Episode 5 | Collin Sullivan — From Skate Parks to Motocross Tracks, Finding Purpose Through Motion

Army Veteran, firefighter, skateboarder, motocross racer, and more — Collin Sullivan lives life in motion.

In Episode 5 of No Neutral: Veterans in Motion, Collin shares how skateboarding and motocross became more than hobbies after military service — they became outlets for connection, focus, purpose, and mental resilience.

From growing up skating in Tennessee to rediscovering motocross after the Army, Collin opens up about transition, depression, anxiety, and the importance of finding healthy outlets that keep Veterans moving forward. 

This episode dives into:

•  How skateboarding helped shape his identity and direction early in life 
•  “Throttle therapy” and the mental reset found on a dirt bike 
•  Transitioning from the military into the fire service 
•  Why action sports create connection and community for Veterans 
•  Ultra-marathon training, jiu-jitsu, and pushing mental limits 
•  Mentoring youth and creating spaces for the next generation to belong 

Collin also discusses his vision for growing skateboarding within OVN and using sports to connect Veterans who may otherwise struggle in silence. 

This is a conversation about movement, identity, community, and finding purpose after service — one sport at a time.

Because staying in motion can change — and even save — lives.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Welcome everyone to another episode of the No Neutral Podcast, a show that's all about veterans who are staying in motion using various sports and activities to uh build their mental and physical strength. I'm your host as always, Taylor. Joining me today is Colin, a man who does all kinds of sports that we're gonna get into. This is a re he's really diverse when it comes to it. Um Colin, how long uh how long did you exactly serve in the military?

SPEAKER_00 0:42

Well, first off, start by saying my name's Colin. Um but yeah. Uh so I did nine years roughly. I did three in the guard, and then I did six active duty after that. And I started in the Tennessee Guard and transferred to active duty right after I had my first kid. Actually, I think it was like two weeks after I had my first kid. I was stationed at Fort Carson where I PCS there right out of the guard. Uh deployed with Fort Carson in 2019, and then came back after that. Went to Fort Bragg, and then I ended my career at Fort Riley in Kansas, and that's where I now reside.

SPEAKER_01 1:34

Okay. Well, I mean, go starting in Tennessee and ending in Kentucky and staying in Kentucky is you know not or Kansas, sorry, not bad. It can't be too far of a drive uh to go home and see everybody and all that for you.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

No, it's not it's not too bad. I uh I don't go home as often as I should, but I'm I'm pretty busy out here. I stay busy. Um kind of fell in love with Kansas whenever I got out. And I always said when I would drive from Colorado to Tennessee, I always said I would never be stationed here. I was like, I will go to my death before I try to go to Fort Riley and uh ended up getting here and kind of fell in love with it with outdoors. I always hunted and fished growing up, and that's kind of what kept me here is some of the best hunting I've ever done. And then during that time of being stationed here, I it was always one of those childhood dreams to get back into motocross and racing. So I just you know picked up a bike one day and kind of haven't really looked back, and so it's it's kind of really what kept me here, and then I got introduced to uh Veta Max while I was out here, and of course they do their uh championship series in uh Wichita area at bar to bar. So I went to that like the first year I was back riding, and I was you know, I was like, uh guess I'm gonna stay here now.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

Yeah, no, it uh I haven't been able to go because for me where I live, school starts like the last week or two of August. Um, so I can't just I'd be going solo if I did go. Um, but also my wife would be stuck with the two kids and also not able to go to work because of just her work hours versus mine are different. Uh but yeah, I plan on having Peter on sometime soon and talk about the championship and and all that and his work with Vetamex, but also with OVN as well.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

Yeah, Peter's definitely done a heck of a job with Vetamex and just bringing those guys together from all levels of the sport, from beginners to professionals. It's pretty cool to see all those guys come together and you know, they all served in some manner and all have kind of the same experiences, and it's just it's pretty cool to see all those guys come together and just ride, you know, that throttle therapy that everyone talks about. Like it's a real thing, and it's and I use it a lot still. Like, I'll go, I work at the fire department now, and it's more real now than it was for me in the military, you know. Like I just day to day seeing all kinds of wild stuff, and you know, you get off and you're like, I need to do something, whether it be skateboarding or riding dirt bikes or just being outdoors, fishing, hunting. I mean, Kansas kind of has a lot to offer, you just have to look for it. And luckily, I'm a pretty adventurous person and like to be outdoors, and you know, we got a great jiu-jitsu gym here uh in Manhattan, so it's not too far. So I kind of just have everything at my disposal where some places you might have to drive a few hours. Like I'm pretty, pretty uh lucky to be where I'm at and have tracks around, and there's a few skate parks around, and then we got jujitsu and the outdoors, so it's kind of it's kind of cool to just be around all of that.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

Yeah, no, definitely you've got all the opportunities uh to keep you busy. How many tracks are in Kansas anyways?

SPEAKER_00 5:36

There's probably there's probably four within an hour. There's Wichita has quite a few, and I got a membership at one of them at Jeeps, um, which they have like five different tracks. Uh I think that's about 45 minutes from my house. And then there's a lot of guys that ride around here too. And I have a buddy that he's built a pretty solid compound. He has a bunch of property, has about 300 acres they farm, and he has access to skid steers and plows, and he's got a water truck, and he's just been over the last few years, just been revamping this place, and it's it's kind of a hidden gem. Like there's no one really knows about it, and he only lets a few people ride out there. So, you know, a 20-minute drive, and we can just go do whatever we want, and it's it's pretty fun to get out there and learn.

SPEAKER_01 6:33

Yeah, no, it sounds like last, uh, kind of like what my area of Michigan has. We've got I've got several tracks within an hour, hour and a half. Um D14 is one of the biggest motocross states um around. I don't think it's as big when it comes to the enduro side of things as uh some of the other states, but it can it's still up there.

SPEAKER_02 6:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:01

Yeah. Uh so you you've kind of briefly talked about some of the different sports. So the from what I've got for you know, my little bit of background for you, because I can use that to ask questions for everyone at home who's listening. Um, you do skateboarding, you do motocross, but also Enduro, which is similar but different.

SPEAKER_00 7:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:23

Uh jujutsu, you've been training for an ultra marathon.

SPEAKER_00 7:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

Um for some reason I feel like I'm missing one besides hunting and fishing.

SPEAKER_00 7:35

Uh a golf as well, but that's more of like kind of relaxation. Relaxation. Like I'm I've golfed for a while, but like I'm no means good. Um, you know, we're just out there hitting the ball and what are we lucky?

SPEAKER_01 7:51

We're just hoping it goes straight.

SPEAKER_00 7:53

Yeah, we're lucky to get a few pars, and you know, I I gotta eagle. I eagled my first hole probably it's probably three weeks ago. Like I normally do okay. I'll shoot like 10 over or something. Like, I'm not a good golfer, but I enjoy being just away from everything and you know, something that's not just destroying my body.

SPEAKER_01 8:18

Well, yeah, all the all the different sports that you do, some of them are definitely harder on the body than the others. All of them are great mental escapes from I don't know about ultramarathons. I think that's more of a mental healthscape to just be running for that long.

SPEAKER_00 8:35

Yeah, and uh yeah, I I tore my knee up in training a little bit ago, so my the ultramarathon's kind of being pushed to later this year. Um every time I was running, my knee was swelling and locking up, and not quite sure what was going on, but it's I I started running again a couple weeks ago, and I've been doing pretty well not having that knee pain anymore. So I'm kind of we're pushing it back a little bit. We're gonna do one in April um that kind of got pushed, and then there was one in May. There was a small one in April, and there was a big one in May we were gonna do, but we're gonna have to push that to later in the year, and we're still doing it. Uh, I got a buddy I'm training with. Um well, we're training for it together, but we're not running together, we're just gonna meet up and do it. Um, but he's he's raising money for uh a charity, and then I'm gonna be raising money as well for a charity. So we're we're kind of doing that together. We're gonna we're gonna suck through this thing together. And I've run a marathon before. Um I did that with zero training, and it was miserable. So I was like, I should probably train for this. Like I'm not 22 anymore. So let's uh do a training regiment and you know let's let's do it proper, proper nutrition and uh exercise and hitting hitting your miles because you can't just you can't just go run an ultra marathon. It's once you start getting past that marathon, that those miles at 20 mile mark, like your body, if you're not prepared, your body's just gonna shut down. Um so it's it's pretty cool to test your body, and and that's kind of like I really enjoy doing the endurance type style races. Like that's I do the hair scrambles out here. Um, and you know, I like the longer races and just pushing my body and seeing what I can do. I I really enjoying see how far I can go. So that's that's kind of why the ultra and and doing hair scrambles, like like I'm don't enjoy running. Don't like I'm not one of those people, but he's like, you want to do this? I'm like, yeah, I like to challenge myself, let's do it. So I once I do it the ultra, we'll see where we're at. I do want to do an either like a half iron man or a full iron man at some point. Uh that is a goal of mine, but you know, I'm not my eyes aren't set on that right now. Just get through the this ultra and kind of see where we're at. And you know, I don't know. We'll see what see what happens where my body lets me go and keep pushing.

SPEAKER_01 11:41

So the the ultra marathon, exactly how what's the distance on that? Because I I don't remember off the top of my head.

SPEAKER_00 11:48

So technically, I think they say like an ultra is anything past a marathon, so it could be uh like anything after 26.2 is considered an ultra, but you know, they got they got the 50ks and 100ks, and and then you get into like the crazy ones, like there's one, and this is kind of what got me into the idea of ultras, anyways, is the Barkley 100, which is I believe that's the one in Tennessee, and it's just you show up with the soup of can and that's your entrance fee. And I don't no one finished this year, so it's it's a pretty it's a pretty wild uh ultra. Uh there's people that finished it in the past, but yeah, if there's a cool documentary out there about it on YouTube, it's just called the Barkley 100, and it just breaks down how insane this race is. By no means I I'm never gonna do that, but yeah, hitting 100k, that's that's the goal. And you can go to ultras and you can do like the full ultra, or you could do like a half, and it might only be 60 miles, 40, 40, 60 miles. Um, it just depends. And you get your time limits, you have to make your your hat time hacks, and so some of them you get you can have a team, you'll have checkpoints, and you'll have team for hydration and uh taking care of your feet and whatnot, swapping socks, whatever you need to do. And then others is just solo. So we're we're looking at one with a team, and we got a couple guys that are gonna go with us, and that way we get the right nutrition and we're taken care of because doing it by yourself is definitely uh definitely a different feat.

SPEAKER_01 13:45

No, that uh the solo doesn't sound fun. Um so are you looking at a like a multi-day one or all in one day?

SPEAKER_00 13:54

Uh yeah, so it'll it'll be a one-day deal. Uh that one, I believe, the time limit is 24 hours, the one that we're shooting for. It's in it's in California. And uh that one's a 24-hour time limit. And if you don't make your time hacks, they'll stop you where you're at, like at the checkpoint. So you have to make certain checkpoints in a certain amount of time. So it's they're keeping people safe that way, I guess. Like, all right, you're gonna get lost out here, it's nighttime, and you haven't made checkpoints. Like, you're obviously not ready for it. So that's that's pretty cool. But yeah, that one, that's the one we're gonna we're we're still figuring out the uh whole how we're raising money. And uh I don't wanna say too much about it, like who's backing us, because we got some pretty big names that he worked, he's a videographer and found for some people, and they're gonna just because we're still working on the details on how we're doing what we can where and what we can say about it until we do it.

SPEAKER_01 15:11

Okay, I lost you there for a split second from the internet, but it sounds like you've got a pretty cool sponsor who's pretty big that uh is like, all right, let's let's hammer out the details first, and then we'll make uh you know a big sweeping announcement with it. Which sounds really cool. Yeah, that's kind of where we're at. No, that's that's pretty awesome that you've got somebody who's willing to back you guys, not only just for you know helping cover, I'm sure you're gonna run through a bunch of different shoes and stuff, um, but not just and besides the socks. And I know running shoes can get pretty expensive. Um that and I'm hopefully they're also helping for the the charity raising part of it as well.

SPEAKER_00 15:58

Yeah, yeah, we're doing we're doing it for charity. So specifically what I'm doing it for is I'm a part of a youth group, and and we have you know 120 plus kids, and and that's kind of that's a good one, one of my ways. Yeah, yeah, we got a lot of kids. Uh that's kind of how I'm trying to give back. Like I volunteer a lot of time there, and we're building a full youth center, and I'm trying to put in a skate park. We're trying to do an indoor concrete park with the youth center. So kind of in the middle of Kansas, uh, you know, we're out here and there's these kids get out out of school, and there's like nothing for them to do. So if you I think it was 2019, 2020, uh, our friend, she started a coffee shop with the idea of just something to do for kids. So it had like video games and like just like ping pong table and just something to do after school so they're not out running through the town. And it kind of just blew up from there. And they started with like 10 kids on a Wednesday and just like bringing them in and just, you know, it's a Christian organization, and I don't want to push that too much on here. Um, but what we do is, you know, we do like a youth group, and but we have stuff from kids that are working there, they can do internships and get credit hours and their learning skills. To we have a counselor, and like once we go to this new space, we're gonna have counselor full-time staff, um, feeding programs. So we that is one of the things we do have a food pantry for the community as well, that anyone in need can use it. Um, so they're running that. We got all kinds of stuff going on, like we're running uh high school camps, middle school camps in the summer. We take them on retreats, and uh, you know, we're just kind of pouring into these kids who might be lost if there wasn't somewhere for them to go or someone to connect with.

SPEAKER_01 18:13

No, there's definitely a need for it. Uh, it sounds like you're the high school's what a couple hundred people, maybe a little bit more than that.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

Yeah, so the high school here in so we're actually in Chapman, Kansas. And as far as like the population goes, there's not that many in the actual city. They all come from all these farmed little farm communities and farms around. And I want to say our our school district was like 500 something square miles that it covers, like it's a giant area. So like these kids get out of school and they just nowhere to go for them until their parents pick them up because like some of them they live so far out, like the buses don't even run out there.

SPEAKER_01 19:04

Or if they do, it takes forever, so they just you know you're better off waiting in town instead of five hours, four hours on the bus.

SPEAKER_00 19:14

Yeah, exactly. Like in I think it was like a three-hour ride for like the longest kid or something. It was something insane.

SPEAKER_01 19:20

Yeah, just ridiculous. Now, the the reason why I brought up uh school size is because I went to the high school in the school of like the high school itself population was like maybe 500 people. My class was 120 or so when I graduated. So I I completely get the fact that if you're in a small town with not much to do, it's easy for people to get into shenanigans, or vice versa, you live an hour away and you're waiting on you know your ride to to come pick you up because that that's that's just how it is. You're you're waiting, you know, doing something, or you're at the park, but weather can prevent that.

SPEAKER_00 20:08

Yeah, it's it's uh and I'm on the volunteer fire department here, and uh some of the police, local police are as well, and they're always like you gotta keep the kids in check. We're always running into them, like they're always you know, kids are up to no good, but being a small town, like people see everything, and they're more micromanaged. I'm like, yeah, we're trying, we're trying, but we're just outgrown our spot, so they're just like flooding out, and there's kids everywhere, and so with this new spot we're we're building, it's gonna be uh a lot more suitable for the amount of kids that we have because it's it's hard. Like I think our building holds like 50, and at any given time we'll have like 200 kids in there. It's like, yeah, we're we're definitely past max capacity.

SPEAKER_01 21:08

No, and it's it's super cool that you guys are doing something, you know, for the community to help out. Um just I know from growing uh being around uh becoming an adult in a small community, everybody knows everybody, everybody knows things that are going on, and if someone's getting into trouble, it's kind of hard to to hide the fact that they're getting into trouble. Um that and most of my a bunch of my friends from high school are still live in that area because that's where their family farm is, and they're now the ones, you know, starting to take it over as their parents get older.

SPEAKER_02 21:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:52

So yeah, I I totally get the need for it, and it's it's awesome that you guys are able to do something to get back.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:01

Um so going back to your military history a little bit, um I because I'm I'm guard, uh a little bit different than reserve. Or actually, no, you said you're Tennessee guard, sorry. Yeah. Um you I'm assuming you signed initially a six-year contract with two IR. How were you able to convince them, like, hey, listen, let me go active duty halfway in? Because I know that is not easy at all.

SPEAKER_00 22:30

So initially, what I signed was a three-year contract at the time, is what they were offering just to get you in. So it would have been a 3-5. And uh, which I had no idea. Like, I didn't know what I was, I was young. I was getting, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I just got married. And uh, you know, I was like, I need to do something. Like, I got I wasn't a great student in school. Like, I was always getting kicked out of class for being the class clown or you know, just not being a good student. And uh, you know, I didn't really hold grades, so like the college, like I was taking some, I barely got into college, like I had to take some other courses so I could get my grades up to just get into college. And uh, I was taking online courses. I'm like, this is horrible. Let me do something else. And uh I had I went and talked to the recruiter and he's like, Yeah, we can get you in. So I joined the guard and I'm like, I kind of want to do this full time. And at that time, uh my wife was pregnant, and I'm like, yeah, I really need to see my contract was coming up, and I was like, I need to see if I can go active duty or something, like I gotta make something happen, you know, because I was just working just odd-end jobs doing construction, and I worked at a dealership for a little bit, and you know, we worked on cars doing maintenance stuff, and I was just, you know, I knew I had more purpose, and uh, I was doing the whole guard thing, and I'm like, I want to go active duty. So I went and talked to the recruiter, and he kind of fumbled around and was like telling me I need to wait until after the new year, because he he had already made numbers. He like knew I was a for sure thing, and I was like, dude, whatever, I need to go now. Like, and he kept just pulling me around, like telling me he messed paperwork up. I was like, whatever, dude. I'm going to the office. Like, I'm skipping your whole chain of command. I'm going to the top. And uh, I had all my paperwork from the guard saying they'd release me. And I had the signatures and like I knew what I needed to go get released and go active. And uh, I went and talked to them, and they're like, We can get you a contract today. We just need you to sign. I'm like, done. I was like, Can I pick where I'm going or change my MOS? Because I was a tanker at the time. I'm like, that's kind of cool, but whatever. Uh, and they're like, if you keep your MOS, we can have you a contract today. And I was a 19 kilo in the guard. I was like, all right, well, can I pick duty location? They're like, Yeah, you can you can do that. We got a few places open for your rank. I was like, perfect. And she uh spit off like Fort Hood, Fort Bliss, Fort Carson. I'm like, is Carson in Colorado? And she's like, it is. I'm like, sign me up, I'm going there. Like Colorado Springs, Fort Carson. Like, yeah, I'm I love the mount, I love the mountains. And uh I never snowboarded until I went there and uh got to that unit. Like I signed that contract and I left like two weeks later. And uh the first person I met, he's still one of my best friends, but we uh were out training. Like we had gunnery the first week I got there. Like as soon as I checked in, I went through end processing, showed up in my unit, like, hey, we're going to the field tomorrow for gunnery. Uh be ready to shoot because you're the gunner. I'm like, so you just pencil whipped everything and like all the all my calls and like all my GST and everything. They're like, well, all your stuff's up to date. Like, we got to get you out there. Like, you're gonna go do your table three. Uh I think it was table three. Whatever. You have I had to go through like uh what was it, CC or CST or something like that. It's on all computers, so you do like the simulation of the virtual training of it.

SPEAKER_01 26:31

Kind of like um when you have to do wife rifle call. It's the they have us all lay down at here for those of you who don't know in the army and guard and reserve, when you do what rifle call, you do the physical wife rifle call, and then you go inside into a uh a little room with a projector, and it's basically a video game that you shoot targets in in various stances with gas mask, without gas mask, yeah. Um nighttime as well, because it's not bad training, but also it saves time and money because you're not burning real ammo or being out waiting till pitch black outside to shoot at night.

SPEAKER_00 27:14

Yeah, so basically same thing, but with tanks, it's basically a video game. You get in and it's like a mock tank, and we sat there for 12 hours the day I checked in, like we're going to Gunnery the next day, and uh had to go do all these all the engagements through uh basically they have all your engagements laid out, and you have to hit certain points, and I mean it takes all day. I think we took like two breaks, so we just glued to the screen all day, getting qualified to go shoot, and uh so we ended up doing all that, and there we go. We off the counter like the next day, and I was out there, like we got to the range, and your first runs are dry runs, so you're just basically go through the motions, but you're not shooting live ammo. And uh the first day, well, it was I think it was January. It was like second week of January in Colorado. Well, we all sleep on tanks, and uh we go to sleep that night, and I'm in my sleeping bag, and it's cold. Like it's it's like zero degrees out there. Well, I fall asleep, I wake up the next morning and I pull my head out of the sleeping bag, and there's like six inches of snow on top of me, and I'm like, and I look around and there was nobody. They had came and got everyone off the tanks that night and like, hey, there's a snowstorm coming in, we're gonna go to a building where it's warm. And I'm I'm the only they forgot about me.

SPEAKER_01 28:52

They missed the new guy, they missed the new guy.

SPEAKER_00 28:55

So I just like woke up at at like six in the morning and there's like six inches of snow, and I'm just like, what did I just get myself into? And uh yeah, that was that was the start of my active duty career, and I ended up meeting some of the best friends there and still talk to them daily. And yeah, I was it was fun, deployed with them, and we all sucked together and went through everything together, and you know, we went our separate ways, and most I think everybody got out except one guy, which he I don't I don't even know what he's doing. He's in Europe somewhere at Graf doing training or something. I don't know what he does, but yeah, we all ended up getting out after after a few years. Um, you know, we we went to a few duty stations, everyone kind of just trickled out, and yeah, I think I was one of the last people to get out, honestly.

SPEAKER_01 29:52

Well, they'd already probably been in for a second active duty time, too. Yeah, and that's one of the problems with combat MOSs, or I'm not sure if Tanker, I'm assuming Tinker comp qualifies as one. I'd like to think it would.

SPEAKER_00 30:07

Yeah, I think they say that like we get made fun of by the infantry, whatever. Get your blue cord, no one cares, like you get to walk everywhere. Every time I was around infantry, they're trying to ride on the tank because they were sick of walking, you know what?

SPEAKER_01 30:27

They're always sick of walking, and then they make fun of the supply person who's driving the vehicle with all the supplies in it, and still they're just like, Yeah, my own TV has AC and heat. So uh what do you guys do you guys want a box of MREs? Because that's what I can give you.

SPEAKER_00 30:46

Yeah, no, I was I was at an infantry unit when I was at Fort Bragg, and I was airborne, and I did all that, and we we were standing up a uh a tank, basically a light tank battalion, or we were we were testing them to see if it would work. And I was I was in uh 1P out at 82nd, and uh it was like yo, these dudes hate their lives, like they're just walking everywhere. Every time they get a chance, they're jumping on the tank trying to they're they're going through my cooler, trying to steal my snacks. I'm like, you know, you chose the wrong job. Like, I'm just following you around all day at a snail's crawl. Like, we technically were there for support, whatever, if they got into engagements, but that's kind of was like the mission set. But they were always jumping on the tank trying to get rides back. I was like, Yeah, I chose the right job.

SPEAKER_01 31:45

Yep. No, most people I know that start out in a combat MOS end up changing at some point because you just can't do it forever.

SPEAKER_00 31:54

Um it's so hard on your body. Like everyone, and I have lots of friends that were, you know, infantry, sniper section, whatever. And they by the end of it, they're like, Man, my body is broken. I was like, Yeah, so is mine, and I didn't walk everywhere.

SPEAKER_01 32:13

Yeah, like but you also were in a cramped confined space, then that and restricted movement for a long period of time. That that takes its toll too, because yeah, starts stuff starts to stiffen up.

SPEAKER_00 32:29

Um so did you go to Iraq first, then Kuwait, or uh so we we went to Kuwait first and then we went for Dirac.

SPEAKER_01 32:40

Oh, okay. So it was just like you started out in Kuwait, got everything set up, and then rolled into yeah, so I think they still do that rotation where you go Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, and they they kind of send everyone out.

SPEAKER_00 32:57

Like you got UAE, um Jordan, like you get guys going to Jordan, and it's probably going, it's probably pretty crazy right now with the whole Iran deal going on, which I don't my I think my brother-in-law might be over there. I don't I don't know what he's really doing. I know he left a few weeks ago for not Iran, they said. Um, so I don't know where he's at. He's probably in Iran, but whatever. But I know it's uh probably pretty crazy right now, so everyone's probably all over the place.

SPEAKER_01 33:32

But not from what I know from working full-time for the guard that some we had one group a couple years ago who were like, All right, we're going to this location. Just kidding, we're going here, just kidding, we're going there. It just it changed a ton, and then they ended up in like split up in three different spots.

SPEAKER_00 33:56

It's just that's kind of what happened to us. We were just kind of all over the place, and we ended up doing uh what was that PSD, like security detail in Iraq. Like, that's what we ended up doing. Like, I did nothing with tanks, my deployment, other than we shot a gunnery in Kuwait, and that was it.

SPEAKER_01 34:18

The amount of people that they take from MOSA and be like, congratulations, you're acting as an MP now. You're a guard for this for this area of operation, stuff like that. That I've heard about is it's just insane. Luckily, especially if you go to like Cuba.

SPEAKER_00 34:36

Yeah, luckily we got uh so we basically what I did was basically escort the RPA and our medics to clinics, and we're just security for them. So we just rode around with them and drove them, and we'd go out to like the Iraqi nationals and they would uh run healthcare stuff for them, and we just made sure that they were safe. Um and we did a few other things, but it was mostly that and just riding around in a Pajero with a 240, just hanging out, making sure that everyone was safe. So that was kind of it was honestly pretty relaxing. Just put on some music and drive around.

SPEAKER_01 35:23

Yeah, no, uh a little bit better than a tank. I'm assuming and I'm assuming you were in uh Abrams?

SPEAKER_00 35:29

Yeah, correct.

SPEAKER_01 35:31

Okay. I know those go like surprisingly, like really fast for for how heavy and big they are.

SPEAKER_00 35:38

Yeah, uh if you had a good one, like a good good engine, if it was taken care of, like the crew took care of it before your crew. Yeah, like a new transmission and a new engine, like you could get it maybe to 42, um, which is very fast. I'd say most of them. I would say most of them, probably like mid-30s, wide open. Some are slower, some faster. You just look at the draw, honestly.

SPEAKER_01 36:08

Just probably depends on the the version of engine, if it's you know, version one, two, three, whatever.

SPEAKER_00 36:16

Yeah, and then whatever tank you're on, like they start adding all this upgrades and different armor packages and different weapon weapons packages, and then they they put new like crew system, which adds so much weight, and the armor that's on it. Like they've added so much weight, they're probably at like 74, 76 tons now, not 72, 71, 72. So you start adding all that weight and it just slows it down. And I don't know. They have a good platform, but it's so out it's so outdated now, they just need to do something else. I don't know, and that they're trying, but it's uh it's hard for them.

SPEAKER_01 37:05

Yeah, it takes a lot of RD. I'm sure whatever they they come out with, we've probably had for 30, 40 years, or something like that, or just kind of like the uh the F-35, F-22s. They've been around for a long time in development and stuff, and we're just now kind of seeing them in action, and I'm sure whatever replaces them, they've already got you know a solid base on and are just technological marbles.

SPEAKER_00 37:36

Yeah. Yeah, like I don't know, they have some pretty high high-tech weapons and tank platforms out there, like the Merkava, like the Israelis have a pretty pretty legit tank. Um South Korea has a pretty good one. It was like the K1A1, or probably like the K1A3 now or K1A2, whatever it is. Like different versions, like they all kind of have the same platform. Um but yeah, that Merkava is pretty. That was always like my favorite one to see.

SPEAKER_01 38:14

Um, so going back um to to the sports aspect of things, um, with you doing so many different things to to compete and just kind of get that mental health break or to just completely change what you're focusing on. Um how mentally how are you different when you're doing each each activity? Like are you obviously you're focusing on different things when you're on your skateboard versus your dirt bike versus rolling around in jujitsu? Um, but how do you feel like mentally you are, you know, are you in the same kind of headspace each time, or is it just completely different?

SPEAKER_00 38:56

Yeah, I feel I almost feel like all of it is like kind of the same headspace. You're just thinking about it a little differently. Like skateboarding is it can be very high-paced in moments, like, but you could also just be talking to someone, hanging out on a fence, watching other people skate. Like this like skateboarding aspect is you could be out street skating or at a skate park or you know, in in my garage, right? And like you kind of kind of uh the the mental space, like you're not really thinking about anything else but that, but you could also just be carrying on a complete random conversation with somebody about just life in general, or you could be talking about anything with like connecting with other people, like it's just kind of a gateway to connect with people, honestly. And uh same with like jujitsu and and riding dirt bikes, like the mental spaces, I would say, is probably the same, like you're solely focused on what you're doing, because like if you're trying a trick on skateboarding or you're at a track and you're trying to hit you know a new line or whatever, trying to make like a perfect clap, like that mental space is you're so focused and locked in, like nothing else matters. Even with like jujitsu, if you're in like just rolling or flow rolling or doing a match, like the only thing that matters at that point is what's in front of you. Like nothing that happened yesterday, five years ago, even matters. Like you're solely focused and locked in on what's in front of you that you kind of just forget about everything else. Like you don't you're not thinking about bills or cutting the grass or the last five calls you ran at work. Um you're not thinking about any of that stuff, you're just thinking about what's in front of you and how you're gonna get through it. And that I think that's like why I'm drawn to these sports. And I'm so ADHD that I get I get into sports, and I just you know, if it challenges me, I gravitate towards it. And it was like always a childhood goal to just go hit learn how to jump a dirt bike. Like I remember watching uh was it Travis Fastrana, where he launched his dirt bike out in the bay. Like, yeah, yeah. Yeah, the X games, and and I think it was X Games, and uh that was like the first that was like my introduction to dirt bikes, and I'm like, that's that's always been something that just I gravitated towards. And I rode around on, we had some property back home, and I had a little XR80 and I rode for a couple of years. Like I never jumped a dirt bike or anything, and I always whenever we sold it, I was always wanting to get another dirt bike, and you know, when I became an adult and you know, I had adult money and can make the decision on my own, like I'm getting a dirt bike, and I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go learn how to jump it. And that was like that was my first goal back on a dirt bike, and there was a track in Celina on and they closed down last year, but honestly, it was a great track. I just didn't have the people to support it. And uh, but they had some of the best doubles around, and uh they had some table perfect tabletops to learn. And I this was probably three, four years ago now, probably four. And uh I was went out there with the goal to learn how to jump, and I talked to a couple people and they're like, yep, do this, this, and this, and just you know, go over it. And they're like, if you start doing a wheelie, just tap your brake, it'll bring your nose down, or or if you're too nose down, just give it a little throttle, it'll level it out. I'm like, okay, and I just started figuring it out, and then they're like, Yeah, you could hit this inside line, and it might save you some time, but if you're more comfortable, hit that outside line, and sometimes it's faster. And they're like teaching me like how to read the track, and you know, I kind of just started building, and you know, I did a few races and and didn't do too bad, like probably mid pack, like C class, mid pack when my first year, and I was like, all right, well, I still hanging in there, and uh and then I started I did a hair scramble the same year, and I'm like, I enjoy this. I want to do this. And like my first race, I was like not. I was smoked. I think it was two hours and it was it was like 90 degrees out. Like it was pretty pretty hot. It was like 90 and 88, 90 degrees in March. And I'm like, this sucks. Like, I did not want to finish. Like, I wanted to quit like an hour in. And I was like, I enjoy this. Like, I shouldn't, but I do. And I ended up probably like a year later. Like, I did a few more races that year on a track bike. I'm like, this is the wrong bike. Like, wrong setup.

SPEAKER_01 44:40

Like, oh yeah, the gearing ratio being different too doesn't help. The suspension is set up for landing.

SPEAKER_00 44:47

Yep. Yep. And uh, you know, your rebound's different, your your shocks are set up, like the your stiffness is set up different, and rebound is different. And your I mean, SAG is kind of the same, but honestly, I wrote a couple KTM 300s, like XCWs, and uh, I wrote a beta 300 and uh it was like a YZ 250 that was set up, and I was like, this is just way different. I was like, I need a two-stroke, and you know, you think like two-stroke, like I don't know, just the smell and the nostalgia of it. I was like, all right, let me start looking for one. And I found a beta 300, which is what I'm riding now for in Enduro, um and just set up perfect. I wrote rode it and I took it and I raced it the first week, and I didn't quite have it set up how I like. And uh, I did I think I got like eighth or something in that race on that bike, and uh I was like, this it was just night and day on right going from a 254-stroke to a uh 300 two-stroke, and just the the whole dynamic of riding like the gearing ratio, like you could putt around on a two-stroke, it's either putt around or wide open, but just the way it was the suspension was set up a lot better, and like I've got it dialed in now. Like I've had it, I've had it for three years now, and it's just been I don't know. I I enjoy it. I just did a race. The season just opened back up in March. So I did that race. We got some coming up, but this year's kind of weird because I'm at the fire department, so I'm only gonna probably get half the races, so I'm not doing the the full series, so I'm just hitting races when I can because I work it was like every other Sunday, which races are normally Sundays for that series. So it's you know, I'm doing what I can currently. So this year I'm not really chasing championship series or anything like that, just hitting a few races, uh, more focused on just improving it, probably and enjoying it. Improving and my son is riding a lot now, so I've been taking him out, and he he's been keeping up with me, and I got him trying some hard lines, and you know, he's getting after it, and I'm kind of like I'll still I got a couple races I am gonna do. I I think I ended up getting ninth in that last race, and there was 47 racers in our class. So I mean I feel like I'm doing okay. I won, I did win my first race last year, uh, so I was pretty happy about that. So hopefully I can get get on the podium a couple times this year and figure it out and keep moving forward. But yeah, I'm trying to trying to hit a few races, but I also, you know, got the ultra marathon thing going on, and uh I'm also filming escape park for the summer, so it'll probably be taking a toll on me as well, because it does take a lot out of you, just I don't know, something I've been wanting to do for the last year or so. I'm like, all right, I'm gonna do it this summer, go film, put a part together, you know, just kind of something that I wanna I like goals, and I'll I want to be able to look back when I'm like 55 or 60 and be like, oh yeah, I did that. That's cool. Okay, so it just gives me something to go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 48:50

So is that basically just a compile compilation video of you doing a bunch of different tricks and grinds and stuff? Like, okay, that's that's what I figured it was. Um uh and I think most people are kind of familiar with that. If they you know, we're probably close to the same age. If anyone watched anything MTV with like the Johnny Knoxville stuff, uh yeah, don't I don't want to say say the name because I don't know what platforms are picky about certain things and whatnot. Um but yeah, I think anyone around our age would be familiar with those compilation videos of a skateboarder doing a you know a bunch of tricks, going to different sites and you know, hitting the giant stairs and all that.

SPEAKER_00 49:41

Yeah. Yeah, and and my buddy, you know, he runs he runs a page, it's called Official Military Skate. Um, and he connects veterans all over veterans and active duty guys who skateboard. And uh when I was active duty, I was riding for a company, they're not around anymore, but you know, that was that was the last time I filmed filmed a part, and that was like 2020, 2021, 22, maybe. Um and that it's been it's been four years since I filmed a part, and I've kind of being in Kansas, it's I don't really street skate a lot or like go out and try to film. And you know, it's one of those things, it's like I'm gonna I'm gonna make that a priority and make it a goal to film a full part this summer and see where I'm at just just for me. I've always done it for something else, and you know, you know, it's always been for a company, and I'm not I'm not currently riding for any companies anymore. And you know, I've kind of in a sense stepped away from like the competitive skateboarding, I would say, and you know, I've just pushed around and skate for fun, and that's kind of what this is, is just like a something fun baby and you know, all posted up and you know, just for me.

SPEAKER_01 51:14

Yeah, no, it sounds sounds cool. So you got into so you rode, you know, around on a little dirt bike for a little bit um as a kid, and I can see why getting back into it, you're like, you know what, now that I'm an adult, I want to get back into that. I had fun doing it, and I have the money. That's kind of how it was for me. Um, getting back into to motor life. Well, I wasn't really in before I didn't race, I was out of track a handful of times, mainly just putting around having fun. Um, skateboarding, you started as a kid. Were you in like a good area of Tennessee where you had a couple skate parks, or you just saw, you know, like I brought up before MTV, and you're like, you know what, I kind of want to do that. I want to be like bam.

SPEAKER_00 51:59

Yeah, that's that's kind of how it happened is uh this kid, uh Cody, his name's Cody Philson. Just country kid, just from the sticks. Uh he had a skateboard and I tried it out, and I was like, I own a skateboard. And I bought bought my first skateboard, and that was that was kind of the rap. I think it was 2006, 2005, 2006, when I got my first skateboard and I never put it down. Uh and you know, I I feel like I had a lot of anger issues when I was a kid, and so when I got a skateboard, like I was able to just like let that out. Like I didn't have a coach, I didn't have anyone tell me what I can and can't do. Like it was just me. Like the only person I could be mad at is me. And I just remember I'd be out there for hours trying to trick. And you know, I wasn't I wasn't very good for for like a year, and then I just picked it up and like something clicked, and I was like, it was just off to the races, and I just went after it. And uh yeah, and being being in Tennessee, I was about probably 30 minutes from Nashville, and there was a big skate park there. It's called Six Ave, um, which they've renamed it at this point, but it's been there, and that was a big part of my childhood growing up, and it was a youth center, like inner city ministry type deal, had a skate park and all kinds of stuff going on, after school programs and contests, and um, you know, I I give credit to them and the guys that were running that place to kind of leading me in a path that was something that I needed because I was probably not going down the best best path, or I could have easily gone down the wrong path if those guys weren't there. And like you think skateboarders like punks, whatever, smoking weed at skate park, standing in fights like that. That really wasn't the case with these guys. Like, I don't know, they they kind of took me in and they they took in a lot of kids and just like showed them what's up, and you know, it went as far as just them being being there and just talking to you and kind of like pushing you in the right direction and just giving something to connect with. And a lot of those guys, I I give credit to you know, me being who I am now and me sticking with it for so long, and you know, it kept me out of trouble, helped me with anger issues, and it helped me with uh battle depression, even when I was like in the military, like I'll go skate after work or whatever. And like I feel like I've most of my life like I dealt with some sort of depression or anxiety, and you know, I've got it pretty dialed in now. I'm like, I I can see those signs. I'm like, I need to I need to go ride or go skate or do something. Like I I need to release, and and that's why like dirt bikes were so perfect and skateboarding was so perfect, and jujitsu, like it, you know, that it is that therapy and pulling you out of that rut or like those dark, cloudy days, and you know, it's like extreme sports in general. It's like I don't know, it does something for the mind. It's it's not a drug. It's I mean, it is a drug, it's not something a substance you're putting in your body. And you know, with the with the VA, like I tried that route, and I could show you the amount of bottles of pills that they've sent me. I'm like, what are y'all doing? Like, they're just putting on like all kinds of crazy stuff, like giving me like gabapentin and all kinds of stuff.

SPEAKER_01 55:56

And yeah, I've joked about it as it's the VA cocktail. It uh that they they're just like, here, we're gonna start with all of these and uh have fun with those. You're not gonna be, you know, the same as you are mentally. We should probably start you off one at a time, figure out what works, what doesn't work, and all that. But easy button pills.

SPEAKER_00 56:20

Yeah, they were giving me like and like floxetine at like 80 milligrams, which is like a crazy uh amount of to give somebody, and they were giving me this like Gabapenton and some crazy sleep pills that were I don't know, I was having some wild dreams. I'm like just a zombie. I'm like, and I like took them for like a week just to see, and and that was four years ago when I got out, and like I was kind of doing the whole thing, like trying to figure out who I am and you know what's my purpose, and you know, I kind of just floated around for a little bit and trying to figure my life out because my my whole adult life is all military, like I don't know anything else. And you get out and you definitely that first year was like complete change, a shock. And you go it's a culture shock. It is, and like, and I'm still going through it currently. Like I like it's weird. Like, I don't know, I started I started the fire department last year. And uh, you know, I've been I've been doing that for about a year now. And like even starting there, I'm like they're like, what are you doing? I was like, I need they need like permission to do this. They're like, no, do your job. I'm like, like, oh, I would have got yelled at for just freelancing. And like there's a you know, you can there's a lot more leeway. I was like, oh, you're treating me like an adult, like I'm not a kid, like this is crazy, and like even though I was I was in leadership in the military, like you're still so micromanaged, like and then going to the fire department, like yeah, figure it out. Like, you're an adult, like you're expected to know, and I'm like, wow, this is amazing. But yeah, it's just been like still like I kind of compare it to like like you see a lot of guys get out and they either go police or fire just because it's like an easy transition and it's like that sense of purpose is still there, and the similar camaraderie, and yeah, also kind of almost the same hours, I would like to say, probably like the same kind of setup here and there.

SPEAKER_01 58:50

It's more police. The the structure of this is your shifts, and you're doing this. This is when you have to be here, this is when you get to end. Yeah, um, sometimes you're at the end, you're staying a little bit later to do paperwork and other stuff for other event tasks, kind of like the military, but it's it's definitely similar.

SPEAKER_00 59:12

Yeah, yeah, it's it's an easier transition. Like, I I couldn't see myself just sitting in an office all day, just sitting at a computer. Like, I just it's not for me. And you know, our our department we run, we run fire and uh ambulances, so like we kind of rotate, and uh you see a lot of stuff on an ambulance, like it's fun, but also it's like kind of sucks too, because you just get right into the dirt and like I don't know, you they don't tell you about the stuff that you're gonna see or like have to do, like you don't think about it, and like at this point, like it's just normal life for me, but that was like kind of a culture shock to like seeing like how many people really abuse the system and like what it is, and like I've never called 911 in my life, and there's people that call daily. I'm like, what are you what is this? Yeah, it's weird.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:17

You've got you've got the you're you're an idiot that 911 is not your fast food delivery, don't stop using it like that, in a sense, but also you've got the the you know the hard aspects of it as well, yeah. Of you know, the real calls and stuff for more than just yeah, my husband was chopping up fruit and uh he nicked his fingertip off. Can you guys come grab him? And yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:44

Yeah, I you know, I've I've run a few tough calls, but you know what? It's you you going through it with like your crew and like your your I guess your team members, like the same guys that are on shift with you, like you're going through it together, and it's it's different because like you're there to help them, not hurt them. So it's kind of it's more rewarding whenever like you actually get to help somebody, and like you know, like everyone kind of joins the military to make a change or make a difference, but like at least here, like you get to see that, yeah, at least feel it, you know. So I don't know, but it was an easy transition.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:31

Just no, it makes sense. Like, like for me, I've been a logistics guy, but for most of my time I'm I'm the logistics guy for maintenance, so I order the parts and dispatches and yeah, job orders and all that. And I was most of my time has been with the maintenance unit attached to or maintenance section in an FSC forward support company attached to field artillery. So helping not just our vehicles but their vehicles stay up and running so that way they can send rounds down range is been, you know, I've seen them shoot a few times, I've seen the impact sites, but it hasn't like really clicked, kind of like what it is for you of like, this is my mission, and I've seen it, you know, in action and how well I'm helping out. I'm just until I've changed uh units and gone to our headquarters unit and I do CIF mission on drill weekends. People come in, turn stuff in to me and my section. I'm actually helping people, I'm I'm physically seeing the impact of it. So I I totally get where you're coming from.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:43

Yeah, it's like it's like in the military, like you don't ever see the big picture. And in in the fire service, like you get to see you don't see the whole picture, but you get to see a lot more of it. And it makes it like you have calls that definitely question why you're there, and you're like, what am I doing? It's three in the morning, and this is a stupid call. Like, you're calling because your tummy hurts, but on the other hand, you could get some crazy call, and you're like, This is why I'm here, and that's that's what's rewarding. Um I don't know. I just I have to have a purpose, and you know, I feel like the fire service is the best fit for me. Also, they have a pretty good schedule because I get to do a lot of stuff that I want to do. Like when I'm off, I'm off. It's not it's not like the military were like, hey, you're off, but you're gonna be on standby for the next six hours. Or we're gonna do a callback, and you're like, oh my gosh. Like it just, you know, or you're working, like you know you go in, you're gonna work a 24-hour shift, you're staying there, and when you're off, you don't gotta work. You can just turn your phone off, ain't no one calling you. Yep. Um, unless you're working overtime, but other than that, it's it's pretty, it's pretty chill. I enjoy it.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:18

No, and I'm assuming you're kind of like me where you found OVN through Veta Max. Um, what made you decide to to become an ambassador athlete also?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:31

Uh so I kind of I reached out, I saw them at Vetamax at the championship the first year I went, and I was like, Well, what is that? What are they doing? And then I started seeing them pop up more and more. So I reached out and I'm like, yeah, that's kind of what I'm doing with skateboarding. With uh like we we didn't really do it with skateboarding, we were just connecting. So we we had a uh my buddies started a it was called Six Feet Above was a foundation they had started. It was nonprofit, basically connecting skateboarders. Um and they would do skate retreats and just have you know therapy sessions, like they would have just come together, talk about stuff, hang out, skate, learn, learn different ways to cope with stuff and just like grow. And that was at the same time when like I started seeing OVN and like I was like that'd be cool to like kind of be able to grow this a lot more. And six feet above kind of when everyone kind of it was just so much to do a retreat, and you have to have so many donors, like it kind of just went dormant. Um and you know, I got the I got to help with a few of those, and it was Awesome, but I was like, all right, what's next? Like, I want to be able to keep doing this, and and we haven't been able to. We did an event last Veterans Day with official military skate. They do a yearly Veterans Day event. Um, and OVN, I was like, that that'd be perfect. Like, let's just get guys connected, and that's what OVN is doing is connecting guys through throttle therapy or they're just their sports. They're OVN's in so many sports. Like, I didn't know how big it was when I first got involved.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:40

And like bull riding, and uh we've got a race car driver who also does bodybuilding.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:48

Um yeah, just she's gonna be on soon.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:51

Yeah, I just talked to our pickle, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:55

Yeah, huge name. Insane, like, yo, like I had no idea, and even until after I was on, and like an ambassador for OVN, I'm like, I didn't know it was this big, like sitting there watching UFC fight, and this guy's wearing OVN. I'm like, that's wild! Like that's so cool to see, and I'm like, I definitely want to be a part of that, and like let's let's grow this thing and let's bring people together. Like, you don't have to be alone, like it doesn't, you know, like what we all have our own battles, whether they they come from the military or or some other area in life, you know, we we all experience something. Let's like let's just we don't even have to talk about anything, you just be together, you know, or just know that there's someone there to call. And you know, we we've all lost buddies to suicide, and we've all probably dealt with the thoughts of it, and our own internal battles that we all have everyone a lot of people struggle with, you know. Yeah, and it's you know, it was like, man, I I need to do more, and that that's kind of why OVN I was drawn to OVN is because they are doing that and they are reaching out and they do give out resources, and it is making a difference. And I was like, I was like, yeah, that's let me talk to them. And I did the whole the whole questionnaire and intake, and it took a little bit, and you know, I I kind of went back and forth on it, and when I finally did the intake, I'm like, no, I'll I'll be here for a good while, and it's pushing me even in like my own sports, like I wanna I wanna get this out there. Like, like let's hey you're even just having it, and be like, hey, what's that? What is OVN? Like, it looks like a soldier saluting, and uh like what's that about? I'm like, oh well, let me let me talk to you about something real quick, and you know, able to connect and just bring veterans together, and like I've met guys that you would never even think that were veterans through on dirt bikes, and they're like, I've never even heard of Vetimex or OVN or any of anything like that. Like, I thought I was the only one, and you start talking to them, and now I ride with a couple guys who are veterans, and you know, it's it's been able to connect with them and just keep riding and know that there is someone else to talk to. Like, I've answered the phone at all hours of the night from guys, just you know, whether they were dealing with divorce or you know, drug issues, alcohol, whatever. I'm my phone's always on, I've always answered. Um it might you know I yeah, I don't remember a time that I've not answered. And I I try to make myself available for for that, and I've had to call people too. Like I've made phone calls, but hey, I'm not doing good. Like, I don't really want to talk about anything, but let's talk about something.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:21

Yeah, no, uh connections, veterans connections save lives, in my opinion. Being able to have, you know, doesn't matter what branch they've served in, what if they're you know, logistics, infantry, a cook, we've all have similar experiences and we can all connect and kind of kind of help each other out.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:49

Yeah. Yeah, and that's that's like one of those things is like with with riding dirt bikes and just any sport in general. Like, you'd be like, hey, let's let's just go ride. Like, not doing good today. Like, all right, you don't have to say anything, I'll meet you there. That's it, that's all you need. Like, someone to show up and just like you don't have to pry it. If they want to share, they can. If not, cool, let's just go ride and let it out. Like, I get it. And same with jujitsu, like, guys doing that, like, hey, let's just go roll. Like, all right, cool. We'll see you at the mat.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:31

Yeah, I just talked to Chili the other day, had him on as a guest, um, and learning the his aspect is kind of like yours about PJJ and how he's been able to connect other veterans to it as well. Um, so it's it's been really cool to just talk to people and hopefully spread, you know, the what the Ambassador Athlete program is all about to everybody is we're in all these different sports, and we were going to be in those sports probably anyways, but now we can connect other veterans to maybe not my sport, maybe not your sport, might be the pickleball. I just talked to our pickleballers the other uh earlier this week, but we can connect somebody to something that should be able to help them out. And if I don't know, I don't know, I I know more about pickleball than I did, you know, a couple days ago, but I can at least say, hey, these are two people that I can connect you with that can tell you what to get, what not to get, best place to start, so that way you can be set up for success and also have you know another outlet or a new outlet or your only outlet.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:48

Yeah, and it's it's awesome that OVN is in so many different sports because like pickleball, like I don't know, fire department's about some pickleball. Like I'm I'm about it. Like I got a racket or whatever paddle, not a racket. It's a I got a I got a nice paddle for Christmas. Like my wife's like, you're gonna need this. I'm like, yes, I do. And uh it's like with skateboarding too, like like I've skateboarding, you you can get into it for fairly cheap. It's not yeah, you could go to Walmart and buy a board. I wouldn't suggest that one. I no, I wouldn't either, but you can. But yeah, you could you could definitely do that, and you know, for for like $120, you can get a full setup, and you know, you can start learning on your driveway and go to a skate park and start progressing. Like it's it takes a little bit of courage, and you know, you're gonna fall.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:47

Whatever.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:49

It's hard. Like, that's why we do it. Uh it's good exercise. Like, my legs are in the best when I'm skating consistently, my legs are in the best shape of my life. Like, it's I mean, you're lifting your weight the whole time, jump in, run in, whatever.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:08

Bodyweight exercises for days.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:09

Yeah, you're doing a lot of squats. Um but it's it's one of the like like dirt bike, like you look at the price entry, like motocross or just getting a bike, it could be not affordable for uh the average lots of people, lots, yeah, just lots of people. Like it doesn't matter if you have the money or not, like your your financial situation might not allow you to have it. But with skateboarding, it I mean, if you if you got a job, you can get a board, or if you if you can't afford a board, I can get you one, like just reach out. Like, that's like I gave a board away two weeks ago just to some kids because they were out and they don't have anything to do. I was like, you need a skateboard, and you know what? I seen them skating the other day. Um it's it's one of those things, it's the price point to just get outdoors and do something healthy that isn't uh to get your mind off things, like it's perfect. Like you can go ride around on a tennis court or ride down the sidewalk. Like, you don't have to do tricks, you could just cruise around, you can get a longboard and just cruise down some hills in your neighborhood or ride around. Like it's just the thought of there's nothing in front of you, you're just riding around, feeling the wind, like just being in nature and learning something new, like that can be enough.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:48

No, uh, there's there's a sport out there for somebody, it may take them a second to find it, and hopefully they do. Um that note, I think this probably a good stopping point because we've been talking a lot longer than I thought we would end up. Um, but you you just do so many sports, it's hard to not hit up all of them. Um that and it sounds like the work that you do, not just you know with OVN, but in your personal life for um the fire department and the youth organization you're in, that sounds like a bunch of things that have they've affected your life.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:31

Um I can totally get why you're you know a part of a youth organization because one helped seer you down the correct path uh where it might have taken you a second longer, and you could have got into some serious trouble before you were in, you know where you're going.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:50

Yeah, and that you know, being a part of the youth group, like I probably wouldn't be in the military. I'd probably been in jail if I didn't have the right people guiding me. You know, my life could be completely different. I don't know. Um, you know, it's I feel like having to give back, like giving back to the youth, and you know whether I push them in the right direction, if you know, I've I've done so much that you know connecting with the youth, like you have to do a lot like skateboarding, like the riding dirt bikes. Like I got kids I talk to because they they probably would have never connected with me, but then they found out I rode dirt bikes, and they're like, Oh, all right, you're kind of cool. Yeah, we can talk to you. I'm like, or they like I'll bring the skateboard out every now and then at youth group, and I'm like, oh, you're kind of cool, you skateboard, or whatever. Like, you beat us at ping pong. Like, yeah, I I try to stay, you know, polished on the sports so I can connect and you know, kind of push kids in the right direction, whether it be you know, going to school or join the military or or whatever, you know, and same like military, like I just try to stay polished up on everything I do and just connect. Like, I want to be able to just if it's go to skate park and hang out and talk and you know, we could do that, or if you want to go rip a dirt bike, let's go do that. Let's let's get some therapy in.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:29

Yeah, yeah, it's awesome. Um, if people or if any sponsors want to support you, um, or if anybody wants to support you, uh what's their uh their best way to do that?

SPEAKER_00 1:18:43

Oh, if anyone wanted to support me, you could uh Instagram is callin615. Um, you could email me, callin Sullivan93 at gmail.com. Uh I can put my phone number out there. I feel like Instagram's the easiest way, or Facebook even just callin Sullivan. Uh that's that's really the only socials I have. I don't have TikTok. I don't do uh was it Twitter or was it I S now? Like I don't do that. Instagram is my big one. Yeah. I I cleaned my page because I'm I'm kind of uh there's a lot of stuff on there from when I was in, and you know, I completely blanked my page out, and I'm kind of doing something with it, and I'm gonna start posting some different stuff and more towards uh uh the events that I'm doing and kind of using it more of a platform to connect. I use Facebook for like family and stuff, but like Instagram is like my platform that I use, and that's probably the easiest way to connect. But I'm anyway, like you have my phone number as well. Like if anyone wants to reach that's fine, they could text me, call me. I'm I'm always around. But I yeah, I definitely would love to get more people into the skateboarding side of things and and kind of skateboarding is pretty new for OVN, and I definitely want to grow that and get get some other guys on board with skateboarding and probably get an event going, even if it's just like me to put a skate park somewhere and get some veterans together and grill out and skate as an event, just something relaxed. Uh, I would I would love to do that this summer, probably next couple months, probably after July 4th. It's pretty busy before then. But or early fall, uh, just get a maybe even a weekend and just get get a bunch of guys together to skate or whatever. And like kind of how they do Venom X. Uh they make it a that's kind of a week long uh in Kansas. Like we could pick somewhere and just do a long weekend, like four days, and we could just get together and skate. And and we've done that with official military skate, so I do shout them out, and it might be doing something in conjunction with them out in San Diego and getting an Airbnb and just having guys come hang out, just go to skate parks and doing that. But that's that's one of the things I want to do this year is uh get that going.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:49

Yeah, no, that would be that'd be really cool. Um so like he said, everybody, if you have any questions about skateboarding, motocross, anything like that, uh OVN operation but now's Instagram, that we're gonna have a post about this podcast, comment there, uh, and we'll we'll see it and we'll we'll reach out. Um I'll have if you're watching on YouTube, you'll see underneath Colin's face uh his Instagram handle uh for anybody uh who wants to see what I'm doing next or anything like that. I am purple badger man at everywhere, capital PBM, no spaces. Make sure you check out Ovian's website as well, because we have a we have a calendar and we for everyone's all the athletes events that that we get, as as soon as we can figure out it or know about it, we put it on there. Um and remember the whole point of having you know the next mission is to prevent you to get to crisis. But if you get to a crisis, please reach out. Vet for Warriors is a confidential veteran ran help service. You can call, email, or chat with 24-7. Um, they're not all some of them might be, but most of them are not psychiatrists, but they're all trained and they have the means to help you and they will stay with you. If they can't help you, they will find out somebody who can and they will stay with you the whole time. Um and if you forget about them, you can always call the veteran crisis line at 988 and press one. Um, Colin, thanks for spending the time with me. Um, this is really cool. Uh eventually I'm gonna my hope is to have do this live on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, wherever, and take live questions as well as chatting with you know a bunch of different people. Um, so if you'd be interested in it, it'd be cool to have you do that.

SPEAKER_00 1:23:50

Yeah, I'm always I'm always down.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:54

Yeah, and thanks for coming on. Well, if we ever get another skateboarder, which I hope we do, it sounds like you've got the meet, you've got some people who you might be able to be like, hey, listen, this would be a good thing for you. You could this would be cool for you to do. Um we can always have a multi-skateboarder episode on, especially, you know, with somebody in you know what some people might consider like a mecca in skateboarding, like in who lives in San Diego where there's just tons of it and opportunities around.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:26

Yeah, I got I got a couple guys in mind that reach out to you and kind of get this thing growing and make something happen.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:36

Yeah, no, then we we might be able to say see a uh FedMX version of but in skateboarding. I don't know what that acronym would be. Yeah. Um yeah, uh to our listeners, thank you for watching or listening wherever your um whatever your choice of platform is, whether it'd be YouTube, Spotify, um, iHeartRadio, I think we're even on. Um and we will see you all, or I will see you all for the next episode. Thank you, everybody, and have a good one.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:11

Alright, have a good one.