Miles & Mountains
Join Nick, a social worker and coach by day, as he unravels the inspiring stories of athletes and the public, uncovering the motivations behind their actions, from conquering mountains to participating in ultra-endurance races and competing in rodeos. Get ready for heartwarming tales of community support, acts of kindness, and the revelation that everyone has a deeper story to tell. Whether it's running, climbing, or participating in rodeos, these stories will inspire and uplift. #Running, #Climbing, #EverydayAthletes, #Rodeo
Miles & Mountains
In the Dirt w/ Trevor Wells
Professional bullfighter Trevor Wells returns to discuss his journey through recovery after a career-threatening knee injury and his decision to retire from bullfighting after his upcoming final three rodeos.
• Suffered tears to ACL, LCL, MCL and fractured kneecap during a rodeo in May 2024
• Underwent surgery in September 2024 and has regained 85-90% mobility
• Found the mental challenge of watching others fight bulls while injured was the hardest part
• Feels called by his faith to pursue a different path including church ministry work
• Currently working as a welder and helping with church bus routes on weekends
• Planning final three rodeos including hometown show in Dothan and last ever appearance in Niceville
• Family adjusting to life off the rodeo circuit with mixed emotions
• Looking at property with space for small arena setup
• Father developing 30-acre property with plans for rodeo events and clinics
• Considering future involvement in rodeo through announcing or production
Shoutout to :
Trevor Wells and the Wells Family.
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Trevor Wells. Good old Trevor Wells. Welcome back, man. How are you Doing good? How are you, dude, I am doing great. It's been a while. It's been almost two years. Can you believe this?
Speaker 2:Yes, sir, man, my eyes went by quick.
Speaker 1:yeah, november november 28th would be exactly. Well, that's when I published the last episode that we had. Would be two years. It's crazy. November 28th I published I think we met before thanksgiving that year but yeah, man, two years crazy. I'm still doing this. You're still doing your thing. How are things going with you?
Speaker 2:well, everything's been great.
Speaker 1:A lot of changes, a lot of changes, a lot of changes, man, here, there, everywhere in between in my life. You know, since then, you know, I had cancer, since then lost my father-in-law and then, right before that, a couple months before, I lost my dad. So I mean, dude, it's been a roller coaster ride. You, yeah, you know, overcome, you know. So you, the other hand, you used to take some licks, man, all right, you took some licks and I would text you or message you when you show me these videos.
Speaker 1:I'm like, bro, you can't be hit. You can't be getting hit like this every single day or during a run. You know the run, you know multiple, multiple days. You're here, you're there, everywhere in between. You know, and, dude, here you are. One day you send me a message of your knee, just all jacked up, dude, jacked up. I was like, bro, I don't want to see this, I don't want to see this. So you send me some I'm like man thoughts and prayers, and then that was pretty much the last time I actually heard from you until recently. We text every now and then and say, hey, I hope all is good, this and that, but how's the knee first off?
Speaker 2:Knee's doing good, it's healed up. I got about 85%, almost 90 mobility left in it. It's been a journey. I had it had knee surgery back in September, 7th of last year of 24. So I was out. Well, I got injured Memorial weekend of 24. Yeah, um, I was out. Well, I got injured Memorial weekend of 24. Yeah, yeah, man, the. I was down in Inverness, florida, for elite bull riders association for um Robert Swint, and, uh, a bull slung this boy. He hang on a little longer than I thought and when he came back around he slung him off right into my knee and it snapped. It Ended up tearing my ACL, lcl and MCL, kind of fractured my knee a little bit as well.
Speaker 1:Kneecap.
Speaker 2:I was out most of last year because of it All of last year actually actually that was tough for you, right and it was real tough mentally, physically, and you know it's all around tough trying to get back after surgery, get back into shape and trying to work that leg out. It was just. You know, it's been a hassle, so it's all pretty much better now.
Speaker 1:Yes, sir what was the worst part of it, though? Man like, was it with you? Know the camaraderie? Did you miss that mostly? I mean like because you know you, bullfighters are a different breed you guys are a different breed, so you can be saying mentally, physically, emotionally, but something else deep down you're missing.
Speaker 2:So what was that? One thing you were missing, man. The worst part was being out. I was still going to the rodeos helping the backpans and stuff before I had surgery. I tried to fight bulls once or twice more and it just kept buckling under, buckling under, like every time I twist or something it just snapped over. So going to these rodeos helping the backpins and watching the bulls and stuff and watching these bullfighters fight, it was just kind of—it hit me hard. It's like I want to be out out there and I want to get into it. I want to grab them bulls by the horn, basically, and you can't. You can't till it heals up, till you get surgery and heals up. So it's that that had to been the worst part of it all. Be honest with you. Okay, I'm just right there at your grasp on your hands. You know you just can't. You want to reach for it, but you know you can't yeah, but that before that wasn't you man.
Speaker 1:You had those horns and you were taking a licking man. I'm just like, ah, bro, this guy, okay, I know how.
Speaker 2:How hot is it out there, man in alabama well, right now it's only shooting about 85, humidity is probably about 90 92 and that's what hit you.
Speaker 1:So you're in your vehicle. So you know, I don't want you to, you know, waste all the gas on this episode. You know that, this and that, but I I want to talk a little bit more now, now that you're healed. When did your season fully start this year? Did it start early or fairly new?
Speaker 2:It started. I think it started at the beginning of this year in March is when it started the rodeo association. I fought for the pca for delray at the three yard rodeo company. Hey, they called me up early this year saying, no, am I wanting to fight bulls this year? If so, what shows do I want? So I told them, hey, I just want the, the ones closest to the house. Yeah, and then after this year, after my last one, I'm hanging it up. Yeah, I'll still come and help, like, if you need me to come help back dance or you hanging it up, I'll still come and help. Like, if you need me to come help backpins or you know anything like that, I'll still come to help. But fighting bulls in general I'm just, you know, kind of wore out a little bit. So my season started back in March in Nosehark, alabama, only 20 minutes from the house.
Speaker 1:Okay when you say you're done. Do you? Do you think, dude, I am not questioning any manhood? Are you just afraid of hurting again man, not questioning the manhood, not? Do you think? No, no?
Speaker 2:uh, not, not, not afraid to get hurt. I know it comes with the job. So, like at my first rodeo back, I wasn't mentally prepared with my knee, yeah, and didn't know if it was going to hold up or not. So I was kind of I was slow, you know, I was still a little out of shape and it's just. But after that first night the second night went a whole lot better because my knee held up the first night. So it worked a lot better. And then, after my second rodeo, a couple weeks later, my second rodeo went 10 times better, like it never nothing even happened. So it's not really that. It's really. You know, me and my wife and the kids, we're back in church, we're doing them, we're involved with our church over here in Dothan, we're involved with bus routes and stuff, and I just felt like the Lord was pushing me somewhere else to do something else for a living. Either for a living or just every other weekend, on the weekends, or something like that, going ministry. So that's really one reason out there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sir, and I, I know you, I know. You know what I meant by manhood. I want the listeners to know, dude, I tell you what man I tore my meniscus while rock climbing. You know wall climbing and I haven't been back.
Speaker 1:I haven't been back. I'm afraid of re I'm afraid of re-injuring it, not re-injuring it, you know, while doing mountains and trekking or doing CrossFit, because you know, I've been doing that ever since cancer. I was like dude. I want to be more well-rounded, so, but I don't go to rock climbing gyms because I'm dude, I'm a sissy bro. I don't want a torn meniscus again. That stuff hurts. I can only think of what you went through. But I had that torn meniscus because of the rock climate. I don't go back because you know what, not based on manhood, I'm just scared, bro. So people, people who are listening, even the rodeo guys, I man, I don't question you guys. You guys are freaking rockstar athletes. I'm just asking a fair question, up straight up. Question Be like dude. Are you scared? Because I would be and I am when it comes to rock climbing. So that I just wanted to clarify now that you're now that you're in a different situation.
Speaker 1:You went to the Lord and he's swayed you somewhere else. Where are you going? What are you doing, man? Tell the people what you're up to.
Speaker 2:I went back. So after surgery, after all this, I actually came back home off the road because I went on the road to work for a little bit as an elevator mechanic. But I came off of that and I went back to the welding here at the house and you know, I work Monday through Thursday, sometimes on Fridays and then on the weekends. If I'm, if I'm not helping somebody work, like this afternoon, I'm going to help Buddy Schnaufer, a cowboy friend of ours, over here in Geneva, alabama, put up panels, put up some rope and pin panels and stuff like that. So if I'm not helping doing that, I'm helping at the church doing the bus route.
Speaker 2:We have a bus route that picks up kids that come to church on Sundays and stuff, and we're usually that on Saturday mornings and then on Saturday afternoons, man, we just chill. We have some friends of ours that we go, we have movie nights, so we just chill. I'm not talking about old times, because we grew up with each other and stuff and we enjoy it. We enjoy it. And every now and then we'll go to my dad's hang out over there. You know either, he's been buying and breaking horses and selling horses and stuff, so I'll go help him every now and then. I ain't done it in a minute, but we'll go over there and hang out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's about what life is right now.
Speaker 2:It's different not being on the road. Huh, oh yeah, it's different. It was a big, like the kids were talking about it the other night. They're like well, mom and daddy, why don't we go to rodeos? No more. No, you know, I explained. You know daddy's getting out of it a little bit. And then, you know, when y'all get a little older, y'all want to start rodeoing. We'll, we'll put y'all in the rodeo. If y'all don't, that's fine, you know. So it was kind of like a big shock not really shock, but change for for all of us.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for my wife, for the kids, for me, dad, you yeah, go ahead yeah, yeah, it's just working out for the best and then it's just, you know, things have been been fun, I mean even even not being on the road. Now we were talking about it. You know we missed. We missed the traveling, um, even though it, man, sometimes it sucked. It sucked to travel six, seven, eight hours away sometimes. Yeah, but man, it was just fight. See stuff at different stores on the way up there and stuff. It was fun. It was like a mini vacation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, mini short vacations. Yes, sir, yeah, yeah, yes, sir, so you're on your final run. You got three more left, as you said prior to this episode, you know, before we went live. Yes, sir, how's it all feeling man?
Speaker 2:Oh man, I'm ready. I'm ready to get back in the arena to do these last three shows. I got one in Panama City it's going to be on the beach. And then I've got one in Dothan, right here at the house. I've got one in Knoxville, florida. I'm anxious to be back in it and just do my thing and see all my old friends and stuff and you know, get to hang out with them and talk with them. Yeah and um, and I'm just excited. I'm excited about it, but it's like a bittersweet thing and I know when that last one hits it's gonna hit hard and it's gonna be like a bittersweet thing. I enjoy the ride, but it's time for a different chapter in my life.
Speaker 1:Okay, and so so work, kids, family and basically welding. Yes, sir, okay now. Now there was talks of you might have that farm, because last time we talked you you were getting some things going there. You're thinking about putting up some pens and stuff like that. But what's what's going on, right? How's that going? How's that holding up?
Speaker 2:now we are looking to buy a house. We actually been looking at a house right now that has about four acres on it and it already has a horse barn put up and everything and and it's super long and it's somewhat wide where we could put like a small little either bucking sheets or a little round pin out there. You know, just to have some fun. Yeah, nothing crazy.
Speaker 2:Now my dad has bought a whole arena. He um, he's in a process of fencing off his whole property. He has about 30 acres. He's where we used to live out on the outskirts of his property. So he he's fencing off his whole property currently. And he bought a whole big arena to throw on ropings and barrel races. And then we got a set of bucking suits. We just ain't gotten them. They're sitting at somebody else's place right now for the past couple of years, but I don't know if he's wanting to go get them and bring them over to the house and setting them up out there when he gets the arena set up. And then we even throw on some bull riders. So that's actually looking like it's going to go well. He's been working really hard to get it coming along. It's been great. He has a nice little setup. He's laying his house for us.
Speaker 1:You're going to take a step forward in that. Those parts with dad yeah, if he asks me to, you know, help out, you know.
Speaker 2:You know he is oh yeah, definitely, I know you will and I'll definitely help him out. He's wanting to throw on. His main thing is he's wanting to throw on some clinics. So the cowboy friend of ours, buddy snper, he's actually on a show called the Ultimate Cowboy Showdown with Trace Atkins as one of the judges. Okay, so he's on a lot of clinics, either horsemanship or ropings and stuff like that, or cutting horses and stuff. He throws on a lot of clinics. My dad is wanting him and my dad and Buddy Snopfer are wanting to get together to throw on these clinics here at the house and see how it goes and stuff, which I'm really excited because my wife, she's still wanting to learn to run barrels or either cut horses or even rope, and so that will be a great opportunity for her to get out there and start learning as well. That will be a great opportunity for her to get out there and start learning as well.
Speaker 1:Have you thought about, just maybe, contracting with your dad?
Speaker 2:maybe one or two things a year still get your feet dirty. Maybe we never actually talked about it, but there's always that opportunity in case we do throw on something. Yeah, um, out there at his place and that, yeah, I'll definitely, I'll probably definitely throw on something. It wouldn't be like a part of the association, just be like an open deal yeah, yeah yeah, jackpot or something like that. Yes, sir, yeah, yeah, okay well, it depends on if dad wants to get bigger. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:Say that again before.
Speaker 2:Oh, I was just saying. If he ever talks to me about it, I'm sure we, you know, we'd probably do something. I think my brother's involved with it as well as putting up the fence in the arena as well, so we'll definitely have to include him. He'll be more on the roping side of it, and his wife will be more on the barrel racing side, and my stepmom as well. What?
Speaker 1:about production. Man, People that get out, they want that production. Think about it. Have you thought about it?
Speaker 2:Man, with everything going on, I have it to be honest with you, that's still something that my dad's my dad's getting out of judging with me getting out of fighting bulls. You know, if we wanted, you know to still pursue you know rodeo careers later on, yeah, I might do some like announcements or something along that line. You know, with production and stuff, there's a lot of good guys that do it, a lot of talented guys and man, it'll be great to learn from them. Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, well, you got it, man, you got that personality, you got that accent, dude, that deep southern drawl I mean deep southern bro. Sometimes I have to bring my ears together. I'm like, yeah, okay, alright, alright, yeah, alright. So we're almost done because, dude, you're in that humidity. The heat doesn't bother me, it's the humidity, man, and if it's the same, the humidity is, and if it's the same, the humidity is the same, at the same range as the temp. I'm, I'm good bro, I'm like ac and ac all day, you know. So take, take me to the last, your last fight. Right, it's coming up, right, what day, what day so nice will be the last one.
Speaker 2:I want to say it's in november, okay, about mid-november. I'm excited about that one because that was at the college over there and it's behind a baseball field. It packed out the first year. We had it packed out, I think, around like 3200, 35500 people the first night and the second night it rained and there were still about 2,500 people. So it packed out and that show has always been good. It packed out last year too.
Speaker 2:But my favorite one that's going to come up, which is going to be Dothan. It's man, dothan's my hometown. So like I'm really Midland City's my hometown but Dosen's where everybody goes to to go do something. So I grew up out here in Dosen Doing it at home. There's just something about it, man, it's going to hit hard because I know it's going to be the last time I'll probably fight bulls in that arena. It won't be the last time I'll go help there, because I know I'll help out and stuff and you know, work the backpins, but fighting bulls, that's probably gonna be, you know, my last time at that arena. Now nice bill will be my last one ever. That was gonna hit home, for sure, but you know, not as much as the one in dojo all right, I'm sure you're gonna shed a few tears, especially at your last one, even your hometown.
Speaker 1:Well, let's, let's go to the last one that you'll be fighting. Right, what's the first thing you're going to do after the last bull man? What's the first thing?
Speaker 2:I'll probably cry. I ain't going to lie to you. I'll probably cry. Cry it out for a minute or two, yeah, then go find some off the house somewhere.
Speaker 1:You boys, the waffle house man yep, that's.
Speaker 2:That's what we'll probably do. Just go find some waffle house jeez, all right.
Speaker 1:Favorite thing at waffle house, do you always get it, or do you, you know, do a variety on the menu?
Speaker 2:no, every time texas bacon cheesesteak melt, you do. Double the bacon, double the cheesesteak, onions and then onions on the hash browns and cheese on the hash browns. Lots of waffle house sauce lots.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right, it's a man. It's been a while since I've been a waffle house, but I'll. It's always waffle house is like after a party, bro, but that's your go-to and you're gonna stick to it right after the tears yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2:That's what we're gonna go do with the fam with the family and friends. Whoever wants to come, all right trevor.
Speaker 1:Anything else you want to add?
Speaker 2:man. Uh, to be honest, I don't really think we have anything else going on besides all that. Other than that, what's probably going to replace a little bit of my traveling from rodeo is probably you know, I felt like, like I said before, I felt like the Lord was pushing us somewhere else. Yeah, probably a little bit of preaching every now and then, traveling to different churches or something along that line. Other than that, that's probably about the newest thing probably gonna come up.
Speaker 1:It's crazy, it's crazy how two years have just I mean, went by. I'm, I'm going on 2021, this is 2025, four years, and last time when I saw you was almost two years.
Speaker 2:Nuts, man, nuts I know you don't feel that way.
Speaker 1:No, that long and you know, the more I look at it, the more I'm like man, I've been in this scene for a bit and, you know, a lot of people have recognized me and noticed me. They don't, they don't notice me until I start talking. Like man, I heard that voice before and they're like you're the guy with the podcast. So, like I go to these rings and they're like you got the podcast right. I'm like, yeah, yeah, well, didn't recognize you until you started talking. I'm like, oh, okay, that's cool, but no, I've been awesome. Yeah, it's awesome, it's, it's pretty uplifting, man, it's. It's uplifting because it, you know, I I get the guys that's just starting. They're trying to make a name for themselves. They come on, contractors, dude, for some reason contractors listen Right and they want those they want those boys.
Speaker 1:They're hungry. They see those boys hungry Like I, like. I like the you know just the talent. They're hungry. I see that I'm a coach. They're hungry. I see that I'm a coach, you know, at high school, so I know a few things of you know talent and what to look for. And these contractors, you know, listen, put them out and dude. They're working nonstop and it's just like it's uplifting to see and hear these stories of these boys, you know, and girls, but mostly the boys, because you know contractors want tough guys. Just move up in the ranks, man, and it's just it's awesome to see and hear them, you know, and their uplifting stories of started from the bottom. Now they're here. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:So I love it, I love it, I love it. So, but yeah, two years man, so did. I did a run with with wiley coyote I don't know, he's a steer wrestler just got done at the the. The college nfr ranked eighth there, but I did.
Speaker 1:He's a not a local guy, but down the road in yakima valley, but he's like dude, I want you to travel with me and the boys and this, and that I was like all right, I'll do that, I'll do that, but not this round. I have to drive, but dude, yeah, second round that's awesome yeah, second round in august, this you know, in two weeks we're gonna be riding with him and the boys and let me tell you it's gonna be crazy.
Speaker 2:He's 22 man, you want to send me some pictures, videos, for sure for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got, I got, I got your text, so I I got your number. But yeah, it's, it's fun, man, it's fun it, it brings joy to you. You know, just sitting back helping with the horses and just you know, seeing everybody get their game face on behind the pin, yeah, behind the ring. It's cool, man, because the more I sit back there, the more I'm a fan of man, breakaway dude. And I'm a fan of breakaway dude, I'm telling you, and then the roping, the team roping, there's nothing like it. So the more I sit back there, I'm like, all right, okay, all right, this is what to look for. Three seconds or 2.4 seconds, it's like you blink, it's done. You know. But, yeah, dude, I love every minute of it, looking forward to it. Man and man, I want to share more behind the scenes and I'm getting there. I'm getting there. I'm thinking about getting a media card and then working my way up there. But we'll see.
Speaker 1:But trevor, trevor, I know it's hot man, I know there's some changes. I know you got some questions. You know, out there, we won't get there. But I know, whatever you do, man, you're going to persevere and conquer it like nobody's business man To know where you came from, to know, like, where you hurt yourself and where you're at. Now, dude, you're in a better place and you can tell dude. So I want you to continue on this journey, dude. Never question yourself, never doubt yourself. Dude, just know that you got people all around you who love and cherish you, dude, and who care for you. And if you ever need anything, traver, if you ever need anything, let me know. All right?
Speaker 1:I'm here for you, I'm here for you, yeah, and and if you ever want to get back on the podcast not because, you know, just of just being on there, you know, let me know. You always have a spot. Always, it'll be in the dirt with Trevor Wells.
Speaker 2:All the time Promise.
Speaker 1:Promise All right man. Promise, promise alright man. So let's keep in touch and I still want to hear about your journey and I'll be sending you photos and everything else, alright? Yes, sir till next time till next time alright, trevor. Thank you, yes, sir. Bye, bye, bye.