#64 - Refusing to Surrender: One Man's Journey After Spinal Injury w/ Boone Bartlome

What if everything that defined you—your body, your talent, your future—was taken away in a single moment?
At 16, Boone was a rising multi-sport star with college scouts watching his every move. But one routine football play changed everything. A C4 spinal cord injury left him a quadriplegic. No feeling. No movement. No future as he knew it.

For three years, Boone battled suicidal thoughts in silence. To the world, he smiled. Behind closed doors, he was crumbling.
His breakthrough? Not a miracle surgery. Not a viral video. Just a walk into a college gym with a new mindset—and a fire that changed everything.

"My life didn’t change. I did."

In this raw and powerful episode, Boone takes us through the dark, the grit, and the climb back. From learning to put on shoes one shaky finger at a time to conquering the outdoors with adaptive gear, Boone proves that resilience isn’t about recovery—it’s about reinvention.

If you've ever felt stuck, broken, or hopeless—this story is your wake-up call.

🔥 How to break the loop of negativity
🔥 Why your mindset is your life
🔥 What it takes to spark change when everything feels impossible

This is more than a comeback story. It’s a masterclass in choosing life when everything inside you says give up.

To follow alongside Boone on Instagram: @boone_bartlome

Chapters

• 0:00 Meeting Boone
• 3:30 Small Town Idaho to Multisport Athlete
• 12:40 The Day Life Changed Forever
• 23:10 Hospital Recovery and Reality Sets In
• 35:16 Learning to Live Again
• 53:24 Fighting Depression and Finding Purpose
• 1:08:25 The Gym: A Turning Point
• 1:21:49 Regaining Mobility and Life's Adventures
• 1:35:46 The Power of Mindset
• 1:47:10 Taking That First Step Forward

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:09

all right dude boone. Welcome to the show man. Thank you. I appreciate you coming on. I've I have a very good buddy of mine that speaks very highly of you and he was like dude. You got to get this guy on and I met your sister a while back at a networking event and she was a riot. She looked very highly of you as well and so, yeah, you've suffered a pretty traumatic injury which left you paralyzed Yep, and you were a young kid, and so I feel I'm not speaking for you, but you've had some hurdles and some pretty dark times, especially as an athlete and a teenager, and to have your whole entire world flipped upside down. And I feel there's a lot of people in this world and country that have gone through some pretty hard times, and I see you in the gym and you're always after it and you're always got a smile on your face and I felt like this could be an awesome conversation.

Speaker 1: 1:02

So here we are yeah and uh I. I thank you for coming on and willing to tell what you've been through and recovering everything a little bit about us real quick before we we get started, as I give veterans and law enforcement companies a chance to send us stuff and we give it to guests. So I don't know if you're into cigars or not, but we got the war machine. He was combat marine, got out, became a cop, got shot in the line of duty and then we got sea state coffee, which is, uh, a recon, recon marine. He's here, a local guy, really good buddy of mine, so he's been on the show. So, yeah, we give everybody an opportunity. We give law enforcement, military guys send us peril, whatever it is, and we hand it out to guests just to be able to help and promote them for free and sweet, yeah, and have a good time with it. So love it, boone.

Speaker 2: 1:47

Sir, let's do this where you from man unidaho unidaho and raised yep, yeah, what was what's that like? It's been wild watching the past 20 years. It's it's not not anything. What it was like when I you know, when I was little I could imagine crazy.

Speaker 1: 2:02

Yeah, no, it's been uh just insane watching the growth out you know, when I was little I could imagine Crazy.

Speaker 2: 2:05

Yeah, no, it's been just insane watching the growth out there. You know it's a little, it was a little old, probably, I don't know four or 5,000 person town when I was a kid. Now it's, now it's 20 plus and houses going up in every field you can imagine. And you know it's. I don't know. I don't know how I feel about it. It's not.

Speaker 1: 2:24

I can't imagine, man, we we moved here almost 10 years ago and we didn't know, yeah, this was. It wasn't like, hey, let's go to idaho. I had a job opportunity and the boss called me. He's like hey, I need you to go run a project in idaho. And we're like cool, let's go. And then we moved here and it was like californians and they're ruining everything. We're like what the hell's going on here? And then it was like, yeah, fuck these Californians. You know, even though that's where I came from I was stationed in Camp Pendleton, so I'm not from California, but yeah, and just the amount of time we've been here. We were at that point. We're like, okay, this isn't. It's not how it was when we moved here. It's like every, like you said, every field has a for sale sign in it now and it's sad to see.

Speaker 2: 3:04

It is sad. You know it's just tough. You know it's hard. I mean the farmers. You know they're getting offered money they can't refuse. They're never going to make that much money on their property, so can't blame them. You wish there was something you could do to just I don't know help them out or everybody, just buy the land and let it sit. But you know it's I don't know, it's good and bad. You know more, more business. Everybody's doing better.

Speaker 2: 3:26

Economy's going pretty good here, but but it's one of those things you'd like to see your hometown stay small, but that's far gone, so you just gotta gotta just take it for what it is now.

Speaker 1: 3:37

Oh, it's tough, man, I get it. I, I'm lucky, I'm fortunate. Like my hometown it has. It hasn't hardly changed at all yet, but yeah. I get it and it's, it's, it's a pride thing, Like, even though we're not Idahoans, you're still like you see a.

Speaker 1: 3:51

California, you're like you know so, but it is what it is. It's it sucks, but it's nothing we can do about it, except for accept it and try to capitalize off whatever you can while the growth is here, Sure, exactly. Well, dude, what were you into? What was life like as a kid here?

Speaker 2: 4:08

Life was for me just everything athletics, dude, and I was just. I mean I hate talking about this because I just sound like a cocky little son of a bitch, but I was very good at everything, dude. I did everything growing up. My parents, so my parents met at Boise state on the rodeo team back when they had one, and so my sister, she, from the time she could, before she could walk, she was doing all the rodeo stuff and and I I phased into that later in life.

Speaker 2: 4:39

But I was baseball, big on baseball when I was younger basketball, football, skateboarding I was a big skateboarder, snowboarding, motocross, like, just like anything you could like think of wanting to do as a kid. I did it and had a blast, like, just took every opportunity I could. Had great parents that allowed me to try all those different things, you know, and just whatever I said I wanted. I mean my parents at one point in my life when I before I started rodeoing, cause they got five acres in an arena and so like they'd always be roping and doing all that with my sister and I was like I made one comment one time and I was like it was just a bummer, you guys always go out and rope every night and like I, just hanging out, like I don't do that. And so two weeks later, a half pipe came driving down our driveway, huge, 25 feet tall half pipe, put it right next to the arena. And I was like what? So, yeah, I had a half pipe at my house. It was just crazy.

Speaker 1: 5:35

Your sister. When I had a conversation with her, she spoke very highly of your parents as well. She said she if I remember correct, it's been a little, a little bit now, but she just said you guys grew up with the greatest parents. Yeah, how was that? Well, I mean what? What separate? I mean to speak I as a father, like I hope one day my kids speak of me how your sister did.

Speaker 2: 5:57

I mean, yeah, they were just so supportive or what yeah, well, and you know it's one of those things you don't really realize it in the moment. It's's been the grow up a little bit. Look back and go, holy cow, like these these guys are, these are it? They're them. Like my dad, I mean my mom, she's just trooper, she's glue with the family, like, never stops tinkering, doing things that we all need done. You know, just backbone, just keep the Bartlett May boat to float, is what I say. Like rock, yep, she's doing everything for us.

Speaker 2: 6:25

And then my dad, for me personally, like he just he coached a lot of my youth sports baseball teams, all-star teams in the summer football and he's an accountant, like he's CPA and for pretty big firm here in Boise and uh, he's a partner there and he, like it didn't matter growing up, like that, I mean he's just this. Like two years ago he finally capped himself during the busy season at 100 hours a week. He's like, all right, yep, I decided I'm gonna, I'm gonna cut it at 100 hours a week and we're like, oh, good job dad, like wow, but like, and then you know, back when I was playing sports, we didn't realize how big of a bad timing that was for our sports, Like baseball in the spring was usually right during the tax season and as we've grown up we've realized that for him there's never really not a tax season. But he still just made time, man, like, found a way to be there every day, showed up every day, coach our sports.

Speaker 1: 7:24

It's a huge difference, as a kid to have the support. And you know, I grew up my dad worked out of town during when we were younger, during our football seasons, and he would drive all night and he would make those games. He never missed a game and he swore he would never. And and so it was. It was cool. I didn't appreciate it. I didn't know the sacrifices he was making then to just watch his boys step on the field and play. So it's. But as you, like you said, you get older.

Speaker 2: 7:52

You're like damn okay, like yeah, no, and yeah, my dad, he's I mean both my parents, you know they kind of they both came from just not a lot, you know, and just kind of built their empire together and my dad just made a really good career choice early on and he's been super successful. So, from the support side sports and just being there, awesome, fantastic. And then as we've got older, we've realized the financial side of the. Oh, I want to try motorcycle riding Next thing. I know I got a dirt bike in the driveway, like that kind of stuff that you don't realize, you know that you're like it costs money, man. So just yeah, they've just been super supportive.

Speaker 2: 8:33

All of our me and my sisters antics over the years, like just whatever, whatever we got going on, they've just been full board with us and let us kind of just spread our wings, see what we like to do, see what you know, see what direction we want to go, and just been supportive about all of it. Like any, anything, like it's just crazy. Yeah, like I mean skateboarding. They would have never thought I, you know, they'd never seen themselves in that world, but that was a huge. Like skateboarding and snowboarding, like that was a huge part of my life for like six years and they were just like sure, yeah, go for it. And then I started rodeoing and then it was like boom, got my horses that I needed like just pivot, and I don't know, they've just always been there. Every, every stride I take, they're right there with me.

Speaker 1: 9:16

Good for them man, good for them and to be able to build that empire together, like, like you said, coming from nothing to being able to do that. I bet you that was so rewarding for them as well, to be able to build what they built, to be able to provide. Yeah, you guys with endless opportunities as kids and I mean that's every absolutely dream, right, exactly?

Speaker 2: 9:37

it's every parent's dream to be able to leave their kids off. Better off, you know? Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 1: 9:41

Let's show them so what was your favorite sport? Sport out of everything that you did as a wild, crazy kid.

Speaker 2: 9:47

Well, if you could pick one, Well, this is tough because I would say baseball up until like eighth grade, Okay. And then I started rodeoing. In the first year I started rodeoing, I made it to nationals and was top 20 in the team rope Really. And then I was hooked on on the rodeo Okay.

Speaker 1: 10:06

Yeah, that's an expensive sport. Yeah, that's a really quick, not cheap. Yeah, no, yeah. So let's talk injury. Yep, walk me through the day that you were paralyzed.

Speaker 2: 10:24

Yeah, this is very weird. I'm a big believer now of just like when things are meant to happen, like when it's your time, it's just your time. There's no getting around it. Because I remember that night. So football, first game of the state playoffs for us, and this was the first year I played football in like three, four years probably. Oh, just just. Uh, I mean, cuna high wasn't very good. And then we got a coach, lee Leslie, that he's like just a wizard of turning high school programs into winning programs. I don't know how he does it, love the guy. But so he came in the year before and then got CUNA their first winning season in who knows how long. And then all my buddies started pitching to him that I needed to play and I need. So he started working on me and I was like, all right, yeah, I'll sure I'll play yeah and so went out.

Speaker 2: 11:13

But yeah, so that day was just, you know, normal, normal gig. But I remember it was supposed to. The weather was supposed to be like terrible, like it was supposed to be rainy, windy, I mean all I don't know. It was weird, me and my dad my dad had the camper because we were the second. After the game ended, me and him were headed to the mountains to do some elk hunting, like like just normal night.

Speaker 2: 11:33

But I remember when I got to the field I was like ready for the weather to just be crap and I just remember it was like one of the most peaceful nights I've ever experienced. Like I don't know, everything felt super calm. Like going through warm-ups, I felt something different, like it was just. There was just a calm in the air, like I don't even know how to explain it like I just felt super just. I mean we're state playoff game, you know, like first time and who knows how long for cuna, like I think the nerves would be there. But I remember just feeling so peaceful. It's just like man, this is just looking around taking it all in a beautiful night, like all the boys around. Yeah, you're just super, super serene, like it was just wild yeah and then, yeah.

Speaker 2: 12:13

So then I don't know, game starts, everything's normal. I was wide receiver and I was, uh, just going in to make a block on a guy and I tripped up. That is funny because Cause I tell everybody, you know, I'm this big athlete, oh, I'm so athletic. And then I made the most unathletic move of my life Just ran in there, tripped on the guy and then, as I was falling forward, our running back came around the corner and I just caught my chin on his knee as I was falling forward and just snapped my neck back and lost all the feeling in my body before I hit the ground.

Speaker 1: 12:44

Really yeah, did you know immediately something was wrong?

Speaker 2: 12:47

Oh yeah, I mean I hadn't. It was weird Cause, once again, like so I like right here, from here down, didn't have any function or feeling like I mean it was. I never felt myself hit the ground Like. I felt like I was just floating on a cloud Cause I had like all my feeling was gone. So I had like all my feeling was gone, so I never felt the thud of the ground, I never like it didn't hurt because I, I mean I lost all the feeling in my body.

Speaker 2: 13:09

So nothing hurt, like I was just. But I was laying on the ground and I tried to get up and just nothing happened. And I mean lucky for me, my level of injury. Most, or a lot of people lose their ability to breathe, like whatever. Whatever your diaphragm's controlling, you know, like they lose it so they'll just black out. You know they're not breathing. Are you face down or face up? I'm like I mean I'm just piled up on my side like just kind of head and you know turn sideways. But I mean all I could see was the ref and I was laying there and I tried and my diaphragm was impacted like quite a bit. You know I still I have uh, like it's just not all there. But so I remembered, like trying to yell at the ref like help, and I just like mustered up everything I had and it was like help me, like just quiet dude, like it was wild, and then tried to get up again.

Speaker 2: 14:01

Nothing happened and then it was, and then it was just game on from there with the athletic trainer. We had a great athletic trainer in CUNA. He knew right away Kip, he was all over it. He ran out there and stabilized my neck. He was locked in. I thought I was on the field for like five minutes and I've never experienced a broken anything. I broke my hand roping one time but that was the worst injury that I'd ever had up into this point, so I wasn't used to all that. And, yeah, I thought I was out there for like five minutes. In there All my friends were like no, it was like 45, man, I was like really, because it just went by so fast for me.

Speaker 1: 14:46

But Kip was there, locked it on my neck the whole time, got me over to the hospital and started surgeries. What's going through your mind? You're laying there on the field, can't feel, can't move anything. Do you remember what you were thinking? I mean, is it terrifying? Are you just?

Speaker 2: 14:56

questioning. I had. No, I didn't even know what to think. You know, like I, I, I remember just feeling just not even confused. I was just, I think I was just feeling just not even confused. I think I was just in shock. You know, like I just had, no, I didn't even know how to feel because I just didn't understand what was happening. I didn't, you know, it's just, things were frantic and I'm just, I was just a goofball.

Speaker 2: 15:19

I mean, what I remember the most from that night is I got to the hospital and I'm on the stretcher going through the hospital and I'm on the stretcher going through the hospital and I'm looking at the lights above me and I just went man, this is just like the movies, like when the camera's laying down, you're just going by. It's like just like the movies. It's crazy, like. But it took me like weeks before I really grasped this situation, like what was going on, like I knew, I mean, things were just happening so fast and I don't know, like it, nothing. It didn't hit me for a while as to how different my life was about to be.

Speaker 1: 15:52

Yeah, so you get to the hospital and they're gonna start doing surgeries on you. What, what, what was? What are they trying to do at this?

Speaker 2: 16:00

point, they're well so. Luckily one of the are they trying to do at this point, they're well so. Luckily one of the neurosurgeons for St Al's was at the game. He called the guy that was on call, said you need to get to the hospital and get things ready. And so, yeah, I went in and then I don't know five, six hour surgery on my neck. They replaced, went in through the front. I mean I shattered my C4 vertebrae so I've got a big plate in there basically. Basically is a replacement vertebrae screwed into my c5 and c. Well, yeah, c5 and c3, just big old chunk of metal in there now. So, yeah, they just went in there, did that and got me. Got me fixed up pretty quick.

Speaker 1: 16:40

Oh you, you get out of recovery. How long were you?

Speaker 2: 16:43

in the hospital for. So I was three weeks in Boise, okay, and then they sent me to a hospital in Colorado called Craig Hospital. All they do is spinal cord injuries and brain injuries. So I went there and I was there three months like physical therapy, eight to five, monday through Friday.

Speaker 1: 17:04

Is that when everything started to sink in, or were you? Have you processed it prior to?

Speaker 2: 17:10

that it was like I was still in Boise, but actually no, I was probably, cause I just had so many friends. Like the hospital was here in Boise, it was like overflowing with people, like like I was a pretty social butterfly guy, like I'd talk to anybody, yeah, like just had a ton of friends. You know, lived here my whole life. So I had a big support system you know through and then just so many different aspects, like I said, of different people. You know I was a skater. Well, the skaters don't tend to hang out with the rodeo guys, the rodeo guys don't tend to hang out with the basketball players, but I was in all those. So I just had a massive amount of people at the hospital just supporting me.

Speaker 2: 17:49

So like throughout the day I was just occupied, you know, mind occupied, kind of just talking to my buddies and stuff. But then when I got to Denver and it was like my parents were with me and my dad like back to my dad being just a solid rock by. My parents were with me and my dad like back to my dad being just a just a solid rock, both my parents, but my dad didn't leave my side for like he wasn't in the same room as me for probably a month and a half straight, like he was just. I mean, he was working like it was crazy man, like I really. Yeah, guys that helps a lot.

Speaker 2: 18:25

That helps a lot yeah, he's just by my side. Then got to craig and it was that's when it kind of hit me, like once I had time to, nobody was around, like it was just me. Now I'm in this hospital room like, and I'm like, oh shit, like we're we're in bad shape man like yeah, this is this, is you know, kind of seeing like where I was, I'm.

Speaker 2: 18:47

There's just other spinal cord injury people around me. Now I'm like looking at them, I'm like, holy shit, that's me like it was kind of like one of those things you know, like you don't, like I'm not looking at myself, almost you know. So I'm like I don't even know it's bad. And then I see somebody else walk by that's quadriplegic, and I'm like, oh shit, that's me, that's what I am now so when did they tell you that?

Speaker 1: 19:10

I mean because obviously initial your your neck down paralyzed yeah when did they tell you that you were going to be like?

Speaker 2: 19:19

a quadriplegic or right off the rip man. The doctors, really I'll I love the doctors in boise like they did the best thing for me and they told me because there's two types of spinal cord injuries an incomplete and a complete. So like complete would be like severed your spinal cord, you're, you're done, like you're no chance of recovery really. And then an incomplete, which is I don't know, for lack of better words, just you know some like kind of a bruise on your spinal cord and there's a chance that your nerves are going to find pathways, but that's all it takes is a bruise to be able to.

Speaker 2: 19:52

Yeah. Yeah, a little bump on your little bump on your spinal cord. Really, Nerves are wild. But so they told me pretty early on they were like. You know, you're incomplete, which is good.

Speaker 2: 20:03

Okay, you know you're incomplete, which is good, okay. But then they looked at me and they said but most people with your level of injury do not see much results on on getting anything back. And at this time, like, yeah, I, I could lift my arms off the bed like that high and that was all the function I had. My body couldn't feel anything, it was like. And they were like well, yeah, I'll tell you that it's incomplete, but I'm going to tell you you should plan to figure out how you're living your life.

Speaker 1: 20:26

Like this, I was like wow, okay, I mean, as you help, you were 16, how old. I couldn't even imagine, yeah, I couldn't even imagine one as a parent until I was big athlete sports, growing up wild. I mean I couldn't even imagine hearing, and laying in a bed only able to lift your arms a couple inches.

Speaker 2: 20:50

I mean it's yeah, that's gotta be terrifying. Well, and it was like I said I think there for a while I was just kind of in shock. You know, like just didn't really grasp what was going on. You know, kind of just getting told this stuff but not really listening. You know, just like you know, in my head I'm I don't know, I don't to this day I don't know what I was thinking. You know, like I don't know if I just thought it was like, oh yeah, this is gonna be a couple months and I'm gonna be back up to running. But then, yeah, once I got to denver and it was like it was pretty evident situation, I was like it, it was crushing man.

Speaker 2: 21:22

Like back to being an athlete. Like I had some pretty good opportunities to go do some pretty big things. Like I mean, like the year before so sophomore year of high school, I decided to run track for the first time in my life, won two state championships, Like, like had some college looks just for track. That year, for my sophomore year of high school, 15 years old, like doing pretty big things long jump won the state and long jump the four by 400 meter relay. Like I had some good opportunities to go do some stuff with that Rodeo, like could have gone probably college ball.

Speaker 2: 21:56

Like, yeah, I had a lot of and that's all I knew. Like my whole life was like I don't know what it's going to be, but I'm going to go play sports somewhere. Like I'm going to do something and like nothing ever in my life has I mean still to this day, really, like there's just nothing that has got me fired up like competing in athletics. So it was a, so that's a once that set in. That's where the real life's kicking the nuts started for me, you know, it was like holy shit, like I'm I'm not going to be able to do all this stuff I love like has gone from me.

Speaker 1: 22:52

And when you're 16,.

Speaker 2: 22:53

You know you're, especially as a male, you're, you know you're on top, you're invincible at that age. You know you're. Like this is I'm the, I'm the cream of the crop man. Like this is nothing, I'm invincible you know Invincible yeah. So kind of getting hit with that at 16, you're like you think it's, you think you're done, you know. You're like, oh, there's nothing. There's nothing else Like what's the point what?

Speaker 1: 23:15

do you do from here?

Speaker 2: 23:16

Yeah, when do?

Speaker 1: 23:17

you go. What was physical therapy like? So now, now life is setting in, or that, I don't want to say life now, reality setting in that you're paralyzed. All the sports are gone, the basic basic going to the bathroom, brushing your teeth, getting up, getting dressed today it's. It's all gone, all gone. Yeah, what is the next step as far as physical therapy? Because now it's setting in, and now you're realizing how much pain and how much mobility, everything that you've lost. Yeah, what was that?

Speaker 2: 23:50

like it was. I mean it's brutal like it was. You know, I mean physical therapy at Craig is awesome, like because they have so many aspects of it from, you know, trying to get you stronger. But also I mean you're just learning how to live again. Like I was there for three months. Just I might as well have been a toddler, you know, like I got to figure out how to everything I know about living life up until this existence how to get dressed in the morning, how to just basic daily, everything you know that you need to do to survive on a daily basis.

Speaker 2: 24:22

I got to relearn it at 16 years old to survive on a daily basis. I got to relearn it at 16 years old, like that's correct. I got to figure out how to. Well, you know, there's a lot of stuff I just couldn't do, like physically couldn't do it. You know which was even tougher, you know I I mean one time I spent two hours on a mat and craig hospital trying to get a shoe on and I was like, and I'm a and I'm. I was like you know, I'm an athlete, like I like to accomplish things.

Speaker 2: 24:45

But I'd never been more pissed off in my life, like in that moment just like I'm just trying to put my fucking shoe on man, like are you kidding me? And they're just like, keep trying and keep trying. I was like like I'm trying, man, I'm trying, I promise I'm trying Like it's just not happening. It was just a brutal wake-up call, you know of, like well, this you got to figure it out and it was I don't even know. It was just a long process of, and at that stage I still didn't have, I mean, like near as much as what I do today. Oh, I can imagine I recovered a lot since then too, but so it was just, yeah, literally just figuring out how to, how you're gonna start, and not even necessarily what I'm gonna do to get through the day.

Speaker 2: 25:31

Like, once again, my, my parents were learning. Like my parents were rocks once again, like they, they were learning how to do medical stuff that I had that I needed, so we didn't have to just stuff with my bladder like, okay, I had an indwelling catheter that was put in me to, um, like it was, I don't know, above, it was in between my belly button and, uh, my penis was just straight in and my parents learned how to change it. So we didn't have to deal with doctors like I would have, like that, scared the shit out of me. But they were just like it's like, all this stuff that they learned how to do man was just to make my life easier. But like that stuff, like so, as much as I'm learning how to live my life, you know at the at what I can do they were jumping right in to be like what are we, how are we going to learn to help him live his life again?

Speaker 1: 26:27

You know, like yeah, it's not just your. I mean obviously you took the most drastic change with your life, but I mean every, all the closest people to you, like your parents and sister at that time, and I mean everybody's learning everything.

Speaker 2: 26:40

Yeah, learning how to, how to navigate the world. Again, you know like, and then, luckily, since then I've regained a ton and I mean I'm, you know, I mean for a long time I was like and we can get into this more, I'm trying to keep the timeline straight for you here, but you know it was like I sat there for a long time being like oh, I'm, I'm going to, I'm going to have to live with my parents forever. Like brutal, like what 18 year old wants to, like, look that reality in the world and be like dude. I got to live with my mom and dad for the rest of my life, cause at that time I, I could not, it was either parents or healthcare system. You know like somebody was helping take care of me. Yeah, like I couldn't do it by myself.

Speaker 1: 27:21

So oh God, yeah, like I couldn't do it by myself. So, oh God, man, I couldn't even imagine. I could not even imagine, as a parent I mean, how crushing it was, it would be. Yeah, how did your parents respond to this? I mean, obviously you said your dad was there by your side, but I mean, it's gotta be pretty hard on your mom, I mean you know, is one of those things that, like they which I'm the same way like they were great around me.

Speaker 2: 27:47

You know, like I never knew, I mean they, we knew that it was serious, like I could tell that they knew it was serious, like, but they never, like gave that panicked feel around me, you know, it was never like, oh we're boom, we're fucked, dude. Like it was like they were just trying to just carry on like around me, like, hey man, we're gonna figure it out, no problem, just like. Okay, like, and thankfully they did that, because I was like I think I could have gone either way on the early stages, you know, of like, if they would have been freaking out, I probably would have been much more freaked out than I was, you know, because I was just kind of looking at those around me going like, how bad is this? And my parents were like, hey, you know, we're going to figure it out. And I was like, oh, okay, yeah, sweet, no problem.

Speaker 2: 28:30

Like, if they had been like, dude, you're in bad shape, I'd have been like what? No way, okay, they were just great. Man, I couldn't, I could not have done it without, even to this day, you know, like I couldn't. I would not be anywhere near where I'm at without my parents.

Speaker 1: 28:46

I want to back up just a little bit to physical therapy. What was that like? Because I've I've had buddies that have similar injuries and hearing some of the stories that come from that, how hard and painful it is because, as a physical therapist that are helping you, they're there to push and get you going again. So is it, was it pretty rough?

Speaker 2: 29:11

Well, it was. I mean yes and no Cause I, I also have that mentality like, like, even like when I so in Denver, it was just kind of a whirlwind of like all the little stuff, like brushing your like small stuff, but then to ramping it up, to trying to gain strength and what and all that stuff. But I was pushing the pace too. Like I'm I, that's my world. Like you know, I'm a. I wanted to Challenge, accepted. I'm like, let's yeah.

Speaker 2: 29:39

Like I want to do more, I want to do more, I want to do more, I want to do more, I want to do more.

Speaker 2: 29:43

Like, from that point on, like as I got more down the line, when I came back to Boise, it was like I quit going to physical therapy because I was like we're just not doing enough. Really Like, and I don't want to rag on it, I'd love the guys at Boise to help me Like they were great, but it was just like I wanted to do, and maybe not more, but just I want to do what I wanted to do to push myself. You know, like I didn't, I didn't need the. I felt like I was just going there to have somebody push me.

Speaker 2: 30:15

But I was like well, I mean, I'm going to push myself way harder than what these guys are going to do for me, like I don't need the motivation, I have the motivation, I have the motivation.

Speaker 1: 30:23

So how do you feel that that mindset propelled you? I mean cause, I'm sure you saw, I don't want to say the victim mentality, because everybody takes everything differently and it hits everybody. But did you see some people that are we're just my life's over, this is it. And then here you are, like fuck, let's go, let's do another round, let's take a few more steps well.

Speaker 2: 30:47

So we need to, we need to be I want to back it up here because I this, this is the part I think people are going to relate to okay, the most is this whole section I'm going to talk about. Okay is it took me as much as I was, like at that point I did want to push myself, but at this point I'd always been a very positive person my whole life. Like I was a you know, comedian jokester, like I was the funny guy, like always in a good mood, and so for the first time in my life it was pretty clear to see how I could get into that, you know. But like I didn't realize it at the time, but like it was just a bad time, I mean it was probably I mean way longer than I'd like to admit like three, four years that I was. Just because I was still, you know, 16 years old, I had to go back to freaking geog, you know geography like like I'm figuring out how to just wake up in the morning again and like.

Speaker 2: 31:50

So it was like three or four years of just brutal depression by myself, like struggling by myself because I'm a I'm a very outward people person. So like when I'm hanging out with the buddies, when I'm around people, nobody know anything's wrong. Like I'm a, I don't like people, I don't know, I'm just a positive guy. So when I'm around people it's just easy for me to be get out of that mindset while I'm with them, to just have fun for the minute. But then, like it was the second, I was back alone. It was the second I was back alone.

Speaker 1: 32:27

It was just brutal. Like when did you realize that how bad the depression was? Because it's one of those things I feel that it creeps yeah and then you're years in.

Speaker 2: 32:35

You're like fuck well, it was, it is, so I'll give you the. I mean I don't even really know what it was, it was just I mean I was so. I mean it was like I said. So I graduated, went to cwi for two years and then went to boise state. Like throughout that whole time, my life was just back to my parents. I mean, there was two things that were keeping me going at this time my parents and god. Like I was not keeping, I was not kicking my feet over the bed in the morning on my own will, I was not motivated to do anything.

Speaker 2: 33:09

I want to say this to emphasize the point I've been tiptoed around it a lot the last several, well, 10 years now, because I don't want the people in my life to worry about me. What do you mean by the tiptoed around this part? I mean every day for like three years. Worry about me. What do you mean by the tiptoed around like this part? Well, so, like I mean every day for like three years I I there wasn't a day that went by that I just wished I was just dead. I was like there's just, this isn't what I want, you know, it's like every day. There wasn't a single day that I was did not have that thought once a day that was like this is just not worth it.

Speaker 1: 33:44

Like was it because of obviously being paralyzed, or did you feel like a burden, or or what?

Speaker 2: 33:50

because now you have you know I it was all more probably self-centered. You know it's like I mean all. So all the stuff that you would is obvious. You know, like, well, all the things that you love seemingly gone. You know all the activities you love gone. And you know I've learned more since then. But like at this time of my life I'm like, yeah, it's gone, never going to be able to do anything that I love again. Going to have to it wasn't necessarily burden. I get that thought creeped through my head a little bit. But my parents once again so good that like I was never worried about they were, you know, over overrun with my situation. So it wasn't any of that, like it was just all solely on myself, like just back to.

Speaker 2: 34:36

You know, I was still young. I mean, at this time I'm still 18 years old, you know. So it's like I don't have a ton of life experience outside of before I was 16 years old, you know, when life yeah, I got no responsibilities and you're just your whole life is just have fun. You know so, all of a sudden the fun's gone and up until my that point in my life I think that's all. Life is just like, oh, let's just have fun. So you know, it was a long three or four years. And then you know, I started going to boise state and this is like what this is.

Speaker 2: 35:09

When I whatever switch flipped is, it was at boise state I started going to school there had like one class a day, four days a week, took me longer to drive there than I sat in class for. Then I was like, okay, well, I'm gonna start going to the rec center and just see what I can do in the gym, Like and that was the first step to me figuring my shit out. Like, yeah, absolutely. And my sister once again back to family, like she, I, you know, I was nervous, Hadn't been in the gym since I'd been hurt, really, other than therapy gyms, Like where you got a guy holding your hand through it all you know. And so my sister went in there with me, just kind of went around all the machines to see what I could do on my own, Like see what I could get away with, and got a little game plan. I started lifting every day again and it was like life was immediately better.

Speaker 1: 35:59

Really.

Speaker 2: 36:00

A hundred percent Like why, what do you? What I think? A sense of normalcy. Okay, it was something that I finally chose to do on my own. That was like something I would have done before. You know, sure, it's like I obviously I would have been lifting if I hadn't got hurt, like, yeah, no doubt, so I was like it's just something that I felt like was me again, you know, like this is something I'm doing by myself, without anybody's help.

Speaker 1: 36:24

Like I'm lifting, feels good, feels good, man, okay like so is that little bit of motivation I don't say little, I'm not downplaying it, but I mean just something simple enough of just okay, I can, I can move my arms, I can get blood flowing, feels good, and yeah that was what it took.

Speaker 2: 36:40

That's what it took, man, and then and then this is the beautiful part about it is because everybody gets so tripped up on. You know, how do I stay, how do I find positivity, how do I, you know, and like, the awesome part for me, being able to look back now and see, is like, well, from whatever day it was that I went, from like the day before being like I'd rather be dead, to the next day of like, hey man, things are looking up, nothing changed. Like my life still like I woke up every day, still have pain, still takes me seven minutes to put my freaking socks on. You know, like everything was still the same. The only thing that was different was the way I was looking at the world, like my mindset and you know people hear that all the time your mind and it's true, dude, like your mind is a powerful tool and it's just how you view things, is how you're gonna. You know it's gonna choose your path for you like, because nothing changed in my life, like I didn't just wake up one day and I was back to running a 4, 4 40 and like it was sweet.

Speaker 2: 37:42

You know, I woke up and just like, instead of just looking at how bad everything is, I'm just like things are good, like that's what I tell people. It's like everybody, I think, wakes up in the morning and just thinks the world is, should be perfect, you know, like their day's going to be perfect and then when the one inconvenience happens, it derails it. You know, and I try to live opposite now. I try to wake up every day and be like dude, this day is going to be shit, like everything's going to go wrong. And then when it doesn't, it's like great day. Or only two things go bad and you thought 10 were. You're like awesome day, man, like got out of there pretty good. You know, like, just just, your mind is so powerful.

Speaker 1: 38:27

It really is. Yeah, it's, I feel a lot of people because you hear, you hear people talk about it and you know of speaking positivity or you know setting, getting that mindset set yeah and I feel a lot of people fight it like your flesh. Just you don't believe it, or but once you actually start thinking in a certain way and putting that out there and you're speaking it into existence, I don't want to say like manifesting them yeah I hear you, you know I've, and I've talked to other guests before.

Speaker 1: 38:57

You know they speak of manifesting things like to me, but it's more of a conversation with god, or you know, that's the direction I would rather go yeah. Yeah, but I speak very positive about you know things that we got going on in our life and it shows you know. But if you're sitting here dwelling or talking negative on anything in your life, it's that's. I mean you're creating your own cancer in a way.

Speaker 1: 39:17

So, now that you're in the gym, you're going back. I got a question what was it like, kind of to backtrack a little bit, what was it like going back to high school for the first time as a kid? Paralyzed, you walked out of that school one night to go play football, to play in a, you said, state champion Playoff game yeah, playoff game. So you leave, go play a playoff game and the next time you come back, you're in a wheelchair.

Speaker 2: 39:50

What was that like? I mean, talk about a hit to a 16 year old boy's ego. You know like I was a pretty popular guy. You know like, just talk about a hit like and I.

Speaker 2: 39:56

But to back up even further, the when I was in craig hospital, the first time I had been in the public in a wheelchair was like you know, we've, we finally got the first outing. And been in the public in a wheelchair was like you know, we've, we finally got the first outing. And and I was going with my parents, we just went to some little Western store there just to get out. You know, not doing anything, just to go out. And I remember we walk in.

Speaker 2: 40:16

We walked into this place and it there was a line like 200 people right when I walked in and you know it was the, my first experience of like I mean, you see, you know, in in life when you see somebody different than you, just people look, you know, like I don't care what it is like, nothing, bad, nothing. You know nobody's looking to be nasty, just like curious, you know. So the seed kid in a wheelchair, everybody's going to glance, but me was like locked in on it. You know, I'm like. All these people are just looking at me like you feel like you got a magnifying glass.

Speaker 2: 40:53

Yeah, I'm like what you know and and it was just and it was little stuff too because it was like I went back to high school and it was that with the catheter setup I had that I mentioned earlier like it was painful because Cause my I, so I got a lot of feeling back, okay, and so I had a surgery that changed that now, so we're way better off. Back then it was painful, like so I couldn't wear jeans, like and I was, I mean, at that point in my, at that point in my life, I was past my skater phase and into my cowboy phase. Know, so I'm, I'm wearing jeans and like tucked in shirt every day, like not, I've never been a style guy, but like that was just what I was accustomed to, sure you know. And now I'm wearing sweats and like going to school in sweats. For me it was just like what the fuck are we doing, did you? And it was just so yeah, no it.

Speaker 2: 41:41

it was just, like I said, a hit to the ego of like well, you know, I don't know, it was just I felt like a, just not me, you know.

Speaker 1: 41:51

Were your was the? I mean, were the kids? Because I know schools can be ruthless and kids. You said you're a pretty popular guy. Were they pretty accepting? I mean, were you welcomed right back in?

Speaker 2: 42:02

Tuna was wild man, like it was a very good community. Like I mean, when I got hurt, my story blew up not only in cuna but across the valley. Okay, like I mean, when I got back to, like, the day I got back from craig hospital they flew me in. I had a. My parents picked or I don't know, my sister picked me up, whoever picked me up I had a police escort into town in the high school, had a huge rally that like I rolled up. The news was there. Like I, probably every person in the high school was there.

Speaker 1: 42:35

Like it's a pretty big deal for everybody, yeah, to get paralyzed, you know and it's. You don't hear of it. I mean it happens but small community and you have an awesome kid Everybody knows now wheelchair bound and you know it's. It's a pretty, that's a pretty intense thing to for a small community at that time to to go through.

Speaker 2: 42:58

Yeah, yeah. And we had a CUNA, just had a kind of a streak of bad luck at that time too, cause I I got hurt. Another one of my teammates had a really scary health scare with, went septic and really like almost died. And then we had a young kid that died in a school bash, school bus crash, like all in the same three or four months. So that really was just kind of like shook up, like so when I got back, I think it was just kind of like shook up, like so when I got back I think it was just kind of a unifying thing for everybody really, you know everybody needed to see like you, you were bringing some positivity back to the community.

Speaker 1: 43:35

In a way I bet yeah, man, I couldn't even imagine, yeah, couldn't even imagine. So you're, couldn't even imagine. So you're back at school, you're in college now. How was college? I mean, college is a fascinating place to begin with for an I don't want to say normal student, but mobile student. But here you are and you're driving, you're doing one class a day, you're hitting the gym. Now I mean, what's? How's that feel?

Speaker 2: 44:03

Well, well, so the cwi like the yep. The college experience at cwi was just shitty. Why is that? It was it was me in peak depression, driving to class, driving home, staying in my bubble of I'm. You know the world sucks. I don't want to, I don't want to do this. So it was. That was just pretty miserable experience, pretty, just pathetic time of my life of just like not living, just just existing, you know, just being. I was just physically here, but I was, that was about it. So nobody there, I mean you're in this and I wasn't a.

Speaker 2: 44:40

I wasn't a real. I mean, at that time I wasn't a. Like I'm not going to really go. Like I have my core group. I mean even to this day I have, I mean, my roommate, and the friends I hang out with are kids I've known since I was in the fourth grade. Oh really, like we're all super tight, like I'm not a big, go find a new circle guy, you know. So I wasn't trying to find anybody, you know, I was just like trying to go. I mean, you're still figuring life out yeah.

Speaker 2: 45:07

But, and so I yeah, it was literally just driving to class, drive home, like, talk to as few people as I could go home, that was about it. Which that does not help with depression at all.

Speaker 2: 45:17

Exactly yeah, which I didn't. You know, at that time I didn't care. You know, like I didn't, I wasn't looking for ways out. Like I just was stuck in that mindset. You know, like we said, like I, I I hadn't gotten to the point of hitting the bottom where I was yet that I was like I'm just miserable of feeling this way. There's gotta be another way to feel. How do I, how do I get? There Was the gym.

Speaker 1: 45:42

Was the gym your rock bottom Like? Was that the day that it clicked that you knew? Or was there a moment in this, this time of recovery, or even after, where you was there? A rock bottom for you is what I'm trying to ask.

Speaker 2: 45:53

I guess you know once I started like I'm really consciously thinking about, like dude, I don't want to be on the earth anymore, like and and it cause, before you know, for a long time it was just like I just couldn't wait to go to sleep because I that was the only time that my mind wasn't just thinking. You know that I wasn't just sitting there thinking about how I thought my life was so shitty, yeah, you know, yeah. And then it turned into more and more scary thoughts, scary thoughts. And then it was like holy shit, dude, and I don't know that I don't think that was the driver for me to go to the gym, though, like I don't think it was just weird.

Speaker 2: 46:36

I think I lucked in to my saving grace of working out and getting my mindset changed, because it was just I was going through those emotions and and then one day I was just like, like I said, like it was just taking me longer to drive to school and back. So I was like, let's just try to make it worth it. Yeah, just hobbled into the gym one day and then just never looked back, like During your your surgeries and recoveries.

Speaker 1: 47:03

I'm sure you've had multiple surgeries since the initial one. I could be wrong, but when did you start to get mobility back and start moving again? When did all of that start setting in? It was quick I had.

Speaker 2: 47:16

I had like I was probably standing up a little bit within the first four months. Okay, Like, not on my own necessarily, but like I could get stood up and stand there and like.

Speaker 1: 47:32

So those are little wins.

Speaker 2: 47:33

Yeah, oh, I mean like immediately as well.

Speaker 2: 47:36

So back to the doctors in Boise. You know they'd come in every day and do their little, try to wiggle your fingers, try to wiggle your toes, like, and they, they. I didn't even know this till months later, but you know he'd come in, wiggle your toes, wiggle your toes, and one day, I guess, which you know unbeknownst to me he went out to my parents is probably like two weeks after I got hurt and he's like, well, I don't want to get anybody too excited because I'm not sure, like what I think I see is toe wiggling when I'm asking him to wiggle his toe, told my parents that in the hallway because he didn't want me to get a false sense of hope, you know, which I appreciate like much, rather, tell me exactly what they did, like you're not going to get shit back, and then everything's just a you know awesome win after that, like so a little toe wiggle. My parents didn't tell me, and then did they come in and want to see it, or like hey, I don't even remember.

Speaker 2: 48:30

I'm sure they did, I'm sure they did. But yeah, but then when I was, I remember when I was like my big oh shit moment, like I I've got something going on here, was on the flight to denver from boise. You know, they had me on a little medical plane deal and I was sitting there and I was just like I don't know if I tried to move or something, but like I just flexed my right butt cheek, like I could feel my butt cheek, twix it, or really, and I was like I mean I was, I mean I was fired up. You know, I'm sitting in this plane. I can't see anybody, like it's all cramped in there. You know, my mom, I think my, my mom, she, I think she was in the cockpit and she was terrified, she didn't want to be on that little plane. My dad was like at my feet. Then nobody could hear me. Are you laying or sitting?

Speaker 2: 49:12

I'm laying, I'm laying yeah I'm like, I'm like I'm sitting here, I did it for like two hours, like I was just like flexing and flexing and flexing it. And then, you know, I couldn't talk to my parents, like you know, but I was fired up, you know, and then we landed. I was like you guys will never believe what happened on that flight, really. And then I'm pretty sure that's when they told me about the toe thing, you know, because they just didn't want me to get a false sense of hope or whatever, but I was like I'm flexing it. Oh, by the way, I think you're moving your toe too.

Speaker 1: 49:42

I was like what? So now you're starting to get these little wins and I mean that's got to be pretty awesome. I mean, obviously it's still a shit situation, but little things like that. And that's why I wanted to have this conversation, because you don't. You know, people see somebody with a wheelchair, but it's like the fact that you were able to flex your butt cheek is so exciting to you at this point it's crazy, well, and it's just crazy how, you know, every spinal cord injury is so different, like everybody has different.

Speaker 2: 50:11

I mean, it's funny, we so I met a kid there that was 16 farm kid from Kansas that we're still really good buddies broke his back and we still I was in his wedding and like really we're still good buddies, like really get together every once in a while when we can like just good friendship, created from something shitty, yeah, you know, which was good, like I needed that, like it's super nice to have somebody. It was just luck of the draw that it happened to be a kid pretty similar to me. You know, lifestyle wise, yep, that we've been able to just kind of go through that together and and uh, but yeah, so you just start getting those little things and I don't know everybody, everybody will tell you something different with the spinal cord injury world, because it's like you know I can stand, I can move around a little bit, I can. You know I'm doing, I'm doing good, but I'll talk to somebody that's like my buddy, paralyzed from the, you know, the back, so he's doesn't have his legs at all, he's, he's a complete injury, okay, and so it's like we'll sit there and bullshit with each other and be like.

Speaker 2: 51:09

You know he'd be like, oh, dude, if I could stand up. So I grabbed cups out of the counter, like that'd be sick. And then I'm like, dude, if I could do anything with my hands, that would be sick. You know like it's just funny how you, even in that situation where it is just how humans are, naturally, you know it's like. It's like you're always looking at the what that guy's got. You know, and it's I don't know it's not good or bad, but it's just funny but at the same time you can look at somebody that's way worse.

Speaker 2: 51:36

Be like okay, I'll take, I'll take what I have well, and that's what happened to me in denver too, cause I so I like they worked on spinal cord injuries and brain injuries and that was a good mental boost for me for a while, because the only room they had when I got there was the traumatic brain injury floor. So I got put on that floor and I'm walking through the hallways, wheeling through the hallways, and I'm seeing these people that are just Vegetable state, like they got no idea what planet you know, they don't know, they're gone, they're gone. And I'm wheeling by and I was like, okay, all right, not too bad, we're in all right shape. Yeah, this sucks, but yeah.

Speaker 1: 52:15

Yeah, I'll take my problems back real quick. What's that saying? Like everybody, if you looked at everybody else's problems, you pull yours back real quick. Yeah, one of those situations.

Speaker 2: 52:25

The only thing about that too, though, that gets that I get this a lot. You know, as people come to me and they tell me, you know, oh, your story's so motivational. You know this that, like I, I realize I take this for granted. That for granted, you know, and I hate getting people into that mindset. Okay, because it's from what I've learned through my life now is that you know it doesn't matter what your struggle is like. It doesn't matter how maybe seemingly small your problem is, if if it's a big problem for you, like you gotta, you gotta climb that mountain. Just how I'm gonna climb my mountain of like it doesn't matter, like there's no, you know, different problems may look like one's more severe, but if, like, that's what you struggle with, you have to attack it the same same way. So I hate it when people like try to do the compare game of like oh well, why am I, why, why am I struggling so much? When he's going through that it's like doesn't matter, don't fall into that trap of cause. That's how you revert the other way and start digging yourself a hole deeper mentally. You know Cause you're like well, this guy's got it so much harder and I'm sitting here being a little bitch. You know it's like well, no, you're not like.

Speaker 2: 53:38

Up until, like I said, up until I broke my neck. I broke my hand, calf roping one summer, couldn't rope for the summer and I thought it was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I'm like, oh, this sucks, this is terrible, my life's over, yeah. So it's like, whatever your struggle is, you have to attack it in the same way that I'm attacking anybody else in the world. It's like we all have to fight our battles, how we have to fight them, and and there's no, there's no comparing. You know, like you just gotta, you gotta take it one step at a time.

Speaker 2: 54:09

You know, and the back to the kind of mentality aspect of it, you know it's like I see people getting caught up in the social media world, in the I don't know the trying to get motivated to change. You know, like the, they think that everybody's so focused on external forces and they think that's how that's going to change their life. You know, is the watching podcast which, like my story. You know somebody is going to tell me like dude, your story motivated me, well, motivated you, but to do what? Like there's no like. I hate it when people say that in that, but there's no change, there's no, there's no action. It's like motivation isn't. It was useless without an action. You know, like what did you? What did I motivate you to do? I know I didn't motivate you to do anything. Words might have been like oh cool, that was nice hearing, but I'm not motivating you to do anything.

Speaker 2: 55:06

That's you like I don't know man well, here's, here's what I'm saying is like so you listen to all this stuff, right and people, here's a good example, you know it's like that's good fuel for the fire. Like that's good fuel for your fire. You gotta light the match man, you gotta start the fucking fire. 100, okay, you got it. You, the match man, you got to start the fucking fire. A hundred percent, okay, you got it. You got to start the fire. Yeah, it doesn't matter. Listen into the David Goggins. What if you're the match for somebody?

Speaker 2: 55:28

though you ever thought of that you could be the match, but they still got to light it. Man, okay, they can. All that fucking miserable it didn't. I didn't care what anybody said. I could listen to a thousand motivational things. Yeah, like, and people were like I had a lot of good influence in my life, a ton of good influence in my life. I had people coming to me, other quadriplegics. I had a guy come in that had an injury and he walked into my room and, like, walked into my room and was like, yeah, I had your same injury. Man, look at me, I had a lot of no, it pissed me off. I was like. I was like good for you, dude, yeah, okay, so it was, it was me Like nothing changed until I decided, like, dude, I'm going to take the first step.

Speaker 2: 56:16

Like, you can listen to all the shit in the world and get fired up about it, but until you, like, all those podcasts aren't going to push you into the gym or push you into the career move that you're trying to do or push you into you have to do it, dude. Like there's, none of those things are going to do it for you. They get you fired up? Sure, absolutely, it gets you excited about it, but there's still going to be no change until you change, until you do the change.

Speaker 1: 56:44

I get what you're saying, I'm tracking what you're saying, but at the same time it's, you know, somebody's going to hear this and be like, fuck, okay, I have to go to the gym, but I mean, but they are lighting their own match, they're starting their own, but I mean, but at the same same time you could be that little ember that's sitting there and and and nights that fire, you know, but I'm a hundred percent with you. Like, I'm the same way, Like I, I, I have, I know people are like.

Speaker 1: 57:10

Oh, this guy motivated the fuck out of me and started my career and now they're worth millions. And then I hear somebody talking. I'm like like cool bro, you know, but it's, it's the mindset at the end of the day of the individual.

Speaker 1: 57:22

I feel like if you're not ready for it, you're. You can hear it a thousand times from a thousand different people in a thousand different ways. Yes, and you're gonna go right back to where you were before. You heard that, right. But then there's some people that'll hear and and dude, it'll change everything it'll get.

Speaker 2: 57:39

It'll get them going. Like I, 100 agree. I think there's things that people can hear that they can say started whatever it was, but once again it comes down to they started it. Like that's what people. People don't give themselves enough credit for doing hard shit, absolutely. You know, like everybody wants to point to like, well, this is what got. No, you did it, dude. Like you did it, you took the first step. Nobody did that for you. Like you got fired up because that video. Hell, yeah, you got fired. You get fired up because of what you hear me say today like bad-ass, but you did. You did the hard thing. Like you did whatever the hard thing was for you. You started it, dude. Like you took that step. You lit the fire. Like you, you went out and got it.

Speaker 2: 58:23

Like I didn't, I didn't push you to do whatever. Your first step is towards your goal. You know, like I, I motivated you. I might've got you thinking about it, but I didn't make you take that first step. Yeah, Like you did, you took that first step and people don't give themselves enough credit for that shit. Like they, you know, I think it's important it for that shit. Like they, you know, I think it's important, like, like, like, look for that stuff if that's what you need. If you're not a like intrinsically motivated person, you know by yourself and you need that push from others. Like, great, like, listen to all that shit for sure, get fired up. Listen to whatever's gonna make you like, commit to taking the first step, to lighting your first step 100% comes down to you, yeah.

Speaker 2: 59:06

Nobody's going to do it for you Like, so, all the, all the self-help books and the this and that, like sure, get some ideas, get some, but like, at the end of the day, if you don't do anything with it, cause? I mean cause, how many times do you hear people say that you know, it's like well, I'm motivated. Cause to hear people say that you know it's like well, I'm motivated? Because to me, motivation is like you were motivated to do an action, you know. So it's like if you just say I'm motivated, I'm like okay, well, to do what? No, like motivation without an action is just nothing. It's just it's talk.

Speaker 2: 59:34

It's just talk, you know so it's like, yeah, okay, well, what'd you do? Yeah, what do you mean? Well, like you're motivated. So what? What was that thing you did? Well, I'm just motivated. Well, no, okay, like sick, I mean, I get it. Take a step, dude. That's what I love seeing is when it's like I listened to that or I heard this guy and then I went Inspired me to stop, and then I went, yes, like that's what fires me up. It's like, oh, you heard that and then did something. That's badass to me. It's like, because the motivation was cool, I'm glad you got the motivation, but it's badass to me that you took the step. You did it. Dude, that guy didn't do it. I know what you're saying for sure.

Speaker 1: 1:00:13

Yeah, I've never really looked at it like that, because you hear all these guys and these motivational speakers and I've had people tell me like you motivated us to homeschool our kids or you've motivated me to do this or whatever. But it's like, but I'm like, oh cool, that's badass, like I love that. But it was up to those individuals to make that decision. Like, okay, we heard, we heard these people talking about them pulling their kids or the the changes they've made in their life, and then we did the same, right, and it's like, okay, cool. But instead of like, oh man, you know cause. At the same time, it's like, oh, I love this. This is so motivating. Yeah, did you pull your kids Right? Did you start the business? Do?

Speaker 2: 1:00:56

it Did you jump, you know.

Speaker 1: 1:00:58

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 1:00:58

It's weird because people want like people view motivation and inspiration is the same. Right, it's, it's just good. It's like good, well, and it is good. But to me it's good with action, like like cause being inspired to, like I I could like like when I was in my depression, like yeah, I could watch, I could watch old, like I would, I would, I would watch old videos of myself, like at the state four by 400 meter relay I mean I was, I was the third leg and I was back like 20 yards from this guy and I tracked him down. So like I get fired up when I'm watching that, like I'm like motivated, yeah, but then if I don't get up and do something, then guess what.

Speaker 1: 1:01:44

I'm still. I was still sitting there being like, wish, I'd rather be dead.

Speaker 2: 1:01:46

Yeah, you know, wish I could do that again. So it's like, let's go while I'm watching it. That's what the problem is, like people get fired up when you're watching it. You know I'm motivated. Well, turn it like quickly, like go do it. Then turn the motivation in the action so and make it something real like because it's not real until you do something you know Absolutely, and that's what kind of starts then creates the. You know the self need for it, or the. You know the kind of oh, what's the word I'm looking for? I don't know, just making them accountable, self-accountability. You know it's like once you start, then that kind of makes it real for you, cause when you're looking at it here, going, I'm motivated to do it, but it's just hanging out up here you know, oh, I'm motivated to do that, I'm going to do that sometime. It's not real, you know, but then once you take that first step, and then it becomes a little bit more real.

Speaker 1: 1:02:36

Oh, that's all, but that's the hardest. That's the hardest part. Yeah, the hardest part is that initial step. I don't know if it's fear doubt. My biggest one on that stopped me in the past is almost a um. So what I'm looking for is a uh, imposter syndrome. Yeah, you know, it's like I don't know what I'm doing or yeah, this was one of them for a while.

Speaker 1: 1:02:58

Like we didn't know. I got a 17 year old kid that's the producer of this podcast. And then I look at all these other people they got teams and production companies and all the editors and clippers and all this shit for them and I'm like, hey kid, can you figure out how to fucking use this equipment? Like how do we plug these mics? Like we knew nothing, you know. And so same thing with the bakery. It's like we're not. We don't come from a culinary background. We've never been to a course or a class to learn how to bake. But yeah, here we are and I feel like we make the best sourdough bread which we're going to send you home with a loaf um on the planet, you know. And so it's. And then we're like do we know what we're doing? Should we sell it for this much? But like, our ingredients are great, so it's the same thing. But it was that initial step, right? We, you know, we've had these conversations.

Speaker 2: 1:03:39

We're like who gives a fuck. Well then, once you start, it's harder to like what. It's easy to push it off when you haven't started right. It's easy to be like, oh, one day, one day, one day. Once you start, once you take the step, like, then it's like all right, now we're doing this, now, what's that?

Speaker 1: 1:03:55

now we're doing it, you know I don't know why it's so hard. Maybe it is those things I mentioned. You know the imposter syndrome, or doubt, or fear, whatever it is, but it every time that we've I've ever gone through those stages where it's like you're self-doubt, doubt, doubt, doubt. And then when you take that step, you're like this. This podcast is the prime example. I talked about doing a podcast for probably three to four years. Yeah, wasn't sure. I don't know how am I gonna sit down like what's our angle? I don't know. It's gotta look like that dude. I took me for I mean forever, yeah. And then, once we did it, I look at her. I'm like god, if we would have started exactly, if we would have started when I initially was talking about it, who knows where we would be right now. But I'm cool where we're at now because we took that step.

Speaker 1: 1:04:40

I took that leap into you know, and you'd hear people. I'd tell people, oh, I'm gonna do a podcast. I put it out on my social like, yeah, I'm thinking about launching. Oh, just another part. Oh well, welcome to the other ones. And it's like, damn, dude, there is a lot. And you know, I would, I would, I would more pick apart the negatives, like okay, yeah, these people, they oh, I'm just gonna be another number and I'm just another podcast. And then finally I was like you know what? They're not fucking doing anything yeah, okay, who cares?

Speaker 2: 1:05:04

well, that reminds me, like you said, like focusing on the negative, like it's so much easier like humans, oh, love misery yeah dude, like you like just think and this is back to just that kind of mindset like like this is for anybody.

Speaker 2: 1:05:19

That's just like struggling. You know, like just being positive. You know it's like we find the negative right. The light turns red on you driving down the road. What about when you just cruise through it green? Why don't we be like, oh yeah, like fired up, got through green light. We don't ever do that Right, just focus on the inconveniences. You know it's like let's celebrate the wins more. You know, like that, no matter how small, you took that first step, started the podcast, celebrate. You know, whatever it is you do, your first day at the gym. You know you're never been in the gym before Scared. Like, go to the gym on the first time, celebrate it. Don't be. You know, don't quit focusing on all the small shit that goes wrong.

Speaker 1: 1:05:58

Like what were some big wins for you? Obviously wrong. Like what were some big wins for you? Obviously, getting back out of the hospital, the gym at college, was a big win, but prior to that you've had recovery. What were your little wins and what were some wins for you that were significant to you?

Speaker 2: 1:06:13

that during this recovery stage, yeah, like this is back to my like parents. Really. It's like kind of showing me that life was going to go on. So, like after I got back to school you know I was 16, I'd had my driver's license for like a year maybe before I got hurt. So this was another brutal part of it. You know, it's like you get that taste of freedom, dude. You're driving, you're like, well, the world's my oyster. And then boom, I'm back to calling my mom every day after school. Can you come pick me up, like?

Speaker 2: 1:06:45

yeah, it was brutal, okay, so but so that was one of my big wins was my and once again I like thank god for my parents, because I was just not. I was just a negative nancy dude, I was just not into anything. So my parents like because when we were in craig they have a train, or like part of their therapy is like figuring out how to drive again.

Speaker 1: 1:07:07

Oh, okay, so they had cars rigged up for it.

Speaker 2: 1:07:08

They had cars rigged up with hand controls and I sat in one for a minute. But I mean, at that point I was still pretty weak, like I, I didn't even if I would have been interested. I was like scared Cause. I was just like I, I'm not, I shouldn't be doing it, go back. Yeah, so I, I had an old, which I still drive a different one. But in high school I had a 93 dodge pickup truck like pretty nice, 75 000 original miles on it, electric, blue. You know I thought I was driving a freaking cadillac you know like especially the 16 year old.

Speaker 2: 1:07:42

Oh yeah, dude, yeah so and then after I got hurt my butt, like they raised a bunch of money and a guy painted it up like it was cherry dude, okay. And I got back and me just being a grumpy asshole. I was like parents like let's, like, let's get you driving again. I was like, nah, I'm good. And then then my mom was like, just did it. She was just like, well, we're going to the place here in Boise that installs this crap.

Speaker 2: 1:08:05

Like yeah we were at least going to put it in the truck, like you're going to put it in the truck, and if you don't want to drive it, that's fine, put it in the truck went for one drive and I was like duh, you know so, that was a huge win, like.

Speaker 2: 1:08:22

And then same thing, like almost the exact same story with a razor, like a uh, side by side, whatever, yeah, yeah, because I I was motorcycle guy, you know. So I was like they were talking about it, you know, like, you know, you get those can't. And I was like it's not a motorcycle, not gonna be fun, you know, I don't want it. Four wheels.

Speaker 2: 1:08:40

They bought one, put hand controls in it, took it out, rolled, it was like yep, I'm in yeah, yeah just I don't know, fun stuff like that and just getting back to life really is like the the big wins for me, just kind of like slowly over the years, as we started doing more stuff. Like my dad we was probably six, seven years ago now but bought a jet boat. See if we would use it from our neighbor across the street like good deal, like let's just it was pretty old, like 85 or something. Yeah, let's just see if we're even going to use it. So that's turned into. That was the start of something big, like that was a big win. Now we now're out catching eight runners.

Speaker 2: 1:09:23

Like all the time. You know like, so it's just small stuff like that for me was just realizing that life. You know like, yeah, sure, I might not be going to the Caldwell night rodeo, but I can still have some fun, I can still like hunting. Oh, this was the big game changer for me. I got a funny story you'll like. So the I I pretty much only didn't hunt one year like once Really, yeah, really Maybe the well so so I got hurt in the fall, yeah.

Speaker 2: 1:09:56

So, uh, and then the next season I didn't hunt. And then the season after that I started again and it was chaos. It was my dad. So he's got a lot of good clients, like pretty big, big clients around here that are very kind, like very kind-hearted people, have let me come hunt their properties and stuff. And so the first year we were on this guy's place I had a, had a, had a bull tag, landowner bull tag, or maybe I drew it or no, it was general tag. He's just, he just let me on his place.

Speaker 2: 1:10:25

And so we're up there and he's got a caretaker for this place that lives there and so he's hunting with us, showing I mean, he's driving around the mountain, like knows where everything's at. So he's just like, yeah, they're right there. We're like, okay, so we get over there. And I had, we had like a little fold out swivel chair thing that's got a mount that holds my gun, yeah, so we're on the side of the road and there's like there's 200 elk down below us and they're, they're bedded down, but there's a rock outcropping like 60 yards down this hill that's blocking us from having a shot. And so we're like, well, we, we probably get down to that rock outcropping, right.

Speaker 2: 1:11:02

And we're like, well, we, we probably get down to that. Rock out coffee, right. And we're like, absolutely so, my, that guy takes the chair down there, comes back, I'm hooked onto my dad over his shoulder and I'm this guy that was helping, was? I mean, I'm a foot taller than both these. If my dad, I'm taller than my dad, taller than this guy, they're strapped under me. We start walking down this hill. It's raining, it's muddy. My dad loses an ankle.

Speaker 2: 1:11:23

He goes down. I'm on top of him. That guy's on top of me. We're rolling down the hill, dude. We're like we finally stop.

Speaker 1: 1:11:33

We're like you know, we're just expecting to hear this whole herd of elk blow up.

Speaker 2: 1:11:35

You know we're all just laying there going, just like somebody finally peeks up. He's like still there, let's go. Nice, dude, we got up on that rock outcropping and I sat there. Dude, it was miserable, like they were just there was a cow bedded down in front of this bull that I was gonna shoot and I'm uh, you know it's like elk there. I mean that, like when you're in a situation like that, it's like just be patient.

Speaker 2: 1:11:56

Oh yeah, they're not gonna happen like, yeah, like don't try to scream and get them, you know, like like don't try to stand them up, they'll stand up. But it was like an hour and a half and I was sitting on this rock outcropping. It's just like 20 mile an hour wind, rain. I'm freezing man, like freezing my ass off. My dad and this guy are huddled down under the rock dude. It finally stood up and I shot it, but it was I got. But then so one of the coaches from my high school team uh, his son was, uh, married to a gal that their family runs a sportsman's club in washington. Okay, and they this would have been, I don't know, 2018, maybe 17 they did a giveaway for the first year of they raised money to get a track chair.

Speaker 1: 1:12:41

I don't know if you've seen those, but they're yeah, we yeah, and we have one with our charity. But I saw that your photos on your on your page.

Speaker 2: 1:12:48

But so you know, just wheelchair with tank tracks on the side. Basically for people that don't know like electric wheelchair tank tracks, they're pretty badass yeah and they so that I was lucky enough to get that. They. There's only like two entries that first year and I, so they, I got it. Yeah, and that thing has been sick for me. Oh yeah, hunting dude.

Speaker 1: 1:13:09

They're pretty legit, man, you got it Like.

Speaker 2: 1:13:12

I'm a, I love testing the limits of things. You know, like we've had that thing in places that I'm sure if the manufacturers saw they'd be like what are you doing? We didn't make it for that. Yeah, like, no way man. Yeah, but it's been a blast. Like that was another huge win for me. It was like getting back to oh, I could imagine, cause the you know I could hunt, like I mean, I killed that bull without the track chair, like, but it's just driving around roads. You know, like driving around roads hoping to get lucky, and so this tractor has been sick like just gets me way back out. We pull it behind the trailer on the razor. Yeah, we'll get way up there. You know wherever we need to go, and then just drop that and scoot around on that.

Speaker 1: 1:13:51

Oh shit, yeah, it's blast those things are pretty cool, man. They it's, they're a hell of a tool we. We've gone to some wild shit with ours, where we're like underneath it, like holding it, just in case.

Speaker 2: 1:14:03

Yeah, I'm in there.

Speaker 1: 1:14:04

Yeah, I'm not trying to fuck this dude up any more than he is. You know like, here we are on a on a wounded vet trip. I'm like I'm not trying to send you home worse than how we got you yeah no, we've, we've. Those are a hell of a tool and they go for, I mean they're. They go all damn day.

Speaker 2: 1:14:19

It seemed like pretty good, yeah, I mean, it depends on what you're, what you're doing. I've yeah, you're climbing pretty quick yeah but yeah, no, for the most part they're awesome. There's a, there's a company out of canada that makes like mountain bikes, adaptive mountain bikes. Really, I'm trying to get into dude, they're sick what's the name of?

Speaker 2: 1:14:36

them. Uh, bowhead corp, okay, they're like, I mean they have like several different, but they've got like some downhill racing. Like these guys are ripping these things, dude, are you sitting in it? Sitting in it? It's like two wheels in front, one in back, like articulating suspension dude, and these guys are rip. I'm like I'm a hundred percent need to get one, I'm a hundred percent going to hurt myself, like, but they're sick dude. Like that would be legit up in Tamarack. It would just be fun. Does Bogus do a downhill course in the summer? I think they got mountain biking up there. It would be dumb not to.

Speaker 1: 1:15:08

I mean, that's such a growing thing. I mean you go up there in the summertime up to Tamarack and all that. They got some pretty awesome stuff.

Speaker 2: 1:15:15

Yeah, no, I'd love to do that. They're expensive.

Speaker 2: 1:15:23

I want to cut that clip and send it to him. Yeah, yeah, see if we get you a bike, cut that clip. Yeah, no, it'd be fun, dude, like that's my adrenaline. Well, it's been funny as I've got older, you know, like my adrenaline junkie side's still there a little bit for sure, but like I've aged out of like. So where I was really getting it was the razor, like the side by side, because I had one. I mean, I only had a like a 900, so it was a smaller one trail. I got it 50 inches so I could still fit on all the game.

Speaker 1: 1:15:45

I feel like four-wheeler trails. A guy like you though you sound identical to me, it's probably the best bet oh, yeah, not, yeah, no for the twin turbo I got.

Speaker 2: 1:15:55

I definitely piled that thing up enough like on his ball by itself.

Speaker 1: 1:15:59

Yeah, like, but yeah, so it's so how do you get the rush these days? What is it?

Speaker 2: 1:16:03

still the, the dude I'm, I'm calming down, like I'm telling you, like me and my dad just went, we sold my razor, okay, and we just went partners on a fully enclosed can am like I just want to put around dude, I'm getting soft, got the windows.

Speaker 1: 1:16:18

Yeah, like I ain't trying to freeze my ass off anymore like my uh, literally, it was yesterday, the day before my youngest, this I used. So't trying to freeze my ass off anymore like my uh, literally, it was yesterday, the day before my youngest this I used. So I used to race, I used to stunt street bikes. I mean, dude, I almost killed myself a couple years ago in an atv wreck. I sent one like 70 foot landed on my face, and so I'm, I've been that guy, yeah so, but uh, the other day this bike goes just zipping by us 100 miles an hour and my daughter's my youngest, like I, got the knee for speed.

Speaker 1: 1:16:46

Dad, I'm like I'm going to tell you this it's going to be painful, it's going to be expensive, you're going to crash it. You're going to end up in the hospital. If you're anything like your old man and uh, she's like do you, do you still get the adrenaline rush, dad, or do you or she goes, do you still chase the adrenaline? I looked here. I was like kid, no, I'm aging out of that. It took me a little bit longer than most.

Speaker 2: 1:17:12

We sound a lot alike. Growing up I was doing the motocross and the skateboarding and the snowboarding. I was the guy that was like if anybody was looking at something and was like you think we could hit. I was just already fifth gear pinned, I don't know, but I'll try. Just where's boom, just like we'll see. We'll see if it works out.

Speaker 1: 1:17:33

You checked landing, no way to find out that so I was. I've been that way my whole life that the only rule that, like my good buddies know this is my only rule if bam says it's a bad idea, nobody questions it and that that's. It's been a serious thing, man. Like I've been with guys, we've been on doing things where I was like and I've dude. There was one time we were in mexico. I was down there for my birthday and I brought a bunch of buddies down and we were just partying. We're fishing offshore.

Speaker 1: 1:18:05

This whole, this whole it was one of the wildest, wildest adventures I've ever been on like on the water it was. It was if we were national geographic photographers or videographers, it it would have been like the mecca of any video national geographic person ever. Because we came across this school of stingrays like thousands are the bat rays, the ones that flip out of the water. If you just youtube like mexico bat race thousands I'm talking when I say thousands like underneath the boat and they're jumping out of the water flipping. A whole pot of pot of dolphins comes right up to the boat. Sea lions we're. We caught a dorado the size of you that day. It's fucking insane. We lose the key to the. But well, we thought the boat broke down. We're out, like out in the gulf of mexico fishing, and the boat won't start. We're all we brought was beer. We don't drink all the beer. What are these days right? So, anyways, this, this pot of whales, comes. We've got the boat started. We realized the kill, kill switch. The pin came out when we caught this giant Dorado. Like the chaos knocked this thing out. So, after like three hours of sitting in the sun baking, we finally figured it out.

Speaker 1: 1:19:17

Anyways, this giant pod of whales, these black whales, come swimming right to us and we're like, fuck, we're jumping in. We got GoPros, snorkels and fins on and they had all these babies with them, big whales, all this shit. And we get ahead of them and our, our tour guide not tour guide, our fishing guide. We're, uh, we're getting ready and like my buddy's on the edge, like he's got fins on snorkel, he's, he's in and I'm with him. I got the selfie stick with gopros on. We're like this is gonna be there. This is gonna be the most epic shit we've ever filmed in our life.

Speaker 1: 1:19:51

I look at alejandro's, the guy that we use every year we go down there. I'm like. I'm like do you swim with these? And he goes and I'm looking at these things and I'm like in my mind, I'm like I've seen somewhere where these whales have attacked somebody. Like I've seen a youtube video or something literally, as these whales have attacked somebody. Like I've seen a YouTube video or something Literally, as these whales are me, to you, on the side of this boat, we're getting ready to jump in. I was like I don't know. All my buddies are like what do you mean? I'm like I feel like I've seen these types of whales. I don't know what the fuck these whales are called, but I swear to God that I've seen them eat somebody or something once and I've seen him eat somebody or something once. And everyone's like all right, we're out, we're out. Nobody questioned it.

Speaker 1: 1:20:28

The second we get back to service, we're like Gulf of Mexico, or not Gulf. Yes, we're in the Sea of Cortez and we're like Sea of Cortez, black whale First thing that comes up, pilot whale drags free, diver 100 feet down or some shit like that. Here's these whales, grab this woman and just like play with her. Oh no, tell her dad. It was like oh, my god, you were so right. Like but that's how it's been my whole life. If, like, I'm always in, I'm that guy. It's like oh, dude, we should jump. Like, how deep is it? I'm like yeah that's fucking good.

Speaker 1: 1:20:57

You know, like one of those are like I can clear that gap, like that's how I've been my whole life. But if I've ever questioned anything, that's the number only rule when hanging out with me if I question it, don't push it, because if I got the spidey sense going off, which most of the time it doesn't work um, that's why I end up in the hospital like my wife after my last wreck. She looked at me and she goes listen, asshole, I have watched you use nine of your lives and I don't even know what you use prior to me. She's like you're done. I was like all right.

Speaker 2: 1:21:28

I get it. I was the opposite Cause I was like I never got hurt, like I was doing the, I was doing the like. This is what all my buddies joke is like. Everybody just laughs that I got hurt playing football because it was like the 10,000 other, just dumb shit things that I was doing.

Speaker 2: 1:21:43

They're like how was it football? They'd like my room. This is a classic. So my roommate I'm going to shout him out Jake, he, uh, he, he was telling me that and I didn't know this until like two months ago. Yeah, hilarious Cause I've always been. You know, just just pile a motorcycle up and then just roll out of it and be like that was crazy. Everyone's like what, everyone's like what, and so he's dead. So he, I guess that night.

Speaker 2: 1:22:12

So when I got hurt, I didn't I don't think I saw my phone for like three months. I had no idea where it was. Like just gone dusting the wind, like so, my buddy, I got hurt. You know I'm laying on the field and and he's like you know words getting around that it's me and first thing he does is text me. He's like get off the field, pussy. Oh no, he didn't tell me about it until like two months ago. He's like yeah, dude, I text you. Like. After I saw that it was you, I was like get off the field, pussy. I was dying laughing. I was like yeah, I didn't realize you were paralyzed at that time. I was like yeah, I'm sure not, man.

Speaker 1: 1:22:49

That's cool to be able to have friendship that that long.

Speaker 2: 1:22:50

I feel like it's rare.

Speaker 1: 1:22:50

Yeah to, I got a good group, good group yeah because most of the people I guess we kind of always preach to the kids. I'm like god, especially if you're gonna spread your wings, get the hell out of here. I'm like you know, just focus on growing up, having a great time. But it's it's. I don't think it's as common anymore to have oh no, yeah, friends that you've grown up with.

Speaker 2: 1:23:10

We all like, whenever people because I mean literally like we have a, probably a group of well, I don't know anybody that we hang out with regularly is somebody we've known for that's cool.

Speaker 1: 1:23:21

That's when we go out and people are like well, you guys meet in college.

Speaker 2: 1:23:24

We're like nah, like second grade, and people are like oh, really you guys, because it's like a whole group, it's like 10 guys, and we're like yeah, we have all known each other our whole lives and everyone's like what, like yeah, no that's cool, just uh. You know you got lucky. I guess it's sure good group of boys that we can. We can all stand each other for that long, so yeah everybody's what's.

Speaker 1: 1:23:44

If you don't mind me asking, since being paralyzed and going through recovery, what's been the biggest challenge or the biggest hurdle that you've had to overcome?

Speaker 2: 1:23:56

You know, I don't know just mentally. You know the physical was hard, but like the mental aspect of like just figuring out that life's going to be okay, like I don't know it's, that's a hard question because everything felt impossible at the time. You know, like yeah every everything I did.

Speaker 2: 1:24:19

You know, figuring out how to get dressed on my own felt impossible until I did it the first time, and then it felt impossible to move out of my parents until I moved out, and then it felt impossible to, you know, just down the line, every single thing. So it's like everything felt impossible until it wasn't like so that's just a really tough question Like I couldn't say one thing. That was like hard, because everything felt like the hardest thing in the world, like there was nothing harder at that time than whatever task I was trying to do I understand, yeah, I mean I, yeah, I can.

Speaker 2: 1:24:53

I can understand that, but it was, you know, but a lot of it was just the mentality, like the, the mental um maze that I was going through, you know of like when I, like, before all the impossible things happened was the right before that, when it was, like you know, and especially the bit I mean, the biggest one was probably, like when I was just like the thought that I was not going to be able to live on my own, like I thought I was just going to have to care, have a caretaker or my parents, and, like you know, I'm never going to meet a girl Cause why would anybody want to deal with that? You know, like just those kinds of things you know in your 18, you're, like you know, just thinking all that. And it was, it was brutal, like it was just hard, hard to overcome mentally.

Speaker 1: 1:25:44

You mentioned earlier um faith.

Speaker 2: 1:25:47

Yeah. You're a religious man, you know I would say I have been, I've become, because I undoubtedly have to believe that I'm not where I'm at today without the influences of God. Absolutely, my story doesn't. I mean every single. I mean you know Caleb Redden, doctor like, I just saw him, yeah, like so. So he's kind of the one that got me really fired up into the Mecca. We can talk about that too if you want.

Speaker 2: 1:26:17

But like like even his, my, you know, it's like like, what? Like? Like they see me working out in the gym or whatever, they're like, oh, what happened to you? And I'm like c4 spinal cord injury? And they're like, yeah, excuse me, what? Like? There's no way. And I'm like, absolutely like, they just don't believe it.

Speaker 2: 1:26:36

And and I, like I said earlier and it's kind of been recent, you know, at the time I, I wasn't privy to it, but in the, in the future, now, looking back, it's very obvious. Like I said, like I wasn't getting out of bed every day on my own accord, like there was an external force pushing me to keep going, like, keep going to school, keep doing it, put one foot in front of the other, like that wasn't me doing that, that was, in my opinion, that was my parents and that was God pushing me to the point of me figuring it out. Yep, you know like, hey, I'm going to get you to here. And then I got to there and it was like, thank you so much. Yeah, we're going to keep on the right path. Now, like, we're going to figure it out. I love it For sure, wasn't me?

Speaker 1: 1:27:23

Yeah, yeah, I love that. So Caleb, yeah, I talked about him on an episode previous with Zach and I was like fuck that guy, fuck Caleb In a good positive because he's the most perfect specimen I feel he we got to put a clip of him because he's in the gym, he's all posed. He's in fitness men's fitness magazines. But that's how I feel every doctor should look. He's a Greek god. The dude's a stud, it's easier to believe him.

Speaker 2: 1:27:55

It's easier to believe a guy preaching to you about health when he's healthy.

Speaker 1: 1:27:59

I just had all my blood work done. I sat down with him and he's like I'm actually very surprised. He's like knowing your lifestyle. He's like you're well ahead of the game and I was like, oh shit, okay. And he's like, yeah, I was like I was like I don't know how to take that. Were you expecting it to be worse? He's like I wasn't sure what I was preparing for with you, but he's like I wasn't expecting your numbers to be as good as they were.

Speaker 2: 1:28:29

But yeah, you into the mecca. Uh, yeah, like I was working out with my roommate, jake at axiom okay, and I was, I don't know. Caleb had like just talked to me once or twice in passing, mentioned he was a doctor, whatever, and I was still new to the gym world of like just figuring shit out how to, not how to, because like, still, anything like overhead is my muscles are weird dude, because like everything's fighting against itself in my body. Okay, my nerves are still confused, like I've got a lot of function, but like, the best way I can explain it is like in most lifts, especially overhead, like it's like when I'm doing a bicep curl, my triceps fire. Like my body's just like fight or flight and it's fighting. So it's just it's firing everything. It's like, oh, we're struggling here, let's just fire everything we got. So it's like I'm fighting my bite, my tricep. When I'm doing bicep, you know, like overhead I'm pushing overhead, everything's trying to pull down, like it's just a weird.

Speaker 2: 1:29:16

So I was asking it was just one day. I just asked him about something, like it was something for my shoulder. I was like am I going to fuck my shoulder up doing this? And he was like, help me out and then, like next week, just messaged me and he was like dude, I think I got a place for you. I was like, oh yeah, he's like. Yeah, I talked to this guy owns this gym. Talk to eric, nope, we're gonna, we're gonna hook you up, dude, like we're gonna, we want to see what you can do. That's like okay.

Speaker 2: 1:29:42

And I mean it's been crazy, dude, like my my gym progression has been nuts, like when I was working out at Axiom.

Speaker 2: 1:29:48

I always go back to like I started, you know, I was just doing machine stuff, what I could do, what I could do, and then once I got those guys involved, it was like just having somebody like back to I was pushing myself in the gym. You know, I quit going to therapy cause I wanted to push myself harder, and then I got to the limit that I can only push myself so hard at the gym without like just fucking myself up. But then having somebody that was like there to help me push myself, like I wanted to push myself, it's crazy Because, like I mean, I remember when I was working out at Axiom I wanted to start bench pressing again, got under a barbell, just like, almost got crushed, and so I had to go home for like yeah, got under a barbell just like almost got crushed, and so I had to go home for like yeah, dude, I literally started bench pressing in my house on a mat with a closet rod. A wooden closet rod weighed nothing, you just went for it initially.

Speaker 2: 1:30:37

Well, I had a buddy there, I was under it. I was like let's feel what this feels like. He's like letting off the weight and I'm like no no, no, no, no no.

Speaker 1: 1:30:46

Yeah, no, no I didn't know, because that's how I would have been like yeah, fuck, I could do this again.

Speaker 2: 1:30:51

Yeah well, that's how I thought. And then I think I probably had it up and I was like, oh, this isn't that bad. And he's like, dude, I'm holding all this. I was like, oh okay, this is actually pretty light, yeah, but yeah, cool though man, yeah they. And then they I mean both those guys, eric and Caleb like love them to death. Like they. They helped me progress so much more than I would have on my own, like for sure.

Speaker 1: 1:31:18

Isn't it? It's crazy to think just a nice gesture, of something so simple. As Caleb, like yo, I got a gym that will come crush you here with some of the biggest human beings on the planet like it's something so simple and I I preach it to our kids and people all the time. It's like it's they don't have to ever do anything for anybody. But if you have the ability to just and everybody thinks it's monetary you have to give money and you, we get it all the time with our organization Like, oh man, I would love to help, but I don't have money. I'm like you don't have to have money to help.

Speaker 2: 1:31:52

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:31:53

Tell somebody about it, send them a link and put out an invite. It's something so simple and I and that makes me like I think Caleb's a stud both those guys for a long time and it just solidifies like dude, like how, what a good dude he is. Because it's just something so simple and I hope people listening realize like you don't have to help people with money.

Speaker 1: 1:32:16

it could be a hand it could be an invite, an open door for an opportunity, is really that's. That would go so much farther than somebody like oh, I can't make a donation, but it's like, dude, you know what? You have a place that you could host. Cool, that's, that's just as important. Or, hey, I have an opportunity to come. Hey, we got these trainers here that want to show you some things yeah it's something so simple. Along those lines, it can change somebody, the projection of somebody's path or life, by the simplest gesture yeah I I love hearing that type of stuff.

Speaker 1: 1:32:48

It just shows that those dudes are pretty good dudes and yeah, yeah. That's what, that's why I would go there, I mean it's I do, I do get you.

Speaker 2: 1:32:54

I like talking shit about Caleb too.

Speaker 1: 1:32:56

Yeah, so perfect.

Speaker 2: 1:32:57

It's been fun watching him, cause I I mean, you know and all. Now he's a big wig. Now I just love just giving you know. I'm like dude, I can't ever hang out with you anymore. You just got too many photo shoots. You got to be, you know, when you got an appointment for a cover of a magazine or something. Dude, you're slumming it around here with me, perfect specimen for it, though you know, I mean it's just, it's that's how a doctor should be.

Speaker 1: 1:33:25

Yeah, oh, absolutely. That is how a doctor if I walked into a doctor's office that blows my mind Like you go to the doctor and you got some 300 pound doctor telling you about your health.

Speaker 2: 1:33:37

I think you should exercise a little and then you're like well, okay, what Like practice Would you preach at all?

Speaker 1: 1:33:50

Not trying to call a kettle black, but like I'm in way better shape than you and you're the doctor that's. That shows you what state we are as a, as a country that our doctors giving health advice are unhealthier than their patients yeah that, to me, blows my mind, and the fact that most people don't walk in there and be like you're disgustingly obese and you're giving me health advice Like I'm sorry, no, I'm not going to yeah, I'm not listening to any of this.

Speaker 2: 1:34:14

I'm not buying whatever you're selling.

Speaker 1: 1:34:15

No, Um dude, what a rollercoaster of a life, huh, or a ride that you've been on. Yeah, man, yeah.

Speaker 2: 1:34:23

It's been, it's been, it's been, it's been. It's weird, you know. It's like. I feel like I I had to grow up quick, you know For sure 16. It's fun, it's been funny, it's been a funny evolution of Boone. I, you know, grew up fast because I had to Nope, like fought through all the the shit, mm-hmm, and then it's just been like a blast, like I've just been having so much fun. I love that. Just got back to get you know, just kind of took myself out of that bubble, started hanging out with friends again, like you think that helped a lot.

Speaker 2: 1:34:59

Oh yeah, you know, and like it was my, it was more my, it was just my fault, you know, like, like weird to say, but like, like my, nothing changed. Like, once again, nothing changed from the time that I was in those bad mindsets to the the good. So, like, once I started hanging out with my friends and we were going to the bars and going fishing and doing all the shit, talking shit, having fun. It's like I could have been doing that two years ago. I just wasn't because of me. Like, once again, I wasn't taking the first step, I wasn't, I wasn't lighting the fire and I could have been. It was just, once again, like you, you gotta start. And once I did, like, once I reached out, was like, hey, what are you guys doing this weekend? They're like we're doing this. And then it was.

Speaker 2: 1:35:46

You know, my friends are awesome because they've never, like nothing's ever been a oh, we can't figure out how to get you to do that, dude like like like going to, like we'd get used to go downtown, like go to roddy's and shit, you know, and I'd never been a downtown guy, you know, I was like no, and so I was like you know, we get there and like I don't know anything about downtown, like I, you know, I a college student never been to the bars, because I was just miserable.

Speaker 2: 1:36:09

But, so they were like we got to go to this bar, Roddy's, dude and I was like, okay, we go down. And I'm like looking down, you know, I'm like what the fuck do you guys mean we're going to this bar? They're like, don't worry, dude, they all just scooped me up in my chair, I Cause it was like I mean, they just scooped me up, dude, and they're like walking down, and the second I'd get in there, dude, everybody's just looking and just college dudes just love seeing a dude in a wheelchair partying man Cause I'd have six beers by the time they set me down. I'm like I can't, I can't, I can't do this every weekend, dude.

Speaker 2: 1:36:43

But yeah just like having fun again, man, since then, just, I don't know, we're just, we're just full board. Ahead now good, actually.

Speaker 1: 1:36:52

So here's a question for you. I know we talked about you, know you could listen to motivating people, but it's up to you to start your own fire and get it going. If you had a message for for anybody listening, that's in some dark times, in a rough place, suffering from some injuries, whatever it may be, hearing your story and seeing how motivated you are, how full of life and energy and happiness you are at this stage in your life, what would be some advice that you'd give to them?

Speaker 2: 1:37:21

You know I would just motivate or not motivate. I would recommend people to just try. And you know, cause at that time in my life I didn't know what was going to get me out of it. I just got lucky and went to the gym and that's what it was for me. Yeah, like my first step was just blind luck. Like so I, if you know what that is for you, like if you know what's something you love, that is like going to, you know, change. You obviously start there. But like if you don't know, you're down in your mindset, don't get stuck in doing the same thing. Like like my routine was go to school, go home, you know, just veg out on tv and and sit in my mindset of negativity.

Speaker 2: 1:38:03

It's like do something different yeah like small, like whatever it is like decide one night to go sit on your back porch and watch the sunset. Like, just do something small to change the pattern that is causing you to feel the way you are. You know it's like, don't get stuck in the pattern, start trying to change ways. Do little things like that. You, you know anything. Go on a walk, call a buddy, whatever it is. Just do something to get out of the pattern of negativity and then, hopefully, as you're doing those things, you find the thing that is like that pulls you out of it. Like, just keep doing stuff till you find the thing that pulls you out of it, cause it will like whatever it is like, whatever you get latched onto I mean, for me, it was the gym it could be, you know, whatever raising bees it could be whatever in the world gets you going. Do it, do it, get out of that, get out of the, get out of the cycle of cause the.

Speaker 2: 1:39:02

This is the hard part about it, though, is you know? Cause the negative cycle is easy? For sure it's easy. Cause about it, though, is you know, because the negative cycle is easy for sure it's easy because you don't have to do anything right, and that's how people get stuck in it. It's because you don't have to do anything to be in the negative cycle. So it's super easy facts. Super easy to stay there because you, you sit there and you just let it come to you, right, yeah, so you got to take that step to do something to get out of the cycle. That that step could just it's just a step Just go Well in anything like I said.

Speaker 2: 1:39:30

You know, and people don't understand how you know, like I said, like it could literally be for you as simple as just like I'm going to go for a five minute walk tonight and then you do that and you're like, oh, wow, I didn't think about any of my problems while I was on that walk. And I didn't think about any of my problems while I was on that walk. And then the next day you do it again, and then the next day you do it for double the amount of time and then you start focusing on that thing. Like that was me. It was like I, I started focusing on the gym. I was like you know, oh, man, I love that. Oh, now I'm going to go do longer workout. Now I'm thinking all day about like I gotta go get a pump man. Like you know, I'm not worried about anything now. I'm just like get me to the gym. Dude. Like just take your mind away, just find your thing that takes your mind away from the shit.

Speaker 1: 1:40:18

Like you know it's crazy when you say your mindset, how you were just like, you're not going to accept it and you're okay this is it. I'm gonna get it going again. I have a buddy. He was a partial paraplegic like his. His spinal cord was severed, but not all the way through. He, actually everybody in his vehicle died and, uh, he broke the majority of the bones in his body.

Speaker 1: 1:40:47

They hit hit a massive IED and from the explosion they sunk him down because the vehicle lifted so fast so it broke all his arms, broke his jaw, shattered his whole skull, legs, I mean. The guy was pretty much in a full body, but his mindset and when we started working with with him I would go to his house and I'd have to sit down with his wife and she would lay out all the pills and I'd have to learn his pill routine because she was his caretaker and I'm taking this guy away and and I watched this dude go from breakfast would be 14 to 15 different pills and there'd be multiple pills of each pill. So he's taking 30, 40 pills for breakfast, carrying this dude up and down a mountain. We did our first hunt together and he ended up shooting a black tail and full, full, I mean, he had, you know, from chest down, pretty much, was paralyzed.

Speaker 1: 1:41:45

He started going through his recovery and all this good stuff and he came to, I believe, her birthday party when she was five, four maybe, and he texted me and he's like, hey, I got a surprise for you, I'm gonna swing by. I was like all right, and this motherfucker come walking in our house. It came, you know, I mean, and how it is, he's almost completely able to run. I'm sure he probably can now in it all. And I asked him I go, dude, what like? Because the doctors, all the va, everybody told him you'll never walk again, you're not, you like, unfortunately you're not gonna be able to walk your daughter down the aisle, all this other stuff. He told himself fuck you, I'm, I'm going to walk my daughter down the aisle and he start in. His wife would leave to go grocery shopping. He would go in the hallway, pin himself and lift himself up and start scooting his feet. He started every day. He would start to do his own physical therapy. He'd fall. His wife would catch him like laying in the hall because he couldn't get back in his chair. Yeah, she, she was asked to get all trouble. But his mindset was I am 100% walking my daughter down the aisle when she gets married one day and I'm not going to accept that for anything else. And just because of how he was, he was told by everybody though hey, sorry, like you're partial paraplegic, you know, severed spinal cord not fully, but enough. And and everything was against him. And just because of his mindset, he's now no cane. He can walk.

Speaker 1: 1:43:13

We've gone on hunts where he busts and brush and yeah, and it all all because of your mind and it's such a powerful tool, but it's so easy to get sucked into the depression, the, the, the victim mentality, the woe is me and it's so. It's been really cool talking to you because, I mean, dude, everybody speaks so highly of you and I want you to know that you have a lot of support. Man, it's cool that the people that you know how they look at you and think of you. That I've run into, and so it's been awesome to be able to have this conversation and and see the shit you've gone through from going from all American kid to wheelchair bound and then now being on your own, got your an incredible group of friends and it's it's pretty cool. Yes, it's been awesome to see. So I got a question for you, yep, well, not a question but more of a. I guess it's a question, but if you could leave a message to your parents, because you talk so highly of them, what would you like your parents to know?

Speaker 2: 1:44:20

Like they're, I don't know, like, it's just one of those things that I feel like I'll never be able to repay them. You know, like, and I know they don't want it. I feel like I'll never be able to repay him. You know, like, and I know they don't want it. I know they don't need it, but it's like they mean so much to me, dude, that it's like I don't know I get so emotional talking about my parents, cause it's like they are my. I mean, people say it all the time. You know, like, oh, my parents are my rock they.

Speaker 2: 1:44:42

But like I've watched my parents go through the trenches for me, dude, like I watched, I watched and as I've gotten older, you know, it's got more real. Like I mean, I don't have kids, but like I, I, I get it, and you know my buddies are having kids. Like I'm attached to these little shits. You know, like I get, I get it, dude, and I'm like I'm seeing what I not not what I put my parents through, but what they had to go through with me, you know, and it's like, just didn't blink an eye, like you know, and I'll never be able to show them enough gratitude for what they've done. Not that they want it, but like, yeah, just love them with all my heart. Like would not be where I'm at then. Yeah, just, forever, forever grateful, and yeah, just forever, forever grateful.

Speaker 1: 1:45:29

Awesome. I really appreciate this conversation. Man, it was yeah, man no, so it's all I just wanted to know, you know, I just want to know your story and your journey and the hurdles and everything you've overcome. It's. It's pretty cool, so to get to know you a little bit better than at the gym and passing real quick. So, yeah, I appreciate you being able to it was funny how we met.

Speaker 2: 1:45:50

You know I was. I was telling my I can't remember. I was telling my roommate that because jake, the kid I live with, that he lifts quite a bit, he's been my gym buddy and I told him that day I was like dude, you never would guess what happened because I usually drive and I got another 93 cummins that I usually drive. It's got a crack in the frame Don't get me started so it's out of commission, but it's got a crane in the back that my chair gets lifted up. So I usually right there like I just get into my truck and I'm gone. But I just drive into my parents' car because I don't have that and I have to walk to the or stand up, put my chair in hobble to the front, get in. And I stand up, put my chair in hobble to the front, get in.

Speaker 2: 1:46:32

And I met you because I did leg day that day and I went a little aggressive, not remembering that I had to walk into the car afterwards. And I got there and I got to the back and I tried to stand up and my leg said not today, sir, and I was like oh shit. So I just waited in the parking lot for somebody to come by. Hey, can you throw this back here for me, man, you're like yeah yeah, that's how we met helping you.

Speaker 1: 1:46:54

Yeah, you're like hey, uh, yeah yeah yeah, no, I'm glad. I'm glad, man, I'm glad you asked it led to this, and so that's where I was like yo, you want to come on podcast tell your story. Yeah, so it was cool. I guess it was. It was fate that you know you'd crush leg day that day and I'd be walking out of the gym and help you load your chair up and led to this and being able to get your story and get to know you a little bit better.

Speaker 1: 1:47:19

So it was great. No, appreciate it, Dude. Appreciate the conversation and the laughs and just being real and raw about everything and what it was like and the recovery and to where you're at now. I hope Absolutely. I hope nothing but the best for your future. Dude, you're a young guy. You got the world on your shoulders now. Yep, I'm glad you got a good core group of friends and family and your parents and faith on your side. Yep, you got nothing but open roads ahead of you, man absolutely.

Speaker 2: 1:47:49

Yeah, thanks, dude, I appreciate it.

Speaker 1: 1:47:51

Yeah, that was good yeah, that's fucking awesome man. Oh god, dude, thank you good much.

Speaker 2: 1:47:59

Yeah, man no, absolutely it was a blast. No, I like this is like I said before. It's like I. I know people relate to this stuff. Like I said, I have a hard time with.