Why Not Me? Faith, Recovery, and Finding Strength After a TBI | Tim Malm

https://stronger413.com/https://www.facebook.com/p/Stronger-413-100037763807188/What happens when the identity you built in the rodeo arena is taken away in an instant?

In this episode, Travis talks with Tim Malm, former competitive calf roper and founder of Stronger 413, about the traumatic brain injury that changed the direction of his life. Tim shares how years of recovery reshaped his faith, his definition of strength, and the way he approaches each new day.

Together, they explore the frustration of slow progress, the difficulty of asking for and accepting help, and why Tim stopped asking “Why me?” and began asking “Why not me?” His story is a reminder that even when life looks nothing like you planned, purpose and hope can still grow.

In this conversation, you'll hear:
• How Tim’s 2010 roping accident led to a traumatic brain injury
• Why his faith became more personal during recovery
• How Philippians 4:13 inspired Stronger 413
• What it means to improve by one percent each day
• Why accepting help can become a blessing for everyone involved
• How Tim redefined strength as persistence, patience, and refusing to quit

Tim’s message is simple: draw near to God, keep trying, and never give up.

Learn more about Tim Malm:
Stronger 413: https://stronger413.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Stronger-413-100037763807188/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stronger413_tjm/https://www.instagram.com/stronger413_tjm/

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Transcript

0:00

What happens when the thing you built your identity around is suddenly taken away from you? For Tim Baum, strength used to mean competing in the rodeo arena, then a traumatic brain injury changed the direction of his life, but it didn't take away his faith or determination. Today Tim has a very different definition of strength. Getting up every day, putting one foot in front of the other, even if that progress is only one percent. In this episode, Tim shares what years of recovery have taught him about faith, patience, accepting help, and refusing to give up when progress feels painfully slow. He also shares why he stopped asking why me and started asking a completely different question, why not me? This is a conversation about what happens when life changes in an instant, but you decide your story isn't over. Welcome to Overcome with Travis White. I hope you enjoy this episode. All right. Tim, why don't you go ahead and start us off and to tell us about your journey? Okay, first scan with face. Yes, go for it. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for traveling on this broadcast. We just ask that the technology is all done correctly. Lord, I ask you that I include voice and that everything goes well. And Lord, that there be some listeners that are indeed de-striked. that they could die from my accident and my recovery. Lord, we thank you for all you've Good night, Lord Jesus, in Jesus Christ's name we love you, amen. Amen. Thank you, Tim. Yes. Thank you, Travis. why don't you go ahead and start us off and tell us about your journey? Well, my journey started a long time before June 6, 2013. But that's when my second journey started. It started out like in the other Sunday before. We went to church. I went to a Buddhist house for lunch. We decided to rub some of that afternoon in my family's arena. At the first day of the rub, someone to your family left. And I was not too making fun of my own smooth rubbed front leg. So when the rub came tight, it ejected like that one day when it went down inside. It wasn't a violent ruck or violent cross or anything like that. But the sudden chills got dark and far. Cause my brain to slide from one side of my head to the other. And because of brain swelling it did better to brain stem. I was transferred to to sign the General Medical Center in China. Without a red mark, a broken bone, or even a bruise on me, I suffered a TBI traumatic brain injury. I spent two weeks in ICU and then I transferred to Craig River Hospital in Ingles, Colorado. The first time I opened my eyes since the accident, a three-four-month-old cry of hospital and the rest of the time has been his home. I've had the opportunity to speak at numerous college rodeos and rodeo church. I even got the speaker turned for two days, but two days service, to almost 2,000 people. Okay. But the job is the one thing that remains constant through it all. Has been good, has been good. Well I I am sorry to hear that ~ this happened. What? And and what does I wanna know though, I'm curious to know what~ had the question right on my hand on my tip of my tongue. Ha ha ha~ So you suffered the the traumatic brain injury. What have you Yes, sir. what have you learned about your sen self since the traumatic brain injury and everything you've had to go through? I have learned that God is more real than I ever thought before my accident. Before my accident, I prayed to a God that was a million miles away. Now when I pray, it's to a God that's six inches in front of me. He is so much personal to And I can't believe it. I was waking around the Yeah. That's that's really cool to hear that it's helped you Yeah. grow closer to God. So during this Yes. time, ~ like I you know, it's ~ brought your faith in a better spot, but was there ever a point when you ~ questioned God or asked why why did this happen to me? It's funny, it's really that tough. I just wrote another book called Wyoming God. And it starts off with all the Wyoming's. Why did this happen? Why did I go through this? And then I turn it around to the Wyoming. Wyoming for the Why not? Why not? not? Why not? And that is when my question all along is, now why me, but why not? Why not make TV years where God can tell his amazing stories? Yeah, that's a good perspective to have. And I I I should start take things from your your playbook and use it because during my lifetime I I've questioned the why meme multiple times. Why did this happen to me? Yes, sir. and is not married to Christian God. Yeah. There have been a bunch of people in the Bible that Christian God but they never under any circumstances doubt him. Mm-hmm. So after waking up, ~ what's the first thing you remember? The first thing I remember is when we went out I had a body going through a rubble that stopped flying from its horses to the house of toe. And that's been my first memory. But my first thought when I woke up was I had two choices. One, I could take it and understand it as just something that happened to me. Or I could accept it as a gift from God. That's that charity did, was a gift from God. And this charity was lying with other people. Yeah, that that'd be a tough situation. And I remember after something happened to me and it's like I I ha had a seizure one time or I've had seizures throughout my life and~ I'm sorry. I remember after my first one waking up and just being completely Yeah. confused. Like what is going on? Yes, I can imagine that. So ~ I I'm guessing you've th th throughout the years you've held on to your identity as a as a cowboy. I'm just making an assumption here. Yes sir, I still hold a junior rodeo in my name and have the second Saturday in July in my hometown in my name and still And do a lot of things rodeo-wise. That sounds like an important piece of your life. Why why do you think it's Yes. why do you think it's remained so important to you after all these years? It was a huge part of my life and I love the sport. My high school career and everything is all I could think about and all I would get day in and day out. And God blessed me so much, so richly. And that I was embedded in. anybody else. But I tried harder than everybody else, think. And that's what gave me the little bit of success. Yeah. And what would you say has been the hardest part about recovery? The hardest part of recovery has been seeing all my friends do what I love to do and what I wish I could do. But my body just don't listen to me when I want to get up and go. Yeah, that that would would be tough and how do you keep w when seeing these things and you know, knowing that ~ there are certain things that you may not be able to do, how do you keep a strong mindset? I just go back to the basics and think about what can I do to make myself better than I can do today but maybe tomorrow and who knows what tomorrow's gonna hold. Have you been to my website? Yeah. I was actually you lean into it.~ Stronger four thirteen. I'd love for you to tell us more about your website. Yes, sir. It was just something I came up with. I just fell in love with the verse. And it became my way of doing anything. And the coffee was down the road in ways. I started off with coffee mugs, then had some tea shirts. and then coffee. But I'd love to coffee now. can't get enough of it. But I Yeah. only get one cup a day. But who's counting how big a coffee is? Ha. Ha. I I would love ~ you can finish your thought. The DVD. Go ahead. I was gonna say I'd love to Sorry. to hear what that ~ the verse Philippians four thirteen means to you. I need to rest for a while. Then after my accident, it became a staple to my everything. When I was riding my 8-combat bike, I did a hard exercise. I had no telling how many times I repeated that rest to myself and just replaying it in my head. Excuse me, just try one more time. Keep going to do some more work. And that's been the stable part of my recovery. That's that's and that's a good verse to pick too. For Yes. those listening, it's Philippians four thirteen. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Just ~ But So I don't like their vision. I like the understanding vision of Lee. But Mm-hmm. I can do all this to him who gives me strength. I don't like that I can do all things because there are lot of things I don't want to do. And I can do all this just narrowly done. I can go not riding my bike. I can do all this right here now riding the bike. I can go one more mile. Yeah. And it's it's amazing what we can do if we have God by our side, right? And that's two. Do you do you believe there are things that ~ God has given you through this experience that you would have never discovered if the accident did not happen? Almost certainly one of them has been my business. Stronger for the thing that is something I never would have gotten into. The other big one is public speaking. Before my accident I didn't do any public speaking at all. I didn't like it. Now I can't get enough of it. Yeah. The bigger the crowd, the better.~ it's always important to find something that we enjoy, right? Definitely. So ~ I I've struggled this next question. I I wanna know I'm just curious because I've struggled with it.~ for me a lot of times during ~ journeys that I've been through and struggles that I've been through, it's been hard for me to ~ keep track of the progress because it's really slow. So Yes. w what's one mental conversation that you have with yourself on days when progress seems to be a slow pace? Master has all been slow. But I keep reminding myself that God can change it all in the blink of an eye. So I am reminded of this where God said, a day is like a thousand days to me, a thousand days is like a day to you. Something like that. Thousand years. It's like a daydream. I'm just waiting for tomorrow. I love it. I love I love your attitude. You have such a great attitude.~ Thank you. You I'm a citizen so that... Did w so when the accident ha took place ~ Let's see, I'm I'm trying to think of how to word this. Yeah. When w after the accident took place, when did you understand that this recovery~ was probably going to be longer than expected? I still don't know that I really understood that every night I go to bed I think that I'm gonna be here tomorrow. So I can't really answer the question. No, I think no I think that's a fair answer.~ Now you I think you nailed it, so So I I think that's a really a really good answer to be honest because Yeah. And what for for those ~ that may be listening and are maybe th they had some accident or something that they're Yeah. trying to overcome, what advice do you give that person? The advice I give would be never quit, never give up, always keep trying, try once more. And everybody is on the road of recovery. Whether it be a magic manager like I have, to a bum, or then you like somebody else. Everybody is on the road of recovery and the only thing is who you recover with and who's gonna bless you if you go through it. So draw near to God and never ever give up on God because he has never and will never give up on you. Yeah. Very true. ~ I've been reading a book that kinda talks about that. It's I can't remember the name of the book, but it's by C S. Lewis. He's Yeah. and he's taught he basically says that God doesn't give up on you. Yeah... That's about two... So be before your accident, you know, strength might have been ~ Yeah. winning i in the arena, winning ~ that that event Definitely. in the rodeo. ~ what does what does strength look like you to you today? Trying to me looks like getting up everyday and putting one foot in front of the other. Figuratively, because I can't walk, but figuratively and keeping trying everything and getting better even if it's only 1 % everyday. That means in 100 days you're 100 % better. Yes, it might take a little bit longer, but who knows what tomorrow holds. Yeah. It's it that's a great way to s great statement is who knows what tomorrow hold holds. I always think to live your best life today because it's exactly what you said, you don't know what tomorrow holds. Yeah. But so is there something that you can do today that most people would consider small, but you know that it represents years of hard work? heating a glass of water in the middle of the night. Keeping up to brush teeth. Keeping up to do something away. Keeping up to change the channel on TV. Those are things I've longed to do and most people take them for granted. I know I did before when I could do all of them. Yeah, that's ~ we do take a lot of things for granted, but it's Yes. unfortunate that we don't realize it until later on in life. Yeah. So if if you could talk to Tim yourself on the night of the accident, what would you tell him about the man he was going to become? I was saying, you don't know how big a following you're gonna have. So put your best foot forward each and every day. And always do right by him and keep God first. Cause you're gonna have something big in the little aisle. Very very well said. What What has this ~ experience taught you about yourself without giving up on where you want to go? This taught me more persistence. mean there's certain things I want to do, would take it easy. I want to do to the larks. But I know that I got to keep going, got to keep trying. Try to want tomorrow. And for for that person ~ listening who believes that their best days are behind them because ~ Yeah. life didn't turn out the way they wanted it to, you what do you say to that person? But I said to that person, you don't need God. I came for some purpose and he will give you something to do. And I felt like that was a while ago. Then I started my business and started looking at the people. And I just know a huge following. And I know lots and lots of people. I love it. ~ you so your accident happened in in two thousand ten. So Yes sir. so that's basically fifteen years working toward recovery. Yeah. What has patience taught you that determination was unable to teach you? Well, I don't really like patients that would die. I've never been much of a person. I'm one thing, now I live in a fast food world. Yep. I'm the same way. My my wife will always tell me,~ I'm not always a patient person. Yeah. I want things now. Amen. So this next question I relate with a lot.~ Yeah. so when I first had my seizures, I had to start asking for help. So Yeah. quite a bit. So what has been harder for you learning to ask for help or learning to accept help? No comment. No comment. Both of them are extremely tough for me. Yeah. Cause before my accident, if I wanted something done, I did try harder. Now I have to ask and I have to accept it. But I heard a while ago that I can't be taken. other people's blessings. The Mm-hmm. way that their blessing is helping me, that's a real change to me. When I like somebody helping me do something, if I can send all the blessings to them as much as me, then they can't differ in perspective. Yeah, that's that's a great answer.'Cause I I I was the same way. It's in when I first went experienced stuff I was like, I don't want to ask for help. If I want it done, Yeah. I just want to go and do it. Yeah. Yes sir. It's it's the that when that independence is taken go taken away from you it's Kind of a kind of a a bombshell to your mind. Yeah. That reminds me, my doctor compared my brain injury to having a grenade go off between my ears. So what ~ if somebody listening one or what do you hope ~ what's one takeaway that you hope listeners, you know, will walk away from listening to this episode? I hope they understand how much I would like to talk to them. They can attend my website, my Facebook or my Instagram, or anything I would like to talk to them. But just to persevere, which is going to... And just remember that there is someone that's always got it worse than you. So if you think you've gone through something bad, look at me. Because I don't think anybody is going to, but I'm going to pretend that there is always someone worse off so that someone that can be healthy and walking but doesn't know God and He's actually worse off than me. And you know what's really sad, Travis? Yeah, it's it's it's it's true that there's there's always somebody going you know, something worse. Like it's I I feel Cheers. like our experiences in some ways like kind of Peace. overlap each other, even though we have different stories and backgrounds. and I always think there's some common ground we can find. But Yeah. it's like there's there's times where it's like my story sounds like nothing compared to this person, but I always Yes. try to not compare either because it's like just have Ha! Yeah. a good attitude. Like in I wanna say that I admire what you're doing and the attitude that you have. Cause you I'll tie you. How tall am I? Yeah. I am five foot ten, eleven ish, right in there. I think it's about five ten. Okay, okay, I tolerated you. And the only reason you can look up to me is because I tolerated you, nothing else. I love it. Yeah. ~~ see there was one more question that I was thinking of. So what today, what does a good day look f like to you? What are we doing tomorrow? That's all I can focus on is what to do tomorrow. That's my whole thing is like my next calf that I will be so good. Cause that will be tomorrow. I don't know which tomorrow that will be. But it will be tomorrow. Love it. And where you've mentioned your website and you've mentioned ~ inst people can find you on Instagram. Is there anywhere else that people can find you? Facebook, Instagram, or my website which has my email address as team at StrongerForTheTeam.com Perfect. And is there any last thing that you would like to bring up that we did not discuss? I would love to talk to you. So if there's anything else that you think you'd say, please contact me. I am a people person. Perfect. W well Tim, thank you so much for coming on the show and taking some time to tell your story. I admire that you're out there helping people and ~ I love the good attitude that you represent. Keep it up because Thank you, Travis, and the honor has been all mine. And thank you to all those listening.~ if this re episode this. resonated with you, please leave us a five star review and give us a follow. Thanks again. Yeah.