Hungry Dog Barbell Podcast

John Edward Heath

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We sit down with John Edward Heath to talk about making adaptive fitness accessible, building identity beyond labels, and replacing inspiration culture with informed coaching and real inclusion. From military roots to amputation to leadership, John maps a path any gym can follow.

• why adaptive days focus on education and resources, not hype
• how machines and simple drills teach real adaptations
• why inspiration culture harms and how to replace it
• the cost reality of adaptive sport and travel
• identity beyond athlete, veteran, and amputee labels
• grief, addiction, faith, and choosing normal life
• building networks among gyms, PTs, and adaptive athletes
• how affiliates can host adaptive seminars and prepare staff
• performance goals that serve purpose, not ego

Interested in hosting a Break the Barrier hosted by Adaptive Athletics Foundation of Maryland? It’s a great resource for gym owners , staff and everyday gym goers. Reach out to John @carbonfiber_john_ or @adaptiveathletics_md 


Love this convo ?? Subscribe to our show to check out dozens of other inspiring and informative people tell their stories on what they’re passionate about .


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Website : hungrydogathletics.com

SPEAKER_01:

What's up, dogs? This week I'm joined by track athlete, weightlifter, competitive crossfitter, and founder of the Adaptive Athletics Foundation of Maryland, John Edward Heath. John comes on to have a conversation with me about identity and making fitness available to everyday adaptive athletes. After this episode was recorded, I was able to take his adaptive day seminar at CrossFit Westchester, put on by his foundation. I would highly recommend it. It was very informational and also super approachable. I would recommend it for everyone from coaches and gym owners to the everyday gym goer. Hopefully, that you can bring more people into the gym and make them feel accepted, which is the ultimate goal. I hope you enjoyed this episode. Give John a follow on Instagram if you don't already. Peace. But yeah, dude, so let's talk about like now, right? Like I'm trying to come out this weekend. This episode will drop of after this weekend has passed. But I'm trying to come out this weekend. I'm trying to get a coach to come cover for me so I can make it out to Crosswood Westchester. You're coming there and you're having, and uh correct me if this isn't the right title, and then tell us everything about it. Adaptive day there. Tell us all about that. Like, is that part of the nonprofit? Like, give us the lowdown.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh man, so it's it's very, it's crazy, man. Because it's like um I I saw a need for something. So the way that I describe to a lot of people, every community has problems. Yeah. But I think we don't find solutions. I think we do more of the bitching and complaining instead of actually like finding a solution to the problem. So kind of where it started, um, I gotta give props to Wheelwad. Wheelwad is a very, you know, they're very good friends of mine, Kevin Ogar, Leslie Manning, Shannon Ogar, uh David Needham, which ironically you had on the podcast. David Needham is actually my vice president for my foundation.

SPEAKER_01:

Shout out to Dave Man, Cowboy.

SPEAKER_00:

100%. Um, but what I found is it's not that people don't care about adaptive CrossFit. It's that they're not educated, nor do they have the resources for adaptive CrossFit. So take it back. Um obviously I've been in the space. Um, you know, but a lot of people know me as Carbon Fiber John or whatever the case may be. Um but I think the hardest thing for me, I've only been an amputee for four years. I came from able-body sports straight into the adaptive sports world. Um, but I I, because I was able-bodied for 30 years, have a very different persona than the average person. And I and you've been around me in the community, you've been around me at a competition. Um, so I think that plays a huge role into like what it is that I'm doing, right? So, in the midst of that, I'm not afraid to drop into any box, any performance center, any gold's gym, whatever the case may be, because nine out of ten, I'm putting up some weight. You know what I mean? It doesn't matter whether it's bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, whether it's CrossFit.

SPEAKER_01:

Um you could have everybody out there.

SPEAKER_00:

100%. And then what I found was like everybody would tell me after a class, they would be like, dude, you're the only adaptive athlete I've ever seen.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And I'd be like, dude, and mind you, I'm in the legislative space for disability. So I'm like, well, February 2024, uh, it was recorded that there are 5.6 plus plus amputees in the United States. You know what I mean? So, like, that's kind of where my stuff came at because I've been exposed to amputees from service, but I'm also super exposed to adaptive sports through like the Paralympic pipeline and then through adaptive CrossFit. So it's like, dude, like, we've got people like Andrea Wilson who is in a wheelchair doing bar ring muscle ups, like climbing. I don't even like rock climbing, and this girl will climb these things. You know what I mean? You've got you just have so many athletes doing so much crazy stuff, man. And um, and that's kind of where the idea came from, where I was like, okay, how do we because there's no money, there's zero money in adaptive sports. Uh, you know, I don't want to speak for the community, but I I was one of the few like fully sponsored adaptive athletes, like being able to do like the professional track and the adaptive CrossFit side of things. Um and in that I was like, okay, so there's no money. And then it was like an idea where I was like, dude, Equip Products. I don't think Equit Products gets enough uh recognition for what they create for the disabled community. And then I just got a love for I got a love for the real community of CrossFit. I think we lost the translation of community in CrossFit because they're all different little pockets, and whether it's the games or whether it's like unfortunately, we've got egotistical stuff in the sport, right? We've got like drama in some affiliates or whatever the case may be. But like for me, it is that like new member that comes in, right? That like finds CrossFit and you remember the high that you got from when you started, right? So I just wanted to give that back to the community, to the disabled community. And then I'm gonna just highlight this because this is very important to me. I think we do a very horrible job of promoting health and wellness in the disabled space because the only thing we promote is the eliteness of fitness. Look on social media, it's all about the Paralympics, adaptive CrossFit, you know, elite marathoners, high rocks, and all that stuff. And it's like, okay, so we emphasize in the L1 or in the CrossFit headquarters space about like bringing that overweight person into you know, a box, an affiliate, or whatever the case may be. But we don't do that in the disabled space, and it's twice as expensive and as hard for a disabled person to come to a class. Um, so that's kind of the barrier that I'm trying to break, man. And it's like I'm just going to as many gyms as I can to like, I think it's the coolest gig if I'm being honest with you. You know what I mean? Like, I get to do this for a living, where like I get to educate on adaptations for fitness, um, but I also get to find these adaptive athletes and disabled individuals that like just want to be physically active, you know? So that's kind of the nuance behind these adaptive days.

SPEAKER_01:

I love that point that you just like opened up with there too, because that is uh a battle that we've been facing in like the broader space of CrossFit already, right? Like the 1% being the thing that you predominantly see, like in all the spaces, like Glassman pushed back against it before he was ousted, and then you see it again so much, and then even right now where things are kind of turning over, it's mostly still the one percent. Like we'll see the ads, the commercials that pop up around the game's time where they're like, look at this, look at this, look at this. And then it goes back to still like the tip of the spear thing, you know. Uh so give us like a rundown of what the day looks like.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, man. So it's kind of tough, dude, because I want to like put it all out into a session, right? But it's it's hard, man. Like, I I try to limit it to two and a half hours because you start to lose people, yeah, you know, after, especially on a Saturday. And then you've got to be cautious of like the affiliate. At the end of the day, a gym is a business, right? Um, there are 16 divisions in adaptive crossfit at the wheel well, wheel wide level. Um, the easiest for me to demonstrate and put people through is upper, lower, and seated divisions, right? So what we do is we take the basics of concept two, man. I think the machines are the easiest way to give you an idea of what an adaptive athlete goes through. Um, typically, I because I am an MPT, you know, I am a lower extremity athlete, um, I run the group through lower, right? So we'll I'll have the members or participants do a row with on one leg, I'll have them do a ski on one leg, I'll have them do the assault bike on one leg, and then I'll have them do wall balls on one leg, depending on what equipment I have. Sometimes I incorporate jump rope. Um, but uh the way that I have found it is that those are those movements are the basics and easiest to like flow through to show you. And I think the coolest thing for me is like, dude, you'll watch a fit person, their CNS like just light up because it's like you're used to using two legs. And then I love asking questions. Like, I just had an adaptive day last Saturday, and these are fit individuals, like these coaches are fit at the yard. And I I ask them as soon as they're coming out, they're like, my quad is lit. And I'm like, so now you know what it feels like for me every time I train. So don't call me inspirational because you see me walk into a gym and I've got a fake leg. Call me inspirational because you understand that there are a lot of obstacles and a lot of things that I have to undergo into training as an amputee, not like I get it all the time, dude. And that's the thing that I'm trying to walk away from is like this inspirational thing. Like I'll go to whole Whole Foods, and people be like, wow, you're so inspiring. Why I'm buying pancake mix. Like, what? You know what I mean? Um, so then you'll transition to the upper, and then you'll transition to the seated. And I'm gonna be honest and blessed. Like, I'm blessed, bro, because like I've got Shane Horn in my team, I've got Julia. I can never pronounce her last name, and she hears that she's gonna curse me out, but she just won second in the world, right? For upper. Really fit girl. Like, and she helps me educate people on the upper, and then we've got Tom Zamansky, uh, who's got MS. He's part of the Neuro Division. I've got Brett Horchod, also part of the Neuro Division, right? So, like, I'm just trying to create a space, man, where like we give our at we're more than athletes, and like the identity thing in communities is a very touchy subject, but like, dude, I fit a lot of communities, and I that's not my identity, man. Like, because a lot of things can be taken from you, and I just don't ever necessarily want to be so inclined into adaptive sports, and then tomorrow it's like you get cancer or whatever, and then it's like you're done, or you know, you lose your job, and then it's like you're done. So, like, I just truly want to give my community a space to one, find a sense of purpose, two, is like the educational part to teach abled-body individuals, and then three, it's like, I just want to find more disabled people to bring to a class for 60 minutes a day. Like, I coach at old line CrossFit, and I'm the only adaptive athlete here. But since I started coaching here, we've had three adaptive athletes come into my job, you know what I mean? So, like so, like that, and that and it, and they're the elites of the elites, right? So it's like, but then the coolest thing at the event we had last Friday, dude, one of my uh really good friends, she's a doctor of physical therapy. She texted me, she's like, Hey, can I bring my 16-year-old patient? Dude, this this girl had never been around other disabled people, and like, dude, her confidence switched on a three hours, a three-hour seminar where like you saw her hiding her arm, and you know what I mean. Julia doesn't have like real fingers, they had to make those. I'm missing a limb and chains in a wheelchair, and and Tom is talking about MS. Like, I think it's just the coolest thing to truly develop and like give you some sense of confidence, man. Like, it's just it's more than just fitness.

SPEAKER_01:

Man, uh something of two things that you just said right there just can be so hard. Like, because people that are in majorities everywhere they go, they don't really understand what it's like to be in different minority systems. And this this this big thing that like the inspiration thing, the like being the odd man out. Like, uh I talked a lot about substance abuse and like past podcasts, podcasts that I've been on, and like situations that I've been in. And it's like, okay, we gotta move away from trying to be heroes in our own story and find that place where you can get the normalcy. And once you can find normalcy and hold on to that, that is gonna help you a lot more with your your journey than like trying to be the inspiration and the hero in other people's stories and in your story. Like, I know that was life-changing for me, you know. Like when I'm going through substance abuse, it's like, all right, you know, I I gotta go find this thing that's gonna inspire me today. Like, no, I just gotta go find a way to live my normal life every day, be around other people that are like going to work and enjoying their job, going and being around people that they enjoy and just having that normalcy every single day. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_00:

But that's the thing, is it's it's you know, whether it's the military, you know, whether it's I'm a foster kid, uh, I also am sober. Substance abuse was a problem for me. Um, but I mean, I've been around those, I've been around a lot of communities, man. It's it's just uh that's kind of what I try to teach people because it's right. Like it's it's and I'll tell you, man, like I lost my best friend of suicide in 2018, uh, I lost my significant other to suicide in 2020. So like I witness people forget about you 24 hours after you're in the grave, right? So it's like, why am I gonna give you so much effort and stress of my life into something that's erroneous and can be taken away from you, right? So like I think the coolest thing for me, man, is like, and you've been around me, like I am I'm a thousand percent sure on who John Edward Heath is. I don't need you to tell me otherwise. I don't need to be your cup of tea, I don't need to you don't want to hang out with me, then that's fine. I'll I'll be my own vibe. Like, you don't like my dog likes me, you know what I mean? Like um, so it's it's but it's been a journey, so I can't really fault people because I grew up in those like trying to fit in and wearing the J's and you know, having the money and all that stuff, but there's something that I try to teach the people in my immediate circle. It's like, dude, what is what is your sense of purpose and is it tangible, right? Not like, well, I want to be the best sprinter that the world's ever seen. Like, I just you know what I mean, like I you can chase that, but what happens if you don't fulfill it, right? Like, yeah, and that's kind of what the way that I'm taking sports now, right? Like, I have records and accolades and stuff, but like it doesn't mean anything to me because it doesn't, it's never put a million dollars in my bank account. So, like, so it's cool, uh, and I get to use it on the resume, but I'm I'm using it for a greater good, and that's to like get money for these programs, like, you know, but other than that, it's not, I'm not the adaptive athlete, I'm not the veteran, I'm not the foster kid, I'm not the amputee. Like, I'm a man of faith, you know what I mean? Like, I'm John Ever Pete, who happens to be an adaptive athlete, who happens to be all of these other things. Um, but I don't, I've worked really, really hard to not allow something to turn into my like sole purpose.

SPEAKER_01:

Right. Like that is a part of me. That's not me, you know, anyone thing that anyone can say. And a lot of the stuff you're using for vehicles, you know, you're using that to keep going where you're headed to, not just like, all right, I'm in this car, and this is where I am right now, and this is where I'm always gonna be, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, because I mean, and that's the thing is I hate the you know, where do you see yourself in five years? Because my life isn't where I thought it was gonna be seven, eight years ago, right? Uh, when I walked away from the military, you know what I mean? So, like, I coached at a division one level. I thought I was gonna be the Andy Reed of like this program, right? Like, I'm gonna sit here and die forever, right? Like, I didn't see myself uh coaching for me is a very sensitive subject because I know what it takes to compete at the highest level. Um so coaching for me is a very sensitive subject because not everybody has that like want or need or whatever. So, like, why am I more invested in you know what I mean? So, like I hate that question, but at the end of the day, it's like you gotta be very focused on where you're headed, but also like you gotta sit back, man. Because I have that issue. Like, the hustle mentality is very dangerous, and where I come from, like it's engraved in my veins, yeah. Uh, to the point where, like, you know what I mean? Like, I would win, I would win something that I was training for forever, and then I finally got it, and then it's like onto the next, yeah, yeah. Onto the next, onto the next, onto the next. And it's like, well, at what point do you sit back and enjoy what you do? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I think I don't know. I mean, I know you're from the DMV, so you're probably not much of a birds fan, but like I think the Eagles are.

SPEAKER_00:

No, but my friends, my friends play at uh with the Eagles and Voldemort's uh racing at the Corgi races at the Eagles game to 7-14.

SPEAKER_01:

Yo, wait, wait, wait, hold on, hold on, hold on. I wanted to ask you if your Corgi is really named Voldemort, number one. So is that is that his real name?

SPEAKER_00:

First of all, first of all, his name is Lord Voldemort. Okay, hell yes. Let's go.

SPEAKER_01:

Bro, I did I did a whole series of like six podcasts that were just about like Harry Potter. Like, I had guests on and we talked a little bit about them, but we mostly You know, I tell you that the biggest stressor for me is when people will be like, What's your dog's name?

SPEAKER_00:

I'll be like, Lord Voldemort. They're like, Are you a Harry Potter fan? And you know what my response is? Because you know me, I'm very facetious and sarcastic. I'm like, no, it's a family name.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, like what, bro? Like, what do you mean? Like, are you not? Like, oh my god, that's ridiculous. Um, December 14th, Corgi races. What who are they playing? That's a thing. How did this even happen?

SPEAKER_00:

There are so they're okay. So Voldemort used to race at the ESPN Corgi races.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00:

This is a thing, okay. Uh we did it during COVID, and then they stopped during COVID or whatever. So my Corgi is very fit. Voldemort has been chasing two-time Olympian and Eagles wide receiver, Devin Allen, since he was a puppy. Because we trained together on track and field. Um, and then my dog goes, he's a service dog. So like he goes everywhere, and like it's so funny because he'll play catch every class, every class, like this, and it's funny because we were in Asbury and Dan had uh Voldemort, and this guy walks up and he goes, Oh, I've got a Corgi, and he goes, My Corgi's 30 pounds. And I looked at him and I was like, My Corgi's 19 pounds.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, we have different kind of corgies, bro.

SPEAKER_00:

You know what I mean? Uh, but no, so what is ironic is um, dude, I go to a lot of games. If you have been friends with me on social media for a long time, I am on a lot of sidelines. I'm blessed. A lot of my friends play in the leagues, uh, hockey, football, basketball, baseball. Um, so we I don't think it's a tradition, but like we kinda have been, sorta. So like we went, I took Dan O'Bangles game, and then we went to um the Ravens game, and we were in Pennsylvania for the Babes and Barbell photo shoot.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And we and then Dan wanted to go to a game, and I was like, ah, dude, but like, why don't we just try to go to the Eagles because it's like right there? But then I got into the mix because his flight was from DC, and I was like, no, let's just go, right? So my dog has an Instagram, and in the Instagram, there was the thing that says uh uh Philadelphia Eagle Corgies needed for the Corgi races.

SPEAKER_02:

Damn.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh, and then I looked it up, and uh, dude, it it provides two sideline passes, two tickets, you need an additional handler, um, two shirts, and then some other stuff or whatever. And I texted Dan and I was like, yo, Lord Voldemort might be your in for the filly game that you wanted to go to. Right. Um, and that's kind of and it's ironic because the virus final, so my last competition of the year is the virus final. So the game is like a week right after my last like thing of the year.

SPEAKER_01:

Six or something like that, right?

SPEAKER_00:

It's four through the seven.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, but yeah, so that's kind of what's happening.

SPEAKER_01:

That's dope. That's hella dope, dude. Um, but bro, let's take it back now. You come from a like tumultuous background, you know, adopted, you got rehomed all over the place. Was there ever a point in time where you were younger where you thought, like, I don't come from the standard household?

SPEAKER_00:

No, I think I developed that at my like 18 to 26. That's kind of what later on in life. Um, and then unfortunately, the like victim mentality kind of took over. Um I grew up in the DMV, so it was kind of a normal thing, I guess. A lot of kids that I was around didn't have a mom or a dad or either in the system or social services or whatever. Um, I don't I don't necessarily think about it, but it's wild to me now that I'm an adult. I like there's a lot of times that I think about a lot of stuff that I'm like, I don't, bro. That's not that's why I believe like there's a higher power, you know what I mean? Because like, yeah, I don't my my destiny was already forged for me. Like, there was no way that I would have survived everything, and then moving back here was like the hardest thing for me to do. Like, are you kidding me? The state has trauma written all over, and I didn't want to come back, but I got stationed here, um, and then I lost my leg here, uh, where they had my amputation here. Um, but no, I just I think I just went with the punches, man. Yeah, and it's funny to laugh about now, but like I'm telling you, I think about a lot of stuff that I underwent, and I'm like, how did I make that happen?

SPEAKER_01:

Just kept rolling through and fighting with it. So, like when you were, let's talk about like everything from here, like 13 up, you know, like we don't have to go past that. 13 up, like what was your mindset like? Like, what was John like at that point? What did you like to do? What were your interests? Yeah, not what was that?

SPEAKER_00:

I used to club, bro. I used to club in DC back when the bees are all that stuff. Yeah, that was when I was hanging out, I was hanging out with adults, bro. Like, when people ask me why I'm so boring these days, is because I've done it all, I've done all the drugs, I've done all the alcohol. Bro, back in the day when I was like 16 years old, and I'm not I'm not even gonna name the artist because it'll it'll look bad on them, but like there were a lot of celebrities that like I was born shots with. They thought I was 21, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, um I mean 13 like the DC music scene is its own like contained thing, like people outside of it, like yeah, but I was friends with like the promoters and like the DJ, bro.

SPEAKER_00:

I nobody ever ID'd me. You know what I mean? Like it was just it was just a thing, right? Um, but I will tell you, I worked, I hustled a lot because I had to pay for a lot of my stuff. Um, I don't necessarily think I had hobbies. I will tell you, it's where I found out I was really good at weightlifting because I had a mentor. Um, and that's the thing, man, is like I did have a very rough mentality as a child where I was like, well, nobody wants me, so like I'm just gonna come to school drunk and I'm gonna do all these drugs. Um, but I had people, guardian angels, man, that were looking out for me. You know what I mean? I had a guy that was like, you need to take all this anger out on Olympic weightlifting. And I'm like, no. You know, I had another guy that was like, you need to get into bodybuilding, you're a big ass dude, but you're just fat, you know, and I'm like, oh okay.

SPEAKER_01:

What ages was that when people were telling you that?

SPEAKER_00:

13. So I was deemed to the state at 13. Like that was I was technically an adult at that point.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

You know what I mean? Um, and then I had a law teacher, a law teacher who believed in me, which is crazy, man, because I was just like I was disrespectful in high school. Like, yeah, I was fighting. If you guys ever look at my knuckles, like I've got jacked up. Man, yeah. I I don't even know how I didn't yeah, I I don't ever think I caught like a bad fight, you know what I mean? Um, but no, and then it just something hit, bro, because I was hanging out with the wrong crowd. I was hanging out with the wrong people in the wrong crowd, and then something hit. I was like, ah, I didn't get my life together, and then I was like, I'm gonna join the military, and everybody laughed at me. I laugh at myself now because I was like, what did you know about discipline? You know what I mean? Yeah, um, and then the turning point was crazy because I had been kicked out of schools, I've I had been kicked out of districts, and I was so behind in school. I think I was like a sophomore, sophomore in like my senior year or something. Like that's how many credits I had missed or whatever. Um, and then something the competitiveness in me was like, this is kicked in because I was like, dog, I went to I went to day school, seven periods, I went to night school, I went to Saturday school, I went to summer school, and then I graduated on time while still working and hustling and shit. So, like, yeah, I'm telling you, bro, like right now, the way that my schedule's packed, it's super funny because you know, and I keep mentioning him, but he's just around a lot of this stuff. But like, Dan has no idea how I do everything I do, yeah. And I'm like, because I work well in controlled chaos, like I don't know what I've been doing it for a very long time. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01:

They did you for a long time, yeah. That's not so before we continue on with that. When those people were saying things about like working out, were you in the gym at all? And that's why they brought it up, or did they just no?

SPEAKER_00:

I used to just hang out, bro. So check this out. You okay, so I'm finally gonna say this in like a puzzle setting. Oh shit. I'm a dancer, I grew up dancing, so I dance like hip, like I'm a dancer, okay.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yo, before you keep going, you'll flap flash your calves on the screen real quick.

SPEAKER_00:

Calf. I only have one.

unknown:

Calf.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, but I became a dancer because I used to hit these clubs in school to not go home. Yeah. So I like went into this dancing thing and I was like, oh, I've got rhythm, like I could do it, right? And then like fell in love with hip hop, fell in love with like all the Spanish music. Um, and then bro, like I was part of a Christian club, which is super funny because I was like the I was like the antichrist to these kids. Like these kids were like straight A's, sports, mom and dad, like whatever the case may be. And I'm like, drug dealer, like yeah, you know, so um no, so there was a weightlifting class in one of the schools that I went to, and I would just, I would just stick around. Like I would just hang out. Uh, and then this this this coach, man, he was like, You need to try it, you need to try it. And then finally I tried it. And it was like, I just have had this competitive edge in me my entire life. And I think it's it's the grind, man. It's it's where I it's the tip on the shoulder uh from where I grew up, you know what I mean? Like, you're gonna tell me I can't do what? I'm gonna prove you wrong, right? So like that developed, and then I started developing muscles like 40 days later. So, like, you know what I mean? It's in my genetics, and then uh when I joined the military, my one of my mentors forced me to go bodybuild with him. And dog, I blew up, dog. Like, if you ever look at a picture of me, it are you I had these massive tree trunks back in the day. Like, like now I just have one tree trunk, you know what I mean? I have one ham, uh one side of a ham, right? And then it just stuck, man. And then like I the other thing, I know how to play, uh, I know how to ball. I used to play uh street ball, man. Like, we never wanted to go home. So like I know how to play basketball. I mean, not me, like NBA level, but like your boy can hold his own, you know what I mean? I can shoot.

SPEAKER_01:

You were outside of your youth, you know. So, like, shit.

SPEAKER_00:

I was outside, um, and then football came around, bro. And you want to talk about anger, taking out anger, bro. Let me get that quarterback real quick, you know what I mean? Like, um, so it was just there was people looking out for me, man. I'll even remember Officer Rodriguez was his name. He was like, he was the cop for our school, and he would never arrest me. He would be like, Come on, John, like, sort your shit out, like whatever, and you know, and I'm like, ah, so there was a handful of people, man, that just genuinely cared about me and it carried on. And then when I realized I had this like fire and competitiveness in me, it was kind of like that's when it progressed. But I will tell you, a lot of it is like not positive competitiveness. A lot of it is the chip on the shoulder, like, tell me I can't do something, and I'm gonna prove you wrong because of like my upbringing. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Did you know that back then or did you unpack that later? That it was like chip on the shoulder.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, I've unpacked all of that later. Later. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Like from the substance abuse to like the anger and all that stuff, you know what I mean? So, like, I had to do a lot of soul searching and like discovery to like figure a lot of the stuff out.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. So what's next, right? Like you join the military, stint there, like what's next in your hands?

SPEAKER_00:

Nothing. I was like, I'm gonna retire at I'd be, I would be 37 if I would have stayed in the I enlisted at 17 years old.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

But then that was the other thing where, like, the recruiters, bro, them dudes like saw something in me, which is crazy because they were on me. Like, if I was skipping school, bro, I'd get a call from like the boss of the recruiting set. Where are you at? Like a bunch of potla, chill. Like, I'll be back in school. Like, I'm just grabbing lunch, you know? Um, so it was that. And then nothing. I didn't, I was going through the motions. But I did, I did do stuff and competed in service, right? So, like, I tried bodybuilding. The mustard and chicken, not my thing. So I only did that one season. Um, I tried powerlifting. I got way too fat. And I was like, this isn't for me. Uh, I found Olympic weightlifting again, and I kind of stuck to that. And here's the kicker. We've been doing CrossFit for a very long time in the service. We just never called it CrossFit. It was high-intensity training.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

So we used to go on these rucks and boots and ute runs and obstacle courses and run with stuff, right? So, like, I've been around CrossFit a very long time. I just never got into it until I got injured because it was never my thing. My shit was Olympic weightlifting, and I love a barbell. Like, you're never not, you're never gonna hear me say, Oh, I don't want to snatch or clean and jerk today. That is never, I've been in the sport for 20 years. Like, you're never gonna catch that from me. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, yeah, and then I got injured, you know, then I got medically separated. And then the cool story for me is uh Alex Smith and I kind of got injured at the same time, and he played a big factor into it. Uh, when I got amputated, my coaches was Sonny Webster for a very long time.

SPEAKER_01:

Damn. You know, I was part of the Sonny Webster Academy from like for any of the young people listening right now that don't know Sonny Webster is you've probably seen his videos, but go do your Googles real quick.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, 100%. Um, so Sonny was the one who told me, because I thought, so here's the thing is I thought I was gonna jump from amputation straight back into Olympic weightlifting. Yeah. And they're like, uh sir, we don't have an adaptive division and we don't have Olympic weightlifting in the Paralympics. And I'm like, okay, so what weightlifting do we have? And they're like, para power lifting, but the only event is bench press. I'm like, I don't like bench press. I'm not a fuck. I'm not a bench presser. Like, I don't get these dudes that are obsessed with benching. I don't get it. It's not, it's not my thing. My thing is like snatching and cleaning jerking and cleaning, right? You know what I mean? Like that's that's what gets me going. Hell yeah. Um, yeah, man, and then fast forward, and here we are. I mean, it's it's it's a seven-year stent of uh of injury, and then I mean, I had 13 surgeries before amputation, and then finally I opted for an amputation and got approved. Um a year later, I'm racing or I'm training with the best track and field team the US has to provide. Kenny Benari, Shikari Richardson, uh Kyrie King, you know, Devin Allen's one of my best friends, one of the best hurdlers in the world. Yeah, uh Trey Hardy was my coach, Zennis Mitchell was my coach, right? Like, I know all Tiana Daniels, like I could go on with the names and on and on and on. Um, and then Sonny was the one who told me to get in a CrossFit. And I was like, I don't want to do CrossFit, bro. Like, I don't want to run, you know. Um, and then that's another blessing, man. Jacob Hepner, Scott Panchak, like those dudes helped me in the space with the amputations. I remember Scott Panchak and his dad broke their heads trying to help me with a rope climb, you know. Um I was training in Cincinnati at the time for the Tokyo trials. You know, so I I trained in the same facility as Joe Burrow. Khalid Kareem plays for the Eagles, one of my or plays for the Falcons, one of my best friends. So like when I when people tell you to surround yours, like surround yourself around people and like your surroundings will tell you like who you're gonna become or do. Like, I'm telling you, man, like the the God wrote it out for me because like the network that I have and the friends that I have is like it's unreal for me to know and watch my friends on TV when to me I'm still this kid from the DMV. Like, I'm not, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01:

Like it's it sounds like like downplaying it, but it's not to say that like you couldn't be sitting back worried about it because you were like living it, you know, like you were doing it, you were like in the chase still, you know. Um when you had surgeries first before amputation, did they advise amputation and you tried surgeries first?

SPEAKER_00:

I wanted an amputation since 2018 since 2018. I couldn't go through these certain dog, these surgeries were like nine hour plus. Um it was brutal, man. And it's crazy because it's been four years since my last surgery. Um, but I can't imagine like going through that now. Like, I there's no way, man. Like, and I wanted the amputation, and I manifested it, man, because I was like, I was like, oh, you guys are waiting until I'm 30 years old, and then you're gonna amputate. What ended up happening? I got amputated at 30.

SPEAKER_01:

And then it's like, fuck, it it's hard for anyone to be an athlete at 30, elite level athlete, right? Like, that's some shame, right? So, what events were you doing in track when you first got into it?

SPEAKER_00:

So I run 100 and 200 meters.

SPEAKER_01:

You still do that? So it's like, did you did you change at all? Like, did you get into something that they're like suggested or like no no no?

SPEAKER_00:

So no, so Olympic weightlifting trans transferred to sprinting. That's kind of how the yeah, yeah. That's kind of how the journey started. Um, so the explosiveness helped me getting out of the blocks and creating force for sprinting. Okay. To give you a a story, I kind of took a sabbatical. I thought I was retiring completely. I was burnt out last year. Um, I was tired of I was I was making money, but it was all going back to competition. So it was like an endless four-year cycle of like making a lot of money, but then spending, dude, the 2024 season for me or 2023 season for me was$150,000. That's coaches, that's rehab, that's physical therapy, uh, that's travel, that's nutrition, that's gym memberships, that's performance centers, you name it. Um, so I was done, dude. I was competing at Dano Championship, and I looked at my best friend Jeremy and I was like, I'm done. He's like, Yeah, we got one more workout. I said, no, I'm done, dude. Like, done. This is it. Um so I thought I was retiring, man, and then I competed at nationals, and then the national story is another crazy thing because they reached out and told me that there was an adaptive division in Olympic weightlifting. Um and I, but I went into the mentality with 75%, man. I was like, I'm not, listen, man, I'm I'm ready to walk away from all of this. Like, I'm not doing the strict stuff. I'm not, you know, it's 70%. Um if I'm gonna go out and have a croissant, I'm gonna have a croissant. Like, you know what I mean? Our nickname is the bakery boys for a reason. Like, I'm I'm gonna eat a pastry, I'm gonna eat a pastry, you know? Um, and then I totaled 200 kilos. And I was like, and I had more in the tank, but I was playing it safe, man. You know, you know Olympic weightlifting, and I got one leg, bro. Like, cut me some slack. Um, so I hit 200 kilos, bro. But that was my goal. Like, that is where I went into. I spoke to my team, my team was with me, my agent, like everybody was with me, and then I was like, 200's what I'm aiming for. 200's what I look at the videos, I was like, dog, you could have gone to 210, 215. You know what I mean? And then fast forward, you know what I mean? So then fast forward, Julia came to my gym. I wanted to train with her right before she went out to the games. Then she was like, oh my god, come to my gym, which is an hour away north in Westminster. And I was like, I'll go to your gym to watch you do this photo shoot if you buy me a coffee. I listen, man, there's not there's two things you can swindle me with, and I think this is my downfall with the current situation that I have with my training partner, because it's coffee and a pastry. Like, if you give me a coffee and a pastry, you can pretty much get me to do anything. You know what I mean? Right. So I went and then I started coaching her on her cleaning jerk. And as I was coaching, bro, I threw 245, like I warmed up to 245, threw it up there, and then I was like, yo, this feels way too easy. Then I threw up 265, and I was like, I looked at uh my media uh aunt, my media guy, Anthony, stutter media, and uh I was like, dog, that was more than what I did in Nationalist. So then that's when I stepped back and I was like, you know what, man? I don't think I'm done. And everybody was like, what? And I talked to all my mentors, I talked to, you know, a lot of the people that I like seek guidance on. I prayed on it, I've spoken to my pastor about it, and I was like, I just don't think I'm done, man. I'm not at the peak, peak, peak of like my adaptive fitness and stuff. Um and then we signed up for Patriot, and it was an all-adaptive team. We were the only all-adaptive team. We came out fifth out of 12. No adaptations. So, like, so that like that sparked it. CrossFit Westchester sparked it because I dropped in there because I had an adaptive scuba event right up the street. Uh, I'm friends with Carl Nassip, who's from Westchester, and he's been like bragging about Westchester since he played in the NFL. Um, so it started with that, and then I dropped into gyms in Cincinnati, trained with Sam Briggs for 9-11. Uh, really amazing person. I've known her for years. And then I started coaching at Old Mine, man, and it was just like a thing, right? And then I hate to give this man credit because he he he causes me anxiety and stress, but like I've been training and coaching Dan for four months, and we've been locked in together, right? So, like, he's at the high of CrossFit. We did uh Belafonte together, and then um so training him and like watching the progression and like not letting him beat me in a workout has like only rocketed my fitness, right? And then that's kind of where I'm at, man. So like where my head's at is I'm gonna do, I've got Oceana Championship back in Australia. Uh so I leave November 11th, and then I come back, then I do a clinic with the Paralympic track and field stuff down in uh Tula Vista, and so I'm gone from November 11th to December 11th. So Oceana Championship, then I do the clinic down for track and field, and then I go to the virus final. Then I take a break and go up to Philly to do the Corgi races. But that's what my year looks like. We'll talk what the next quarter looks like. You know, do I want to tell you like I'm gonna aim for the open and see where I go, semifinals, all that stuff? Sure, but I don't necessarily care because it's not gonna put money in my pockets. You know what I mean? So, like right now, my focus is Oceana, or we've got uh the thriller throwdown on the 25th, uh, which is another adaptive team that we put together, me and Brett, uh, and then Oceana and then Virus Finder. And that's the end of my year. And then I'm gonna go snowboard for a couple, you know, trips.

SPEAKER_01:

Right. Just enjoy yourself. So, like people listening out there, when you hear them talking about like schedule, right? And like putting out 150k, you know, to compete, like that's just two trips right there, you know, that you talked about like Australia Oceania Championships and then virus five.

SPEAKER_00:

That flight is that minimum$2,700 for the nose for the for the back of the plane, right?

SPEAKER_01:

Right. So, like just look at that, and that's just over a four-week time period, you know. Like when if you're so just I mean, take that out for 12 months, you know, of a competition schedule. Um, damn. So on the note of talking about across the Westchester too, like um, if for any gyms out there that are listening, like how are you doing the process of bringing your seminar to gyms? Like you just dropped it across the Westchester because you happen to go into Westchester and then start talking to the people there, and you brought that there. How do other gyms get involved?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, so it's a mixture, man. My team hits up gyms. Uh, if we have the funding to travel, you know, I don't, I mean, I need a hotel and gas, right? Like that's sort of I drive a lot. My truck has 60,000 miles and it's only like a year and a half or two years old. You know what I mean? Um, but I drive a lot. Uh, but no, man, I'm just trying to get as many gyms to buy in and and do the thing and do the do, right? Uh, but I will tell you the motivation for CrossFit Westchester, they are the top five affiliates I've ever been to. Yeah. Their community and their people. Bro, like, I talked to their coach Mark, who I give a hard time because like we met and then he walked away. And I was like, you you were intimidated by me. You know what I mean? Um, but I talk to him every day. Like, we send memes to each other, he responds to all my stuff. The owner, Jenny, didn't know I was a professional sprinter. She loves track and field.

SPEAKER_01:

Big track athletes. Yeah. Foos is one of the greatest humans you could ever be around. Jenny is a hilarious little person.

SPEAKER_00:

You'll be like, Foo's will be like Foos will be like, John, baby, what are you doing? Community's awesome. Uh, I love downtown Westchester. Uh, but my biggest motivator is uh integrating. So Penn State University has an adaptive division one program. And their head coach is coming to the to the seminar. So it's just the integration, man. It's just the integration.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. So if Jim's out there listening to listening to this, like, feel free to reach out, right? You know, maybe set something. I don't know. Yeah. All right, bro. So, like, what's next? What are you what are you hungry for right now for yourself personally?

SPEAKER_00:

A white picket fence, three children. I'm just kidding. Honestly, man, uh, no, my dog has only dog syndrome, so I can't get a dog until he dies, unfortunately. For me, man, I um I'm living for me right now. I took the sabbatical. Um there are a lot of things that I thought I healed from, you know. Um the mental health is a big thing. Uh, you know, I struggle with the substance abuse stuff. Uh, but for me, I think I and I will never I I will never change it, but I think I I attacked adaptive sports very hard and very fast. Uh I didn't get to really like sit with my amputation, sit with Brad's death, you know, sit with Devin's death. Um so the sabbatical taught me a lot because I was doing a lot of legislative work. I changed the law on prosthetics insurance companies, you know. So I've been busy. Um but what's next for me is I owe it to myself to push my body to its fullest limits. I haven't been this locked in since Tokyo trials. Um that's what it boils down to. Whether I make it to the next competition, not really my concern. Um, but I think for me it's um I've loved everybody else and I've put myself out there for everybody else that finally like it was time to take care of me, and I and I did that, and I'm doing that. So there isn't necessarily a goal. Uh I just truly, truly, truly live life to the fullest. Um, and I hope that's kind of what you and Sarah and Gabe and everybody like witnessed while Dan and I were competing in Delaware. Um because I've like I said, I've I've witnessed people die and people forget about you. So I'm not gonna live a miserable life. I'm not gonna beef with you. I'm not gonna if you bring nothing but anxiety to me, uh it's just you're not my cup of tea. You know what I mean? So I'm just trying to truly, truly, truly live a life of faith, a life of love. Um, but don't get it twisted. You know what I mean? A lot of people like to take my kindness for weakness, you know. I'm still I'm the I'm the male version of Glorilla, so don't play with me. Pray with pray with me, don't play with me. Um, but no, man, I spent a lot of time with my nephew. You know, my nephew's my best friend. Uh he's playing flag football. I brought him into the gym. He admitted to me he hates the assault runner. Uh, you know, my sister Lauren plays a big role in my life. My siblings are getting older, you know, because there's a huge uh age gap between me and my brothers. But for me personally, I think I wanna, I'm recertifying in everything because I stopped coaching for a very long time. Uh so looking to recertify CSCS and just kind of see where life takes me, man. I'm not, I tried coming to the corporate world, I just don't think that's where I belong. Um but I will tell you the coolest thing that I can say is like I get I'm I get fulfillment, man. I get I get the fitness in different gyms and communities for a living. So like that's that's a that's a vibe on its own.

SPEAKER_01:

That's living, you know, for a lot of us out there, like connect with different people and like not community and like the cheesy sense, community and like yo, I can go touch people, you know. Right. They enjoy me being around, and then like I could do more of that all the time. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

All right, brother. It was great having you on here, man. It's it's funny how these paths cross like this. All right, bro. Have a great rest of your day, man. Thanks for coming on here. Um, we'll talk soon. Peace.

SPEAKER_00:

All right, brother. Take care.