cranking the football,
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that they somehow another slipped through the
cracks and end up at a smaller school?
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Yeah, you know, I pops
was a duck. He actually played
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against you. He was a linebacker
from seventysand eight hundred and eighty one for
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the ducks. And so you know, for me, I was always a
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skinny pencil net quarterback. Actually didn't
convert to a linebacker until I got to
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college. So I was an athlete
right, that sort of title, which
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should be a compliment, but the
same time it kind of says like Hey's
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athletic enough to play multiple spots,
but we don't know if he's excellent at
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any of them. So there's a
lot of development that needed to be made.
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And again I would add one d
one offered right Oregon, Oregon State.
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All those people pulled out so we'd
be have preferred walk off and I
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said sorry, I didn't get free
school. Plus I wanted to play d
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one at a level where I had
the opportunity early. So, you know,
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a hundred ninety pounds, soaking wet
plane linebacker getting my ass handed to
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me as a true fresh been,
but it was an opportunity. You know,
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we weren't real good, you know, during those years. Actually we're
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terrible, should even say real good. We are in the basement of the
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NCAA. But it was an opportunity
for me to fly all over the field,
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make a lot of tackles and it
ultimately led to moving up to the
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next level and, you know,
being able to embrace this underdog role.
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I was going to exceed expectation through
hard work. So this is for the
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audience right now, so anybody that's
listening to this pod. This, this
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first part of the pod is all
about me, because I want to hear
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about your football stuff. What we
are going to dig into is this is
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this incredible work that you're doing,
the impact that you're having, and I
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saw firsthand and I was blown away. It literally brought me to tears and
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we're going to get into that in
just a minute. But a couple more
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things, because I think this was
really interesting. was just kind of a
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factoid on you, which is that
you know your plan in the NFL,
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like I was, and and as
athletes, and we're seeing this right now
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because Olympics are going on, is
that all the athletes are out there trying
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to get the edge. You know
food, Diet, you know all the
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nutrition, new ways to exercise,
to refine your body, you know,
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and I you know whatever it takes. Like you're always looking for what's the
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next thing? How can I get
you better and how can you get the
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edge on somebody else? And one
of those things that you did was you
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were taking various supplements, like I
take protein powder today. It's a natural
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food based our plant based protein,
and that's why I take two scoops and
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I put it into myself on someone
smoothie. You'll like that, right,
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love them. And Yeah, so, so back in the day, I
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want you to explain what happened because, no, it's just a huge lesson
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for manufacturers and people out there in
the supplement business about what they put into
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their their various ingredients of the products
of the dead. Yeah, the proprietary
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blend, right, they there's certain
things that they can or that they have
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to report and certain things that they
don't, and within that proprietary blends where
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you get into trouble. It's the
wild west. Now, I did things
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by the book, which I was
always a by the Book Guy, believe
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me, had I been on steroids, my my facique wild looked drastically different,
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I would say, with how much
I was working out. And again,
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I think that edge a lots of
times it comes in that bucket of
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recovery. If you can recover faster, right, you can then go further,
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go harder, go faster. So
you know, for me it was
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like I called the hotline for this
product. They said, hey, there's
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nothing that you're reporting, that there
is on the label. This is not
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a product where largely familiar with,
but you know, we would counsel you
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that you're taking the stature of discretion. I did that twice with two different
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people. decided to take the supplement
and new some other people taking the supplement
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long and short, ended up popping
for performance enhancing drugs. Knew that I
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did nothing wrong. Put everything in
my locker. I swear I used every
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penny I had in my rookie bank
account shift into this very very very valid,
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very expertise lab and they did a
bunch of you know, breakdowns and
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components. They found that it was
tainted. But again, at first you're
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trying to go and and contender,
appeal this suspensions, four game suspension,
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and it's all internal. Nobody the
outside world knows. Eventually, when we
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realize that the NFL doesn't care,
I don't care if it was a broccoli
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supplement right and only brocky was in
there, they still are going to stand
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by. Hey, what's in your
bodies your responsibility, and that's how I
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would counsel anybody you know that that
is looking for an edge. I would
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say are on the side of being
prudent, not taking it and figuring out
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other ways than been taking it and
risking it, but ended up having to
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take the suspension and that sucked.
Man Like those that love me and new
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me knew the truth, but I
got hate mail. I'd have fans like
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my son's tearing up your card.
You're a cheat, you're a fraud,
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and it makes you like again like
I'd never I was never the first round
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draft picks. I didn't have a
ton of scrutiny on the outside world,
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but suddenly it was there and so
I had to my world got really small.
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I anchored myself in the things that
I could control and then had to
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work through two years in court to
eventually get exonerated and still one the largest
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supplement case to date of all time
against a pro sports athlete. So,
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yeah, to be exonerate time,
but that gets printed in page thirty seven,
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right, compared to the front page
one that was initially. So took
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a huge financial hit, took a
huge reputation hit, but those that know,
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mean those that have seen me and
continue to see my life since then,
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see that. Let's listen, this
guy's characters is of high value.
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Yeah, and for those that don't
know, typically the way the NFL pays
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out, if you're being know that
you you establish your salary and if you're
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playing sixteen games there and every week, you're getting one sixteenth of the salary.
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So if you're talking before game suspension, that means you're getting for paychecks
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that aren't coming your way. Right. So, and that was big for
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Mr irrelevant because he was not on
the multi billion dollar contract life. Listen,
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I appreciate that. was also back
in one thousand nine hundred and eighty
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five. So I get that.
Okay, so now we get let's let's
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transition out of the NFL. So, like a lot of people, that
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was one of them and and in
a credit the NFL today because they were
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so much more educational and there's so
much more care taking in terms of life
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after football and what to do in
educational program so so that's the good news.
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But at the end of the day
it's still avoid you know, you
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and I and other guys like that
have driven this fast car for a long
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time and it's the only card that
you know and it's the greatest thing of
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all time. There's nothing better.
And then you go off this cliff and
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now you're asking the question now what? And so I want to transition that
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in for you, to you in
terms of where you got inspired to start
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where we're going to talk about ATF
adaptive training foundation. So go ahead.
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Yeah, so you know again,
my NFL career was respectable. Did more
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than some, but less than most, is how I say it. And
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and again, I actually got hurt
playing in Seattle for the seahawks. Last
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play I played in the League.
I had a catastrophic shoulder injury. Now
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that was what others saw. What
was going on inside was an identity crisis,
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and you nailed it right. You
reshoot this pinnacle. You're so hyper
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focus and laser focused on being successful
in the field that you know, you
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start to identify overly with what you
do as who you are, and so
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I think this identical identity crisis not
dissimilar to our veterans. Right are are
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military service members who go out,
they're cheating at the highest level, giving
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orders, taking orders, by the
way. That's the real battlefield, and
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they're the ones that suddenly get ripped
from that. They come home and they're
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like well, what next? Right, they don't. They don't necessarily have
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a road map for transitioning well,
to see that their gifts that made them
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great in service or on the football
field applied to the next phases of their
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life. And so that the Frank
Truth is is I coped using pain pills,
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drugs, anything I can give my
hands on, anything to numb myself.
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And now, after decade post football
and being able to see some of
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the things in my early childhood and
some other developmental stuff, there was a
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lot of writing on the wall where
I use football to achieve so people would
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applaud so they wouldn't ask me what
the hell was really going on inside.
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Starting to address the reason behind the
reason for some of this need to cope.
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Right, that was where the real
healing happened, but football and the
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opportunity to be in the NFL was
a platform for me to do the most
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significant work of my life, which
is what I'm doing through this foundation.
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You know, the gym is a
sanctuary in my eyes. It's one that
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the iron doesn't care, what color, what sexual preference, would race with
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gender, any of that right.
And so I use the the weight room
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as a way to see, wait
a second, I love this. How
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can I help other athletes? But
then I met a guy that got blown
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up, lost all four limbs.
Staff Stars and Travis Mills, quadruple amputee,
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was at a surprise birthday party for
a friend. He walked in.
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I'm sure I was rude to whoever
I was talking to because I'd been mind
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it for trapped, as you know. Dude, when was the last time
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you worked out? And he made
a joke. You'll what are you doing,
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an asshole on our arms and legs? I said, Hey, I
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maybe an asshole, but that's not
why I said it. I think that
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there's something you have to tap into
your physic physical identity or identification. How
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do you reidentify with with the way
that your body looks today? You know,
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and and with that conversation he took
a chance on me. Pretty soon
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everyone in the gym right their excuses
disappeared, all my guys in the League,
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all my guys training from college to
get ready for the league. It
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was like everyone had to elevate because
there was this guy who seemingly had every
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reason to say no, but decided
to say yes instead. And that was
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where I realized, man, there's
this void post rehab for people with disabilities.
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Plus the gym that should be very
inclusive is actually rather exclusive. And
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if people can't access it, how
do you get this shift in perspective for
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all of us right mark like we
shouldn't have to lose a limb to make
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a lifestyle and behavioral change. That
is is an optimization for us and it
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is for the one life that we
get to live. So all of that
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to say, Pretty Soon I had
thirty or forty adaptive athletes, most of
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which were military and first responder ampute's, final cord injuries, neurological diseases like
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Parkinson or NS. We were creating
a way to assess and train them,
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but I wasn't charging them because I
was watching them find a life that they
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had marginalized or they'd kind of been
on the sideline. Now I saw them
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engaging in the game. So I
started the adaptive training foundation, which is
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the five, one, see three
not for profit. We provide costs free
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training for people disabilities. We run
a nine week program and after training and
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for nine weeks, we take them
on a week redeployment. And that's mark
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where we just suck it. Got
To sync up and Sun Valley, because
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now it's like, you train for
nine weeks, how do you apply yourself?
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Bombing it down a mountain, mountain
biking or climbing a rock face or
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Whitewater rafting like we did, being
able to adventure and experiencing things as an
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athlete. Now a lot of these
people, no, Bauerman said that if
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you have a human body or an
athlete, whether you compete at support or
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not. That was really become an
ethos for us, because these people,
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they don't see themselves as, or
didn't see themselves as, athlete after they
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got hurt. Now we can redefine
that and they can start to have opportunities
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to not just, you know,
be a consumer, but then come back
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and train others like them as a
contributor. Then it becomes full circle and
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you watch people you know take on
their whole potential. Well, let's talk
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about the by the way, Travis
Mills was on the podcast. So if
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anybody was about Travis is this comedian. That's what he is. He is
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a legit stand up community. He's
hilarious. Yeah, and by the way,
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I believe you're Jim is anddell's Texas
correct. Correct. Yes, yeah,
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so, let me give you this. This, this is you came
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up with this, and I believe, but I think this says it all.
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To empower this is what ATF is
all about, okay, to empower
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the human athlete, Restore Hope Through
Movement and redefine the limits of individuals with
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disabilities. So I love it.
I love it and and I want to
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tell you quickly about my experience.
So so let's go back. So you're
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you're in this new one nine week
program, right, and just like me
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now, I had a big flip
and goal out there in the goal is
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Mount Everest and the goals is seven
summons. And I've had other goals as
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well, the NFL, a one
point in college football, but but most
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recently was Mount Everest. And so
I trained like a mother, you know,
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for you know, throughout the last
actually last couple of years, you
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know, hardcore, two days every
single day. For you when I was
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talking to some of these these different
athletes that ended up on this on this
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float trip, they would go in, I think, work out at least,
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you know, two times a day. So they were on that same
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path. And then you're talking about
after like Postgraduate Wah, and they are
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awarded an opportunity to go do something
spectacular. So they're training for this moment
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to go do something. So that
the Gal that you put me in the
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boat with, I literally is she
was telling me her story. I said,
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tell me your story, and and
I'm a I I could like if
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I had five bottles of wine or
took mushrooms, whatever analogy want to make,
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I could never come up with this
type of thing. And in her
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case, you know, she was
somebody who probably made some bad choices in
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the people that she married. But
the first guy was not a good guy
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and he ended up shooting her.
Yeah, try to kill her, yeah,
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try to kill her, and she
ended up paralyzed from the essentially from
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the waist down. And then she
divorces him and then ends up with another
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guy on her wedding night of all
things, or wedday night. Maybe she
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had a little bit to my drink. She ends up on the floor of
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you know, on the bed.
She had gone to the bathroom, couldn't
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get back in and the rottweiler that
she owned came and shoot her leg off.
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So I'm sitting there talking to her. You know, she's parallelous from
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wish down with one of the legs
was from the from the knee down off.
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And until I'm listening it, just
like I couldn't even come with the
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the amount of compassion and humility I
had for like, like you know.
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Yeah, I just didn't know on
Everest and that was really cool and that
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was, you know, huge,
right compared to what she was going through
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and her pain and her struggle.
Again, you know, the name of
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this podcast is called funny. Your
so much about people have become adversity and
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fun in their way, and and
for me to even compare my my accomplishment
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compared to what she's going through,
I mean it to me, it didn't
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even compare. She was like miles
in front of me. Well, we
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all have our everest and that's the
beauty of this podcast. You know,
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I think the mountain humbles all people
at some point. So it's about allies
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and alliance. It's about doing life
with people that allow you to get out
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what you don't know how to say. Sometimes it takes that movie a hundred
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eighty degrees south. That's one of
my favorites. Right, is they're trying
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to kind of a pilgrimage to remap
the way that you've on Shin Ard and
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and now man, the get the
other founder, not north face or Patagonia
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and the north astounder. Anyway they
end up and she lay it ends up
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being this, this moment where turning
around as the hardest right, the idea
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that like we have to look at
the risk and evaluate the fact that we
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need me to turn around two hundremeters
from the top, right, and that's
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the hardest decision to make. But
the it's not necessarily turning around if you're
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taking a step in the correct direction. But that's not for all people.
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Right. How do you have people
around you that aren't trying to keep you
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safe? Right, like my wife
says all the time, she knows who
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she married. Right, I can
try to be smart. I can evaluate
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at the risk and take different data
points and then make a decision, but
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ultimately I can't be safe, you
know, and that's what we teach these
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athletes and enlistt them, because that
that you were talking about in her story
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is is grandiose and ridiculous and unfathomable. Unfathomable as it is, it's like
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we all can find a little bit
of ourselves in some of those stories,
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and so it's not that yours is
bigger or smaller, it's just that,
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like life doesn't discriminate, you know, a drunk driver, a tree falling,
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a gunshot, randomness, seemingly randomness, can actually orchestrate the biggest,
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you know, intersection of meaning and
purpose in our lives. Now it does
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it have to take trauma? No, but it's certainly a motivating factor when
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your life's turned upside down in your
force to surrender to the identity or identification
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with who you were. I say
this all the time. I'm my why,
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Dave the bore is why, is
helping people close the gap between who
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they think they are and who they're
called to be. That's that's it.
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That's a powerful thing. Right not
become right. I can't tell you what
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you're supposed to be calm, because
it that's up to you to decide.
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But your choice to the side,
whether you're tapping into who you're called to
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be. That's a that's a really
wild thing. So you're shifting from extrinsic
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worth, value and motivation to intrinsic
that type of person is unstoppable. Right.
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I don't care who you are,
you can transcend just about any type
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of pain and suffering when you have
intrinsic value and worth. You know,
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Mark, I think you know.
You and I talked and just your own
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personal development that had allowed you to
both have blinders on but also be alert
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and aware of all the factors that
you were making a choice. Right,
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you're making a choice when you're going
to do something like Everest. You're evaluating
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the risk, you're making the choice
of the other tradeoffs that you're not going
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to be able to point bandwidth an
energy toward, and then you have to
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be okay when you hit the pillow
at night as to why. But nobody
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else can tell you that. Nobody
else can say that for you. You
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don't. Ever, lots of people
watch a movie under a warm blanket about
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every since say I'm going to do
that one day. A little bit different.
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When you're out of mote to your
your you know, you're up there
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by yourself and wondering. You snowblind
and wondering like Holy Crap, what now
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you know, and I think that
we are just giving them growth, producing
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fear encounters. Not Everybody has to
be on Everest, but ways to look
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at their story so that they can
supersede or transcend it. Yeah, so
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a lot to unpack there. The
one thing, as you're talking, you
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know, the thing that just kept
hitting me. It was just mindset,
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mindset, mindset, right, because
I'm so there's plenty of times for the
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other people like I can. I
can give you the path and I can
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give you the magic formal a bit. It has to come within and and
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so you encounter so many people like
you know. So let's just go back
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to evers for a minute, okay. And of the twenty one people only
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tend some of it right, so
it's more than fifty percent. And note
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and and there was a chunk of
people in there that came that were those
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people had read the book, seen
the movie and they were trying to be
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that both. They didn't have the
true mindset of a warrior to take on
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what it was going to take to
make that kind of effort, of two
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mounts of suffering, of going up
and down, have avalanche is coming,
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June cold and all the other stuff
that counted right. And so it was
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easy for them just in plug and
said, you know, and I'm just
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I got is make them a bad
person. Sure you just have the mindset
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of the champion to do that particular
thing right. And so now I'm tapping
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into you and all the people on
this trip. So I just gave one
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example of one person. Another Gal
had been become paralyzed or something waterskiing and
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that was the first time she was
going to be in the water show.
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You're constantly having all these types of
athletes come at you and unlike you know,
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maybe if people were to come and
everybody's healthy and walking in and and
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and now there's a slight mindshift.
I mean, how do you get those
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guys that have so many obstacles against
them, how do you get them to
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take that kind of massive leap to
get to where they want to go,
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like you said, become the best
version of themselves? Yeah, it's sweat,
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psychology, because when your heart rate
goes of you start to learn about
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that monkey mind. Right. What
is your mind tell you, and can
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you acknowledge it? Right? But
then realize that it's not paying rent up
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there. Right, because there's something
in here that scans every four seconds or
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even more often, depending on your
sympathetic pair. Sympathetic, you know,
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harmony, but it looks for safety
and survival. Right. It wants to
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evaluate danger. Where your why,
as to why you're putting yourself into inherent
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danger? Exposure has to has to
be big enough and more significant enough to
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outweigh whatever this is telling you.
Right. There has to be a way
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for you to tap into go beyond. Right, like Victor Frankel did it
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in concentration camps. Right, people
do it in extreme sport. Stephen coasters
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arise of Superman as a profound book, talking about people tapping into that routinely
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so that they don't die on that
fifty foot wave or in this, you
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know, extreme sport. So for
me it's really handsol and Gretel. It's
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like, HMM, I'm going to
sit back pretend we me and this person
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on training, this athlete I'm working
with, don't speak the same language.
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I speak English, they speak Japanese. So I have to put experiential learning
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opportunities because think about this Food Business
Lens. If you're managing people, you're
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saying, hey, we need this
behavior to have this result. You got
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to do that over and over and
over and over and over. If you
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create a hear me, this is
leadership. You create an experience that changes
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of belief, that shapes of behavior, that then changes a result. So
403
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you have to be able to go
to the experience level. Sometimes am using
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weights and condition to reach them.
Other Times I'm using breathwork and mindfulness meditation.
405
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Sometimes I'm using situations like a root
meeting. Twice during our nine week
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program we lock in all the athletes
at a different time of the day,
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usually the evening, and our staff
and we talked about the reason behind the
408
00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:47.279
reason. Right, you can go
home every night reaching for a bottle of
409
00:25:47.359 --> 00:25:49.960
Bourbon. The Bourbon's a problem,
but the reasons two or three back from
410
00:25:51.039 --> 00:25:53.160
that. Right. And so I
lead. Hey, look, here's my
411
00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:56.920
mess, boom right, put it
out there. Then suddenly I'm no longer
412
00:25:57.039 --> 00:26:00.839
on a pedestal and all these people
you give them permission. Right, because
413
00:26:00.279 --> 00:26:06.319
courage is action. In the face
of fear and I believe vulnerability is the
414
00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:11.279
most powerful way to exhibit true courage. And so if you get people around,
415
00:26:11.359 --> 00:26:14.640
people like that, especially Alpha's like
you and myself, that have this
416
00:26:14.759 --> 00:26:18.160
champion mindset, other people, suddenly
he's realize it's accessible for them because some
417
00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:22.240
point they were told they couldn't,
wouldn't shoot it, or they tried it
418
00:26:22.359 --> 00:26:26.480
and failed and they gave up the
muscle in the head right, the ability
419
00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:30.920
to activate certain things in your mindset, affirmations and otherwise. But then not
420
00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:34.079
allowed negated language, not allow that
monkey mind, that little whisper, that
421
00:26:34.200 --> 00:26:37.440
insidious thing that tells you can't.
If you don't let that in right or
422
00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:40.920
if you just allow it to pass
through you, because it's going to show
423
00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:44.440
up. It shows up for all
of us, then suddenly you become bulletproof
424
00:26:44.920 --> 00:26:48.599
and your why will always over ride
the how. You will find a way
425
00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:51.920
to get it done straight up.
So you know it is. It's a
426
00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:57.200
psychologist approach through the gym that Elicits
this opportunity for their paradigm to shift.
427
00:26:57.240 --> 00:27:00.640
And it doesn't. Doesn't always happen
at the same time for people. It
428
00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:03.440
could happen week two. That could
happen week ten, when we're on the
429
00:27:03.480 --> 00:27:06.880
mountain. It did, but at
some point it does happen for every athlete
430
00:27:06.960 --> 00:27:11.400
that goes through. What is it
done for you? WHOO man, you
431
00:27:11.480 --> 00:27:14.680
want to know what's done for me? Yeah, so I'll try to do
432
00:27:14.839 --> 00:27:22.440
this without too much emotion. It
has given me permission to go into and
433
00:27:22.680 --> 00:27:26.599
and and to be willing to grow
and learn from the little me that was
434
00:27:26.680 --> 00:27:32.039
ten year old, ten years old
and sexually abused, and in that these
435
00:27:32.119 --> 00:27:34.240
athletes. Again, I think I
started this because I recognized the need and
436
00:27:34.279 --> 00:27:38.960
it felt good because I was excited
and my passion was was meaningful to serve
437
00:27:40.039 --> 00:27:42.319
these people in this population. But
I also did I think, as a
438
00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:45.920
distraction so I didn't have to deal
with some of my own stuff, and
439
00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:48.000
it took me a couple of years
and some serious burn out to realize whoa
440
00:27:48.160 --> 00:27:51.839
the things I'm preaching at them I
need to do for myself. So the
441
00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:55.559
athletes of the adapt training foundation of
giving me permission to really wade into the
442
00:27:55.599 --> 00:27:57.839
water and my own stuff and to
heal and work through which is made me
443
00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:02.960
more powerful and even more impactful for
the mission itself. And the other thing
444
00:28:03.079 --> 00:28:06.960
that's been really impactful is my kids
don't see disability. You know, we
445
00:28:07.039 --> 00:28:10.680
had a double blogning ampute come over
the house when he first got to town
446
00:28:10.799 --> 00:28:14.000
and have dinner and it was he's
been here like thirty minutes and he he
447
00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:15.480
the girls one in the other room. I've had eight and six yearold little
448
00:28:15.519 --> 00:28:18.519
girl, and he said, dude, I'm freaking out because your kids they're
449
00:28:18.519 --> 00:28:22.759
not even looking at my legs right, or like they're not even staring at
450
00:28:22.839 --> 00:28:25.680
me, because that's so abnormal for
the rest of the world. So you
451
00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:30.839
know, ATF is given me permissions, made my life much more rich and
452
00:28:30.920 --> 00:28:34.160
more meaningful, and that it is
also, you know, endowed my my
453
00:28:34.400 --> 00:28:38.079
family with a perspective that, if
I leave the Earth tomorrow, I'm incredibly
454
00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:44.240
proud of. Well, certainly a
sense of purpose, right in terms of
455
00:28:44.319 --> 00:28:45.680
what you're doing and how you do
it. And you mentioned, you know,
456
00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:52.039
what is really giving you gigantic leaps
in your life and the whole you
457
00:28:52.119 --> 00:28:56.960
know, phrase around being vulnerable right, which it didn't take me to a
458
00:28:57.599 --> 00:29:02.599
fifty to figure that that word out
right, and it's really when all these
459
00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:07.000
gifts really started to flow in and
everything that I've done those cost me money.
460
00:29:07.039 --> 00:29:08.960
These gifts I'm talking about, there's
no financial reward. Everything I do
461
00:29:10.119 --> 00:29:15.759
cost money and but it's the people, it's relationships of you know, even
462
00:29:15.960 --> 00:29:18.119
even the six months I had with
you and your team, and why you
463
00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:22.039
pick me to be with that,
on that particular boat, with that particular
464
00:29:22.119 --> 00:29:23.839
person. What I held on to, you know, all the way down
465
00:29:23.880 --> 00:29:27.279
the river. You know, I
don't know, but it was another guy
466
00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:30.799
named Q. He was in the
boat, and so, you know,
467
00:29:30.920 --> 00:29:36.039
it's just a really cool, really
really cool experience. Tell me, tell
468
00:29:36.160 --> 00:29:38.400
me, give me an example of
I mean I gave an example from based
469
00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:41.920
on my one and only really interaction
with somebody that brought me to tears.
470
00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:48.480
But give me something that has been
maybe the like when you start talking about
471
00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:52.480
the person's arc and they are coming
in there were completely, a hundred percent
472
00:29:52.680 --> 00:29:57.440
damaged and by the time they went
through this program and the you know,
473
00:29:57.559 --> 00:30:00.799
you saw this flower just really bloss
my sure there's, there was lots of
474
00:30:00.839 --> 00:30:03.640
stories like this, but is are
one that sticks out, you know,
475
00:30:04.440 --> 00:30:08.839
one more than the other. Yeah, over two hundred and fifty of these
476
00:30:08.920 --> 00:30:15.119
stories are just jaw dropping wow impacts. One that comes to mine a woman
477
00:30:15.319 --> 00:30:18.920
who was in a motorcycle accident with
her husband. Her husband passed, she
478
00:30:19.079 --> 00:30:23.279
ended up losing her leg. Above
the name. She remembered like nothing from
479
00:30:23.400 --> 00:30:27.319
the occurrence, aside from news clippings
and, you know, police reports and
480
00:30:27.400 --> 00:30:30.599
so on. And you know,
like a lot of these athletes, they
481
00:30:30.640 --> 00:30:33.720
come at an orientation, their posture, they're, you know, body position
482
00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:37.400
sucks and they're very somber and they
say things like I just I just want
483
00:30:37.400 --> 00:30:40.519
to feel normal again. I just
want to get back to who I was
484
00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:44.319
before this. And it's funny because
I I earlier. They and on say
485
00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:45.599
hey, how about if I walked
up to you and I try to compliment
486
00:30:45.640 --> 00:30:48.759
you and say hey, mark,
you really normal. But like, who
487
00:30:48.799 --> 00:30:52.839
wants to be called normal? The
truth is is what's? Replace that with
488
00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:56.640
uncommon. Right, that's a really
uncommon person. Right. I want to
489
00:30:56.640 --> 00:30:59.839
get to know that person's story,
like what is, because wisdom is healed
490
00:30:59.960 --> 00:31:03.279
pain, and when I'm around a
lot of people that have been, you
491
00:31:03.400 --> 00:31:07.920
know, affected by traumas or been
dealt scars, there's a wisdom in them
492
00:31:07.960 --> 00:31:12.759
and I'm eager and curious to listen
to the way that they position what has
493
00:31:12.839 --> 00:31:15.799
happened to them. As if it's
for her against them. And so,
494
00:31:17.519 --> 00:31:22.000
you know, being able to talk
to this woman early on the program was
495
00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:25.400
just this very timid thing and then
you could see her write like a plane
496
00:31:25.440 --> 00:31:27.440
taking off, just slowly getting more
altitude and a little bit more swag,
497
00:31:27.559 --> 00:31:30.640
or a little bit more attitude,
little bit more energy and emotion. Well,
498
00:31:30.680 --> 00:31:36.039
we do this thing called so madic
emotional release. It's basically using breathwork
499
00:31:36.440 --> 00:31:41.960
to to dance the tight rope between
your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which
500
00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:45.440
is fight or flight, rest and
digests, right, those are the two,
501
00:31:45.880 --> 00:31:48.160
and to be able to create governance
over those. We see certain things
502
00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:52.960
in the body being stored and being
stuck and other things moving and there's there's
503
00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:56.039
asymmetry usually. So we'll put her
on this Yoga Mat, we do six
504
00:31:56.200 --> 00:31:59.720
to eight rounds of intense breathwork and
then we ask her to visualize and go
505
00:31:59.880 --> 00:32:04.880
back to the night of and this
takes her trusting us, like bulletproof trust,
506
00:32:05.079 --> 00:32:07.519
because we're taking her to the to
the most vulnerable state, right into
507
00:32:07.799 --> 00:32:12.640
her biggest level of trauma. So
finally, after about six rounds, she
508
00:32:12.839 --> 00:32:16.640
sat up and tears streaming down her
face. She said, I remember the
509
00:32:16.759 --> 00:32:21.039
last thing you said to me,
I remember leaving the restaurant, I remember
510
00:32:21.119 --> 00:32:22.519
holding him as but, and I
mean I do, I got goose bumps
511
00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:25.720
right now and she's just now.
To a lot of people, most people
512
00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:28.880
would probably go I don't even want
to know. I don't even want to
513
00:32:28.920 --> 00:32:30.759
go there. But for her she
needed that. She wanted some closure and
514
00:32:30.839 --> 00:32:34.920
she wanted to see what could come
up so that she couldn't so that she
515
00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:38.079
wouldn't suppress or repress it any longer, knowing that this path that we were
516
00:32:38.440 --> 00:32:42.680
guiding her through was that, you
know, the emotion stored in the body
517
00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:47.400
create disharmony and dis ease over time. And so that suddenly, boom for
518
00:32:47.519 --> 00:32:52.279
her, it was like, you
know, just just the noss button and
519
00:32:52.440 --> 00:32:54.240
she took off and a graduation.
She stood up and she, you know,
520
00:32:54.359 --> 00:32:58.039
earned her patch and she's like,
I'm gonna Bubba, the Bubba,
521
00:32:58.079 --> 00:32:59.799
the BUBBA. I'm going to do
this, I'm going to climb this,
522
00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:01.920
I'm going to work here, I'M
A and it was like watch out world,
523
00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:06.960
right. So those are those things
that, if we can earn their
524
00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:09.960
trust, there's plenty of again doing
a week of adaptive skiing. That's a
525
00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:13.880
cool thing. Getting a veteran a
job or a house or something, that's
526
00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:15.960
great stuff. But if we're not
right between the years, it's not going
527
00:33:16.039 --> 00:33:19.960
to stick, it's not going to
be sustainable. Right. So we we
528
00:33:20.119 --> 00:33:22.960
built a not for profit that is
going to wait in the water do life
529
00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:27.720
for nine weeks with the hopes that
when the wheels start to shake, they
530
00:33:27.759 --> 00:33:30.559
can recall the tools they've been equipped
with, but also be able to call
531
00:33:30.720 --> 00:33:32.559
us and say, Hey, am
I crazy? Everybody says I'm crazy.
532
00:33:32.640 --> 00:33:36.119
Like Hey, you're not crazy,
you're just uncommon. So let's take an
533
00:33:36.200 --> 00:33:39.480
uncommon approach just problem solve our way
through this. It's awesome. Love that.
534
00:33:39.680 --> 00:33:45.559
Love that. So shifting just a
hair, I want to know about
535
00:33:45.839 --> 00:33:51.359
your ellen experience. Yeah, you
know Ellen. I'll be honest. I
536
00:33:51.640 --> 00:33:53.599
think that the rumors, well,
they're even rumors now they've come out.
537
00:33:53.640 --> 00:33:58.000
I don't think Ellen has a great
track record, you know, for her
538
00:33:58.039 --> 00:34:01.279
people and her staff. And if
I'm honest, Bro I ellen was it
539
00:34:01.359 --> 00:34:05.920
wasn't a letdown. It was a
cool experience, but it was it was
540
00:34:06.279 --> 00:34:08.320
dog and pony man, and it
was how many times we have to go
541
00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:12.400
through the questions that she's going to
bring up. It was like they scripted,
542
00:34:12.440 --> 00:34:15.559
basically, you know, like it's
not scripted, but it's scripted.
543
00:34:15.599 --> 00:34:16.679
And like, you know, I
don't I'm not here to Bash Allen.
544
00:34:16.719 --> 00:34:21.079
It was a great exposure and a
great platform, but it just felt like
545
00:34:21.360 --> 00:34:25.440
it was, yeah, just an
industrial line and it just didn't feel authentic.
546
00:34:25.519 --> 00:34:30.199
I think about the things in the
last eight years and a lot of
547
00:34:30.239 --> 00:34:32.440
people never see them because they weren't
built for external facing, you know,
548
00:34:32.599 --> 00:34:37.800
projects. But it's like when you
show up and you don't care who's watching
549
00:34:37.960 --> 00:34:40.440
or who sees it, and everybody
shows up that way, then if it
550
00:34:40.639 --> 00:34:45.960
is projected out into the world,
the frequency or the energy around it,
551
00:34:45.079 --> 00:34:49.519
the reception of that is so much
more altruistic and authentic. I mean,
552
00:34:49.559 --> 00:34:52.239
cannot saying you can't plan, but
you know, I mean like even your
553
00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:54.519
film crew on Everest Right and everything
to let up to it, that was
554
00:34:54.599 --> 00:34:59.559
a level of commitment where they too
are going to have to be vulnerable,
555
00:34:59.639 --> 00:35:01.360
are going to have to put themselves
in harms way to get this thing done,
556
00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:05.960
and it's a different mindset that approaches
it. Then like an ellen experience
557
00:35:06.039 --> 00:35:08.079
or something like that. Well,
the whole thing. Look to your to
558
00:35:08.159 --> 00:35:12.440
your point on the film. It's
just when we store to the when we
559
00:35:12.519 --> 00:35:16.519
store the project up until the last
day came on the mountain. There was
560
00:35:16.599 --> 00:35:20.119
no plan, there was no storyline. It was just like this story line
561
00:35:20.199 --> 00:35:23.280
was a cures mark. He's a
former NFL players daughter's epilepsy and he's going
562
00:35:23.320 --> 00:35:27.639
to Mount Everest, like what's going
to happen now? Right? And so
563
00:35:27.880 --> 00:35:30.199
it's all the film and then all
the drama went down and just you know,
564
00:35:30.400 --> 00:35:36.079
I anytime somebody in it times,
somebody reaches out to me and they
565
00:35:36.119 --> 00:35:39.480
want me to be on their podcast
and they they they've sent me. This
566
00:35:39.599 --> 00:35:43.400
doesn't happen very often, but they've
sent me like a ten point question.
567
00:35:43.480 --> 00:35:46.519
There just don't do it right because, again, you just don't know where
568
00:35:46.519 --> 00:35:50.400
these conversations that go and you do
want them to be authentic, because that
569
00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:53.239
is what makes things really rich and
really digging in and I think the whole
570
00:35:53.320 --> 00:35:57.440
key, like if in anything that
you do, if the more you listen
571
00:35:57.519 --> 00:36:00.599
to more you can dig and really
uncover what's really going long, you know.
572
00:36:00.920 --> 00:36:05.639
So, for in terms of ATF, where do you see that going
573
00:36:05.760 --> 00:36:07.599
from here? Because you guys have
tre menace amount of momentum and you know,
574
00:36:07.719 --> 00:36:10.960
I just I can imagine the mental
lives. You said two hundred and
575
00:36:12.039 --> 00:36:15.840
something people have have gone through your
program and and so, you know,
576
00:36:16.039 --> 00:36:19.679
to elevate that to a different level, I don't even know that level will
577
00:36:19.719 --> 00:36:22.039
be. Yeah, so I think
the root is what we've touched on today,
578
00:36:22.079 --> 00:36:25.320
which is storytelling. Right, people
find themselves and other people's stories.
579
00:36:25.440 --> 00:36:30.480
So we are in really exciting I
can't say much because of NBA and shopping
580
00:36:30.559 --> 00:36:35.079
agreements, but in two thousand and
twenty two there will be a docu series.
581
00:36:35.119 --> 00:36:37.960
So imagine this, right, the
character development is Badass. So you
582
00:36:37.079 --> 00:36:42.800
have ten adaptive athletes, some better
in some civilian, from all different walks
583
00:36:42.840 --> 00:36:45.480
to versus, diversity of life,
and they're going to go through this nine
584
00:36:45.519 --> 00:36:47.960
week course, right. And and
yes, there's this episodic kind of heroes
585
00:36:49.119 --> 00:36:52.159
arc as you follow through this journey. But then you watch this cohort eventually
586
00:36:52.159 --> 00:36:55.800
go on their redeployment trip and they're
bomited down the mountain or whatever. Then
587
00:36:57.400 --> 00:37:00.679
they come back to train the new
class. So you're going to be able
588
00:37:00.760 --> 00:37:05.320
to see the person that was in
this pit have this crescendo and then where
589
00:37:05.320 --> 00:37:07.920
are they now? Will now they're
back to pay it forward. Now,
590
00:37:07.119 --> 00:37:10.559
the storytelling side of that is going
to put a huge spotlight on a large
591
00:37:10.679 --> 00:37:14.960
platform. Then it is going to
be tens of thousands, because there's forty
592
00:37:14.960 --> 00:37:19.800
million Americans that have been labeled and
filed with a physical disability in just the
593
00:37:19.920 --> 00:37:23.840
United States. Forty million. Okay, now let's say ten or twenty thousand
594
00:37:23.880 --> 00:37:28.320
of those apply to come to my
program right. That that does. That's
595
00:37:28.360 --> 00:37:31.039
not good math. Right. And
again, we're the laboratory that is my
596
00:37:31.159 --> 00:37:35.280
program is the gym. We're looking
for a specific type of person. I
597
00:37:35.400 --> 00:37:37.760
need to build something for the masses
that's scalable and it's not in brick and
598
00:37:37.840 --> 00:37:42.639
mortar, especially not in a postcovid
landscape. So what it is is this
599
00:37:42.719 --> 00:37:46.400
adaptive class. We're building a hybrid
digital infrastructure. People are familiar with masterclass,
600
00:37:46.639 --> 00:37:51.480
similar concept, but the idea would
be a nine week protocol that follows
601
00:37:51.519 --> 00:37:53.719
what we do in the gym,
but done in a selfdirected weekly way with
602
00:37:53.840 --> 00:37:58.639
a once a week live interface with
one of our alumni coaches who have graduated.
603
00:37:58.639 --> 00:38:01.119
It helps the the you, the
adaptive athlete. That's graduated. They
604
00:38:01.239 --> 00:38:07.039
get paid right to do it once
a week live with other people with similar
605
00:38:07.119 --> 00:38:10.440
impairments. So I'm going above the
ampute. I have thirty above the amputees
606
00:38:10.480 --> 00:38:15.159
in my class on the hybrid digital
and we're going to do a once a
607
00:38:15.239 --> 00:38:17.719
week live interface where I'm going to
take them to a workout, they're doing
608
00:38:17.760 --> 00:38:22.519
the same breath and meditation stuff,
being able to talk about this life as
609
00:38:22.519 --> 00:38:25.760
an above the ampute. So the
future of ATF is a model that is
610
00:38:25.840 --> 00:38:31.159
scalable in a digital infrastructure and a
docu series is going to be able to
611
00:38:31.239 --> 00:38:37.039
tell stories for maximizing support, awareness
and just the opportunity for, you know,
612
00:38:37.079 --> 00:38:42.519
again having getting blown up right,
going on a first deployment, being
613
00:38:42.639 --> 00:38:45.480
nineteen years old, coming back at
triple ampute. One of the guys in
614
00:38:45.519 --> 00:38:49.440
our gym is this exact guy.
The what next question isn't just it,
615
00:38:49.599 --> 00:38:52.920
it's like where can I even provision
for myself? Because if I've earn more
616
00:38:53.000 --> 00:38:57.519
than x right, I lose my
social security disability. So there's this trap
617
00:38:58.159 --> 00:39:00.199
right, and with it it's like
Yo, hey, take victim on a
618
00:39:00.239 --> 00:39:04.079
silver platter, go take your prescription, your meds and go sit on the
619
00:39:04.119 --> 00:39:06.800
couch and what we're saying is like
no, man, the thing, the
620
00:39:07.000 --> 00:39:12.480
the thing that has caused you this
trauma is actually a qualifying factor for where
621
00:39:12.559 --> 00:39:15.800
you can be of great contribution to
society and others. So we're just shifting
622
00:39:15.880 --> 00:39:20.079
that narrative in a bottom up approach, saying the people closest to these,
623
00:39:20.199 --> 00:39:22.760
quote, problems are the best to
solve them. Right, if they can
624
00:39:22.880 --> 00:39:27.880
solve them and earn while doing it. Dude, you've got to actually you've
625
00:39:27.880 --> 00:39:31.199
got a pretty entrepreneurial social interface and
that's that's really where we're going with ATF.
626
00:39:31.679 --> 00:39:36.239
I love this, love this work. Can People find you? Because
627
00:39:36.320 --> 00:39:38.599
because people have to hear more about
this stuff. Yeah, thanks, man.
628
00:39:38.639 --> 00:39:42.679
I mean the certainly social media right
seems like that to go to for
629
00:39:42.760 --> 00:39:46.119
everyone, whether that's myself, David
Barbora or adaptive training foundation, on those
630
00:39:46.159 --> 00:39:52.039
social channels, or you can go
to team ATF, team ATF DOT Org.
631
00:39:52.559 --> 00:39:58.280
The website has sponsorship opportunities, donation
opportunities. Here's where I tell people
632
00:39:58.320 --> 00:40:01.840
they're listening. Some people have the
capacity to dontate. That's awesome. You
633
00:40:01.880 --> 00:40:06.280
can buy a t shirt right there's
there's swag that's on the site. That
634
00:40:06.480 --> 00:40:08.760
all those proceeds go to athlete sponsorships
and you can wear with somebody asks,
635
00:40:08.800 --> 00:40:12.360
you can talk about it. But
the last thing I'll say that is certainly
636
00:40:12.480 --> 00:40:15.280
free is if you see a video
and it it resonates with you, it
637
00:40:15.360 --> 00:40:19.880
captivates you, to motivates you,
share it, share it, tag us,
638
00:40:20.079 --> 00:40:22.920
tag me, because you never know
who in your sphere of influence is
639
00:40:22.920 --> 00:40:28.599
going to see that poster or share
and be touched right like I just to
640
00:40:28.679 --> 00:40:30.440
believe that you look somebody in their
eyes and treat them like a whole person
641
00:40:30.920 --> 00:40:36.920
and that person shows up and sometimes
just sharing that video is that connect that
642
00:40:37.320 --> 00:40:39.639
you know, in the disconnected world, we realize that that can be that
643
00:40:39.760 --> 00:40:44.880
little dose of hope right and that
could be all the difference. Well,
644
00:40:44.960 --> 00:40:50.119
I can say this with absolute certainty. YOU ARE NOT MR irrelevant. You're
645
00:40:50.280 --> 00:40:53.159
very relevant. You're doing a mazing
things with ATF and just the positivity that
646
00:40:53.280 --> 00:41:00.119
you glow when you're around others like
myself, when I had a really amazing
647
00:41:00.239 --> 00:41:04.679
opportunity to be a part of your
your Organization for one day in association with
648
00:41:04.760 --> 00:41:08.119
Hi Ground, who I'm connected with, and really hope that in the future
649
00:41:08.239 --> 00:41:13.000
that either I'm in Dallas, or
your back here in some valley and I
650
00:41:13.039 --> 00:41:15.719
can come out and visit your your
a facility, or, you know,
651
00:41:15.840 --> 00:41:20.440
we're floating down another river, you
know, somewhere out here in the valley.
652
00:41:20.519 --> 00:41:22.440
So for that, thank you very
much for coming on, thank you
653
00:41:22.480 --> 00:41:27.199
for doing what you do and best
of luck in the future and if there's
654
00:41:27.199 --> 00:41:29.960
anything I can do to you know
further your cause, you let me know.
655
00:41:30.239 --> 00:41:32.199
Thanks, brother. Thank you.
I'd say this. The only personal
656
00:41:32.480 --> 00:41:37.039
ask is, when you do answer
to what's next question for you, you
657
00:41:37.039 --> 00:41:40.039
gotta let me know because I got
to sneaky suspicion. I'm going to be
658
00:41:40.079 --> 00:41:43.039
a I want to be a part
of it. Yeah, yeah, well,
659
00:41:43.079 --> 00:41:45.880
it's coming out. It's some clarities
coming around really quick. So all
660
00:41:45.960 --> 00:41:51.480
right, folks, there is the
one, the only David Bokoro there were
661
00:41:51.519 --> 00:42:00.440
going take. Hey, and thank
you so much for listening to the Fund
662
00:42:00.519 --> 00:42:05.119
your summit podcast. We are so
glad to have you long for this journey
663
00:42:05.559 --> 00:42:07.480
and if you enjoy the show,
please tell a friend, share it on
664
00:42:07.599 --> 00:42:13.480
Itunes, spread it to the planet. We're looking to broadcast this to every
665
00:42:13.679 --> 00:42:16.199
person that is out there because,
as you know, everybody has their own
666
00:42:16.320 --> 00:42:21.960
summit that they're going after. Okay, if you're looking to follow my journey,
667
00:42:22.000 --> 00:42:25.559
you can find that through my social
links on Mark Pattison nflcom. That's
668
00:42:25.639 --> 00:42:35.840
Mark and M R K Pattison Pattio
in nflcom. So until the next podcast,
669
00:42:36.039 --> 00:42:39.840
disremember clear eyes, full hearts and
remember it takes a little more to
670
00:42:39.960 --> 00:43:00.920
make a champion, so make it
happen. Thank you. Bye. This
671
00:43:00.199 --> 00:43:06.400
podcast is a part of this c
sweet radio network from more top business podcasts.
672
00:43:06.800 --> 00:43:08.400
Is it see sweet RADIOCOM
1
00:00:05.799 --> 00:00:11.800
Hey everybody, it's more Pattison.
I'm back once again for another funenomenal podcast
2
00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:16.280
on the network. Here this week
I've got another amazing guests doing incredible things.
3
00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:19.920
But before we get to that,
I want you in remind you to
4
00:00:19.960 --> 00:00:26.440
go to my website, wwwom Pattison
nflcom and of course you can see all
5
00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:33.479
these other really incredible podcast people overcome
an adversity and finding their way and,
6
00:00:33.560 --> 00:00:39.200
as always, encourage you to go
to itunes and give a ratings and review.
7
00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:44.640
Helps with the popularity of the show, which just gives us more exposure
8
00:00:44.679 --> 00:00:47.880
to these amazing stories that are out
there. Number two, we have the
9
00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:51.960
film, the NFL film on Everest. That's coming out in September. I
10
00:00:51.960 --> 00:00:56.719
will keep you posted on that.
We are having a big program here in
11
00:00:56.759 --> 00:01:00.399
some Valley Idaho on the twenty three. It's going to be exciting, it's
12
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going to be amazing and all to
go to higher ground, which leads me
13
00:01:03.519 --> 00:01:08.799
to my third point, the philanthropy
tab. Everything I do in terms of
14
00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:17.480
of philanthropy fundraising goes to my campaign
within higher ground called a Milias Everest.
15
00:01:17.480 --> 00:01:21.840
My daughter is epileopsy. She's fighting
a way through that and higher ground is
16
00:01:21.879 --> 00:01:26.359
this an amazing organization helping in a
lot of cases military people coming back,
17
00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:30.000
that are wounded, they are banged
up, that have called to issues,
18
00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:34.599
and higher ground is there to help
serve those people in so many ways.
19
00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:41.519
Okay, let's get into the day's
podcast. I've got an incredible guy actually
20
00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:46.480
met through higher ground, named David
Voorbura. David, how you doing?
21
00:01:46.519 --> 00:01:49.439
Hey, mark, excited for this
common buddy? Yeah, you know,
22
00:01:49.480 --> 00:01:52.599
I actually I was going to start
off with something you far in the past,
23
00:01:52.680 --> 00:01:56.239
but I was going to write I
gave you due respect and called you
24
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by your first name. There's another
name that you're associated what it called?
25
00:01:59.599 --> 00:02:02.840
Mr Your relevant yeah, buddy,
the infamous title. Yeah, so let
26
00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:06.959
me just set this up and now
I'll let you take it off from there.
27
00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:08.479
So one of the common bonds that
you and I have, and we
28
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have a lot of them, as
it all turns out, is that you
29
00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:15.360
were an NFL football player. You
look like one, you have the heart
30
00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:20.439
of one and it certainly you had
your day in the Sun. But you
31
00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:23.080
know, by the time and night, in two thousand and eight I was
32
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drafted in one thousand nine hundred and
eighty five by the raiders. By the
33
00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:30.039
time that you got drafted in two
thousand and eight. Obviously I'm older than
34
00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:34.800
you are, they broke it down
from twelve rounds down to seven rounds.
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00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:38.800
So explain exactly what this term means, Mr Relevant, and what that meant
36
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on that particular day for you.
Yeah, so it's funny to set the
37
00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:44.840
stage here. I was slated as
a mid to late round pick, right
38
00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:47.759
for whatever that is in the imperfect
science that is the NFL draft. And
39
00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:51.400
the draft rolled on and on.
I think most of my friends were probably
40
00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:53.879
drunk could pass out by the time
that my name got called. I just
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00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:55.719
so happened to be the two hundred
and fifty second pick in the two thousand
42
00:02:55.759 --> 00:03:00.080
eight draft, crowding me, Mr
Irrelevant. Now I had no I and
43
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this even existed. It's like five
picks to the end and somebody in the
44
00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:05.680
room says, Hey, I heard
the last pig like gets a car or
45
00:03:05.719 --> 00:03:08.280
something, and at the time I'm
driving a moped at the University of Idaho,
46
00:03:08.360 --> 00:03:10.560
so I might do anything's an upgrade
for me. I'll take a car,
47
00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:13.840
even if it's a hand me down. So we google it and then
48
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it's like this whole week out in
Orange County and they celebrate the first or
49
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the last. Is the first and
there's all and I'm like, well,
50
00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:23.280
that'd be kind of fun. And
then, sure enough, right Scotland Ahan
51
00:03:23.479 --> 00:03:27.039
is a head coach of the rams. He calls me. I end up,
52
00:03:27.080 --> 00:03:29.680
you know, and he says,
listen, don't worry about this title,
53
00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:31.560
we're drafting you to play man.
Come ready to go, and that's
54
00:03:31.560 --> 00:03:35.039
all I needed to hear. Right, call me Mr anything you want.
55
00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:38.919
I got drafted in the NFL and
you know, the travesty is actually the
56
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second to last pick, because he
doesn't get all the HOOPLA, the media
57
00:03:40.599 --> 00:03:45.919
platform. I got phone to Orange
County, drove a Lamborghini for the week,
58
00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:49.120
Disneyland, the Playboy Mansion Tonight,
show all that stuff, which is
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all fine. It's a little tongue
in cheek. But, like I said,
60
00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:53.680
like I was going to use this
foot in the door guys like you
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00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:57.479
and me mark, like we're going
to blast it wide open and create an
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opportunity. Yeah, that's great,
that's great. You know, as you
63
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were talking about, I am from
the Pacific northwest to or you. You
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grew up in Eugene, Oregon,
and all of a sudden. You find
65
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a home at the University of Idaho
and I've been there in Moscow Idaho.
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You actually used to stay there for
the huskies when we play Washington State Pullman,
67
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which is only about eight miles away. And you know when you came
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and we were first introduced to each
other a month ago, we were recording
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now, on July twenty seven.
This show will come out probably in a
70
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month or so, but when we
talked a month ago, or so,
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you know I was. I was
really impressed with your size, which isn't
72
00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:36.800
at normal for a linebacker in the
NFL. You look like you fit that
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role perfectly. But I'm always surprised
at how you know, typically a guy,
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00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:46.720
especially who makes it all the way
up and into the NFL regardless,
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because when I was the seventh round
pick, I wasn't Mr a relevant cause
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we have twelve picks right. Yeah, so you know, but at the
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end of the day, you and
I got drafted around the same your seventh
78
00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:59.600
throwne on my seventh rone. I
looked the part for Washington at the time.
79
00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:01.879
You looked the part like you could
have played for Washington, the USC
80
00:05:02.199 --> 00:05:05.639
or any other roople the time,
but how does a guy go from Eugene
81
00:05:05.720 --> 00:05:12.560
organ the backyard, you've got University
of Oregon that is cranking the football,
82
00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:15.360
that they somehow another slipped through the
cracks and end up at a smaller school?
83
00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:18.079
Yeah, you know, I pops
was a duck. He actually played
84
00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:21.959
against you. He was a linebacker
from seventysand eight hundred and eighty one for
85
00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:25.560
the ducks. And so you know, for me, I was always a
86
00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:29.600
skinny pencil net quarterback. Actually didn't
convert to a linebacker until I got to
87
00:05:29.639 --> 00:05:32.240
college. So I was an athlete
right, that sort of title, which
88
00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:34.959
should be a compliment, but the
same time it kind of says like Hey's
89
00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:38.959
athletic enough to play multiple spots,
but we don't know if he's excellent at
90
00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:42.000
any of them. So there's a
lot of development that needed to be made.
91
00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:45.120
And again I would add one d
one offered right Oregon, Oregon State.
92
00:05:45.160 --> 00:05:46.959
All those people pulled out so we'd
be have preferred walk off and I
93
00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:50.759
said sorry, I didn't get free
school. Plus I wanted to play d
94
00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:54.720
one at a level where I had
the opportunity early. So, you know,
95
00:05:54.839 --> 00:05:58.519
a hundred ninety pounds, soaking wet
plane linebacker getting my ass handed to
96
00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:01.240
me as a true fresh been,
but it was an opportunity. You know,
97
00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:03.720
we weren't real good, you know, during those years. Actually we're
98
00:06:03.800 --> 00:06:06.000
terrible, should even say real good. We are in the basement of the
99
00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:10.480
NCAA. But it was an opportunity
for me to fly all over the field,
100
00:06:10.519 --> 00:06:13.959
make a lot of tackles and it
ultimately led to moving up to the
101
00:06:13.959 --> 00:06:16.639
next level and, you know,
being able to embrace this underdog role.
102
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I was going to exceed expectation through
hard work. So this is for the
103
00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:26.839
audience right now, so anybody that's
listening to this pod. This, this
104
00:06:26.879 --> 00:06:28.920
first part of the pod is all
about me, because I want to hear
105
00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:32.600
about your football stuff. What we
are going to dig into is this is
106
00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:36.720
this incredible work that you're doing,
the impact that you're having, and I
107
00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:40.920
saw firsthand and I was blown away. It literally brought me to tears and
108
00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:44.279
we're going to get into that in
just a minute. But a couple more
109
00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:46.279
things, because I think this was
really interesting. was just kind of a
110
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factoid on you, which is that
you know your plan in the NFL,
111
00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:57.319
like I was, and and as
athletes, and we're seeing this right now
112
00:06:57.319 --> 00:07:00.639
because Olympics are going on, is
that all the athletes are out there trying
113
00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:04.519
to get the edge. You know
food, Diet, you know all the
114
00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:10.959
nutrition, new ways to exercise,
to refine your body, you know,
115
00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:14.319
and I you know whatever it takes. Like you're always looking for what's the
116
00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:16.000
next thing? How can I get
you better and how can you get the
117
00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:19.480
edge on somebody else? And one
of those things that you did was you
118
00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:24.120
were taking various supplements, like I
take protein powder today. It's a natural
119
00:07:24.240 --> 00:07:29.279
food based our plant based protein,
and that's why I take two scoops and
120
00:07:29.319 --> 00:07:30.920
I put it into myself on someone
smoothie. You'll like that, right,
121
00:07:31.319 --> 00:07:34.439
love them. And Yeah, so, so back in the day, I
122
00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:39.160
want you to explain what happened because, no, it's just a huge lesson
123
00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:44.519
for manufacturers and people out there in
the supplement business about what they put into
124
00:07:44.600 --> 00:07:49.600
their their various ingredients of the products
of the dead. Yeah, the proprietary
125
00:07:49.639 --> 00:07:53.839
blend, right, they there's certain
things that they can or that they have
126
00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:57.160
to report and certain things that they
don't, and within that proprietary blends where
127
00:07:57.199 --> 00:08:00.439
you get into trouble. It's the
wild west. Now, I did things
128
00:08:00.439 --> 00:08:03.040
by the book, which I was
always a by the Book Guy, believe
129
00:08:03.079 --> 00:08:07.800
me, had I been on steroids, my my facique wild looked drastically different,
130
00:08:07.959 --> 00:08:09.480
I would say, with how much
I was working out. And again,
131
00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:11.959
I think that edge a lots of
times it comes in that bucket of
132
00:08:11.959 --> 00:08:16.519
recovery. If you can recover faster, right, you can then go further,
133
00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:18.560
go harder, go faster. So
you know, for me it was
134
00:08:18.600 --> 00:08:22.399
like I called the hotline for this
product. They said, hey, there's
135
00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:24.319
nothing that you're reporting, that there
is on the label. This is not
136
00:08:24.360 --> 00:08:28.560
a product where largely familiar with,
but you know, we would counsel you
137
00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:31.759
that you're taking the stature of discretion. I did that twice with two different
138
00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:35.279
people. decided to take the supplement
and new some other people taking the supplement
139
00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:39.399
long and short, ended up popping
for performance enhancing drugs. Knew that I
140
00:08:39.399 --> 00:08:43.000
did nothing wrong. Put everything in
my locker. I swear I used every
141
00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:48.200
penny I had in my rookie bank
account shift into this very very very valid,
142
00:08:48.279 --> 00:08:52.360
very expertise lab and they did a
bunch of you know, breakdowns and
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components. They found that it was
tainted. But again, at first you're
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trying to go and and contender,
appeal this suspensions, four game suspension,
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and it's all internal. Nobody the
outside world knows. Eventually, when we
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realize that the NFL doesn't care,
I don't care if it was a broccoli
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supplement right and only brocky was in
there, they still are going to stand
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by. Hey, what's in your
bodies your responsibility, and that's how I
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would counsel anybody you know that that
is looking for an edge. I would
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say are on the side of being
prudent, not taking it and figuring out
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other ways than been taking it and
risking it, but ended up having to
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take the suspension and that sucked.
Man Like those that love me and new
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me knew the truth, but I
got hate mail. I'd have fans like
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my son's tearing up your card.
You're a cheat, you're a fraud,
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and it makes you like again like
I'd never I was never the first round
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draft picks. I didn't have a
ton of scrutiny on the outside world,
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but suddenly it was there and so
I had to my world got really small.
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I anchored myself in the things that
I could control and then had to
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work through two years in court to
eventually get exonerated and still one the largest
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supplement case to date of all time
against a pro sports athlete. So,
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yeah, to be exonerate time,
but that gets printed in page thirty seven,
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right, compared to the front page
one that was initially. So took
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a huge financial hit, took a
huge reputation hit, but those that know,
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mean those that have seen me and
continue to see my life since then,
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see that. Let's listen, this
guy's characters is of high value.
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Yeah, and for those that don't
know, typically the way the NFL pays
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out, if you're being know that
you you establish your salary and if you're
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playing sixteen games there and every week, you're getting one sixteenth of the salary.
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So if you're talking before game suspension, that means you're getting for paychecks
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that aren't coming your way. Right. So, and that was big for
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Mr irrelevant because he was not on
the multi billion dollar contract life. Listen,
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I appreciate that. was also back
in one thousand nine hundred and eighty
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five. So I get that.
Okay, so now we get let's let's
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transition out of the NFL. So, like a lot of people, that
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was one of them and and in
a credit the NFL today because they were
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so much more educational and there's so
much more care taking in terms of life
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after football and what to do in
educational program so so that's the good news.
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But at the end of the day
it's still avoid you know, you
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and I and other guys like that
have driven this fast car for a long
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time and it's the only card that
you know and it's the greatest thing of
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all time. There's nothing better.
And then you go off this cliff and
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now you're asking the question now what? And so I want to transition that
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in for you, to you in
terms of where you got inspired to start
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where we're going to talk about ATF
adaptive training foundation. So go ahead.
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Yeah, so you know again,
my NFL career was respectable. Did more
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than some, but less than most, is how I say it. And
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and again, I actually got hurt
playing in Seattle for the seahawks. Last
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play I played in the League.
I had a catastrophic shoulder injury. Now
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that was what others saw. What
was going on inside was an identity crisis,
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and you nailed it right. You
reshoot this pinnacle. You're so hyper
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focus and laser focused on being successful
in the field that you know, you
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start to identify overly with what you
do as who you are, and so
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I think this identical identity crisis not
dissimilar to our veterans. Right are are
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military service members who go out,
they're cheating at the highest level, giving
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orders, taking orders, by the
way. That's the real battlefield, and
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they're the ones that suddenly get ripped
from that. They come home and they're
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like well, what next? Right, they don't. They don't necessarily have
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a road map for transitioning well,
to see that their gifts that made them
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great in service or on the football
field applied to the next phases of their
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life. And so that the Frank
Truth is is I coped using pain pills,
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drugs, anything I can give my
hands on, anything to numb myself.
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And now, after decade post football
and being able to see some of
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the things in my early childhood and
some other developmental stuff, there was a
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lot of writing on the wall where
I use football to achieve so people would
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applaud so they wouldn't ask me what
the hell was really going on inside.
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Starting to address the reason behind the
reason for some of this need to cope.
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Right, that was where the real
healing happened, but football and the
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opportunity to be in the NFL was
a platform for me to do the most
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significant work of my life, which
is what I'm doing through this foundation.
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You know, the gym is a
sanctuary in my eyes. It's one that
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the iron doesn't care, what color, what sexual preference, would race with
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gender, any of that right.
And so I use the the weight room
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as a way to see, wait
a second, I love this. How
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can I help other athletes? But
then I met a guy that got blown
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up, lost all four limbs.
Staff Stars and Travis Mills, quadruple amputee,
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was at a surprise birthday party for
a friend. He walked in.
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I'm sure I was rude to whoever
I was talking to because I'd been mind
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it for trapped, as you know. Dude, when was the last time
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you worked out? And he made
a joke. You'll what are you doing,
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an asshole on our arms and legs? I said, Hey, I
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maybe an asshole, but that's not
why I said it. I think that
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there's something you have to tap into
your physic physical identity or identification. How
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do you reidentify with with the way
that your body looks today? You know,
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and and with that conversation he took
a chance on me. Pretty soon
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everyone in the gym right their excuses
disappeared, all my guys in the League,
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all my guys training from college to
get ready for the league. It
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was like everyone had to elevate because
there was this guy who seemingly had every
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reason to say no, but decided
to say yes instead. And that was
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where I realized, man, there's
this void post rehab for people with disabilities.
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Plus the gym that should be very
inclusive is actually rather exclusive. And
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if people can't access it, how
do you get this shift in perspective for
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all of us right mark like we
shouldn't have to lose a limb to make
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a lifestyle and behavioral change. That
is is an optimization for us and it
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is for the one life that we
get to live. So all of that
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to say, Pretty Soon I had
thirty or forty adaptive athletes, most of
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which were military and first responder ampute's, final cord injuries, neurological diseases like
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Parkinson or NS. We were creating
a way to assess and train them,
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but I wasn't charging them because I
was watching them find a life that they
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had marginalized or they'd kind of been
on the sideline. Now I saw them
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engaging in the game. So I
started the adaptive training foundation, which is
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the five, one, see three
not for profit. We provide costs free
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training for people disabilities. We run
a nine week program and after training and
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for nine weeks, we take them
on a week redeployment. And that's mark
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where we just suck it. Got
To sync up and Sun Valley, because
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now it's like, you train for
nine weeks, how do you apply yourself?
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Bombing it down a mountain, mountain
biking or climbing a rock face or
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Whitewater rafting like we did, being
able to adventure and experiencing things as an
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athlete. Now a lot of these
people, no, Bauerman said that if
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you have a human body or an
athlete, whether you compete at support or
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not. That was really become an
ethos for us, because these people,
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they don't see themselves as, or
didn't see themselves as, athlete after they
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got hurt. Now we can redefine
that and they can start to have opportunities
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to not just, you know,
be a consumer, but then come back
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and train others like them as a
contributor. Then it becomes full circle and
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you watch people you know take on
their whole potential. Well, let's talk
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about the by the way, Travis
Mills was on the podcast. So if
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anybody was about Travis is this comedian. That's what he is. He is
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a legit stand up community. He's
hilarious. Yeah, and by the way,
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I believe you're Jim is anddell's Texas
correct. Correct. Yes, yeah,
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so, let me give you this. This, this is you came
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up with this, and I believe, but I think this says it all.
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To empower this is what ATF is
all about, okay, to empower
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the human athlete, Restore Hope Through
Movement and redefine the limits of individuals with
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disabilities. So I love it.
I love it and and I want to
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tell you quickly about my experience.
So so let's go back. So you're
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you're in this new one nine week
program, right, and just like me
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now, I had a big flip
and goal out there in the goal is
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Mount Everest and the goals is seven
summons. And I've had other goals as
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well, the NFL, a one
point in college football, but but most
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recently was Mount Everest. And so
I trained like a mother, you know,
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for you know, throughout the last
actually last couple of years, you
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know, hardcore, two days every
single day. For you when I was
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talking to some of these these different
athletes that ended up on this on this
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float trip, they would go in, I think, work out at least,
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you know, two times a day. So they were on that same
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path. And then you're talking about
after like Postgraduate Wah, and they are
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awarded an opportunity to go do something
spectacular. So they're training for this moment
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to go do something. So that
the Gal that you put me in the
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boat with, I literally is she
was telling me her story. I said,
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tell me your story, and and
I'm a I I could like if
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I had five bottles of wine or
took mushrooms, whatever analogy want to make,
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I could never come up with this
type of thing. And in her
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case, you know, she was
somebody who probably made some bad choices in
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the people that she married. But
the first guy was not a good guy
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and he ended up shooting her.
Yeah, try to kill her, yeah,
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try to kill her, and she
ended up paralyzed from the essentially from
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the waist down. And then she
divorces him and then ends up with another
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guy on her wedding night of all
things, or wedday night. Maybe she
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had a little bit to my drink. She ends up on the floor of
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you know, on the bed.
She had gone to the bathroom, couldn't
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get back in and the rottweiler that
she owned came and shoot her leg off.
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So I'm sitting there talking to her. You know, she's parallelous from
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wish down with one of the legs
was from the from the knee down off.
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And until I'm listening it, just
like I couldn't even come with the
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the amount of compassion and humility I
had for like, like you know.
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Yeah, I just didn't know on
Everest and that was really cool and that
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was, you know, huge,
right compared to what she was going through
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and her pain and her struggle.
Again, you know, the name of
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this podcast is called funny. Your
so much about people have become adversity and
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fun in their way, and and
for me to even compare my my accomplishment
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compared to what she's going through,
I mean it to me, it didn't
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even compare. She was like miles
in front of me. Well, we
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all have our everest and that's the
beauty of this podcast. You know,
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I think the mountain humbles all people
at some point. So it's about allies
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and alliance. It's about doing life
with people that allow you to get out
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what you don't know how to say. Sometimes it takes that movie a hundred
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eighty degrees south. That's one of
my favorites. Right, is they're trying
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to kind of a pilgrimage to remap
the way that you've on Shin Ard and
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and now man, the get the
other founder, not north face or Patagonia
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and the north astounder. Anyway they
end up and she lay it ends up
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being this, this moment where turning
around as the hardest right, the idea
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that like we have to look at
the risk and evaluate the fact that we
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need me to turn around two hundremeters
from the top, right, and that's
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the hardest decision to make. But
the it's not necessarily turning around if you're
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taking a step in the correct direction. But that's not for all people.
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Right. How do you have people
around you that aren't trying to keep you
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safe? Right, like my wife
says all the time, she knows who
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she married. Right, I can
try to be smart. I can evaluate
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at the risk and take different data
points and then make a decision, but
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ultimately I can't be safe, you
know, and that's what we teach these
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athletes and enlistt them, because that
that you were talking about in her story
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is is grandiose and ridiculous and unfathomable. Unfathomable as it is, it's like
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we all can find a little bit
of ourselves in some of those stories,
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and so it's not that yours is
bigger or smaller, it's just that,
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like life doesn't discriminate, you know, a drunk driver, a tree falling,
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a gunshot, randomness, seemingly randomness, can actually orchestrate the biggest,
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you know, intersection of meaning and
purpose in our lives. Now it does
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it have to take trauma? No, but it's certainly a motivating factor when
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your life's turned upside down in your
force to surrender to the identity or identification
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with who you were. I say
this all the time. I'm my why,
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Dave the bore is why, is
helping people close the gap between who
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they think they are and who they're
called to be. That's that's it.
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That's a powerful thing. Right not
become right. I can't tell you what
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you're supposed to be calm, because
it that's up to you to decide.
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But your choice to the side,
whether you're tapping into who you're called to
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be. That's a that's a really
wild thing. So you're shifting from extrinsic
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worth, value and motivation to intrinsic
that type of person is unstoppable. Right.
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I don't care who you are,
you can transcend just about any type
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of pain and suffering when you have
intrinsic value and worth. You know,
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Mark, I think you know.
You and I talked and just your own
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personal development that had allowed you to
both have blinders on but also be alert
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and aware of all the factors that
you were making a choice. Right,
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you're making a choice when you're going
to do something like Everest. You're evaluating
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the risk, you're making the choice
of the other tradeoffs that you're not going
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to be able to point bandwidth an
energy toward, and then you have to
346
00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:44.519
be okay when you hit the pillow
at night as to why. But nobody
347
00:21:44.519 --> 00:21:47.119
else can tell you that. Nobody
else can say that for you. You
348
00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:49.240
don't. Ever, lots of people
watch a movie under a warm blanket about
349
00:21:49.240 --> 00:21:52.960
every since say I'm going to do
that one day. A little bit different.
350
00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:56.799
When you're out of mote to your
your you know, you're up there
351
00:21:56.799 --> 00:22:00.319
by yourself and wondering. You snowblind
and wondering like Holy Crap, what now
352
00:22:00.359 --> 00:22:03.519
you know, and I think that
we are just giving them growth, producing
353
00:22:03.559 --> 00:22:07.119
fear encounters. Not Everybody has to
be on Everest, but ways to look
354
00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:12.559
at their story so that they can
supersede or transcend it. Yeah, so
355
00:22:12.680 --> 00:22:18.720
a lot to unpack there. The
one thing, as you're talking, you
356
00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:21.960
know, the thing that just kept
hitting me. It was just mindset,
357
00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:26.119
mindset, mindset, right, because
I'm so there's plenty of times for the
358
00:22:26.200 --> 00:22:27.759
other people like I can. I
can give you the path and I can
359
00:22:27.799 --> 00:22:32.240
give you the magic formal a bit. It has to come within and and
360
00:22:32.519 --> 00:22:37.039
so you encounter so many people like
you know. So let's just go back
361
00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:41.559
to evers for a minute, okay. And of the twenty one people only
362
00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:44.599
tend some of it right, so
it's more than fifty percent. And note
363
00:22:44.920 --> 00:22:48.599
and and there was a chunk of
people in there that came that were those
364
00:22:48.599 --> 00:22:52.039
people had read the book, seen
the movie and they were trying to be
365
00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:56.559
that both. They didn't have the
true mindset of a warrior to take on
366
00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:00.440
what it was going to take to
make that kind of effort, of two
367
00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:03.119
mounts of suffering, of going up
and down, have avalanche is coming,
368
00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:07.839
June cold and all the other stuff
that counted right. And so it was
369
00:23:07.880 --> 00:23:08.920
easy for them just in plug and
said, you know, and I'm just
370
00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:12.160
I got is make them a bad
person. Sure you just have the mindset
371
00:23:12.279 --> 00:23:18.079
of the champion to do that particular
thing right. And so now I'm tapping
372
00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:22.720
into you and all the people on
this trip. So I just gave one
373
00:23:22.759 --> 00:23:27.400
example of one person. Another Gal
had been become paralyzed or something waterskiing and
374
00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:30.359
that was the first time she was
going to be in the water show.
375
00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:36.759
You're constantly having all these types of
athletes come at you and unlike you know,
376
00:23:36.920 --> 00:23:41.200
maybe if people were to come and
everybody's healthy and walking in and and
377
00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:45.759
and now there's a slight mindshift.
I mean, how do you get those
378
00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:48.599
guys that have so many obstacles against
them, how do you get them to
379
00:23:48.680 --> 00:23:53.119
take that kind of massive leap to
get to where they want to go,
380
00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:56.720
like you said, become the best
version of themselves? Yeah, it's sweat,
381
00:23:56.799 --> 00:24:00.599
psychology, because when your heart rate
goes of you start to learn about
382
00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:04.359
that monkey mind. Right. What
is your mind tell you, and can
383
00:24:04.440 --> 00:24:08.279
you acknowledge it? Right? But
then realize that it's not paying rent up
384
00:24:08.319 --> 00:24:11.799
there. Right, because there's something
in here that scans every four seconds or
385
00:24:11.880 --> 00:24:15.079
even more often, depending on your
sympathetic pair. Sympathetic, you know,
386
00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:22.200
harmony, but it looks for safety
and survival. Right. It wants to
387
00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:26.799
evaluate danger. Where your why,
as to why you're putting yourself into inherent
388
00:24:26.920 --> 00:24:32.480
danger? Exposure has to has to
be big enough and more significant enough to
389
00:24:32.559 --> 00:24:34.640
outweigh whatever this is telling you.
Right. There has to be a way
390
00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:37.799
for you to tap into go beyond. Right, like Victor Frankel did it
391
00:24:38.160 --> 00:24:42.440
in concentration camps. Right, people
do it in extreme sport. Stephen coasters
392
00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:47.480
arise of Superman as a profound book, talking about people tapping into that routinely
393
00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:51.279
so that they don't die on that
fifty foot wave or in this, you
394
00:24:51.359 --> 00:24:53.880
know, extreme sport. So for
me it's really handsol and Gretel. It's
395
00:24:53.920 --> 00:24:57.599
like, HMM, I'm going to
sit back pretend we me and this person
396
00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:00.799
on training, this athlete I'm working
with, don't speak the same language.
397
00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:06.559
I speak English, they speak Japanese. So I have to put experiential learning
398
00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:10.960
opportunities because think about this Food Business
Lens. If you're managing people, you're
399
00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:12.759
saying, hey, we need this
behavior to have this result. You got
400
00:25:12.839 --> 00:25:15.279
to do that over and over and
over and over and over. If you
401
00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:19.880
create a hear me, this is
leadership. You create an experience that changes
402
00:25:19.960 --> 00:25:25.440
of belief, that shapes of behavior, that then changes a result. So
403
00:25:25.720 --> 00:25:29.200
you have to be able to go
to the experience level. Sometimes am using
404
00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:33.880
weights and condition to reach them.
Other Times I'm using breathwork and mindfulness meditation.
405
00:25:33.319 --> 00:25:37.000
Sometimes I'm using situations like a root
meeting. Twice during our nine week
406
00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:40.920
program we lock in all the athletes
at a different time of the day,
407
00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:44.559
usually the evening, and our staff
and we talked about the reason behind the
408
00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:47.279
reason. Right, you can go
home every night reaching for a bottle of
409
00:25:47.359 --> 00:25:49.960
Bourbon. The Bourbon's a problem,
but the reasons two or three back from
410
00:25:51.039 --> 00:25:53.160
that. Right. And so I
lead. Hey, look, here's my
411
00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:56.920
mess, boom right, put it
out there. Then suddenly I'm no longer
412
00:25:57.039 --> 00:26:00.839
on a pedestal and all these people
you give them permission. Right, because
413
00:26:00.279 --> 00:26:06.319
courage is action. In the face
of fear and I believe vulnerability is the
414
00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:11.279
most powerful way to exhibit true courage. And so if you get people around,
415
00:26:11.359 --> 00:26:14.640
people like that, especially Alpha's like
you and myself, that have this
416
00:26:14.759 --> 00:26:18.160
champion mindset, other people, suddenly
he's realize it's accessible for them because some
417
00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:22.240
point they were told they couldn't,
wouldn't shoot it, or they tried it
418
00:26:22.359 --> 00:26:26.480
and failed and they gave up the
muscle in the head right, the ability
419
00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:30.920
to activate certain things in your mindset, affirmations and otherwise. But then not
420
00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:34.079
allowed negated language, not allow that
monkey mind, that little whisper, that
421
00:26:34.200 --> 00:26:37.440
insidious thing that tells you can't.
If you don't let that in right or
422
00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:40.920
if you just allow it to pass
through you, because it's going to show
423
00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:44.440
up. It shows up for all
of us, then suddenly you become bulletproof
424
00:26:44.920 --> 00:26:48.599
and your why will always over ride
the how. You will find a way
425
00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:51.920
to get it done straight up.
So you know it is. It's a
426
00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:57.200
psychologist approach through the gym that Elicits
this opportunity for their paradigm to shift.
427
00:26:57.240 --> 00:27:00.640
And it doesn't. Doesn't always happen
at the same time for people. It
428
00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:03.440
could happen week two. That could
happen week ten, when we're on the
429
00:27:03.480 --> 00:27:06.880
mountain. It did, but at
some point it does happen for every athlete
430
00:27:06.960 --> 00:27:11.400
that goes through. What is it
done for you? WHOO man, you
431
00:27:11.480 --> 00:27:14.680
want to know what's done for me? Yeah, so I'll try to do
432
00:27:14.839 --> 00:27:22.440
this without too much emotion. It
has given me permission to go into and
433
00:27:22.680 --> 00:27:26.599
and and to be willing to grow
and learn from the little me that was
434
00:27:26.680 --> 00:27:32.039
ten year old, ten years old
and sexually abused, and in that these
435
00:27:32.119 --> 00:27:34.240
athletes. Again, I think I
started this because I recognized the need and
436
00:27:34.279 --> 00:27:38.960
it felt good because I was excited
and my passion was was meaningful to serve
437
00:27:40.039 --> 00:27:42.319
these people in this population. But
I also did I think, as a
438
00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:45.920
distraction so I didn't have to deal
with some of my own stuff, and
439
00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:48.000
it took me a couple of years
and some serious burn out to realize whoa
440
00:27:48.160 --> 00:27:51.839
the things I'm preaching at them I
need to do for myself. So the
441
00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:55.559
athletes of the adapt training foundation of
giving me permission to really wade into the
442
00:27:55.599 --> 00:27:57.839
water and my own stuff and to
heal and work through which is made me
443
00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:02.960
more powerful and even more impactful for
the mission itself. And the other thing
444
00:28:03.079 --> 00:28:06.960
that's been really impactful is my kids
don't see disability. You know, we
445
00:28:07.039 --> 00:28:10.680
had a double blogning ampute come over
the house when he first got to town
446
00:28:10.799 --> 00:28:14.000
and have dinner and it was he's
been here like thirty minutes and he he
447
00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:15.480
the girls one in the other room. I've had eight and six yearold little
448
00:28:15.519 --> 00:28:18.519
girl, and he said, dude, I'm freaking out because your kids they're
449
00:28:18.519 --> 00:28:22.759
not even looking at my legs right, or like they're not even staring at
450
00:28:22.839 --> 00:28:25.680
me, because that's so abnormal for
the rest of the world. So you
451
00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:30.839
know, ATF is given me permissions, made my life much more rich and
452
00:28:30.920 --> 00:28:34.160
more meaningful, and that it is
also, you know, endowed my my
453
00:28:34.400 --> 00:28:38.079
family with a perspective that, if
I leave the Earth tomorrow, I'm incredibly
454
00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:44.240
proud of. Well, certainly a
sense of purpose, right in terms of
455
00:28:44.319 --> 00:28:45.680
what you're doing and how you do
it. And you mentioned, you know,
456
00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:52.039
what is really giving you gigantic leaps
in your life and the whole you
457
00:28:52.119 --> 00:28:56.960
know, phrase around being vulnerable right, which it didn't take me to a
458
00:28:57.599 --> 00:29:02.599
fifty to figure that that word out
right, and it's really when all these
459
00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:07.000
gifts really started to flow in and
everything that I've done those cost me money.
460
00:29:07.039 --> 00:29:08.960
These gifts I'm talking about, there's
no financial reward. Everything I do
461
00:29:10.119 --> 00:29:15.759
cost money and but it's the people, it's relationships of you know, even
462
00:29:15.960 --> 00:29:18.119
even the six months I had with
you and your team, and why you
463
00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:22.039
pick me to be with that,
on that particular boat, with that particular
464
00:29:22.119 --> 00:29:23.839
person. What I held on to, you know, all the way down
465
00:29:23.880 --> 00:29:27.279
the river. You know, I
don't know, but it was another guy
466
00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:30.799
named Q. He was in the
boat, and so, you know,
467
00:29:30.920 --> 00:29:36.039
it's just a really cool, really
really cool experience. Tell me, tell
468
00:29:36.160 --> 00:29:38.400
me, give me an example of
I mean I gave an example from based
469
00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:41.920
on my one and only really interaction
with somebody that brought me to tears.
470
00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:48.480
But give me something that has been
maybe the like when you start talking about
471
00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:52.480
the person's arc and they are coming
in there were completely, a hundred percent
472
00:29:52.680 --> 00:29:57.440
damaged and by the time they went
through this program and the you know,
473
00:29:57.559 --> 00:30:00.799
you saw this flower just really bloss
my sure there's, there was lots of
474
00:30:00.839 --> 00:30:03.640
stories like this, but is are
one that sticks out, you know,
475
00:30:04.440 --> 00:30:08.839
one more than the other. Yeah, over two hundred and fifty of these
476
00:30:08.920 --> 00:30:15.119
stories are just jaw dropping wow impacts. One that comes to mine a woman
477
00:30:15.319 --> 00:30:18.920
who was in a motorcycle accident with
her husband. Her husband passed, she
478
00:30:19.079 --> 00:30:23.279
ended up losing her leg. Above
the name. She remembered like nothing from
479
00:30:23.400 --> 00:30:27.319
the occurrence, aside from news clippings
and, you know, police reports and
480
00:30:27.400 --> 00:30:30.599
so on. And you know,
like a lot of these athletes, they
481
00:30:30.640 --> 00:30:33.720
come at an orientation, their posture, they're, you know, body position
482
00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:37.400
sucks and they're very somber and they
say things like I just I just want
483
00:30:37.400 --> 00:30:40.519
to feel normal again. I just
want to get back to who I was
484
00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:44.319
before this. And it's funny because
I I earlier. They and on say
485
00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:45.599
hey, how about if I walked
up to you and I try to compliment
486
00:30:45.640 --> 00:30:48.759
you and say hey, mark,
you really normal. But like, who
487
00:30:48.799 --> 00:30:52.839
wants to be called normal? The
truth is is what's? Replace that with
488
00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:56.640
uncommon. Right, that's a really
uncommon person. Right. I want to
489
00:30:56.640 --> 00:30:59.839
get to know that person's story,
like what is, because wisdom is healed
490
00:30:59.960 --> 00:31:03.279
pain, and when I'm around a
lot of people that have been, you
491
00:31:03.400 --> 00:31:07.920
know, affected by traumas or been
dealt scars, there's a wisdom in them
492
00:31:07.960 --> 00:31:12.759
and I'm eager and curious to listen
to the way that they position what has
493
00:31:12.839 --> 00:31:15.799
happened to them. As if it's
for her against them. And so,
494
00:31:17.519 --> 00:31:22.000
you know, being able to talk
to this woman early on the program was
495
00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:25.400
just this very timid thing and then
you could see her write like a plane
496
00:31:25.440 --> 00:31:27.440
taking off, just slowly getting more
altitude and a little bit more swag,
497
00:31:27.559 --> 00:31:30.640
or a little bit more attitude,
little bit more energy and emotion. Well,
498
00:31:30.680 --> 00:31:36.039
we do this thing called so madic
emotional release. It's basically using breathwork
499
00:31:36.440 --> 00:31:41.960
to to dance the tight rope between
your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which
500
00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:45.440
is fight or flight, rest and
digests, right, those are the two,
501
00:31:45.880 --> 00:31:48.160
and to be able to create governance
over those. We see certain things
502
00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:52.960
in the body being stored and being
stuck and other things moving and there's there's
503
00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:56.039
asymmetry usually. So we'll put her
on this Yoga Mat, we do six
504
00:31:56.200 --> 00:31:59.720
to eight rounds of intense breathwork and
then we ask her to visualize and go
505
00:31:59.880 --> 00:32:04.880
back to the night of and this
takes her trusting us, like bulletproof trust,
506
00:32:05.079 --> 00:32:07.519
because we're taking her to the to
the most vulnerable state, right into
507
00:32:07.799 --> 00:32:12.640
her biggest level of trauma. So
finally, after about six rounds, she
508
00:32:12.839 --> 00:32:16.640
sat up and tears streaming down her
face. She said, I remember the
509
00:32:16.759 --> 00:32:21.039
last thing you said to me,
I remember leaving the restaurant, I remember
510
00:32:21.119 --> 00:32:22.519
holding him as but, and I
mean I do, I got goose bumps
511
00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:25.720
right now and she's just now.
To a lot of people, most people
512
00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:28.880
would probably go I don't even want
to know. I don't even want to
513
00:32:28.920 --> 00:32:30.759
go there. But for her she
needed that. She wanted some closure and
514
00:32:30.839 --> 00:32:34.920
she wanted to see what could come
up so that she couldn't so that she
515
00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:38.079
wouldn't suppress or repress it any longer, knowing that this path that we were
516
00:32:38.440 --> 00:32:42.680
guiding her through was that, you
know, the emotion stored in the body
517
00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:47.400
create disharmony and dis ease over time. And so that suddenly, boom for
518
00:32:47.519 --> 00:32:52.279
her, it was like, you
know, just just the noss button and
519
00:32:52.440 --> 00:32:54.240
she took off and a graduation.
She stood up and she, you know,
520
00:32:54.359 --> 00:32:58.039
earned her patch and she's like,
I'm gonna Bubba, the Bubba,
521
00:32:58.079 --> 00:32:59.799
the BUBBA. I'm going to do
this, I'm going to climb this,
522
00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:01.920
I'm going to work here, I'M
A and it was like watch out world,
523
00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:06.960
right. So those are those things
that, if we can earn their
524
00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:09.960
trust, there's plenty of again doing
a week of adaptive skiing. That's a
525
00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:13.880
cool thing. Getting a veteran a
job or a house or something, that's
526
00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:15.960
great stuff. But if we're not
right between the years, it's not going
527
00:33:16.039 --> 00:33:19.960
to stick, it's not going to
be sustainable. Right. So we we
528
00:33:20.119 --> 00:33:22.960
built a not for profit that is
going to wait in the water do life
529
00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:27.720
for nine weeks with the hopes that
when the wheels start to shake, they
530
00:33:27.759 --> 00:33:30.559
can recall the tools they've been equipped
with, but also be able to call
531
00:33:30.720 --> 00:33:32.559
us and say, Hey, am
I crazy? Everybody says I'm crazy.
532
00:33:32.640 --> 00:33:36.119
Like Hey, you're not crazy,
you're just uncommon. So let's take an
533
00:33:36.200 --> 00:33:39.480
uncommon approach just problem solve our way
through this. It's awesome. Love that.
534
00:33:39.680 --> 00:33:45.559
Love that. So shifting just a
hair, I want to know about
535
00:33:45.839 --> 00:33:51.359
your ellen experience. Yeah, you
know Ellen. I'll be honest. I
536
00:33:51.640 --> 00:33:53.599
think that the rumors, well,
they're even rumors now they've come out.
537
00:33:53.640 --> 00:33:58.000
I don't think Ellen has a great
track record, you know, for her
538
00:33:58.039 --> 00:34:01.279
people and her staff. And if
I'm honest, Bro I ellen was it
539
00:34:01.359 --> 00:34:05.920
wasn't a letdown. It was a
cool experience, but it was it was
540
00:34:06.279 --> 00:34:08.320
dog and pony man, and it
was how many times we have to go
541
00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:12.400
through the questions that she's going to
bring up. It was like they scripted,
542
00:34:12.440 --> 00:34:15.559
basically, you know, like it's
not scripted, but it's scripted.
543
00:34:15.599 --> 00:34:16.679
And like, you know, I
don't I'm not here to Bash Allen.
544
00:34:16.719 --> 00:34:21.079
It was a great exposure and a
great platform, but it just felt like
545
00:34:21.360 --> 00:34:25.440
it was, yeah, just an
industrial line and it just didn't feel authentic.
546
00:34:25.519 --> 00:34:30.199
I think about the things in the
last eight years and a lot of
547
00:34:30.239 --> 00:34:32.440
people never see them because they weren't
built for external facing, you know,
548
00:34:32.599 --> 00:34:37.800
projects. But it's like when you
show up and you don't care who's watching
549
00:34:37.960 --> 00:34:40.440
or who sees it, and everybody
shows up that way, then if it
550
00:34:40.639 --> 00:34:45.960
is projected out into the world,
the frequency or the energy around it,
551
00:34:45.079 --> 00:34:49.519
the reception of that is so much
more altruistic and authentic. I mean,
552
00:34:49.559 --> 00:34:52.239
cannot saying you can't plan, but
you know, I mean like even your
553
00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:54.519
film crew on Everest Right and everything
to let up to it, that was
554
00:34:54.599 --> 00:34:59.559
a level of commitment where they too
are going to have to be vulnerable,
555
00:34:59.639 --> 00:35:01.360
are going to have to put themselves
in harms way to get this thing done,
556
00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:05.960
and it's a different mindset that approaches
it. Then like an ellen experience
557
00:35:06.039 --> 00:35:08.079
or something like that. Well,
the whole thing. Look to your to
558
00:35:08.159 --> 00:35:12.440
your point on the film. It's
just when we store to the when we
559
00:35:12.519 --> 00:35:16.519
store the project up until the last
day came on the mountain. There was
560
00:35:16.599 --> 00:35:20.119
no plan, there was no storyline. It was just like this story line
561
00:35:20.199 --> 00:35:23.280
was a cures mark. He's a
former NFL players daughter's epilepsy and he's going
562
00:35:23.320 --> 00:35:27.639
to Mount Everest, like what's going
to happen now? Right? And so
563
00:35:27.880 --> 00:35:30.199
it's all the film and then all
the drama went down and just you know,
564
00:35:30.400 --> 00:35:36.079
I anytime somebody in it times,
somebody reaches out to me and they
565
00:35:36.119 --> 00:35:39.480
want me to be on their podcast
and they they they've sent me. This
566
00:35:39.599 --> 00:35:43.400
doesn't happen very often, but they've
sent me like a ten point question.
567
00:35:43.480 --> 00:35:46.519
There just don't do it right because, again, you just don't know where
568
00:35:46.519 --> 00:35:50.400
these conversations that go and you do
want them to be authentic, because that
569
00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:53.239
is what makes things really rich and
really digging in and I think the whole
570
00:35:53.320 --> 00:35:57.440
key, like if in anything that
you do, if the more you listen
571
00:35:57.519 --> 00:36:00.599
to more you can dig and really
uncover what's really going long, you know.
572
00:36:00.920 --> 00:36:05.639
So, for in terms of ATF, where do you see that going
573
00:36:05.760 --> 00:36:07.599
from here? Because you guys have
tre menace amount of momentum and you know,
574
00:36:07.719 --> 00:36:10.960
I just I can imagine the mental
lives. You said two hundred and
575
00:36:12.039 --> 00:36:15.840
something people have have gone through your
program and and so, you know,
576
00:36:16.039 --> 00:36:19.679
to elevate that to a different level, I don't even know that level will
577
00:36:19.719 --> 00:36:22.039
be. Yeah, so I think
the root is what we've touched on today,
578
00:36:22.079 --> 00:36:25.320
which is storytelling. Right, people
find themselves and other people's stories.
579
00:36:25.440 --> 00:36:30.480
So we are in really exciting I
can't say much because of NBA and shopping
580
00:36:30.559 --> 00:36:35.079
agreements, but in two thousand and
twenty two there will be a docu series.
581
00:36:35.119 --> 00:36:37.960
So imagine this, right, the
character development is Badass. So you
582
00:36:37.079 --> 00:36:42.800
have ten adaptive athletes, some better
in some civilian, from all different walks
583
00:36:42.840 --> 00:36:45.480
to versus, diversity of life,
and they're going to go through this nine
584
00:36:45.519 --> 00:36:47.960
week course, right. And and
yes, there's this episodic kind of heroes
585
00:36:49.119 --> 00:36:52.159
arc as you follow through this journey. But then you watch this cohort eventually
586
00:36:52.159 --> 00:36:55.800
go on their redeployment trip and they're
bomited down the mountain or whatever. Then
587
00:36:57.400 --> 00:37:00.679
they come back to train the new
class. So you're going to be able
588
00:37:00.760 --> 00:37:05.320
to see the person that was in
this pit have this crescendo and then where
589
00:37:05.320 --> 00:37:07.920
are they now? Will now they're
back to pay it forward. Now,
590
00:37:07.119 --> 00:37:10.559
the storytelling side of that is going
to put a huge spotlight on a large
591
00:37:10.679 --> 00:37:14.960
platform. Then it is going to
be tens of thousands, because there's forty
592
00:37:14.960 --> 00:37:19.800
million Americans that have been labeled and
filed with a physical disability in just the
593
00:37:19.920 --> 00:37:23.840
United States. Forty million. Okay, now let's say ten or twenty thousand
594
00:37:23.880 --> 00:37:28.320
of those apply to come to my
program right. That that does. That's
595
00:37:28.360 --> 00:37:31.039
not good math. Right. And
again, we're the laboratory that is my
596
00:37:31.159 --> 00:37:35.280
program is the gym. We're looking
for a specific type of person. I
597
00:37:35.400 --> 00:37:37.760
need to build something for the masses
that's scalable and it's not in brick and
598
00:37:37.840 --> 00:37:42.639
mortar, especially not in a postcovid
landscape. So what it is is this
599
00:37:42.719 --> 00:37:46.400
adaptive class. We're building a hybrid
digital infrastructure. People are familiar with masterclass,
600
00:37:46.639 --> 00:37:51.480
similar concept, but the idea would
be a nine week protocol that follows
601
00:37:51.519 --> 00:37:53.719
what we do in the gym,
but done in a selfdirected weekly way with
602
00:37:53.840 --> 00:37:58.639
a once a week live interface with
one of our alumni coaches who have graduated.
603
00:37:58.639 --> 00:38:01.119
It helps the the you, the
adaptive athlete. That's graduated. They
604
00:38:01.239 --> 00:38:07.039
get paid right to do it once
a week live with other people with similar
605
00:38:07.119 --> 00:38:10.440
impairments. So I'm going above the
ampute. I have thirty above the amputees
606
00:38:10.480 --> 00:38:15.159
in my class on the hybrid digital
and we're going to do a once a
607
00:38:15.239 --> 00:38:17.719
week live interface where I'm going to
take them to a workout, they're doing
608
00:38:17.760 --> 00:38:22.519
the same breath and meditation stuff,
being able to talk about this life as
609
00:38:22.519 --> 00:38:25.760
an above the ampute. So the
future of ATF is a model that is
610
00:38:25.840 --> 00:38:31.159
scalable in a digital infrastructure and a
docu series is going to be able to
611
00:38:31.239 --> 00:38:37.039
tell stories for maximizing support, awareness
and just the opportunity for, you know,
612
00:38:37.079 --> 00:38:42.519
again having getting blown up right,
going on a first deployment, being
613
00:38:42.639 --> 00:38:45.480
nineteen years old, coming back at
triple ampute. One of the guys in
614
00:38:45.519 --> 00:38:49.440
our gym is this exact guy.
The what next question isn't just it,
615
00:38:49.599 --> 00:38:52.920
it's like where can I even provision
for myself? Because if I've earn more
616
00:38:53.000 --> 00:38:57.519
than x right, I lose my
social security disability. So there's this trap
617
00:38:58.159 --> 00:39:00.199
right, and with it it's like
Yo, hey, take victim on a
618
00:39:00.239 --> 00:39:04.079
silver platter, go take your prescription, your meds and go sit on the
619
00:39:04.119 --> 00:39:06.800
couch and what we're saying is like
no, man, the thing, the
620
00:39:07.000 --> 00:39:12.480
the thing that has caused you this
trauma is actually a qualifying factor for where
621
00:39:12.559 --> 00:39:15.800
you can be of great contribution to
society and others. So we're just shifting
622
00:39:15.880 --> 00:39:20.079
that narrative in a bottom up approach, saying the people closest to these,
623
00:39:20.199 --> 00:39:22.760
quote, problems are the best to
solve them. Right, if they can
624
00:39:22.880 --> 00:39:27.880
solve them and earn while doing it. Dude, you've got to actually you've
625
00:39:27.880 --> 00:39:31.199
got a pretty entrepreneurial social interface and
that's that's really where we're going with ATF.
626
00:39:31.679 --> 00:39:36.239
I love this, love this work. Can People find you? Because
627
00:39:36.320 --> 00:39:38.599
because people have to hear more about
this stuff. Yeah, thanks, man.
628
00:39:38.639 --> 00:39:42.679
I mean the certainly social media right
seems like that to go to for
629
00:39:42.760 --> 00:39:46.119
everyone, whether that's myself, David
Barbora or adaptive training foundation, on those
630
00:39:46.159 --> 00:39:52.039
social channels, or you can go
to team ATF, team ATF DOT Org.
631
00:39:52.559 --> 00:39:58.280
The website has sponsorship opportunities, donation
opportunities. Here's where I tell people
632
00:39:58.320 --> 00:40:01.840
they're listening. Some people have the
capacity to dontate. That's awesome. You
633
00:40:01.880 --> 00:40:06.280
can buy a t shirt right there's
there's swag that's on the site. That
634
00:40:06.480 --> 00:40:08.760
all those proceeds go to athlete sponsorships
and you can wear with somebody asks,
635
00:40:08.800 --> 00:40:12.360
you can talk about it. But
the last thing I'll say that is certainly
636
00:40:12.480 --> 00:40:15.280
free is if you see a video
and it it resonates with you, it
637
00:40:15.360 --> 00:40:19.880
captivates you, to motivates you,
share it, share it, tag us,
638
00:40:20.079 --> 00:40:22.920
tag me, because you never know
who in your sphere of influence is
639
00:40:22.920 --> 00:40:28.599
going to see that poster or share
and be touched right like I just to
640
00:40:28.679 --> 00:40:30.440
believe that you look somebody in their
eyes and treat them like a whole person
641
00:40:30.920 --> 00:40:36.920
and that person shows up and sometimes
just sharing that video is that connect that
642
00:40:37.320 --> 00:40:39.639
you know, in the disconnected world, we realize that that can be that
643
00:40:39.760 --> 00:40:44.880
little dose of hope right and that
could be all the difference. Well,
644
00:40:44.960 --> 00:40:50.119
I can say this with absolute certainty. YOU ARE NOT MR irrelevant. You're
645
00:40:50.280 --> 00:40:53.159
very relevant. You're doing a mazing
things with ATF and just the positivity that
646
00:40:53.280 --> 00:41:00.119
you glow when you're around others like
myself, when I had a really amazing
647
00:41:00.239 --> 00:41:04.679
opportunity to be a part of your
your Organization for one day in association with
648
00:41:04.760 --> 00:41:08.119
Hi Ground, who I'm connected with, and really hope that in the future
649
00:41:08.239 --> 00:41:13.000
that either I'm in Dallas, or
your back here in some valley and I
650
00:41:13.039 --> 00:41:15.719
can come out and visit your your
a facility, or, you know,
651
00:41:15.840 --> 00:41:20.440
we're floating down another river, you
know, somewhere out here in the valley.
652
00:41:20.519 --> 00:41:22.440
So for that, thank you very
much for coming on, thank you
653
00:41:22.480 --> 00:41:27.199
for doing what you do and best
of luck in the future and if there's
654
00:41:27.199 --> 00:41:29.960
anything I can do to you know
further your cause, you let me know.
655
00:41:30.239 --> 00:41:32.199
Thanks, brother. Thank you.
I'd say this. The only personal
656
00:41:32.480 --> 00:41:37.039
ask is, when you do answer
to what's next question for you, you
657
00:41:37.039 --> 00:41:40.039
gotta let me know because I got
to sneaky suspicion. I'm going to be
658
00:41:40.079 --> 00:41:43.039
a I want to be a part
of it. Yeah, yeah, well,
659
00:41:43.079 --> 00:41:45.880
it's coming out. It's some clarities
coming around really quick. So all
660
00:41:45.960 --> 00:41:51.480
right, folks, there is the
one, the only David Bokoro there were
661
00:41:51.519 --> 00:42:00.440
going take. Hey, and thank
you so much for listening to the Fund
662
00:42:00.519 --> 00:42:05.119
your summit podcast. We are so
glad to have you long for this journey
663
00:42:05.559 --> 00:42:07.480
and if you enjoy the show,
please tell a friend, share it on
664
00:42:07.599 --> 00:42:13.480
Itunes, spread it to the planet. We're looking to broadcast this to every
665
00:42:13.679 --> 00:42:16.199
person that is out there because,
as you know, everybody has their own
666
00:42:16.320 --> 00:42:21.960
summit that they're going after. Okay, if you're looking to follow my journey,
667
00:42:22.000 --> 00:42:25.559
you can find that through my social
links on Mark Pattison nflcom. That's
668
00:42:25.639 --> 00:42:35.840
Mark and M R K Pattison Pattio
in nflcom. So until the next podcast,
669
00:42:36.039 --> 00:42:39.840
disremember clear eyes, full hearts and
remember it takes a little more to
670
00:42:39.960 --> 00:43:00.920
make a champion, so make it
happen. Thank you. Bye. This
671
00:43:00.199 --> 00:43:06.400
podcast is a part of this c
sweet radio network from more top business podcasts.
672
00:43:06.800 --> 00:43:08.400
Is it see sweet RADIOCOM