Episode 26 - You Can Do Hard Things: John Clark's Story of Loss, Sobriety, and Strength

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I'm the Manifest Boss Bay.
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What if I told you that everything you desire is already waiting for you?
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You just have to claim it.
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Welcome to the Manifest Boss Bay podcast, where we turn mindset shift into massive success.
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I'm a manifest, a high performance mindset coach, manifestation queen, an entrepreneur.
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And I am obsessed with helping you create the life you've been dreaming of.
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In this podcast, we talk about mindset, manifestation, business, and how to become your 2.0 version.
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Hey guys, welcome back to an episode.
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Today's episode is gonna run.
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And I've got my partner for HyRox, John, and he is one of my accountability partners, and he's a personal trainer, and he has been whipping my ass into today.
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So if you don't know John already, you're about to.
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His story is honestly super wild.
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He's gone through more than what most people could even imagine.
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And he's come out the other side stronger, healthier, and more himself than ever.
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And we're gonna get all into that today.
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And we're also here because John and I are gearing up for our very first HIROC race together in Toronto on October 3rd.
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And then let me tell you, between the training and all the banana talk, the chaos between prepping for food and something that neither of us has done before, there's so much to unpack.
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And a little fun connection.
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John and I are both repping for Supplement King.
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I'm affiliated with this occurrence store, and John's with Yorkton.
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So nutrition and fueling properly is a huge part of our training and what keeps us going throughout the whole process.
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So grab a coffee, get comfy, and we're gonna get into it.
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This is John Clark.
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Welcome, John.
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Hey.
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Um, so let's tell everybody how did we first cross paths?
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Do you want to like tell everybody how we met?
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Okay, so I've been interested in doing high rocks for the last couple years.
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Um wasn't sure I was ready for it, so I've been following the HIROX Facebook community, and I seen Amanda post on there, and I was like, hey, I wonder if I should reach out to her and see if she wants to do doubles with me.
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Because at first I was thinking about doing solos, but the more I got learning about HIROX, the more I realized that it's probably not wise to go in as a solo at the beginning.
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So I reached out to Amanda and asked her if she would potentially be interested in running in so uh doubles, and she told me she wanted to run solos as well.
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After talking for a bit, we both decided that uh maybe doubles is the best for both of us.
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Um so we met, I think what back in February for the first time?
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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And we met at the gym, did kind of like a little training session together and a little uh introduction with each other, and decided, okay, this is a good idea, let's move forward with this.
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And then I uh said to Amanda I'm just gonna take her on as a a client as much as I could uh between my hectic schedule and help her get into the shape she wanted to be and should be for race day.
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Um, so I provided nutrition and uh strength training programs for her to help her get ready.
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Yeah, exactly.
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And then my point of view is I just started seeing it on my Instagram.
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High rocks just started popping up.
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It was crazy because I kind of put it out there that I wanted to get more functionally fit.
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I didn't know how, but all of a sudden it starts showing up on my news feed.
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I'm like, hey, I could do this.
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And then I was posting on that page saying, Does anybody know the candidates?
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And then you slid into my DM saying, Hey, you want to be my partner?
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I just wanted to do it just to do it, to prove to myself that I could do hard work.
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And then when you suggested doubles and I was looking more into it, I'm like, oh, maybe doubles would be a great opportunity just to start easing my way into it.
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And it was crazy because I was wanting someone to come into my life to kick my ass in the fitness industry because I feel like I was just putting in the reps but not actually pushing myself.
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So you came in and so I kicked my ass and it felt great.
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And I've like the meal prep plans you gave me were unreal.
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They were so easy and affordable because people think eating healthy is expensive, but what you gave me was so cheap and easy to do for two hours and my meal prep is done for the week.
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Loved it.
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Well, it's not just uh about being the efficiency with how easy it is.
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My focus when I build meal plans is uh utilization of grocery groceries because I do have a lot of clients that are single moms or single fathers.
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Groceries are expensive, the economy we live in is hell.
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It's not easy.
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So what I do is I try to keep ingredients similar throughout the next couple weeks, so then grocery utilization is at the most, so there's less waste um in terms of saving more money at the end of the day.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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And it was like the same ingredients, but you just change a few things up and it was a completely different meal.
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So uh kudos to you.
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It was fantastic.
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So I want to ask you where did the fitness journey start for you?
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Like how did it all come into play?
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Okay, well, this is uh story time now then.
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So this is gonna be bad.
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We love story time, and you know what?
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I don't even think you you understand or know the full story either yet, but uh I'll explain it.
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So um 2022 is when the journey started.
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Uh January 2022 is one of those things that it's like new year, new meat bullshit.
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Um, my sister was getting into the gym, and so I was like, I should try this out.
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I was definitely way overweight, um, and I am up below the knee amputee.
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So one of the biggest things was I was struggling to hop to the bathroom at night um to go pee uh just because of the the mass on me, it was hard on my joints.
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So I figured the gym was a good start to try to get myself in better shape.
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So I started the gym 2022 and I hit the gym hard.
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I was very consistent, and then I started realizing okay, shit, uh it's not just the gym, it's nutrition too.
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So um how I started doing nutrition is not sustainable, and it's not something I would ever get any client to do.
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I was very drastic about my my uh my nutrition and my training.
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Um I completely cut carbs as and I know now as a nutrition coach how important carbs are, but I was like 50 grams or less of carbs a day.
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Um, and then I fasted 18 hours a day, ate six hours a day.
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Whatever I ate just came from protein sources.
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Um, I stayed away from red meats, I just did uh lean meats, so chicken and turkey.
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Um and I just kept at it.
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And April came along, and I was got back to work full force because we usually uh slowed down throughout the winter, so it was really easy to schedule in training.
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Got into work and gym routine slowed back down, and uh still was hitting the gym, just nowhere near as consistent as I was from January to April, and I definitely did notice a drastic weight loss between the time of January to April, and I was kind of hooked on wanting to keep up with that.
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But at the time I was still a drinker, um still living that blue-collar lifestyle, and uh I just fit the gym in when I could.
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Um, but any day that I would go to the gym, I wouldn't drink that day uh until after I was done at the gym, uh, of course.
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Um but then fast forward to would have been about December 2022.
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Um we slowed back down for work and got back to the gym.
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Same thing.
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Gym seven days a week, good nutrition, back to the fasting.
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Uh everything was going great.
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And then April came and I got in a bad accident.
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I got in a rollover.
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Um I was pretty banged up on that one, and so that was a turning point in my life.
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Uh I realized that uh actually, it wasn't just that that was the turning point.
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It was my mom walking into the hospital and said, John, you gotta slow down.
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And so after that, I was like, fuck, I gotta make some changes.
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And so I quit drinking and just focused on my gym and my career.
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And back to the gym seven days a week.
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Same thing with nutrition, that fasting 18 and 6.
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Um, which me saying this, I do not recommend it for anyone.
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It is not sustainable, it it's not smart.
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Um, if it was smart, I'd put all my clients on it, but it's not something that you can sustain for life, so it doesn't work.
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Like short durations of time, intermittent is very is a very good tool to utilize, but not for long durations of time and as long as I did it.
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Um, so yeah, I continued the gym uh April 2023, and I just haven't stopped.
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Um, what ended up happening was I when I put down the bottle, I kind of got rid of one addiction and replaced it with another addiction.
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That being said, the gym was an addiction when I first started, and I am very open and honest about that, and it was kind of toxic and it wasn't healthy.
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Um, I would be in a bad mindset if I missed the gym.
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Um, and I had no recovery time.
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I it was dangerous.
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What I was doing was very silly, but it kept me away from the bottle, and that was more dangerous than me being in the gym.
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So, that being said, throughout the years um throughout the time, I started uh learning more about nutrition, more about training, and I looked at it as okay, are we gonna invest into a coach or are we gonna invest into education into potentially training in years to come?
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So I looked at it and I said uh pros and cons, weighed out everything and went for education.
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And so I got uh certified as a personal trainer in 2023 of December and nutrition certified, I think in March 2024 or something like that.
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And uh I'll tell you right now, nutrition was fucking hard.
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It was the hardest exam I had to do, and I'll be honest, I failed it the first uh first time.
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Uh so I had to retake it.
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Uh, but there's a lot of information in nutrition that you wouldn't expect, like your um your minerals and your vitamins, and what uh food sources you can actually get them from without having to supplement them.
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Um that being said, I've got a clean diet, um, I eat very well, and I still have to supplement some things.
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Um but that being said, blood work is super important.
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Um, getting your blood work done at least once, twice a year to know where you're you're lacking is important, so then you can replenish it with the supplements or volume of food that you need to hit the goals that you have set for yourself.
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I agree.
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I um I go every year for blood work, so I have a baseline.
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So then if something does to go down, the doctors have a baseline and then they see what's going on.
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I agree.
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So you train people every like you're training people, plus you have a full-time job, plus you're a single dad.
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So how do you fit all that in?
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Um by putting myself first, other than my kids.
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Um so I worked for the mine.
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Um I was a contractor there.
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I did uh concrete work, and in February I was struggling with the balance.
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I was making the balance work, but I was I was burnt out.
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I was completely exhausted.
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I I had nothing in me to give, and I was still giving.
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Um so in February I got an opportunity to work for my fire chief, and in doing that, I told him, I will work for you if I can have flexibility in creating my schedule.
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So in doing that, I can create my schedule with my nine to five or seven to five or whatever the fuck it turns out to be, and then I can open up more availability at the gym.
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Um, and then so essentially I'm kind of working for myself, but working for a boss too at the same time, because I got the flexibility.
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So if something were to happen with my kids, or if my kids needed me, I can drop whatever I am doing to go to my kids.
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My boss is my fire chief, so we get a fire call that's an essential one.
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There's I can leave.
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Um, I never have to worry about that.
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Um, I live right beside my work, uh, at least our main shop, so it makes it really easy or easy to fit everything in.
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And I I look at this right now as some people base their career around their life.
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I base my life around my career.
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So I plan my I I use my career to help me plan my life.
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So I make I I have a career that works so I can plan a better life and make things more manageable and have more time for things that I want to do.
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I always my my one big thing is I say you can't go to the grave with money, you can go to the grave with memories.
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So build those memories, spend that money doing things that you love and enjoy, and just do what makes you happy.
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Sure.
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So when you did your big transformation, because you went from what was your heaviest?
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Where were you at?
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Um, I was 285, uh January 2022.
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And now you're jacked.
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Well, so how it all worked out, so January 2022, I was 285.
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In a year and eight months, I dropped to 123 pounds, and then I started playing around with um surplus and uh deficits, and this will kind of probably speed up this um your your questions and answers here a little bit.
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But as of December of last year, I got on the fire department, and my stepmom made a joke to me and said, You got on the fire department to get on the firefighters calendar.
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And I said, actually, no, I never thought about this, but you know what?
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Fuck it.
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We only live once.
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What's the harm in trying?
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So I was like, I put a lot of work into my body, I'm sure I could do okay.
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There was definitely a lot of self-doubt, but there was also confidence there too.
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Uh, so I applied and I think late December.
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And haven't heard anything, haven't heard anything.
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I was like, ah fuck, whatever.
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And then a a firefighter from the area that I know posted that he got onto the he made made the first cut.
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And I'm like, well, good for him.
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Um, and I was like, maybe I should check all my emails.
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So I went back and looked through my all my emails, and uh like I'm not terrible at tech, but I'm not amazing with tech.
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And for some reason, I got some emails that go in one folder and other emails that go on other folders, and it's just I don't have time.
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That's one of the things I don't have time for, uh, but I make it work.
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So yeah, I went back, looked at my emails, and found an email saying that I made the cut of 17 firefighters, and I was like, Well, fuck, I guess I made it too.
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So then when we got the when we got on, we got the option to work with a coach, and I'm like, hell, I'm gonna take advantage of this.
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I'm coaching people, let's see what this coach can do for me to maybe push me in a better direction than I'm already going, even though I've done very well, I've got the knowledge, and yeah, I was very content with how my progress was going, but I was like, fuck it, let's try it.
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So I went and started working with the coach, and when I did, I was in a surplus, and so I was weighing in at 187, um, just trying to build my muscle density uh for when my next cut was, and so I started talking to this guy, and I was eating in a surplus at 3,800 to 4,000 calories a day, and it was fucking wonderful.
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And that being said, I was not getting my calories from fucking chips and chocolate bars, I was getting my calories from whole food sources, like very good food sources, but I was eating a lot, and when I started working with Brody uh from Peak Physique, he uh he dropped my calories to I think it was 2575.
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There was no let's taper down, nothing.
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It was like let's just straight draw.
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That was a huge challenge.
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That was so fucking hard.
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But in the back of my mind, I had a goal that I was working towards, so it made that challenge a little bit more achievable because I wanted to win.
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I'm I'm a competitive person, I wanted to do this, so I was like, fuck it, I'm doing it.
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So I started working with Brody, I think it was February 3rd of 2026, and uh selection night was April 25th in Regina, so I had both just over three months or whatever it was to get down.
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They wanted me 168 pounds for stage at 8% body fat, and uh still pretty well lifting more or less the same weight, and that was a struggle because I started losing weight and I started losing weight quick, and well, not too quick, but quickly.
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Um, because I if anybody knows that once you get to a certain level in your fitness and your your weight, the the smaller you are, the harder it is to shed those last few pounds.
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Uh like the let the lower your body fat percentage is, the harder it is to move lose more body fat percentage.
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The higher your body fat percentage, the easier it is to lose.
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Um, so yeah, I like I did lose it at a at a decent amount of time, but uh yeah, so I got to that 168 for April 25th, and uh throughout it though, I like I was it was it was a mind fuck the whole time because like I was looking so skinny and I was I was holding definition in my arms, but like I was starting to lose definition of my my my uh abdominal area and a little bit of my chest area, and I was like, well, like what it what are people gonna think?
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What do people want to see?
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What what do I want to see?
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Like it was that whole that whole uh what do you call it?
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That uh body dysmorphia shit.
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Yes, and it it it it's totally real.
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Like I like when I f was filled out because I was heavier, I thought I looked better, but in reality, I looked better leaner, but because losing that last little bit of body fat percentage, my skin was more visible, and so because I lost so much weight, all that skin was so much more visible.
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Thank fuck, a lot of the skin that was visible was on my ass, and you're not seeing my ass very often, so it was my belly, was the other spot.
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It was it was hard to make it like a lot of people.
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You're talking loose skin, right?
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Is that what you're doing?
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Yeah, yeah, loose skin.
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Yeah, yeah.
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Like it was hard mentally to like wrap my mind around it, and like I know a lot of people have supported me and said positive things about it, but no matter how many positive things people say, it's all about what's in your mind and what your mind does.
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So, that being said, as much as I struggle mentally with all the body dysmorphia and all the the weight shit, it never ever ever once stopped me.
00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:17.359
And it will never stop me.
00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:23.039
It only fuels me to go go harder and push more and do better.
00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:26.799
And so, yeah, bringing me back to the selection night.
00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:32.160
That I do you want me to elaborate on selection night?
00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:33.839
Whatever you want.
00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:39.279
Okay, well, because that was that was a hell of a fucking night.
00:20:39.440 --> 00:20:42.319
That was honestly one of the most amazing nights of my life.
00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:49.359
Um, it was right up there by the beside the birth of the my son and my daughter.
00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:52.480
It was uh it was a wonderful fucking night.
00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:54.160
Yeah, it was a good night.
00:20:54.319 --> 00:21:00.480
You know why not tell you honestly though, on selection night I didn't cry like I did when my kids were both selection night was wild, yeah.
00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:16.799
So I got there, Conexus Art Studio, or whatever the fuck it's called in Regina, and as a second firefighter show up, super nervous, um met Michelle first right away, and then uh slowly people started uh piling in.
00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:23.440
And being a gym guy, being the way I am, I'm analyzing everything.
00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:35.759
And a lot of people are wearing full clothes at this point because it's still cold, but I'm I'm picking up on everything I can because being a coach, we have to be able to read our client before we even introduce weights to our clients.
00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:37.200
That makes a good coach.
00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:40.079
You don't want to set weights too low, set weights too high.
00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:47.119
So, yeah, being able to judge a character really quick based off of just appearance is super important for us coaches.
00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:56.400
So that's what I was doing to all these guys as they're coming in, but then I stopped doing that because it was putting anxiety, it was making me anxious, and I was getting anxiety, so I was like, okay, I gotta stop.
00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:59.680
So then I started mingling with everybody and like introducing.
00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:16.400
Myself and sharing stories and making people laugh and getting people involved, and because there was a moment there everybody was like to the walls, and it was a circle of people, and nobody was really doing anything, like kind of checking their phone and like talking to the person a little bit next to them.
00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:17.759
And I said, Fuck it.
00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:19.839
I went around and started shaking everybody's hand.
00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:26.720
I went around the full circle and shook everybody's hand, introduced myself, and then that's how it kind of broke the ice.
00:22:26.799 --> 00:22:31.039
And then everybody started mingling with everybody, and stories, stories got shared.
00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:42.319
Then Brad Woodward, the most interesting character I've ever met, came into the room, introduced himself, introduced the stage manager, all the people that are gonna be involved.
00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:46.559
Then spray tans were coming, and I'm like, well, fuck me.
00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:48.720
I've never been spray tan before.
00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:51.039
This sounds really, really interesting.
00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:53.519
And I don't know how I feel about it, but okay.
00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:58.960
I guess if it's for the for the charity, whatever, let's do this.
00:22:59.119 --> 00:23:07.440
So I went in, got my spray tan, and me being an amputee, I'm like, do I take my leg off and get my stump sprayed?
00:23:07.680 --> 00:23:09.599
Or like, what do I do here?
00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:11.200
And so it's like, fuck it, I can't.
00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:13.759
Let's like, I don't know if my sock's gonna roll down my leg.
00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:16.960
Somehow someone's gonna see that, then there's just gonna be this white patch.
00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:18.160
So, okay, let's do it.
00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:22.799
One leg, I'll get my stump air spray tan too.
00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:23.759
So I did.
00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:39.599
And then after everybody was spray tanned, we're supposed to have dinner before we go on stage, which did not make sense to me because then we're depending on what we're eating, we're gonna absorb a lot of water, and then we're gonna be looking fuller and not fuller in a good way.
00:23:40.160 --> 00:23:55.039
Um so I was like, Well, I wonder what the hell we're gonna be having for dinner, and next thing you know, I find out it's Boston pizza, and so I was like, really, like the highest carb food we could have and we're getting because it was all pizza pasta.
00:23:55.200 --> 00:24:07.359
Uh, when you when you go on stage, you you you don't want to drink too much water, you don't want to have your water saturation too high because it will it'll take away from a lot of the aesthetics of you.
00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:09.839
You have to have more of a drier look when you go on stage.
00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:22.480
I was sipping water all day, like generally, I'm like four to six liters of water a day, and yeah, that day it was a lot less, but I was just sipping, and so the one thing that came out was a veggie tray.
00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:51.599
And I'm like, okay, well, I've been conscious with my water today, I'll just I'll nibble on some vegetables, and then as soon as selection night's done, if I make it or I don't, I'm getting motherfucking pizza, and I definitely got that pizza, but so we all ate, and then next thing you know, there was an alcohol company of some sort, I forget who it was, but someone sponsored the event and in rolls a caddy full of alcohol on like the itinerary or whatever for the night.
00:24:51.759 --> 00:25:02.079
They had said that there was gonna be non-alcoholic beverages, and I was super stoked that there was gonna be some sunbrews or some Heineken Zeros or something, because I do enjoy those from time to time.
00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:05.119
No, there was nothing but water for me.
00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:06.079
So I was like, fuck.
00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:16.640
So all these firefighters are drinking and loosening up a bit because they're getting some liquid courage into them, and there's me just zipping on my water.
00:25:17.680 --> 00:25:18.720
But whatever.
00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:44.319
First thing we did was uh like we went out into the stud uh like into the area where all the audience were gonna sit just to see from their perspective and then what the stage looks like, and then we went up on the stage, shown where we're gonna stand and how it's gonna look and how we're gonna exit stage, where we're gonna be standing after stage, and like just through the whole process so everybody was kind of like understood where they were gonna be and what they were gonna do.
00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:52.160
So once that was all done, uh people started piling in, and as they were, we were getting a pump on backstage.
00:25:52.319 --> 00:26:00.079
So we all started lifting, uh, got into our I think first was dress pants, no shirt.
00:26:00.319 --> 00:26:07.920
And so yeah, we all got into our nice clothes and started working out, and then we started going on stage.
00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:14.559
Yeah, I think first one was yeah, dress pants, and so your name gets called one at one at a time.
00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:16.799
I think I was number seven to go on.
00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:23.119
When we go on the stage the first time, it was for two minutes, and we got to interact with the crowd for those two minutes.
00:26:23.680 --> 00:26:44.720
So me that being that I was number seven, I got to listen to every firefighter, all six firefighters prior to me, and what had they did wrong or what they did right, and I took all that information and I utilized it to do what or to to be what I did when I went out on stage or into the uh audience.
00:26:44.960 --> 00:27:00.720
So when I went out there, I was very calculated about what I did, and I was very calculated about the tables that I went to and the tables that I avoided, because there were some tables of women there that were intoxicated to a point that they were being a little much with the firefighters.
00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:02.640
So I was like, okay, I'm not going near that.
00:27:02.720 --> 00:27:14.000
So I yeah, I was calculated about what I did, but I managed to take that two minutes, and I got through I'd say about 85% of the crowd.
00:27:14.319 --> 00:27:19.279
I did not stop, I moved quick, and I interacted with as many as possible.
00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:21.359
I shook hands, hugged as many as possible.
00:27:21.519 --> 00:27:30.000
And so I got back on stage, everybody went through their oh while we're going through the audience, they had our video planes.
00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:37.119
So then we all went backstage, uh, and then we had to get into our casual wear to do our challenge.
00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:42.799
So every firefighter had their own challenge, but we didn't know what each other's challenge was.
00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:44.640
We only knew what our own challenge was.
00:27:44.880 --> 00:27:50.240
So I was the only one that got a fitness challenge.
00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:53.759
Everybody else had these fun, entertaining challenges.
00:27:53.839 --> 00:28:01.119
Like one guy, he was a stripper pole, and a girl had to go down him, and then she was the stripper pole and he had to go down her.
00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:03.519
But yeah, I got the fitness one.
00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:08.799
So the MC, she looks at me and she's like, John, like it looks like you go to the gym.
00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:10.559
But we're at Kinexis Arts.
00:28:10.720 --> 00:28:12.000
What are you gonna do?
00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:14.400
And I was like, I don't know, what am I gonna do?
00:28:14.640 --> 00:28:18.400
She's like, Well, why don't we pick an audience member and you do an exercise with an audience member?
00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:20.799
I said, sure, that sounds like a great idea.
00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:26.000
And so I knew this was gonna be my challenge, so I trained for this and I practiced for it.
00:28:26.079 --> 00:28:29.759
And the thing I decided I was gonna do was do a fireman's carry with a squat.
00:28:29.920 --> 00:28:44.160
And one thing about me is I fucking hate squats, um, unless it's on a machine, because when I go down for a squat, I favor my right leg, so I sh my spine shifts to the right as soon as I get past that 90 or right around the 90 degree mark.
00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:50.000
Um and with high rocks, as you'll learn, 90 degrees past 90 degrees is super important.
00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:53.279
Uh I was like, fuck it, I'm just gonna do fireman's carry and a squat.
00:28:53.440 --> 00:28:56.880
So I trained with someone that was 175, no issues.
00:28:57.119 --> 00:29:01.039
And this all being said, I don't do back squats because I don't like squatting.
00:29:01.119 --> 00:29:04.559
All this was the only time I trained for it, and I've never really done it before.
00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:09.839
So I trained with someone else that was 205 pounds, and I'm like, yep, okay, I can do this for reps.
00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:10.640
I'm okay.
00:29:10.799 --> 00:29:17.279
I'll just make sure when I pick an audience member, they're between the ranges of 175 to 205, and I'll be fine.
00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:24.400
So, no, when the MC said we can use an audience member, they meant they're gonna fucking pick the audience member for me.
00:29:24.559 --> 00:29:25.920
So panic set in.
00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:29.279
Um I was like, fuck.
00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:32.079
Hopefully they're nice about it and they take me someone.
00:29:32.559 --> 00:29:35.680
Can you like by looking at someone you can tell how much they weigh?
00:29:35.839 --> 00:29:37.279
Uh I can make a general idea.
00:29:37.519 --> 00:29:40.640
Because like muscle weighs more than fat.
00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:44.480
And I know, like, for myself, when I step on the scale, it gets in my head, right?
00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:46.400
But I'm like a certain size.
00:29:46.880 --> 00:29:54.079
So that's why I'm just like, can you actually tell how much somebody actually weighs by because muscle weighs more.
00:29:54.960 --> 00:29:57.920
Absolutely, but plus or minus like 20 pounds.
00:29:58.480 --> 00:30:01.119
Well, maybe I guess it was 20 pounds, right?
00:30:01.599 --> 00:30:02.480
Well, that's right.
00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:04.240
Just get a ballpark, right?
00:30:04.319 --> 00:30:08.799
Like it doesn't have to be precise, but just get a ballpark idea of what it's gonna be.
00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:14.960
The person they picked, I started panicking, and I really, really started panicking, and I'm like, fuck, I can't do this.
00:30:15.119 --> 00:30:16.319
I can't do this.
00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:21.519
And like one thing I learned, especially since me and Amanda is self-talk.
00:30:21.680 --> 00:30:26.160
I reverted and I said, John, you can do this, you're strong, you got this.
00:30:26.400 --> 00:30:30.799
I look back at two of the other bigger firefighters and I said, I think it was Tony and Jimmy.
00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:33.119
I was like, Tony, I need you here as a spotter.
00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:35.039
Jimmy, I need you here as a spotter.
00:30:35.200 --> 00:30:40.000
And this girl comes up on stage, she introduces herself as Veronica, and I was like, I am John.
00:30:40.960 --> 00:30:43.680
And uh I said, This is what's gonna happen today.
00:30:43.839 --> 00:30:59.039
We're gonna do a fireman's carry, and then um she gets up over my shoulders, like I get daddy, she gets over my shoulders, and she does, but she's lopsided, she's off to one side, she's favoring my right side over my left side, and I'd rather it had it balanced out.
00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:08.160
So I tried to like shift her over by like kind of jumping up, but every time I did that, I was exerting my legs, and I'm like, fuck, I can't do this because I need my legs right now.
00:31:08.319 --> 00:31:10.799
So I was like, fuck it, I'm going for it.
00:31:10.960 --> 00:31:16.960
So I went down, and my god, I'll tell you when I hit the bottom there, I did not think I was coming back up.
00:31:17.119 --> 00:31:21.440
Like, I was so fucking worried, but I got up and I'm like, fuck, I did it.
00:31:21.599 --> 00:31:23.599
Okay, let's see if I can do this again.
00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:25.759
So I did it for seven more times.
00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:27.759
Yeah, of course you did.
00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:40.799
Of course you did I hit a PR on stage in front of everybody, and then like okay, so why'd you this most of the firefighters are kind of drunk?
00:31:40.880 --> 00:31:53.920
So we get backstage, and there's this one firefighter, I'm not gonna say no names, but he was a beast, and I know Amanda knows who I'm talking about, and he was a fucking beauty, like this guy was awesome.
00:31:54.160 --> 00:32:03.119
Um, but yeah, we get backstage, and this one other firefighter looks at me, like John, I don't give a fuck about that other guy.
00:32:03.279 --> 00:32:04.160
You're amazing.
00:32:04.400 --> 00:32:07.119
What you just did was fucking unreal.
00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:11.359
He's like, I don't care what you do in your life, I'll always have the most respect for you.
00:32:11.599 --> 00:32:18.960
He's like, that audience did not know you had one leg, but we did, and the fact that you just did that on one leg was unreal.
00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:27.440
And like everybody was cheering for me backstage in the green room, and like everybody was so pumped that I just did that, and like the audience loved it.
00:32:27.599 --> 00:32:31.599
Like, I could just imagine how that girl felt too, and that's the biggest thing.
00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:34.160
Like, I just probably made that girl's day.
00:32:34.400 --> 00:32:43.440
Okay, so you did the night, your train well, I remember telling you, like, hyping you up before you got on stage, and like, just go magic mic your shit.
00:32:43.599 --> 00:32:47.119
Like, women love that, just do it.
00:32:47.519 --> 00:32:50.559
And then when did you find out about the calendar?
00:32:50.799 --> 00:33:03.440
So and you say magic mic, that shit, and I I thought about that a lot because Amanda definitely did help me a lot in the situation that I was in about being more confident in myself.
00:33:03.599 --> 00:33:14.160
The whole thing about manifesting the calendar in my hands without actually having it in my hands was a huge push that I needed, and that obviously that I come from Amanda that encouraged me for that.
00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:19.039
After our challenges were done, we were we had one more time to go back on stage, and it was for our song to play.
00:33:19.200 --> 00:33:22.640
And oh my god, that brings me to a funny story about my damn song.
00:33:22.799 --> 00:33:30.640
I was struggling picking a song, and so I was using a I was uh asking Amanda's help for picking a song, and so I ended up going with a dirty song.
00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:34.480
It was Daddy by Something, something Delilah or something like that.
00:33:34.559 --> 00:33:41.440
I forget the name of the band, but it was called Me Daddy, and it was fucking cringy, but it was great.
00:33:41.759 --> 00:33:46.480
I go out and stage for my song, and it's some ACDC song, and I'm like, what the fuck?
00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:47.519
Okay, whatever.
00:33:47.759 --> 00:33:51.680
Okay, so then I went and interacted with the crowd for 90 more seconds.
00:33:51.920 --> 00:33:55.119
We all went backstage, back into the green room.
00:33:55.200 --> 00:34:08.960
They tallied the last of the votes because the audience were allowed to vote again for us uh on selection night as they were they were able to vote for us prior online too, based off of what they seen and our socials.
00:34:09.119 --> 00:34:13.599
We're all waiting backstage and then they call or we're waiting in the green room, then they call us backstage.
00:34:13.679 --> 00:34:15.679
So we're all backstage in our turnout gear.
00:34:15.840 --> 00:34:22.639
Nobody knows if we're gonna make it or not, and we're literally sweating our ass off because we're in turnout gear and we're nervous and anxious.
00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:33.280
So they're going through the list, naming off all the firefighters that make it, and as they name you, you get to walk out stage and do one last appearance in front of the audience, and then yeah, you've made it.
00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:39.760
So while they're going through the list and they're at 10, and I still haven't been called, and I'm like, well shit, there's only 12 months in a year, like fuck.
00:34:39.840 --> 00:34:41.280
I guess I'm not making it this year.
00:34:41.440 --> 00:34:46.480
And they called number 11 and they said, I'm from Breadenberry, Saskatchewan, John Clark.
00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:48.079
And I was like, I couldn't believe it.
00:34:48.159 --> 00:34:51.519
When I heard that, I literally let out a cheer for myself backstage.
00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:53.599
The greatest thing about making it was that I made it.
00:34:53.679 --> 00:35:00.880
I got on the 27th calendar, but that meant that I had to keep in this drastic deficit that I was in until photo shoot.
00:35:01.039 --> 00:35:02.159
That was fine, whatever.
00:35:02.320 --> 00:35:12.480
I I did that, but I stopped working that culture's plan because I started establishing a really unhealthy relationship with the gym and nutrition because the plan that he had set, I didn't like it.
00:35:12.559 --> 00:35:19.840
And then I ended up talking to some of the other firefighters, finding out the majority of us had the exact same plan, so nothing was specific to each person.
00:35:19.920 --> 00:35:24.159
And one thing that really bothered me was he had two leg days programmed for me a week.
00:35:24.320 --> 00:35:25.519
I got one fucking leg.
00:35:25.599 --> 00:35:27.599
Why do I need two leg days a week?
00:35:27.760 --> 00:35:32.719
I've only got one and a half to work, but that being said, like it just did not make sense to me.
00:35:32.880 --> 00:35:39.039
So stopped working his program, worked my own, followed my own nutrition, my own macros, and went into calendar.
00:35:39.199 --> 00:35:41.679
And I think I was weighing 171 or 170.
00:35:41.760 --> 00:35:44.159
I don't want to bright, but my calendar photos turned out really well.
00:35:44.320 --> 00:35:46.000
Now I'm happy with how I looked.
00:35:46.239 --> 00:35:49.920
Now, currently I'm like six pounds up.
00:35:50.159 --> 00:35:53.920
I look a little more fluffy than I did on my photo shoot, but I feel great still.
00:35:54.239 --> 00:35:56.800
Question Are you allowed to say what month you are?
00:35:59.840 --> 00:36:00.639
I don't know.
00:36:01.199 --> 00:36:01.760
Oh, okay.
00:36:03.440 --> 00:36:04.079
I can't wait to see.
00:36:04.239 --> 00:36:11.199
I can't wait to see because when I was visualizing it, because I was doing it for you, you know, like the power of the prayer, I was doing that for you.
00:36:11.920 --> 00:36:14.559
Praying that you get on the calendar manifesting it.
00:36:14.800 --> 00:36:19.760
So I was sitting there visualizing you on the calendar in the month of April.
00:36:20.320 --> 00:36:24.639
So I can't wait to see which month you are to see if I actually got it right.
00:36:26.000 --> 00:36:28.320
Like that's so powerful is when you sit there and visualize.
00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:30.320
So anyway, we'll see what happens.
00:36:31.039 --> 00:36:31.679
And when did they go in?
00:36:33.199 --> 00:36:41.679
When when they uh they so we went to get her spray tan a second time, uh Prairie Sunless spray tanning and Regina.
00:36:42.079 --> 00:36:44.800
Huge shout out to all of them there, especially Mindy.
00:36:44.880 --> 00:36:47.039
Uh she's wonderful at what she does.
00:36:47.280 --> 00:36:50.639
They put us on the spot and they said, What month do you want to be?
00:36:50.800 --> 00:36:52.480
We're gonna film you and mic you up.
00:36:52.559 --> 00:36:54.639
And I'm like, I hate being in front of camera.
00:36:54.880 --> 00:36:55.840
I hate talking.
00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:59.280
Like, I love talking to people, but where I'm comfortable.
00:36:59.519 --> 00:37:02.719
And in front of camera is not where I'm comfortable generally.
00:37:02.960 --> 00:37:12.880
So as awkward as all hell, but I was like, I want to be November because that's my son's birthday, and I think it would be a great time or a great way to celebrate though his birthday month is having dad on the calendar all month.
00:37:12.960 --> 00:37:17.119
So that's what I asked for, but I'll tell you guys right now that I'm not November, that's for sure.
00:37:18.559 --> 00:37:19.280
Um, okay.
00:37:19.760 --> 00:37:22.400
So when do they go on sale to the public?
00:37:22.880 --> 00:37:25.119
Like when can we get our hands on one?
00:37:27.599 --> 00:37:34.239
I don't know, but I think by tomorrow they should be active on the Saskatchewan Firefighters calendars website.
00:37:34.800 --> 00:37:35.119
Okay.
00:37:35.280 --> 00:37:39.280
Well drop that in the show notes so people can click on it and order theirs.
00:37:39.599 --> 00:37:41.119
I know you've got one saved for me.
00:37:41.360 --> 00:37:43.519
I'm a big firefighter calendar girly.
00:37:45.440 --> 00:37:46.880
My GM for a while.
00:37:46.960 --> 00:37:49.440
So I can't wait to add it to the collection.
00:37:50.559 --> 00:37:56.400
And I wanna just I wanna reflect back here so everybody hears that again.
00:37:57.199 --> 00:38:15.039
You did this without alcohol, like the courage to get up on stage to do all the things because people I'm sober as well for two years, and I feel like people think they need to have alcohol to have fun, they need to have alcohol to let loose and to be courageous, but you really don't.
00:38:15.440 --> 00:38:16.320
Absolutely not.
00:38:16.480 --> 00:38:32.880
No, it's just it's something that you you think you need, but once you actually experience without it, it's actually it's easy and it's it's more enjoyable because your feelings aren't distorted by an a drug or an alcohol, your feelings are genuine, so the things you feel.
00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:37.519
So I'll tell you guys right now like I went to a concert and I went to my first sober concert.
00:38:37.679 --> 00:38:43.840
It actually was super impactful, and it was impactful to a point that like it gave me goosebumps.
00:38:43.920 --> 00:38:51.920
Like, you guys gotta think that like I lost a leg, I dealt with a lot of trauma throughout my life, and like I won't get into a lot of like my childhood trauma, but like there was a lot of shit in my life.
00:38:52.159 --> 00:38:58.639
So, like, there's obviously been thoughts in my life throughout my life that haven't been the best thoughts, but I've never obviously done anything stupid.
00:38:58.880 --> 00:39:06.480
So when he did this for Cam H it fucking hit me hard, and I don't think that would have hit me as hard if I was a drinker.
00:39:06.719 --> 00:39:11.039
So the fact that I was sober experiencing that and listening to that, it was like holy shit.
00:39:11.199 --> 00:39:26.639
And then the the bet another good thing about being sober and going to these events is watching the people, and it's being watching and and seeing how fucking stupid they are and being like, holy shit, I used to be that person, and being like, wow, like now I'm so much better.
00:39:26.800 --> 00:39:48.239
Like and and I can say that confidently that that I'm better because I'm not that person, I'm not making a fool of myself, I'm not making careless decisions, I'm not I'm not putting my life or other people's lives in jeopardy by getting drunk and possibly getting into a vehicle or operating any kind of piece of motorized equipment under the influence.
00:39:48.559 --> 00:39:52.320
Never mind the clarity and or even like our fitness goals.
00:39:52.480 --> 00:39:53.199
You know what I mean?
00:39:53.280 --> 00:39:59.519
Like if you have the whole night out drinking, you wa you sleep in, you eat like garbage, like all the things, right?
00:39:59.599 --> 00:40:05.519
Like it's just another thing that you don't have to worry about because you wake up feeling great, you have a good sleep, all the things.
00:40:05.679 --> 00:40:07.280
You make good decisions when you're eating.
00:40:07.519 --> 00:40:13.039
Yeah, because there's nothing better than uh when you're out drinking for a night, the bars close at 2 a.m.
00:40:13.199 --> 00:40:21.119
and then go and hit the local putine shack or chip truck or hot dog stand or something greasy and fucking terrible for you.
00:40:21.280 --> 00:40:24.480
Like that was always the go-to when I was in my party days.
00:40:24.800 --> 00:40:26.800
And that yeah, now I don't do that anymore.
00:40:26.960 --> 00:40:32.800
There's someone I know, she's been in the gym for a long time and she struggled with her weight and she keeps struggling with her weight.
00:40:33.039 --> 00:40:37.519
And they just posted she just posted a picture on Facebook and she's got alcohol in her hand.
00:40:37.599 --> 00:40:44.800
And every picture I see with her on Facebook in an event, she's always got alcohol in her hand, and she wonders why she struggles with her weight constantly.
00:40:44.960 --> 00:40:49.119
It's because she has a fear of tracking, first of all, and then she won't put down the alcohol.
00:40:49.280 --> 00:40:57.039
If you're not gonna put down the alcohol, then get rid of that fear of tracking because you're gonna have to track because you gotta know how many calories you're getting from your alcohol.
00:40:57.199 --> 00:41:08.639
One best thing I've ever learned is don't drink your calories, eat your calories because your calories should come from your micronutrients and your macros, not from fucking liquid.
00:41:09.039 --> 00:41:15.280
Even protein shakes, like I will do protein shakes if I need to get my protein intake upped.
00:41:15.360 --> 00:41:22.800
Because if it's not if it's not hitting the needs that I have, I'll do a protein shake because it's easy, but it's not something that you should be living on.
00:41:23.039 --> 00:41:25.920
No, and and only if it's a good protein source, too.
00:41:26.079 --> 00:41:30.639
Like, like I'm not not specifically protein shakes, but protein bars.
00:41:30.800 --> 00:41:36.000
You look at a protein bar, yes, at the end of the day, they're a lot fucking better for you than a chocolate bar.
00:41:36.159 --> 00:41:48.800
But if your goal is protein and hitting your macros, a barbell or a grenade is not a good source of protein for you because if you look at the macros, you add a zero to the end of your protein.
00:41:48.960 --> 00:41:52.800
If that number is not bigger than your calories, it is not a good protein source.
00:41:52.960 --> 00:41:58.960
So, for a good example, a grenade is about 260 calories and 22 grams of protein.
00:41:59.119 --> 00:42:03.519
You add a zero on that 22, it's only 220 versus that 260 calories.
00:42:03.679 --> 00:42:05.280
It does not make sense to me.
00:42:05.440 --> 00:42:11.039
If I ever eat protein bars, which I do quite often, I will only eat ones that are macro friendly.
00:42:11.280 --> 00:42:13.119
And typically that's a puff bar.
00:42:13.280 --> 00:42:16.239
I found puff bar to be the best for macros.
00:42:16.400 --> 00:42:19.920
They are 17 grams of protein to 140 calories.
00:42:20.320 --> 00:42:23.280
So 170 versus the 140.
00:42:23.440 --> 00:42:23.920
It makes sense.
00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:25.119
It's a good protein source.
00:42:25.280 --> 00:42:30.559
That rule of thumb does not only just apply with your protein bars, your protein shakes, it applies with your whole foods too.
00:42:30.960 --> 00:42:34.559
Anytime you're eating anything, is it a good protein source?
00:42:34.800 --> 00:42:37.039
To find out, add a zero to the end of your protein.
00:42:37.119 --> 00:42:39.360
If it's bigger than your calories, that's a good protein source.
00:42:39.760 --> 00:42:50.400
That's a good tip for people that are grocery shopping and they're looking like even at pre-made meats or whatever, if they look at it and see, or any quick convenient meals, that's a good hack to have.
00:42:51.199 --> 00:42:59.039
Well, like I'll I'll be honest with you, I don't often buy frozen or box, but there's these new box, these chicken burgers from Costco.
00:42:59.199 --> 00:43:01.440
The ingredients are really good on them.
00:43:01.599 --> 00:43:08.559
Uh, they are frozen, but they're I think it's 26 grams of protein to 190 calories for each patty.
00:43:08.719 --> 00:43:10.320
Like, that's phenomenal macros.
00:43:10.559 --> 00:43:17.440
And and for being as clean as they are in terms of ingredients, and they're non-breaded too, and they taste phenomenal.
00:43:17.599 --> 00:43:20.320
So, like, that's my go-to quick lunch.
00:43:20.400 --> 00:43:27.599
If I don't for some reason have meal prep done, because nine out of ten times I have meal prep done, but that doesn't mean I always have dinner and lunch.
00:43:27.679 --> 00:43:35.760
So if I'm missing one, I'll just throw on one of those those chicken patties and eat that, or a chicken sausage, or something simple like that.
00:43:35.840 --> 00:43:53.599
But it's yeah, all over about reading that nutrition panel, and and then if you really want to get into it, get into the ingredients too, and look for ingredients that you can pronounce and ingredients that you can understand and uh stay away away from those preservatives because that's uh that's what's gonna cause long term life issues, like uh health issues.
00:43:53.760 --> 00:43:59.760
Yeah, that's why I feel like meal prep is the way to go, because if you're just using a vegetable or meat, it's not.
00:44:00.639 --> 00:44:01.519
There's no ingredients.
00:44:01.599 --> 00:44:02.719
That's literally what it is.
00:44:02.880 --> 00:44:05.280
You're just adding a couple seasonings and you're good to go.
00:44:05.360 --> 00:44:06.559
And it's super simple.
00:44:06.880 --> 00:44:09.039
But I have no problem eating like that.
00:44:09.199 --> 00:44:12.480
Some people don't like the same thing over and over again.
00:44:12.880 --> 00:44:14.880
Um, okay, so high rocks.
00:44:15.039 --> 00:44:16.239
Are you are you excited?
00:44:16.320 --> 00:44:17.039
Are you nervous?
00:44:17.280 --> 00:44:22.400
I am excited because I'm very competitive and it's like it's it's my atmosphere, it's my environment.
00:44:22.559 --> 00:44:24.639
I've trained stupid fucking hard this year.
00:44:24.960 --> 00:44:31.599
A really funny thing here is why I picked Amanda was she was the endurance person, she was the runner.
00:44:31.679 --> 00:44:34.000
I'm like, fuck, I need her because I'm strength.
00:44:34.239 --> 00:44:39.440
And so as of May, I started getting into cardiovascular training throughout the summer.
00:44:39.519 --> 00:44:41.360
How I trained, I'll tell you guys one thing.
00:44:41.519 --> 00:44:46.400
I don't train by a plan other than when I work for calendar, I train by my body.
00:44:46.559 --> 00:45:00.000
So whatever my body is feeling is how I will so when I do a typical bro split, like your buys, tries, back, chest, whatever, like that kind of shit, I will go if I've had enough recovery between those muscle groups and whatever I want to be hitting that day.
00:45:00.079 --> 00:45:07.199
And because I typically work out six days a week, if I want to hit a certain muscle group twice a week that week, I will hit it twice that week.
00:45:07.280 --> 00:45:15.599
But that being said, when I was training this summer, I was trying to do one day strength training, one day high rox prep training.
00:45:15.679 --> 00:45:22.719
So if that was cardiovascular training, like a run, or if that was functional training, like high-intensity weight training, I would do that.
00:45:22.880 --> 00:45:51.360
Anything to get that aerobic engine up to get that cardiovascular system up, and anything to still kind of build strength in the area that I was trying to build strength, unless it was a run day, and yeah, I was not a runner as of May, and I ran my first 10k June, I think June, and it was a trail run in a valley, and so you're dropping in on one side of the valley, running up the other side of the valley, and that was 5k, and then you had to do that again to make it 10k.
00:45:51.760 --> 00:45:54.159
Was it last summer I ran my first 5k there?
00:45:54.239 --> 00:46:02.639
Yeah, it was last summer I did it, and I did a 5k there, and no training, still vaping, and I ran a 5k in an hour and seven minutes.
00:46:02.800 --> 00:46:11.119
Well, this year I ran that same trail, but I did the 10k and I ran it in an hour and 26 minutes, and then why my ankle is sore?
00:46:11.199 --> 00:46:26.320
I just ran that same trail on last Wednesday with the Run Club, and it was my idea, and so I can't fucking give anyone shit for doing the trail run because it's they asked for opinions on what we should do on Run Club that day.
00:46:26.480 --> 00:46:32.559
I said, Let's do the trail run, and so yeah, we did the trail run, and I did it in an hour and 11 minutes.
00:46:32.639 --> 00:46:43.280
So I shaved what like 13 minutes off my time, and that just shows you how much training actually can progress you in towards your goals of whatever you're doing.
00:46:43.440 --> 00:46:46.880
Like, the harder you train, the more you practice, the better you're gonna be.
00:46:47.039 --> 00:46:49.360
And this does not happen overnight.
00:46:49.519 --> 00:46:52.559
This training has been all summer, all free time.
00:46:52.639 --> 00:47:02.719
I went away on vacation in in uh uh Ontario, and there was one day I ran 11k to the gym and then worked out.
00:47:02.880 --> 00:47:06.000
Like, I I trained the whole time I was in Ontario, I did not stop training.
00:47:06.400 --> 00:47:09.119
That's because it's who you are, it's your identity.
00:47:09.840 --> 00:47:12.000
That's why it is, and and I have goals.
00:47:12.079 --> 00:47:13.199
My goals don't rest.
00:47:14.000 --> 00:47:16.079
No, like it's part of who you are.
00:47:16.320 --> 00:47:24.480
Like, couldn't you couldn't imagine going on a vacation and not working out because that's just what you do, it's just like brushing your teeth is part of who you are, right?
00:47:25.280 --> 00:47:26.320
You became that person.
00:47:27.039 --> 00:47:28.159
Yeah, exactly.
00:47:28.400 --> 00:47:39.920
Um, I don't know why you thought I was the runner out of the two of us when we met because I wasn't I am a strength girly, I hit the weight, and so like I was all brand new to running.
00:47:40.079 --> 00:47:46.000
I think actually when you went and ran that first 10K, you're like, I'm just gonna go run 10K.
00:47:46.079 --> 00:47:46.719
I'm like, what?
00:47:47.280 --> 00:47:48.880
I'm like, well, if you can, I can.
00:47:49.119 --> 00:48:00.239
So then I went and ran it because you were wanting to go, you went to an actual run and you wanted me to come, and I couldn't because I was working, so I just ran it here by myself.
00:48:00.639 --> 00:48:01.920
That was my first time doing it.
00:48:02.000 --> 00:48:04.239
It's just like getting in your head that you're gonna do it.
00:48:04.480 --> 00:48:06.639
And then I ran 15k the one time, too.
00:48:06.719 --> 00:48:10.880
I don't know why you thought I was the runner of the two of us, because I certainly am not.
00:48:11.199 --> 00:48:19.440
But I I always had it in my head that Amanda was the endurance person, I was the strength person, and then no, I'm strong.
00:48:19.519 --> 00:48:20.719
I'm I'm a strong girly.
00:48:21.039 --> 00:48:26.400
That's why I went to the functional fitness because I wanted to be a hybrid athlete, I want to be good at everything.
00:48:26.639 --> 00:48:45.440
So yeah, well, that's why you gotta live closer to me and come to my new hybrid training sessions that I run on Mondays and Thursdays because Mondays are based around functional fitness, so it's like the high-intensity functional fitness, building strength while building endurance, and then Thursday are endurance-specific days.
00:48:45.760 --> 00:48:51.440
So lots of running, lots of rowing, lots of aerobic exercise to build that engine up even more.
00:48:51.679 --> 00:48:53.920
I want to know what are you most excited about for high rocks?
00:48:54.079 --> 00:49:18.559
The thing I'm most excited about, I don't know, there's a lot, but I think the biggest thing is for the awareness because I could because of the position I'm in with my leg, I could have ran in an adaptive category, but I chose to opt out and race against the able body athletes for the awareness that doesn't matter what position you are in, you can do whatever you set your mind to.
00:49:18.719 --> 00:49:24.239
I have actually, because I've got so many people that believe in me and that back me up, I actually got sponsorships.
00:49:24.320 --> 00:49:29.199
Well, I haven't told you, Amanda, but I just recently got another sponsorship towards uh HyRox.
00:49:29.519 --> 00:49:34.639
One of my big main sponsors, I gotta give a huge shout out to Chris Setterston.
00:49:34.719 --> 00:49:37.119
He runs the Setterston Foundation in Alberta.
00:49:37.280 --> 00:49:44.239
He provides kids with disabilities the tools to be successful in whatever sport they're involved in.
00:49:44.400 --> 00:49:51.840
Typically, he deals with youth athletes, but he had a 15-minute conversation with me in person and said, I want to sponsor you.
00:49:52.639 --> 00:50:02.559
And so he sponsored me with a running foot to make me faster, um, to be able to hit my goals uh with the right tools.
00:50:02.719 --> 00:50:09.840
The the exposure, like, so like I want those, it's it's a huge spectator sport, so people are gonna see it.
00:50:10.079 --> 00:50:22.239
And the thing is, is you're gonna look out in those guys and girls, well, yeah, mixed doubles, you're gonna look out and see those people racing, and you're gonna see a guy with one leg, and you're gonna be like, What the fuck?
00:50:22.320 --> 00:50:29.119
So you're gonna watch that guy, and then when you're watching that guy, then you're gonna look at each other and be like, Well, fuck, he can do this.
00:50:29.199 --> 00:50:30.480
Why can't we do this?
00:50:31.280 --> 00:50:35.599
I wanna be the reason people do hard or do hard things and do better.
00:50:35.760 --> 00:50:44.639
Like, I want people to look at themselves and be like, Wow, this guy all this guy, like without a shirt, you can recognize that I did a weight loss transformation because of my skin.
00:50:44.800 --> 00:50:49.119
So think they're gonna recognize that too, and be like, Well, I why can't I do better with food?
00:50:49.280 --> 00:50:58.960
Like, and it's all a mindset, it's all it that's what it's all about is building that that mindset and and saying to yourself you can do it and sticking to it.
00:50:59.199 --> 00:51:07.360
And so that's what I'm most excited about is the exposure that it's gonna give and the awareness, the motivation, the inspiration it's gonna give.
00:51:07.599 --> 00:51:13.840
One of my biggest, biggest goals in life is to inspire as many as I can and motivate as many as I can.
00:51:13.920 --> 00:51:24.480
I I've been through a lot of my life to build me to who I am today, and I know it's motivating and it's inspiring, but I sometimes have a hard time knowing that I am that person that motivates and inspires.
00:51:24.639 --> 00:51:35.360
The more that people can share my story, the more people that recognize it, the the better I feel because then I don't actually have to reach out to those people and be like, hey, like I can motivate you and I can inspire you.
00:51:35.519 --> 00:51:47.519
I want you to recognize me and then allow that to be the inspiration without me having to say, Hey, this is what I've done, this is where I've started, but I know that is what I have to do to help.
00:51:47.679 --> 00:51:56.000
Um, so actually, it's been since Amanda that I've really started pushing my socials, and uh on my socials I've shared stories.
00:51:56.159 --> 00:52:05.679
Um, but me sharing stories is not me talking in front of a camera, which I probably should do more because it would really help my socials a lot more than it is right now.
00:52:05.920 --> 00:52:08.400
But like I've explained, I don't like talking in front of the camera.
00:52:08.480 --> 00:52:15.920
So I've shared pictures with my story, and it has worked, it it has been seen, and I've had a lot of people reach out to me.
00:52:16.079 --> 00:52:21.039
Like, I'm gonna read something to you, Amanda, that someone messaged me the other day that was fucking amazing.
00:52:21.199 --> 00:52:23.440
I've been I've been following this guy for a while.
00:52:23.519 --> 00:52:26.320
His name is Cameron McIntyre, he's from the States somewhere.
00:52:26.480 --> 00:52:31.920
He's I don't know how I started following him, he was right into fitness, I was into fitness, so we started following each other.
00:52:32.079 --> 00:52:39.039
And he said something to me today, or the other day on Friday, he said, You're literally the exact transformation that people strive for.
00:52:39.199 --> 00:52:41.119
Honestly, that's incredible.
00:52:41.599 --> 00:52:44.480
And yeah, like he he's right, he is.
00:52:44.719 --> 00:52:47.760
It's not something that happens overnight, like I've said, it isn't.
00:52:47.920 --> 00:52:51.360
It's something you have to be determined and you have to have that discipline.
00:52:51.599 --> 00:52:58.400
And the thing, John, like when you were talking about your transformation and how you've like gone up and down, I went through that too.
00:52:58.480 --> 00:53:00.000
Like, I've this isn't my first rodeo.
00:53:00.079 --> 00:53:06.719
I was a personal trainer too, and I did all the things, classes that I feel like people think, oh, I failed, so screw it.
00:53:06.960 --> 00:53:11.280
But no, like if you fail, you can keep going and just just stand back up again.
00:53:11.440 --> 00:53:12.239
Yeah, you know what?
00:53:12.400 --> 00:53:17.360
After I lost my leg, I could have I could have claimed failure and defeat and lived off the system.
00:53:17.519 --> 00:53:20.400
But I victim the victim mentality, yeah.
00:53:20.480 --> 00:53:20.960
You know what?
00:53:21.039 --> 00:53:22.800
I lost my leg at 11 years old.
00:53:22.960 --> 00:53:34.480
I started working at 13 in the fields picking corn, but there I was 13 years old, just got amputated two years prior, and I'm out walking behind a buggy in a cornfield picking corn.
00:53:35.119 --> 00:53:36.480
Serious about your training?
00:53:36.719 --> 00:53:38.000
How about your recovery?
00:53:38.400 --> 00:53:39.199
Your goals.
00:53:39.679 --> 00:53:41.599
Supplement king has you covered.
00:53:42.000 --> 00:53:50.320
It's Canada's go-to sports nutrition retailer with everything from protein to pre-workout backed by staff who actually know their staff.
00:53:50.800 --> 00:53:54.559
And I am proud to be an affiliate because I believe in this brand.
00:53:55.199 --> 00:53:58.800
Stop by your nearest supplement king location today.
00:54:00.000 --> 00:54:11.599
And I wanna give you a shout out too, because I've been like working towards my goals, and I know that you had somehow a part in getting me on part of the supplement king team.
00:54:12.239 --> 00:54:13.679
I don't know what you did or what you said.
00:54:13.760 --> 00:54:18.639
I support them in Subcurrent because I know how important it is to reach your goals and all the things.
00:54:18.800 --> 00:54:21.760
And if we don't support that store, we're gonna lose it.
00:54:21.840 --> 00:54:26.320
I don't know what happened, but they reached out to me and asked if I would like to be part of the team.
00:54:26.480 --> 00:54:28.079
Oh, I'll let you know a little secret.
00:54:28.239 --> 00:54:36.159
So in February, Wyatt, one of the owners of Supplement King, reached out to me and asked me if I'd be interested in doing an athlete program with them.
00:54:36.239 --> 00:54:38.639
And I was like, Okay, like, what's this involve?
00:54:38.800 --> 00:54:42.719
And he's like, Well, I'll get Carla to get a hold of you and go through the details.
00:54:42.960 --> 00:54:54.400
So Carla went through the details with me, and uh, she sent me over a contract, and I went over the contract, and I was like, Okay, yeah, I'm on board because I have been a loyal customer to Supplement Kings since 2022.
00:54:54.559 --> 00:55:00.480
So before they opened their store, I would be going to the Regina East location always whenever I was in Regina.
00:55:00.559 --> 00:55:03.599
But then they opened the store in Yorkton and I've been there ever since.
00:55:03.760 --> 00:55:06.800
I've never missed an EPE, I'm always the first at the door.
00:55:07.039 --> 00:55:09.440
I was like, Yeah, this program seems perfect for me.
00:55:09.599 --> 00:55:13.280
But like, why are they looking at me as an athletic ambassador?
00:55:13.519 --> 00:55:21.599
Because I've like, there's a lot of other people, but like it's not just your following, it's not just your athleticism, it's what you can bring to the table.
00:55:21.760 --> 00:55:25.280
It's everything that you've done to create yourself, and that's what they've recognized.
00:55:25.360 --> 00:55:28.480
And like, why it said to me, we handpick everyone for a reason.
00:55:28.639 --> 00:55:35.199
And so Carla had reached out to me and said, like, hey, do you know anyone in your area that would be good for be on the program?
00:55:35.280 --> 00:55:37.280
And I was thinking I was like, Well, you know what?
00:55:37.360 --> 00:55:40.239
Like, you should check out Amanda, she's from Swift Current area.
00:55:40.400 --> 00:55:46.400
Check out her, here's her Instagram, and that's kind of what got it started with Amanda.
00:55:46.639 --> 00:55:54.719
Amanda and I competed in uh half simulation in Regina, and that's where Amanda got to meet Laura, one of our athletes.
00:55:54.960 --> 00:56:02.159
I was trying to get her introduced to the team, but yeah, I got the wheels turning enough to get the eyes on Amanda, and so it worked out well.
00:56:02.320 --> 00:56:04.880
And now Amanda represents the Swift Current store.
00:56:05.119 --> 00:56:14.000
And I still am by myself here in York, and it feels like the thing I love about the Southern Line King team is like we have that group chat, and everybody's just so encouraging.
00:56:14.480 --> 00:56:17.840
They're just like this community, it's incredible.
00:56:18.000 --> 00:56:25.599
And like you guys are always like doing stuff, like different events, and I'm helping out with the EPE here in Swift Current because that's coming up this Friday.
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Super excited, which is the employee pricing event.
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Super cheap.
00:56:30.400 --> 00:56:31.760
So super excited about that.
00:56:31.920 --> 00:56:34.639
And I just feel like we need more community in this world.
00:56:34.719 --> 00:56:39.199
Like ever since COVID, everybody's just kind of like to themselves, and I'm trying to build that community.
00:56:39.280 --> 00:56:42.480
So that's why I'm super excited about Supplement King because that's what they're all about.
00:56:42.639 --> 00:56:46.400
They're about creating community and surrounding yourself with like-minded people.
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Because how are you gonna get better if you don't do that?
00:56:49.199 --> 00:56:55.599
Don't don't forget to mention the golden ticket to the to the special prize that you can win with Supplement King.
00:56:55.679 --> 00:57:00.960
But there is a golden ticket in those uh$200 swag bags.
00:57:01.039 --> 00:57:12.400
So the first 10 customers that spend$200 or more get a swag bag with over$200 worth of value, I'm pretty sure it is, of supplements and uh samples and swag.
00:57:12.480 --> 00:57:20.079
And then there's a golden ticket in there, and then on that golden ticket, there's you there's special prizes that you can win that go above and beyond what you already get.
00:57:20.239 --> 00:57:26.400
And me being loyal to those EPE events since 2022, I'll tell you, every one of those bags have been phenomenal.
00:57:26.639 --> 00:57:37.519
The one year I got uh a redcon bag, and it was actually a really sweet backpack, it's a tactical backpack, and they have yet to do a backpack that has beat this one.
00:57:37.679 --> 00:57:43.679
The products inside have always been amazing, but the the qu the backpack that was the best one I ever got.
00:57:43.840 --> 00:57:47.679
I've got a hell of a stock of products right now, just from all events and stuff.
00:57:47.840 --> 00:57:53.280
I said when I got a thousand followers, I was gonna run uh a giveaway on my Instagram, and I still have yet to do that.
00:57:53.440 --> 00:58:01.760
So I think I gotta start getting that geared up and going again because actually I just became a promoter for Vandal project, they're called.
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So I'm probably gonna buy up some of their supplements too to throw in this giveaway.
00:58:06.320 --> 00:58:09.760
I've seen that you had something on your your Instagram, some pink pups.
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Oh yeah, I actually did that for my girlfriend's birthday.
00:58:13.519 --> 00:58:16.880
Um, here's another thing.
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When you surround yourself with like-minded people, you become your that person, right?
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So she's now like starting to work out and she's starting to run.
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So I'm like, I gotta give this girly a big water jug so she can hydrate herself and a shaker cup for her shake.
00:58:33.039 --> 00:58:34.559
So yeah, that was her birthday present.
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We just put all the little fun stuff inside as well.
00:58:38.480 --> 00:58:40.880
So after Hyrocks, what's your plan after that?
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What are you gonna be training for?
00:58:44.320 --> 00:58:45.599
Uh, another one.
00:58:46.719 --> 00:58:58.079
Um, so my my goal is I got a couple people that want to run doubles with me, but my goal is to get into solo pro in the able body category.
00:58:58.239 --> 00:59:01.840
I ran a solo in Warmen uh a few months ago.
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I had just come off of a tibia injury on my half-leg, and I actually ran it at a pretty respectful time of an hour 46, so that's all the eight stations, all eight kilometers myself.
00:59:13.760 --> 00:59:37.119
I'm running another one on the 19th, and I have a goal of an hour 30, and I think I can crush it because when I ran the last one, I just got off that injury, and I was still closet vaping a little bit, and my lungs weren't as well as they are now, so like I haven't vaped since no inhalation of smoke, and it's improved my running a lot, just in terms of my lungs.
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And now I got this good leg that I can race on, so I feel like I can improve my time that much more because of all that.
00:59:44.400 --> 00:59:49.199
So, that being said, being able to run a solos in an hour 30 is pretty good.
00:59:49.360 --> 00:59:54.400
Like, I'd like to get myself down to ideally an hour and 15, an hour and 20.
00:59:54.639 --> 00:59:58.480
It that'd be my end goal to be in pros to shoot for that sub-60.
00:59:58.559 --> 01:00:00.320
It's hard, but it's definitely achievable.
01:00:00.480 --> 01:00:05.039
Like, this is only my first year training for this, and I've already made as much progression as I have.
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So, what's next year gonna look like?
01:00:06.800 --> 01:00:07.760
Even more progressions.
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I'm looking forward to that, and I think I can crush those goals.
01:00:10.880 --> 01:00:15.920
Like, if I were to go into the adaptive category, I know I could probably qualify for the worlds right now.
01:00:16.079 --> 01:00:20.000
I would hope in my future that something I could achieve is a potential worlds.
01:00:20.239 --> 01:00:25.199
It's a hell of a goal to set for myself, but I feel like I can do it.
01:00:25.280 --> 01:00:27.280
I've done a lot harder things in my life.
01:00:27.360 --> 01:00:28.719
I'm gonna train for that.
01:00:28.880 --> 01:00:31.760
I also want to do Spartan next year.
01:00:31.920 --> 01:00:35.119
The one person that I want to run a Spartan with, he wants to do the trifecta.
01:00:35.199 --> 01:00:36.719
I don't know if I'm ready for that.
01:00:36.880 --> 01:00:42.559
I think it's the 5k, 10k, and 15k in a weekend, and then you get the trifecta.
01:00:42.639 --> 01:00:44.559
Like, that's that's a hell of a weekend.
01:00:44.639 --> 01:00:51.679
I'm sure I could if I have good recovery set up prior and I prioritize that recovery after each race.
01:00:58.000 --> 01:01:01.440
I'm starting to really learn that it's it is really important.
01:01:01.760 --> 01:01:18.559
Like that being said, like I'd always leave recovery between muscle groups, but with this cardiovascular training and running and being it's not that it's harder on the body, but it's more demanding, so you do have to leave more time, I find, between recovery, and then the same with the fueling your body.
01:01:18.719 --> 01:01:22.960
But that that hasn't been a concern of mine because I've always feeled pretty, pretty good.
01:01:23.199 --> 01:01:24.800
Like I'm human, I make mistakes.
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I've slipped up and I've eaten shit that I shouldn't have eaten, but that being said, I've still always hit my goals because you can't completely rid everything out of your life that you've once enjoyed.
01:01:34.880 --> 01:01:41.119
Fun fact though, I've always said to everybody, you can put me in an event full of alcohol and I won't sweat, I won't bat an eye.
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Put me in a fucking buffet and I'll be stressing.
01:01:45.519 --> 01:01:56.000
Look, you could give our listeners any piece of advice they're wanting to start and they just don't know how, what would you tell them to do?
01:01:56.239 --> 01:01:58.239
Reach out to someone you can trust that has knowledge.
01:01:58.400 --> 01:01:58.719
Alright.
01:01:58.800 --> 01:02:08.639
And and that being said, though be very methodical about who you tr you pick because a lot of people are in it just for the money, then a lot of people are in it for the heart and for the passion.
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And so you gotta make sure you pick those people that are in it for the heart and passion.
01:02:11.920 --> 01:02:22.000
And that's one thing I I gotta learn to separate a little more because I dedicate a lot of time that's unpaid, but I do it because it is a huge passion of mine.
01:02:22.320 --> 01:02:26.239
Like I wish there was more time in a day because I could help so much more.
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I'm always willing to help as many as I can, but there is also a lot of other people out there that are like me that are willing to do the same thing as I do, but just just making that first step.
01:02:36.239 --> 01:02:38.559
That's that's the biggest thing, is making that first step.
01:02:38.639 --> 01:02:44.480
And once you make that first step, it just starts to fall into place as long as you as long as you're ready for it.
01:02:44.639 --> 01:02:53.440
It's like one of those things like when you quit drinking or quit doing a drug or food addiction, you gotta be ready to do it for yourself, not for someone else.
01:02:53.599 --> 01:03:02.079
So once you're ready to make that move for yourself, then you're committed, and then you get that person on board to help you, you're set up for success.
01:03:02.239 --> 01:03:07.440
Like I always say to all my clients, I'll give you all the tools to be successful, but it's up to you to be successful.
01:03:07.679 --> 01:03:10.079
Yeah, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't force him to drink.
01:03:10.239 --> 01:03:10.800
Absolutely.
01:03:11.519 --> 01:03:13.679
Like you said, you have to be very careful who you're asking for.
01:03:13.840 --> 01:03:16.239
You don't want to ask somebody that's never done what you're doing wanting to do.
01:03:16.480 --> 01:03:22.239
You have to ask somebody for help or for encouragement that's already been through what you've done.
01:03:22.639 --> 01:03:22.960
Absolutely.
01:03:23.360 --> 01:03:28.480
Well, thank you so much, John, for spending an hour and a bit with me today.
01:03:29.039 --> 01:03:29.679
No problem.
01:03:30.159 --> 01:03:31.840
And I'm super excited for a high rocks.
01:03:31.920 --> 01:03:40.639
And like, we honestly were supposed to do this because now that I know how hard it is to get high rocks tickets and we both got them, it was unreal.
01:03:40.719 --> 01:03:42.719
So I'm like, okay, we are supposed to be there.
01:03:42.880 --> 01:03:52.000
So I'm just really excited to go experience it, push myself farther than I ever thought I could ever do and have some fun.
01:03:53.920 --> 01:03:55.519
That's gonna it's gonna be a good time.
01:03:55.599 --> 01:04:13.280
And I'm I'm excited because uh I'm actually bringing my daughter to this event, and I've got family in Ontario, so they're gonna watch my daughter while I race, but she's been super eager about all my racing and everything, so I'm I'm excited to take her and take Amanda also to my home province and do a little bit of exploring.
01:04:13.360 --> 01:04:24.079
I'm gonna show them a bit of uh Ontario, and uh now that my daughter's a bit older, she'll understand a little bit more of Ontario, and I'm really, really looking forward to taking them to Niagara Falls and letting them experience the falls.
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The two biggest things at Niagara Falls that are that are stand out is the Ferris wheel that looks over the falls and the the falls itself.
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I'm looking forward to taking them both there to experience that.
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Uh, because like I said, bring bring memories to the grave, not money.
01:04:38.159 --> 01:04:39.119
I'm so excited.
01:04:39.519 --> 01:04:43.840
Anyway, thank you again and uh good luck on the training.
01:04:44.559 --> 01:04:45.519
Yeah, you too.