Bones Unfiltered Podcast : Special Needs Edition #4 featuring Matt "Rhino" Proffitt

Tune in for this weeks episode of the Bones Unfiltered Podcast : Special Needs Edition featuring Matt "Rhino" Proffitt.  Rhino is deeply involved in Special Olympics, participating in numerous events.  Rhino is also a huge fan of Professional Wrestling.  

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:00

Like now. There we go.

SPEAKER_01 0:06

This is a staffer sound. Do I need to do anything?

SPEAKER_05 0:09

No, no, you won't.

SPEAKER_01 0:11

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 0:15

All right, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the fourth installment of the Bones Unfiltered Podcast Special Needs Edition. Uh, I'm your host, Bones, and today I get the privilege to bring in a young man that I've known for quite a while. Um, he's been on every team that I've assistant coached or head coached in Special Olympics, and he's been with me since I started my stint with Special Olympics back probably I don't know, seven, eight years ago. But ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage Matt Prophet, aka Rhino, and we'll get into what his nickname here in a little while. So, Rhino, welcome to the stage, man. Glad to have you aboard.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

What's going on, Bone Yard Peeps? It is great, it is great to be here at Bones. Thank you very much for having me. It is truly an honor. And I know you and I, if we talked about this for some time now, and it's great to finally make this happen.

SPEAKER_05 1:13

It is, it's very good. And for those of you all that'll soon find out with this young man here, it's uh he was a definitely a good choice to do this because uh Rhino, although he has disabilities, he is incredibly intelligent, very articulate when he speaks, and he is a really good candidate of somebody that can explain the trials and tribulations that he's gone through with his disability, but also he can he could inform people about all sorts of various programs, and we'll let Rhino kind of touch on a little bit of everything. Plus, we're gonna dive into like a lot of his passions. He has a very big passion for uh the wrestling scene. So we're gonna have him talk and touch base a little bit on that and kind of share some stories and experiences that he's had. So, but for starters, let's start off by um essentially let's give you a little sneak peek of of what Rhino looked like when he was a young wee lad. And there you're a cute little kid, man.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

I was rambunctions, I'll tell you that much.

SPEAKER_05 2:14

Now, how now tell me a little bit what you can recollect from this photo? What what have you learned? Hey, Pam.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

Well, um, for starters, um, just to give you a little bit of personal background, um, I am uh, as Bones mentioned, I am uh on the autism of the spectrum, and I'm also um I also have a um what's called Asperger's syndrome, it's a variation of autism. And I was diagnosed right at a young age, about two and a half. Um they originally had diagnosed me as ADHD, but my mother, who um has been my biggest supporter in the last since my last since I was very, very little up to the time I was born, dating back to it, should I say, she started reading, and some of the um the um triggers, should I say, that she noticed in me were not with ADHD at all, and she got me retested, and uh she got a second opinion. They said, you know, your child's on ADHD, your child is autistic, and he's on the Asperger's uh syndrome spectrum. And what a couple of examples on what um triggers my autistic trait, so to speak, is I don't like being uh touched softly. That's just an example. I like being you know touched firm instead of just you know a soft touch that kind of irritates me a little bit as far as sensory issues. And another sensory issue was loud noises. I would usually you know put my my fingers in my ear if it was like a loud noise, just a couple um sensory triggers, which was um but um that's as far as who uh diagnosed me to the best of recollection, it would have been downtown at uh the would have been downtown at Cosera, the best of my knowledge. So Okay.

SPEAKER_05 4:23

Now are you still sensitive to sounds like you were before? Or has that now that you've aged, has that seemed to kind of diminish a little bit?

SPEAKER_01 4:32

Uh to an extent, it has uh I wouldn't say diminished, but it has improved. Um there's some loud noises that I have to have um have to have sense have to have something with me to help sense censorize. Like for example, Federal Reloba was a few weeks ago, and if you guys, if anyone here has ever been to the air show up here that happens during the day before the fireworks, those military jets, the one that you know the sonic booms that screech across the sky, that is one of them, and to an extent, it's um anything over a certain decibel is okay. Um but I would say just for example, the jets, especially the sonic screaming, that is probably one of the of that level that usually you know irritates me. So yeah, but um I would say it's my um triggers have you know um improved a little bit, you know, as far as diminished or some stuff that's against me, but not as much.

SPEAKER_05 5:42

So now now once you once you were diagnosed and you found out that you had Asperger's and and you were on the the uh autistic spectrum, did uh has all your treatments and stuff been able to be done in Louisville, or have you had to go to certain areas to get or start treatments?

SPEAKER_01 6:02

Um for the most part, yes. Uh as far as um as far as getting my medicine and all that, all that's been done in Louisville. Um, but as far as uh as I got older, give you a little bit of example. There was one time I actually had uh when I entered puberty, there was one time uh where and I also as far as what else I have, I also have um mental health struggles, and I like to get into that for just one moment, if I may, starting with when I'm sure, go ahead. Starting when I went through puberty. Um I'll never I'll never forget it was my sophomore year high school. Right? Uh it was late January, early February, second semester of my sophomore year. I am also a uh uh suicide attempt survivor. I tried to kill myself and my mother. You know, both my mother and I, against our better judgment, she took me to the hospital, and I ended up spending a week in e town at a behavioral place called uh Lincoln Trail for the youth. I was there about a week, uh got released when they said, you know, and they they knew I wouldn't um uh go like fully go through with it. I was just saying it basically, you know, I was you know dealing with some emotional problems is what I got admitted through for some depression, and I even told them I even told them I wouldn't go through with this one. It's been about a week down there, about six days, five nights, went down to Sunday, came home on a Friday, and then re-enrolled back in school. And then I also um as far as treatment for my mental health, I'm currently going, I've currently been seeking uh mental health treatment at Bridgehaven, mental health services downtown in Louisville on South 1st Street, and I've been uh I've been getting services down there, and I am going on um be going on four years of recovery. I started seeking it down there in um October 2022. And this October um will be I will be a member down there for four years, and I will be four years of recovery.

SPEAKER_05 8:31

That's awesome. Now, who's this guy in this photo um that you're with at Bridgehaven?

SPEAKER_01 8:36

This gentleman that you see in the picture with me, uh the one in the black uh collar shirt with the bridge name and logo is Stuart Bridgeman Jr. and he is the president and the CEO. And that picture was taken uh a couple of weeks ago, and I had an I actually had an opportunity uh two it'd be two Fridays ago this week to sit down and interview him from my YouTube channel. For my um I'm also a park, I'm also a video caster uh from my channel from my show, my channel called Rhino Talk, and we talked about the importance um of I didn't know you were doing that. Oh well um oh it's uh it's fun. I've had I'll touch base on that a little bit, but I we talked, you know, about about the significance of what happens at Bridge Haven when people mental health seek treatment there. We talked about how the um about what kind of groups they have, what kind of events they hold, and the um success rate that the Bridge Haven members, and we don't use the term clients or patients, we use the term members because it's more inclusive that they've had. Uh the uh homeless rate amongst members has decreased 70 percent. And uh this been uh since all members in history, Red Chapter's history since they were founded in 1959, uh homelessness amongst our members, past and present, has decreased 70 percent, and the incarceration rate from all members since our history has decreased 100 percent. We have uh groups there that people can see, like we've got mind, body, and spirit, we got LGBTQ plus group, um life over 50 plus. Um and we also got a newsletter group, which is one uh of the groups I'm not gonna be in.

SPEAKER_05 10:41

Nope. Rano, I think you we we locked up on you. Let's see if we lost you. Well, there you go. I'm your there you go. We had uh we had one of them technological hiccups with the uh internet airwaves, internet fart.

SPEAKER_01 10:58

But yeah, as as I was saying, um Bridge Haven has um just so much to offer, like they've got events throughout the year, like example, this Saturday, they have an event from noon to three called the Artist Porter Healing Uh Spring Art Show. It's open to the public. Anyone can come down. So we're members who make art in the art program will be setting up there. I uh will actually be setting up my own booth there too. This will be my first time uh participating in this art show. However, this will not be my first art show at all. This will be my first time at Bridge Game, it's about my 41st career craft show that I've taken place, and I that's one thing I forgot to mention is I'm also an artist, in addition to uh many other titles.

SPEAKER_05 11:54

So he's done a lot of stuff for our Kentucky State Fair. He's had a lot of entries. I think every year I've gone since I've known you, you've had a some type of art entry in one of the different segments uh at the fairgrounds during our fair. So mainly he does and he does very well.

SPEAKER_01 12:12

He does very well, mainly photography. Uh yeah, I've entered one painting, mainly photography. Like if I see something that looks, you know, hidden or interesting or beautiful, I'll take a picture of it and then think about uh entering it. Like one uh one year I entered a I took a picture, I was at the Louisville Zoo, and I took a picture of a gorilla that looked like it was peering around the corner. I entered it, and out of several thousand pictures that were entered, that picture was chosen uh that was one of one picture out of 50 that were chosen to advance the next the next qualifying round. And I ended up getting uh an honorable mention for um uh for the governor's award that year for that picture.

SPEAKER_05 13:04

So no, that's really cool, man. That's really cool.

SPEAKER_01 13:08

And so um, but yeah, this is um I have um I have a lot of different interests. Art, YouTubing, and I'm sure as uh Bones has told the viewers, um, I'm also passionate about the professional wrestling scene. Um I've been I've um been following OVW since its inception back in uh late 98. And um I've seen people like John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Batista, Randy Orton, Sheldon Benjamin, all those guys. If anyone here has watched WWE, they've um that's when they got their start in OEW. Some of the stars I've actually sat down and interviewed with, like on the roster, uh, had Donovan Cecil on there. Uh OVW Legend Jamin Olavincia has been featured on there, Tegan Thorne, uh current OEW uh and um a couple champions actually. And the young lady who's in this picture that you see is Sophia Rose. I actually, if I can backtrack just in just a minute, I featured her in a uh article based around hope and recovery for the Bridge Hammon newsletter. And um I went ahead and I reserved a copy for her and her mother, and I ended up giving it to her. I signed my name on it for her, and I give it to her and her um mother at a show at the Kentucky State Fair and I'm and um that was probably as far as one of my achievements. I included this picture amongst another picture, and this was the night that she won that belt. Um, and um, if um if anybody out there has a bigger passion for wrestling than I do, I would love to meet them. So you can have a serious debate. Oh hell, let me take you to a show, then we can debate that.

SPEAKER_05 15:24

And I tell you, the thing he's talking about, I I read what he wrote, and that's again, that's why I said that if this young man is especially if you read what he writes, and you blog all the time. I mean, you've got stuff on Facebook, you he does stuff all the time, and when he does, it's very a very good read. He's very you're very good with English and grammar. Um you're you're you're you're quite astounding when it comes to writing. So that that that what he wrote was really awesome. What I what I got to partake in was really awesome about that young lady right here. It was a really cool read.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

And as far as my grammar goes, I do have a passion for writing, which is one of my big one of my strong points. It helps me express myself, and that's one thing I enjoy about having autism is the way our brains work compared to people who don't have autism. Like autistic people put out more information than the normal brain does, like an autistic brain um receives and develops more information more purely. And you can ask anybody who's studied autism for years, they can tell you the same thing. Um, they put I wouldn't say that we're um I wouldn't say this because we're better than everybody, but the intelligence level of some autistic people who've been shown that they can put out more information, they're willing to learn now. And the more we learn, like I do, the more information we intake, the more information we put out. I say at least fourfold. And that's one thing I enjoy. Um one thing I enjoy about um having autism, and I don't think of autism or Asperger's as a disability. I think of it as a different ability, I think of it as a as a blessing.

SPEAKER_05 17:25

So I agree. I agree with that completely. Now, before we get in, we're gonna get into more of the wrestling stuff for sure. Um, but let's we'll backtrack just a little bit and um kind of talk a little bit more about um, you know, once you were a wee lad and you they discovered that you were autistic and of course had Asperger's. Um unfortunately, uh down that road, not too long, I would assume, after uh you had a fairly tragic event that happened in your life, and it it revolved around your dad.

SPEAKER_01 18:05

Um yes, um, that would have been uh it would have been April 29th of 1994. That was us, uh, my mother, myself, my dad uh, when um that would have been uh maybe a year and a half before he passed. That would have been about Christmas in 1992 when this picture was taken. And my dad passed in April of 1994. And do you mind if I ask what happened, or is that is that he yes, uh he he um he passed away of a brain tumor, and um my dad loved me, and I wish he was still here, and that's one reason why I started going to Bridgehaven, was um and I have a pretty lengthy history of coping with grief, and uh I heard that Bridgehaven had a grief and loss, a coping with grief and loss group, and that's why I went down there and I opened up about um many of my losses, like not just my father, but um grief. My grief, it can also, you know, be cutting ties with friendship, um ending relationships, um, and um running bridges with people that I thought was going that I thought was going very well, and I've learned some strategies to cope with all this. And um one of the coping strategies I have was um was to um to honor my dad's memory just name a couple was um going by his gravesite every um every year on his birthday or or in the week surrounding it. He uh and dad died uh two months shy of what would have been his his 40th birthday. And uh I used to think he was young.

SPEAKER_05 20:14

He was a lot younger than I I realized.

SPEAKER_01 20:18

That picture, uh not not the picture you just posted of me, him, and mom, but there's a picture floating around there when he's holding me when I was about six months old. He would have been about my age. My age when that picture was taken. Uh he would have been maybe two years older than I am now. I'm 37, he would have about been about 35. But just a couple Kobe strategies I do to honor his um memory is filling out uh March Manus bracket every year, or going taking a day and going out and enjoying nature because my dad was an avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed fishing. He uh he played Little League when he was up until he was about 10 or 11. And uh he also um I'll never forget my mom telling me his favorite snack. One of his favorite his favorite snack and his favorite activity. His favorite snack was a handful of peanuts and a uh glass ice-colded glass bottle of RC. I'm not sure if you remember the glass bottles, but oh yeah, I remember them.

SPEAKER_05 21:26

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 21:27

That was his his favorite snack, was a handful of peanuts and an ice-cold glass bottle. A glass bottle of RC.

SPEAKER_05 21:37

It's so good.

SPEAKER_01 21:39

I know, especially on a especially you know if you were working a lot, but heck yeah. And and then another activity that he loved was um was uh playing with water guns. And I'll never forget this memory we have. We were camping down in um we were camping down in Nolan Lake. My grandmother, which was his mom, She had just she had we got down there. They were already down there. And uh my grandmother, my grandfather, his parents brought me down. My dad and my cousin had gotten some water guns. My grandmother had just gotten her hair done. And uh they they gave me one of those little squirt pistols, and they had the the big water guns, and we were shooting at each other. And like I don't remember exactly who shot it. Either me, either me, my dad, or my cousin Todd. But one of us missed, and it actually hit my grandmother right here on the side and messed up her hair, and she just got her hair done about three out about three hours before we got down there. They picked me up from they picked me up from my grandpa's house, and we all head down there. My grandmother had a fit. But then again, a few hours later, she um she was she sat all three of us down. She's like, you boys. I'm gonna sit in there eating my pop car like I'm like I'm being insulted, but just remembering remembering and sharing stories like that is one reason why I um honor my dad's memory.

SPEAKER_05 23:13

So well, Miss Val, she says she's sorry about your dad, but Miss Val's in here watching, you have Miss Janice in here watching, and my booking agent uh Pam Little is in here too. So they uh they all said hi to you. So now um so you know after all that happened with your dad, do you do you think that that's because I know that you touched about suicide? We we talked about it now. What we didn't ask because we we kind of we kind of switched gears. Let's go fall back to that. When you said that you weren't gonna go through with it, but what what was the way was it mainly verbal? Like you were that was your cry out for help, or did you actually do a mild attempt? But but it was a uh before your mother intervened and then went on to putting you, you know, in that uh place up in Etown for a week that obviously helped, which is it um it it was a mild attempt, and partially I wanted to go through it, but verbally and mentally I didn't want to do it because and I'm glad you didn't, because you're a great man.

SPEAKER_01 24:26

And to tell you that and to tell you the truth, I did not want and my mom was going through enough as it was already. I know she was a single mother trying to put me through put me through school, and you know, she she had already lost a spouse some years before that, and I and to look back on it, I did not want to have her deal with losing her only child as well, because not only if I was in someone else's years, I saw this it would it I would feel uh that pain because I've known uh parents who um who buried uh their children way young and um looking back now, I would not want to put my mother through that.

SPEAKER_05 25:10

I'm glad that you I'm glad you did. So it was your did you start feeling like you wanted to to commit suicide? What was that mainly revolving because of the loss of your dad? Or was it kind of that and kind of your just your whole disability and you know everything, all the trials and tribulations you have gone to to that point, just kind of you just got overwhelmed? Like what kind of pushed you in that direction where you started thinking those thoughts?

SPEAKER_01 25:37

I would say it would be a handful of everything, and plus um when I was going through puberty, that was a pretty uh emotional time for me because I recognize that what that I um I recognize now that not only my brain was growing and I didn't really have the cognitive understanding of what was going on. And a lot of that was um when the seasons change, that's when my emotions tend to change. And I'll be I'll be I'll be the only one to be honest with you right now. It was getting to be uh it was getting ready to be springtime in like three or four weeks after that. And the springtime uh and many other people notice is the most uh emotionally challenging time uh for me from mid-March up until uh up until the week before Father's Day, because um that's about the time of the year, one when I lost my dad, and two uh when um when I've lost the most um lost the most people, and especially a couple other uh events that I remember that kind of trigger me. So and uh but to answer your question, it was um mainly all the above, and plus um I do have some emotional problems, and since I've been seeing treatment, they've um to an extent they've diminished quite a bit to an extent. They're still there, but they're not as um not as um not as frequent as they were.

SPEAKER_05 27:28

Good. That makes me happy to hear. That's really good. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 27:33

And to the viewers who've uh to the viewers who've expressed their sympathy and their condolences, I thank you guys very much. And um, you know, I think all the prayers, vibes, and uh positive energy recovered as you see fit. So thank you guys very much.

SPEAKER_05 27:52

Heck yeah. Now so essentially now Bridgehaven is probably your that's probably the place you attend the most. Yes, and it's and it's worked, it's done wonders for you. It's been your your shining light, hasn't it?

SPEAKER_01 28:10

Oh, believe me, it's um not just for me, but it's uh done wonders for everybody that's ever that's ever sent through those doors. I know my my mother, and I'm pretty sure she's gonna see this interview. She's even uh she's even reached out to volunteer down there on a couple occasions. I know she's gonna be volunteering for this event we got coming up, as I mentioned, on Saturday. And uh this um as far as um events for the community, the RS Borta Healing event is um is um probably one of our biggest community events. And there's a picture of my mother and I. That was at a Dreams of the Wings gala a couple years back, and um Dreams of the Wings is where I is one of the places where I receive um receive support at. I also have a residential place. I'm actually operating right here in my apartment, which is a Dreams of the Wings residence, independent living. And um one thing I like about Dreams of the Wings is they provide uh services for individuals with disabilities, be them be them Down syndrome, autism, CP, um wheelchairs. They all they also have a day program of their own for people who um with disabilities that are with dreams to go and do activities at. They also have support employment and uh residential services, occupational therapy, stuff like that. Excellent.

SPEAKER_05 29:55

So now I'm gonna show you just a series of like funny pictures that you're you're kind of with characters. So we'll just kind of I'll put them up. Let's just just kind of tell a little bit of the backstory of where you were and uh you know what what was happening in that photo to you. So we'll start with this one.

SPEAKER_01 30:15

Churchill Charlie, that was um that was actually on Thanksgiving um a millionaire as well with Churchill Downs for like 11 years. My mother, myself, um my mom's two older brothers and their families, Michael Norv, his wife Brenda, and his daughter Heather, and then my uncle Mark, his wife April, and their triple their triplet children, uh four of my cousins, they would all come down for Thanksgiving, and we even get a couple of tables, a millionaires row at Churchill Downs, and spent Thanksgiving Day out there, they'd have a buffet up there, and we don't want to get our picture of Churchill Charlie, and that's the he's the mascot of Churchill Downs. So if if not if you guys have ever seen uh church churchill Charlie out there who have been to Churchill Downs, I mean I'm not trying to force you guys or not, but it's mandatory you get a picture with him.

SPEAKER_05 31:15

So well, there you have it. So if you're there and you're caught and you don't get one, we're coming.

SPEAKER_01 31:21

Matt said Matt said so.

SPEAKER_05 31:23

That's right. Matt said so. Well, let's talk about uh let's see what what's up with this photo. Now, this will tie in, I think, with some of the wrestling that we're gonna talk about here in a little bit, but uh oh my gosh, that is this photo.

SPEAKER_01 31:36

That is my friend Tyler and myself. This was on a this picture was actually taken nine years ago this week. We were we were in Florida, and that's when we were at a minor league baseball game in Dunedin. That is a that is DJ uh the Blue Jay, and he is a mascot for the Dunedin Blue Jays, and they're a uh they're a baseball team of the Florida State League, and they are one of the minor league uh farm teams for the Toronto uh Blue Jays. That particular game, that particular game I'll never forget. There's these event people going around. They needed two people, like they needed four people to go onto the field to participate, and like one guy would have a bucket on his head, and the other guy would throw balls into the bucket, and whoever the at the most would uh out of the two teams of two would get a certificate to a uh a um Florida-based uh Texas Roadhouse type place called Cody's. Well, they I I heard the people say, Hey, um, they were just talking, well, we need two more people. And me and my friend, my friend Tonner and I were like, What are you guys looking for? They're like, We need two people to take on these two people on the field. I'm like, We'll do it. So that was it. And that was, you know, I'm like, Thomas, like, do we get going the field? They're like, Yeah, you do, right out here along the first baseline. Me being impulsive, I raised my hand, we'll do it. So we got out there and uh and then um we use our certificate the next night, and then uh the morning after we used our certificate, we actually got on a cruise ship and we went and cruised uh cruised the Bahamas for about a week.

SPEAKER_05 33:20

So and you do a lot of cruises. You you you are definitely I've never even been on one, but you've been on a bunch. You're like, if I ever go, I'm gonna call you and get some tips.

SPEAKER_01 33:31

Believe me, we just went on uh back in November, I just went on my 15th.

SPEAKER_05 33:37

Holy crap. That's awesome, buddy.

SPEAKER_01 33:39

That's and then uh and then uh one year from now, in May of 2027, I'm actually going to Great Britain with my mother, so no doubt.

SPEAKER_05 33:48

It's gonna be uh now you just go into Great Britain or is it gonna a cruise that ends up in no?

SPEAKER_01 33:55

This will be a we're flying from Louisville, and we're gonna try and get to JFK in New York, and then from at least one of those airports up there, we're gonna fly to Edinburgh, Scotland, and it's gonna be like a bus tour. You know, we're gonna it's like a 10-day trip through uh through Scotland, England, and we're wanting to fly home. Uh we're hoping to get out of um either London Heathrow or Liverpool Airport. So we get to see uh it's gonna be a good time. I know we're gonna see uh I know we're gonna see Loch Ness. Hopefully, depending on how much time we have in our itinerary, we're gonna try and get Stonehenge. That'll be cool. Uh and I know for a fact that I actually got formed about this schedule the other day. We're gonna do a Beatles museum tour, a walking tour, a Beatles tour in uh Liverpool.

SPEAKER_05 34:47

So that'll be cool. A lot of traveling. So and you do a lot of traveling, which is good. I'm glad you're getting the opportunity to do that because you know you deserve you deserve that kind of stuff, buddy.

SPEAKER_01 35:01

I say my favorite place to go to as far as traveling is uh I know I know you're gonna show this picture, but it's obviously Disney World.

SPEAKER_05 35:09

So yeah, and I do have one one that I did take while he was at Disney.

SPEAKER_01 35:16

You didn't well well, my mom took it.

SPEAKER_05 35:18

He let the genie out of the bottle. I mean, it he just wrecked it, it just wrecked it for everybody that day.

SPEAKER_01 35:24

Are you are you kidding? Are you kidding? Genie actually burst out of the bar out of the bottle and he said, Come on, man, let's boogie. So that was actually during a parade. He um I looked up, I see this blue thing there. My mom's taking taking a picture, and I'm out there in the middle of the parade about boogie with genies. That's of all my Disney pictures, that one's probably my favorite one, and I love Jeannie.

SPEAKER_05 35:46

So and he's got a bunch of Facebook, there was a bunch of options of Disney photos with all sorts of various characters. I mean, you you name it, and it was probably hazard.

SPEAKER_01 35:59

I would like to put on a disclaimer, Robin Williams is the best genie ever.

SPEAKER_05 36:04

Amen. Yeah, I think the best genie ever I think he was I thought he was an awesome Popeye, too. I I don't like, but that one was I loved it. I was that was my favorite. It was I was obsessed with that movie, it was so good.

SPEAKER_01 36:17

That that's one thing that's one thing I like about Disney is you know, one thing, uh one person carries the movie, the remakes, they tell more of the story, but Robin Williams, Robin Williams is the best genie ever. Sorry, Will Smith.

SPEAKER_05 36:31

Yeah, but he was, I have to agree.

SPEAKER_01 36:43

I can't remember, I think it was the second one. There was some kind of contract dispute, but if you lose it close, you can actually hear the difference. So a lot of people we had to choose from Genie and had to be Homer Simpson. But um but um I uh if anyone out there if anyone out there would like to reach out to me directly, I'll be glad to give them tips on where to where to go to.

SPEAKER_05 37:10

So oh yeah, you you've definitely been to Disney enough, you would be a good tour guide.

SPEAKER_01 37:15

I've been to you know that song I've been everywhere by at the Johnny Cash. And you have been well, there's some places I haven't been to that I like to go, so I I've been to a lot of places, but I haven't been everywhere, so to speak.

SPEAKER_05 37:31

But right, but you've been pretty you're pretty damn close, though. You've been a lot more places than I have.

SPEAKER_02 37:36

That's extremely close.

SPEAKER_05 37:39

So but uh this is this one he didn't have to go far because this picture's actually in Louisville. However, this little guy is kind of hidden underneath underneath a bridge in Louisville. He's a cool dude.

SPEAKER_01 37:54

That's actually one of my in-laws. I'll never forget that's shout. I want to give a shout-out to this place, the troll pub. And um, I'm not sure what this trolls are. I want to give a shout out to them if they're listening. For anyone who wants to try to tag them, the troll under the bridge pub. Underneath the uh underneath the Clark Memorial Bridge, which is the which is right there next to the other center off 2nd Street, down by the down by the Bell Lobo Wharf. That was um we were having uh I can't remember what the occasion was, but it was um I think of my picture with the um with the troll. So and it was one of my friends actually saw that and he said, Hey, were you separated at birth? Yeah. I'm like, yeah, but I'm like, yeah, it was a family reunion. So and then um a funny story, um, the guy who was with us, I'll never forget, he looked at me when I was taking a picture. Like, if I would have if my mama took that picture a couple seconds later, it would show me muscle laughing because he said, Matt, I dare you to look up into that nose and see if there's any golden nuggets in there. I'm I'm glad I didn't do that because I would have been I would have been making some hilarious faces.

SPEAKER_05 39:11

So now speaking of making jokes about that and all that good stuff, now one thing that people may be looking at and being inquisitive of is if you look at his name right there, it says rhino. Pro well, it's like, well, what you know, why would they call him Rhino? So I have known Rhino now for at least eight years, at least, if not longer. And he's always been Rhino ever since I had met him. And I we're gonna let him kind of tell you the story of why he became nicknamed Rhino, kind of like I'm nicknamed Bones. He got the cool nickname of Rhino, and uh everyone and special, especially in Special Olympics, everyone knows exactly who Rhino is when you say his nickname. So kind of tell everybody a little bit about how Rhino came about.

SPEAKER_01 40:04

Big is beautiful and big is awesome. Actually, actually, no, um that's uh a theory I had uh big is beautiful, big is strength, big is beautiful. But um, as far as um as far as how the term came around, um one of the gifts I have is uh my um I've always been known as the big brother to people, and um I'll never forget one of the uh inspirations behind the uh big brother type carrier that I am was um was um there was this young man I was advocating for who's younger than I am, and it all started uh I think it was my junior in high school. There was a freshman who was in one one of my classes who also had special needs that I advocated for who was a freshman. He um um was being picked on, and I told him um I told him listen, I know the feeling, and if um if you like me to, I can advocate for you. And um he said um he said, Oh, you mean like uh you mean like a bodyguard? And I said, Yes, but uh and what my but as far as like instead of just being a bodyguard with the people's butt, that's not not a character, but you know, someone to stand up for you and just you know um go up to bed and support people, it shows up with passion. I'm more more brains than I am, brawn. It's um, you know, I'll offer advice too, like I'll offer sentiments, I'll offer you know wisdom, and I'll offer um you know emotional and emotional and avidable support um when needed, as far as you know, having to resolve problems. And this young man said, so instead of like a guard dog, he'd be um he'd be like um a rhino bodyguard, and he um that's how the thing stuck with me ever since, and uh he said, you know, and I've looked up some of the traits that um of the rhino, even though they have poor eyesight, they can also um if you stand in front of if you're your rhino and you're actually standing in front of a younger, like an offspring of the rhino, the bigger ones, people tend tend to back down not to have your way challenged. But as far as um my um standing up for people and putting a resolution in between uh a problem, that's kind of what I um that's kind of why I do as far as my sense of compassion. So I'm also um I'm also known for emotional support. Like I've like I said, it's um I advocate for people no matter what walk of life they're on. And I've got a lot of I've got a lot of friends from all walks of life, I got friends from different creeds, religions, uh, colors, um different views, different countries. And my rule is, you know, if you know my one rule is if you're if you uh show me respect, I'll show you that same amount of respect and compassion that you show me. So that's one thing I'm always lived by is do unto others as you do to yourself.

SPEAKER_05 43:57

And that's a beautiful way to live.

SPEAKER_01 44:00

And the other one is you know if you show kindness to everyone around you, everyone around everyone around you will reward you with the amount of kindness uh twice more than twice more or even twice more plus than you show them, and that's one of the gifts that I have is the gift of compassion, gift of advocacy. And um I've always had a um had a passion for helping others and being kind. So and um that's one of the reasons why I'm thankful for places like Bridgehaven, organizations like Special Olympics, because and I got involved in Special Olympics at a young age. Um I started out started out on a swim team when I was about 10 or 11, and that was in October of 2009 when I started. I was about nine years old, going on 10. And here we are in May of 2026, and I've been uh over 20 over 25 years as a special limits athlete. I've done swimming, basketball, softball. I know you coached me in a couple of these sports, bocce, uh I've done soccer. There's my there's my softball team called the Southeast Angels, and I know you've um help me coach Bones. I know your son Brandon is one of my teammates. And um I'm also one year I did Special Olympics golf, and um we um it several, and I'm talking uh of all the f of all the people I made friends with over my lifetime, roughly half of the people I made friends with are special Olympians.

SPEAKER_05 45:57

So we um there's a basketball team and uh there's a we had to act dumb in this photo. We were all acting silly. God, I look so different, don't I? I was still working EMS, I think, when uh started that. Oh, did I lose Rhino? Rhino, if you can hear me, if you gotta come back, that same link works every time. Uh guess he's uh we'll we'll get him back here, ladies and gentlemen. Apparently we had a he he got dropped, apparently. So we'll we'll try to get Rhino back in here for a second, and uh I'll remove this and we'll get it. We'll get here he comes. All right. Well no, you're good, and you figured it out.

SPEAKER_01 46:52

I'm on the phone, I had a call come in.

SPEAKER_05 46:54

So it was um oh that's why. No, I didn't even think about that.

SPEAKER_01 46:59

Yeah, I wanted to sit on an airplane mode, but then again, if I wanted to set it on an airplane mode, I had to uh it will let me get on this because it shows like you're gonna off or whatever. But it was uh oh yeah, it was one of those. Well, that's all right. One of those spam calls, and I hate killing with those.

SPEAKER_05 47:13

I do too, but buddy, I get them all the time. So we'll go back to now we'll go back to this photo. This photo, obviously, we had to act silly. Everybody was at to act silly, and of course you can see me back there as clean shaven. Uh I don't look like a homeless Jesus. So apparently I was still working EMS in this photo.

SPEAKER_01 47:35

And I'm pretty sure if people there's me trying to put our manager Donnie in a chokehold, and right to uh right to the right of the picture, which is my left, that would be uh Bones' son Brandon, number 22. And there's um number 15, there's Jackson leaning on Donnie like a pillow. And so uh and right behind me uh in the white white undershirt, there's my friend Daniel who I went to high school with. He uh trying to give me bunny ears. So but I'm I'm thankful for Special Olympics, and I made friends not just help with the teams up here at Louisville, but different delegations throughout the state. So we um I uh I went up bowling. I'm also done bowling too.

SPEAKER_05 48:24

So yeah, I almost put a bowling photo on there, but I ended up not. But yeah, he does bowling too. Those are the three events now that you that you were doing, obviously, basketball, bowling, and softball. And I still coach bowling. It's uh uh I don't coach bowling much, but that's kind of self-sufficient.

SPEAKER_01 48:44

I do bowling, softball, basketball, and curly bocce. It's one sport each season, so that way I'm consistent. Um everybody here I consider my family too. I know um that's one thing I it's not just you know the gararies family.

SPEAKER_05 49:04

Amen. So and this picture here, we were in um it was B Bowling Green, wouldn't it?

SPEAKER_01 49:10

Bowling Green, yes.

SPEAKER_05 49:11

That was before they switched. And uh they used to have it at Bowling Green every year. Now they have it in where's where's the new place at now? Owensboro, that's right. Thank you. I haven't been yet since for with that switch.

SPEAKER_01 49:24

Well, you know, my first two or three years with two or three years playing softball, it was originally in Owensboro. Then they switched to bowling ring for about 12 years. And fun fact, um, my delegation that I play sports with is affiliated through a church here in Louisville, called Southeast Christian through their Shine Ministry, which I'm also involved in. And they are a ministry for the special needs community at Southeast, and that's who sponsors our league or our um delegation. And I've read that Special Olympics can be sponsored through a school or a community center or different community places. We are the only um the Southeast delegation is the only delegation in the state of Kentucky that's affiliated to a church.

SPEAKER_05 50:20

Oh, I did not know that. That's interesting.

SPEAKER_01 50:23

Wow. The rest are the rest are like you know, community centers, schools, different uh different places. There's some schools like um the stride program, Pit Academy, which is up here in up here in uh little Stuart Home School based out of Lexington. Or Frankfurt, Stewart Home School's in uh Frankfurt. And then they've got uh they've got the uh they've got a team that was originally based out of um this place up the street here, the Mary Let Dunn School. I live I live over in the Kronbeck area, uh St. Mary's, which is a um a program that I was formerly affiliated with. They've got a delegation. And um there's a lot of them. I couldn't even tell you how many there are.

SPEAKER_05 51:18

So I didn't know that we were the only ones that was in the church, though. Now that church that he goes to, now this it they have a very I'm not a member of the church, I do coach there. I got kind of grandfathered in, but uh the you know the the interesting thing about Southeast Church is they have a very big handicap populace. So they've even got like when people go to church there. Uh I've been because of EMS runs and stuff, but they they actually have a little cafe kind of coffee shop that is run and they they bring on a whole lot of the special needs community that actually come out there and work in that coffee shop like before church or before they have uh they the various days, I guess, Bible studies and stuff like that. But they have these kids, young men and women that work this, and um it's really neat to see them work it because you're you're talking about the epitome of customer service. If you want you want to go to a coffee shop where you really get good customer service, you go there. Why? Because the handicapped community, they are astounding, and they know how to they know how to take good care of people, they really do, and that's it right about it before about uh the just the way that you you all don't see color, and that's what I think is the most remarkable about the handicapped and special needs is they are the most genuine people you will ever meet in your life. They literally do not see color, they don't see uh all they see is camaraderie and the goodness in in everyone, and they are so just astounding. You all are just you all are so amazing to watch and to be a and for me to be able to be a part of your life is really exceptional for me because I I've learned so much from the special needs community, just I and I think we would be in a far better place and we would treat each other better if we molded ourselves around people like this young man right here. That's just my opinion.

SPEAKER_01 53:33

I feel the same way too. And one thing I would like to mention as far as the shine ministry that Southeast has, if anybody here has a special needs relative or child or has guardianship or custody of a special needs individual that's in the local area, if you all would like to send them to like a summer camp or something, Southeast has one of those up in Hendryville, Indiana, that we sponsor at the Country Lake Christian Tree called Camp Freedom. I have actually been going to Camp Freedom for a while. It's a Saturday through Monday event, and we have um it's one of the places where we um get to experience summer camp for those who haven't really had the chance to. We've got a handicap accessible uh stuff for them to do, like for those of the wheelchairs. Uh we got zip lining, we have horseback riding, we get to go swimming, a lake and a little makeshift beach. Um we do archery. Some of us do axe throwing, and one night we get to like on the Sunday night, we're up there, we get to do like they put you into teams and they do like a little a skit with your team. And um we also have a worship, we have worship hour every uh every afternoon in those days. And what they do as far as sleeping arrangements, they have these little these little buildings and they're like makeshift college dorms. Like they have bunk beds, they have bunk beds up there, and um so if anybody, I would strongly encourage those who have anybody that has special needs that has never been to camp or a summer camp before with special needs, I would consider, I would um strongly encourage those of you to look into uh Camp Freedom through Southeast Christian Church, or maybe even those who would like to volunteer. Uh I would encourage those who like to volunteer to camp to consider volunteering because it's it's really I've had several volunteers actually tell me that was truly an eye-opening experience. Some of them even told me, um, one person even said, you know, it brought him to tears seeing every single one of these guys have guys and girls have so much fun. And um that's one of the biggest lessons in my life is um sharing the world with a special needs community. So that's something to think about.

SPEAKER_05 56:11

Nick yeah, and he and he goes to every one of them, and they do dances and and all that stuff.

SPEAKER_01 56:17

The Shinefall Festival, which uh originally started out as an adult prom, and I've got a um, I do have a um picture, if I may, of it on my shelf.

SPEAKER_05 56:29

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 56:30

Well no that is that is actually being that's actually beach night. Uh young lady I took um on uh hula night they had it. One uh it used to be a um it was really started out as a uh as a prom. And I remember I've been there the very first year I had it. And if I may, I'm not sure if um we can zoom back out. There's a picture right here I had for the very first night. This was the uh first night, the very first year we had it.

SPEAKER_04 57:04

And um I love that hat.

SPEAKER_01 57:07

Thank you. That was actually the hat that uh I wore in my senior prom. The suit, however, was a rental. So and we um that's one of my favorite nights. Uh favorite times of the year is for people to get together and experience a dance that people don't get experienced real often.

SPEAKER_05 57:28

So heck yeah. So we've gone to it. You've definitely gone to a bunch of dances, that is for sure. Now, here's another picture uh where you're kind of you're looking kind of dapper. I'm not sure where you were going, but uh you look pretty dapper in that fit. Yeah, almost look a little mobbish, like you know, you're gonna go handle some business. That um so tell me about this photo. Like, where were you going? I love your fedora. Like tell us a little bit about it.

SPEAKER_01 57:56

That will that this would have been it last year's at Shine Fall Festival. That um that cane I got on Amazon, um, that medal I have on my chest is my outstanding citizenship medal. I'm uh through the Kentucky Colonels. I'm a I'm a colonel. That ring uh that you see my finger, that's actually a piece of wrestling merch that my friend Jay De Niro, who's a fellow Italian, his um gimmick is an Italian mob boss. He made a set of these for like he made a set of like 25 of them. And I said, I shall have 50 bucks and I said, Hey, can I purchase one? He said, he said, yeah, sure, it costs 50 bucks. I said, shut up and take my money, Godfather. So that was um that was um that was at last year's Shine Prom. Or should I say it's now the Shinefall Festival. We uh chased it into a fall festival, you know, like festival games, dancing. Um it's it's so special. It's our it got so big that they actually had to have it at that night. They had to spread out through all the southeast locations. Etown, the southwest. Uh blanket maker was the one I go to. Um it got so big, uh, so popular that you and I even I couldn't believe how big and popular this event had. So but it was um it was something.

SPEAKER_05 59:33

So it's really definitely a very large church. The main campus, anyway, where he's talking is it's huge. It's yeah, it's like it it almost feels like you're going to the fair. It's so ginormous. They've got how many buildings have they got there? Besides the the actual church.

SPEAKER_01 59:49

I mean, it's that I would say uh gyms is huge. They got the gym, the teen center, the main tabernacle, which is connected to the event hall. I think at least four of them. And then they got the softball fields out back, and then they've got uh then they got an office building, so it's I would say four, maybe five. I'll have to go back and count.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:12

But yeah, it's it's huge. And uh like he said, they've got they've got baseball fields. They got what one, two, three, four.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:21

Three of them, three of them, yeah. It's about the size of a it's about the size of a the whole campus, it's about the size of a small college or a small um.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:31

Well, they got three major fields, but five total. They got the two in the back, which are really tiny. I've never seen anybody really even use them, not really even sure why they still have them. And then they got saying volleyball courts.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:44

They've got, I mean, it's a it's a huge place.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:47

I would say the total amount of land that you can fit you can fit back to season goes there, and you build party, and you would still have room for one more hospital building, like the Center for Women and Children hospital down there. You can fit all four of those hospitals right on this property. That's that's how big it's huge. That's how big the blanket bear. That's how big the blanket bearer conference is the the uh complex for southeast to land is that's how big it is. You can fit all four of the major all four of the major hospitals on that piece of property. And no, I'm not no, I am not being uh no, I'm not um I'm not being traumatic. I literally mean you could. So I'm not I'm not elaborating or anything here. You could literally fit all four of the major hospitals here.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:40

Now, what was this picture? Was this picture at Shine 2? Where you're you're because I didn't know that you were uh you did some instruments.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:48

I am a percussionist. This one was at the Best Buddies Buddy Walk, Best Buddha's Kentucky and uh my friend Michael Bush, who has down to drum, isn't a band, and I play this band. Those are my conga drums, and I took drum lessons for about two and a half years at mom's music with a young lady named Jenny Yates, who was a professional women's drummer who has since gone back to touring, and so that's where I learned about drumming at, and uh she said she wanted to go back to touring that Christmas. I got uh my first set of congas, which are the drums you see in that picture. And uh that's later that year in that spring in April, Michael's dad said, Hey, I heard you got a drum set, I heard you've been practicing. Um, we're adding a conga set. Could you be available to come play with us at Home of the Innocents? Um on like a tryout here in a couple of weeks. And I said, have drums, we'll travel. So I uh sat in with them and I went along with it. I improved. The rest is well, that was back in 20, it would have been back in April 2015, actually. And the rest is history. So basically, to sum them all up, I'm an artist, I'm a YouTuber, I'm an advocate, I'm a journalist, uh, photographer, professional wrestling fan, um, advocate, big brother, literally and figuratively. Um great uncle, I'm a I'm a serious thing. I'm a fun uncle, I'm a um I'm an outdoorsman, a fisherman, an athlete, musician, a jack of all trades, and no gimmicks needed, no questions asked. So, pretty much if you ask what I do, I'll just say yes.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:54

So, well, now we're gonna get into what I know is hit probably one of his favorites, obviously, is the wrestling scene that we talked started to talk about earlier. Let's kind of we'll kind of dive into that because he is definitely very passionate about the the whole wrestling scene. He's he's done in even the minor leagues all the way up to the majors. I mean, it's he he he covers the whole parameter, he's met so many of these different people. And of course, like like we already showed this picture earlier. I mean, this young lady here, he I mean, he even wrote he he wrote kind of a a story about her. I mean, he's it was an yeah, it was and it was a remarkable read. But uh, tell that again, real quick, for those who maybe came in late. We'll kind of retouch on this again.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:46

This young lady that you see in the picture, I'm gonna start off with her name is Sophia Rose. And uh the picture you see uh with me and her was with that belt on is the night she won that belt. Back in February 2019, she had suffered a um a devastating uh stroke and she almost died. Um she um during her recovery, she had to relearn everything that she already knows since birth how to talk, how to walk, how to breathe, how to eat, how to read. Um basically she had a it was like being reborn again. And she originally wanted to be a pilot and a well, she had two dreams a pilot flying airplanes, or a cheerleader for me for a NFL team. Well, while she was in recovery, um her dad, who was a um uh fan of pressure wrestling, and they would watch it when she was in uh when she was in recovery, and that's that's that's when she decided that's what she wanted to do. Well, um, fast forward to this to this night, um, I became friends with her mother, who's a um a fellow equestrianist, uh horse owner. My mother and I we actually owned a couple horses, and I believe her mother and I became connected uh on a Clyde deal page somehow.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:23

Oh, no doubt.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:24

And um that's how I met Sophie uh through the horse scene and through the um Professor Wrestling scene. Fast forward to March 49th, 2025, which is the night that picture was taken. Uh she was facing a she was facing the champion at that time, J-Rod. Um, and she had just won uh Sophie had just won a no more contenders match three nights before on OVW's um weekly TV TV show called OVW Rise, which airs every Thursday, which you can catch live as it happens every Thursday at OVW's YouTube channel or on the uh fight TV streaming app. And uh which is also where the premium events take place on the TV show. Well, anyway, it's March Mayum, 2025 at the Hot Point Davis Arena, 4400 Shepherdsville Road, which is, in my opinion, one of the if not the best independent professional wrestling venue in all the professional wrestling Howl Grounds, and they say it's the the home of tomorrow supergrows today. You fast forward this match is probably the fourth or fifth one of the card out of a total of eight. The champion um enters first, followed by Sophia, who's a challenger, and uh the champion enters to a moderate response. Then Sophia's music hit, the whole place stands up and she walks down, and you can tell everybody in the arena is solemnly behind her, wanting her to win after hearing her story. This young lady came back to life, literally worked her ass off to come back to life six years later, plus an eight eight minutes to change the total match time. The match goes on, and uh she uh the one, two, three is counted, and Sophia. Oh my gosh. And I apologize if I try to get choked up here, but no, you're hurting, bud. We um there was no dry eye in the arena that night, no other match of the night that had happened or was yet to come mattered because people were obviously wanted to see her win this title, and uh I'm proud to say not just her, but several of the of the superstars I met there that I've interacted with, some of whom I've interviewed have become, you know, that I've become aligned with and that I've become friends with. I'm proud to say that they're my heroes, my friends, my inspirations. Um and they believe because we believe, and we believe because they believe. It's and everyone I've everyone I've interacted with down there, be it the fans or the superstars, the referees, the agents, they've all been very, very polite, respectful. Um, I've even had the honor of meeting uh some of these stars' families, like Sophia's bomb, um Donovan the Man with Cecil, his mother, Chaka Tony Gunn. I met his wife and his daughter, the families, um the fans of their families. It's it's like a um, it's like we're all connected in one way or another, and uh for that professional wrestling is also I know we mentioned it's one of my passions, if not my main passion. Professional wrestling is one of my uh coping strategies, it's where I can like as soon as I walk into that arena, every single one of my problems gets left in the door. It's a place where I can go or something I can watch to escape the troubles of the world. And uh, I was reading an article that said those who suffer from mental health need to watch professional wrestling because the cheering, the jeers, and the rest of the wrestling community is a way to escape your troubles, and it also uh helps me release some excess energy chanting, like chanting the name of your favorite wrestler or cheering or erupting with the crowd when a major when a major move happens, and somebody jumps off the ladder through a through a um and drives their body off the ladder through an opponent in the table, and the old place just you know culminates in a big tier. That helps me cope with my problems. The one thing I will stress though is you should not try this at home for any reason because these guys are trained for traper, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:48

They're trained for the fruit, you gotta be tough, you gotta be rough and tough. It's uh it's not it's definitely very aggressive sport, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 1:11:56

I know these men and women they train for years, thousands of hours of practice, you know, with choreographed, but the other thing is when you uh sign up to train, you're not only uh signing up to um to uh entertain people, but you're also inheriting a risk of injury. And when you when you sign up to train, you're also subsequently inheriting the risk because no matter what sport you do, whether it's softball, there's always a risk for injury out there. Oh yeah, and um, you know, they um they have um, but I do know there are trained medical professionals on standby in case at any any and all these events, because in case something goes wrong and somebody needs medical attention, whether they're I don't care if it's Special Olympics, it doesn't matter if it's the NBA, the NFL, the FIFA World Cup, Major League Baseball, WWE, OVW, or what have you. There should always be medical professionals on standby because, like I said, you're inheriting the risk of injury, no matter what sport it is, whether it's an actual sport like football or sports entertainment in the professional wrestling world.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:31

Now, my cousin, she was um she was in the movie, I think it was called Wrestler. Uh it was a documentary shot about the I think it was the OCW, the one with Al Snow, who runs.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:43

Oh, we I think that the Netflix.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:45

You were actually in that movie when I watched it after it came out, because my my cousin, she was the photographer for that. Okay, I watched it, and you were actually you you and several of the other special needs that uh kids that I've learned and met through Soaky were actually there to watch that show, I think.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:06

I've seen some of them too. I've seen Hayden, I've seen Rihanna, but I have I've yet to see myself. Do you remember?

SPEAKER_05 1:14:12

I think I saw you. Um, I'm almost positive. I know Hayden, I know I saw him for sure, but I'm pretty sure you were in the background in one of the shots. It was quick, but I'm pretty sure I'm pretty sure I remember seeing you.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:24

I'm pretty sure if you say it was me, I'm pretty sure it was me. If I was there, I was there.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:29

I'll have to go back and look for it because I know I know I'm pretty sure you were there. Yeah. That one one because they they had they were filming it while they were wherever their uh place is in it's Ohio Valley Wrestling, isn't it? Yes, yes, yeah, yeah, that's what I thought. So but Al Snow, which he used to be very popular back when I was younger. Um Al Schnow, you know, who who what do you want? Head, and he held up this mannequin head that had helped me road on the forehead.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:58

Yeah, he was awesome.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:59

He was one of my favorites.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:00

What does everybody want? What does everybody need? What does everybody love and need?

SPEAKER_05 1:15:03

And it was head, head, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:06

So there was one. I remember there was one time he actually came out with a uh there was a controversial storyline WWE did with him. They put him in a feud with the big boss man, and instead of the mannequin head, he brought out of his chihuahua pepper. And the storyline goes was um a storyline went, Big Boss Man kidnapped the dog. The dog was fine, it was just a storyline. But the one thing that my that ticked my mother off over her protest of me watching wrestling was where they had uh they uh supposedly had Al Snow eat something, and it was supposed to be a a dish. The big boss man had uh had butchered the dog, cooked it, offended Al Snow, and when Al Snow found out um and it didn't really happen when he got sick, and that's when they that's when that's when all hell broke loose backstage on camera.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:08

Right.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:10

That actually pissed off a lot of people. Like it like the like the Humane Society of the United States and a couple animal activists, they sent a bunch of off-scene letters to the WWE. They sent a lot of letters, like especially animal activists. They sent some off-scene emails. One guy one guy even, I understand, tried to march into the WWE headquarters in Stanford, Connecticut, and marched directly into Fitzman's office because he was so pissed. I'm like, it was um the um in my opinion, I understand the storylines, but that should not have happened, but it's uh it's um it's one of my passions was um professional wrestling.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:01

But oh heck yeah. Now let me show you this photo here. This is so you you obviously you're up on current events, which I'm not. Um however, like these guys here, I remember these guys.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:15

The four horsemen, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:17

That's right. I remember the four horsemen, uh, for sure. And uh sadly, Chris Benoit, uh the one at the bottom right corner, is uh fed passed away, sadly.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:29

I remember that I remember when that story broke, and the one uh that's standing directly behind him is a former Chicago Bear who was on the Super Bowl championship team in 1985, Steve Mongol McMichael. And the the other two uh on the opposite side of the picture, the one uh next to Crispin was the enforcer, double A. Arn Anderson, and the gentleman uh standing above him in the green robe is Nature Boy Rick Flair. So those two gentlemen are the two of the four founding members of the original four horsemen because there's been many versions. Um several other members have been members of the four horsemen. You've had uh the original four were Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, and Rick Flair. Then their manager was James J. Dylan, and then you had um uh Barry Windham come through to be uh to be a member. Brian Pillman and Dean Malinka were former members of the horseman too.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:37

But um oh yeah, I remember.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:39

I would say the when it comes to wrestling deaths, the two wrestling the there's actually four deaths of Professor Wrestlers that absolutely brought me to my knees.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:53

Owen Hart was one of them, I guarantee.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:55

Owen Hart.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:56

That was Owen Hart.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:57

Owen Hart was the very first one, and that was actually an accident. Yeah, that was a sad accident. That's never that should never take place. Uh they should have won.

SPEAKER_05 1:19:07

He was good, wasn't he? He was really a good he was a good wrestler. He put on a good show. He was a good him and his brother both, you know. Which one and his brother obviously was still doing it, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:19

I mean, they had Owen and all his brothers did Brad Hart, Smith Hart, Dean Hart, uh Bruce Hart. Um, but the other deaths that actually broke me were um Eddie Guerrero, Latino Heat himself.

SPEAKER_05 1:19:37

He um that was the one too.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:40

Then you had uh fast forward to the 2020s, back in 2020, we had Luke Harper pass away, and uh he was probably one of the biggest stars coming out of Ring of Honor under the name Brody Lee. Came to WWE to join the Wyatt family under the name Luke Harper, and then went over to AEW under his ROH name Brody Lee. And then two years ago we lost Bray Wyatt, which was and he was the uh a second generation wrestler, the son of Barry Wyndham, who I mentioned before, and both um all four of these to shock the um wrestling world, and the other I would say there was another wrestling death, which he was an older guy that actually brought me to tears was Dusty Rhodes.

SPEAKER_05 1:20:38

Oh, yeah, that's a yeah, that was a big one.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:41

And um I remember using a quote of his that I did in my mental health recovery speech. When it when it comes to uh when it comes to hope, that quote was get a dream, hold on to it, and feed for the sky. And that's and that is my purpose in life. You know, if I have a dream, I hold on to it. The sky's the limit, the sky's the limit, and I encourage those of you who have dreams to hold on to them and pursue them. If you have a passion or something, pursue that, shoot for the sky. And in the words of uh Jimmy V, Jim Valvano, don't give up, don't ever give up. That's that's why I encourage all of you who are viewing. If you've got if you or a loved one have a goal in your life, if you have a dream, pursue it, don't give up on it, hold on to it, and as Dusty said, shoot for the sky. And I encourage you all to do the same.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:55

So now I've got a question, but it's in the form of this photo. So you will you you'll see it, you'll know it, and then you can answer. Try me. That's a that's a tough one right here. Name your top five favorite wrestlers of all time. That's a tough one. That's rough.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:21

Two of the top five are in this picture. I think uh The Undertaker will be my number one.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:30

He was badass, wasn't he?

SPEAKER_01 1:22:32

My number two as far as influences will be uh the one directly below his title belt, Shawn Michaels. The one the one doing this with his legs stretched out. Oh, yeah. As far as um my other three, uh put me on the spot, ain't you? John Cena's gotta be up there. Um number four would probably be uh even though he's not mentioned on there. I know this may be controversial. Um Hulk Hogan, and then number five.

SPEAKER_05 1:23:19

Yeah, Hulk Hogan was awesome. I mean he he pretty much he was uh one of the pioneers of this.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:26

I would say as far as number five, as far as dedication, even though he's not on here, we'll probably be uh probably be any guerrilla in that order from one to five.

SPEAKER_05 1:23:47

No doubt.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:48

But as far as the superstar I actually have the most respect for, there really is only one answer, and he's the most legendary of them all, regardless of who anybody says. The one I will always have the unlimited respect for would be Undertaker because Yeah, he was badass, dude. I mean, you go you ask any of the any of the talent who's wrestled with him, no matter what promotion you're in, no matter what decade, the fans. There was one uh like in like the 2000s when he came back as his dead man character, right? Especially for like 2005 to 2003 2013 area, when he would come back, he would get on the microphone. I noticed the fans would stand, and uh the fans would usually make noise for other stars when they were talking to the mic. But I remember one, I remember I went to an episode of SmackDown, it was in I think it was in Lafayette, Indiana. Me and uh one of my friends went. Under Taylor came out to do a promo, and uh the only time the fans actually cheered was when he was making his entrance and when he would pause for just a brief moment. But when he was talking, the fans were quiet because that's how much respect we had for him, and um everyone in the locker room who's done an interview on him said um that he was no matter who held the heavyweight championship at the time, the Undertaker was always the leader in the locker room, and uh he'd be telling people, hey, um, next time you do this, don't ever let me catch you do that again. Or go change your outfit, it's disrespectful. And uh people said, you know, professionally and personally, you want to listen to it because the last person you would want to show any kind of disrespect to Mr. Undertaker, personally or professionally. And I and I fully believe it. And I've I've never interact. I mean, I've met WWE stars before. I met Big Show, I've met uh he's cool. I met uh and he's big. Big, big. I actually man. There's a picture of me somewhere with him.

SPEAKER_05 1:26:33

I tried to look for it, but I couldn't, I didn't see it. Now I may have walked over it because you got so many photos, but I was trying to find it because I'd seen it before.

SPEAKER_01 1:26:40

It was at the it was at the Carl Casparado show back in 2014. My uncle, my uncle, who was a street rod collector, he built a show, he built a car, and he actually got um I did it in a in the Carl Casparado show that week was the Scar Club. It took me weeks to get the one where they had big. I didn't even care about the restaurant. I waited in line for about four hours from the time the doors opened until I got in line, like as soon as the doors opened to be big show on I waited in line for about four hours and that one particular line to be big show on. I was with in I was in like the first two or three hundred people, and by the time I got up, because he was only gonna be there for like five hours, and by the time he got there, I look back and I can and I can tell a lot of these people ain't gonna ain't gonna get a chance to see him because he's only gonna be there for like a like another hour and a half. So I got my picture with him, I gotta shake his hand, and let me tell you one thing, his hand literally swallowed my hand whole, and I thought I had big hands, but this guy Yeah, he is a massive dude, man.

SPEAKER_05 1:27:47

He is huge.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:48

People said people said his um people said his hands are about the size about about the size of a jumbo size.

SPEAKER_05 1:28:00

catcher's mitt it's about the size of a frying pan if it's wide open like this and it literally close around my hand close around my hand he didn't even have to fully engulf in it swallowed my hand whole and that's how that's how big this guy is i remember when he first debuted in www 7 foot two 500 and now he's he's gone down just a little bit he's like he has some kind of surgery and now he's had like six ten maybe six eleven now he's lost a lot of the way he's down like three something but just the size of these guys even though just even though I'm just standing and I'm no small fan myself I'm about five eight and a quarter and I'm I'm about three uh I'm about three six I think you froze there you go there you go I thought I thought I lost you for a second it froze up no it's not your fault technology bud well miss valor she even mentioned cane kane was you know the undertaker his story was really awesome and and when he was doing his documentary and stuff he mentioned cane and and he was like yeah you know to the undertaker cane was probably one of the one of the the guys that he admired the most at least it seemed that way through his documentary you know that was one of my favorite storylines it was as far as favorite storylines it would have been uh Austin versus Mr Man Undertaker vs Kane Eddie Guerrero versus Rey Mysterio Daniel Bryan triple H and then uh back in the Azure era when um D Generation X invaded WCW I'll never get I'll never get it was a it was a Monday night raw it was it was a Monday night and uh both shows were taking place in Virginia one was taking place in Richmond the Monday Night Raw was in Richmond Virginia and on that exact same night WCW Monday Night Show was taking place up just up the road in in Norfolk Virginia D Generation X with triple H uh China the new age outs and Xbox they decided to steal to hijack a military jeep and invade uh WCW's turf and and and they're they're going into Norfolk scope and they're they decided to that pissed a lot of people and Ted Turner's people Ted Turner's company off gotta rest the soul apparently turner broadcasting sent WWE a letter so what the hell did you guys do?

SPEAKER_01 1:30:41

But um and that's another bad loss was China she she passed away too she passed away very young yeah you know there's a lot of the women wrestlers they get they get enough respect now but they need more of it and I'm glad they're starting to get more inclusive but I'd say you have to be my I name my top five males but I'd say my top uh five uh women's wrestlers oh yeah I didn't ask that number one would be Trish Stratus number two would be number one number two are actually close number one would be Trish Stratus number two would be Lita China will be number three number four would be uh AJ and number five would be Sable yeah I like Sable you know um coincidentally enough her husband uh Brock Lesnar Brock Lesnar OBW he's a beast he's a big dude too man I wouldn't fuck with him I remember I remember seeing him and OBW like my very first ob show he him and shown benjamin both will go to WWE they were a tag team called the Minnesota stretching crew and I could tell it was it was a sort of Brock Lesnar and Shona Benjamin were taking we're taking on two uh fellow OEW alumni that later came to ww at the time uh they were under two names John Cena when he was under the name the prototype and Batista when he was under the name Leviathan that match I mean I'm not sure which one I was more intimidated of Batista or Brock Lesnar because of their size Batista when he was his Leviathan character oh my god I'm like I'm like this guy looks like something out of your nightmares Brock Lesnar however he looked like if he even if he were to like touch your head like this your head would go flying but oh yeah he was a bee but um these guys you know their size it's size of muscle sometimes is a technical ring or technical moves but um I respect every single one of them so but we um one of my passions so also I want to take a moment I'm gonna give a shout out to a couple people if that's okay sure um sure go ahead I want to I want to give a shout out to um I want to give a shout out to my mother Lana Prophet mom if you see this I'm pretty sure you're gonna get this but I love you and I'm gonna your baby boy's making you proud I also want to give a shout out to uh special olympics um not just here in Kentucky but special olympics worldwide I want to give a shout out to Bridgehaven mental health services shout out to Ohio Valley Wrestling I want I want to give a shout out to an organization another organization I've been involved with called Murph the Assistance Emergency Resource Foundation I am a former board member of theirs in the media department I've never I didn't know about that I've never heard of that that's interesting for more information on Murph go on to murfrocks.com and you can find more about it is that M E R F M-E-R-F- Um and uh McCurio's music wrestle bar formerly Pete's place heights point I want to give them a shout out with Matt McCurio Tony McCurio's cousin actually um he owns that bar um mom's music store uh Jin Yates Mark Maxwell the Lobal Crashers and Maxwell's house of music so some of these uh guys I'm affiliated with well heck yeah buddy so and then um one more shout out if I wish to if if I may go ahead Southeast Christian church and the Shire Ministry um if you guys if you guys like I said if you guys have anybody in the lawyer with a disability I would like to have some fun activities if if anybody here has someone that has a disability that's not involved with Special Olympics yet I strongly consider you looking at Southeast because we're more we're more family oriented than other teams that do it that are more more just for competition. So you'll never find a greater group of people who treat who um treat each other with the most compassion sportship that we do.

SPEAKER_05 1:35:40

So that is a fact right there and go ahead and uh take a second to plug yourself plug uh plug your your podcast that you do uh tell everybody a little bit about that what's the name of it where can they find you and then of course you know share any other information if you want people to find you and you're okay with it share what you feel comfortable with sharing well for those of you who are wondering about my show look up my you go to YouTube uh you can find my channel rhino talk that is spelled capital R Capital H Capital I capital N capital O capital T lowercase a l k for the exclamation point and you can find that show uh on my YouTube channel the artful rhino and uh do you have a do you have a logo for that uh I as far as a logo if you look at my profile picture it is me uh walking the big fort bridge downtown with downtown lobo in the background and I face the camera and you got the Ohio River the downtown mobile skyline in the back so and then for um but as far as anyone uh who would like who would like you know drop me subscribe um ring that notification bell hit me up with the comments of any any of my um any of my interviews and um my um my show if you've got if you have something you like doing and if you do something for the that's positive and for the good here in Louisville community leaders artists activists uh athletes um community leaders um small business owners um people who uh do fundraisers teachers coaches uh life coaches if you uh are any of these categories or if you uh are the founder of like a fundraiser or something I want to talk to you I know I've I mentioned um I did Matt McCurio oh musicians too I forgot that um mapurio was my pilot my very first interview and uh then after that I did um I interviewed Jeremy and Becky Seabold their um husband and wife and they're a front group they're the front couple of a prank of a band outsellers we're gonna end up called the rumors shout out to Jeremy and Becky shout out Jeremy and Becky and the rumors um um if uh you do something like that I want to talk to you but the one thing I one thing I will refrain from strictly on my channel is I refrain from politics because it's not something I really not something I like to talk about because you know it's yeah too stressful. But it is and you you in any way in this day and age you can't win for losing so it's best just to not even talk about it. I know I think anyway I'm kind of like you it's just what's the you know it's just it brings on unnecessary headaches that you don't need I know I know but if you you know have any if you're involved in the community in any way for the positive I want to talk to you you know if you have even if you have an interesting uh if you have like an interesting story you like to tell and you use that story to your advantage to spread the good in the community as LA Mice said let me talk to you so that's right and I uh and I agree with you I feel the same way you know any businesses that are out there that want to be on a show uh you know especially local businesses mom and pop shops those are the ones I want to talk to because those are the ones that don't get as you know that they they're behind the eight ball when they're trying to run their business and grow their business it's it's uh it's hard when you're in competition with these global conglomerates like Walmart's and and targets and and all that stuff that have you know a plethora of stores all across the United States it's very hard to compete with that so uh I definitely am kind of like you yeah let's get if you've got a small business and you want to talk about your business then give me a shout and we'll do a show and we'll let you brag and talk about your business and get and try to help give you that leg up that you're not gonna get from unless you go and get it yourself. By all means but I'm so glad that you wanted to do this bud and you you were uh definitely one of them that was on my list when I thought about this because you're very articulate when you speak you you you you are very informative and um since you have that you were fortunate enough you have that ability um this this made you a really good candidate to do this so I'm really blessed to know you and I'm really glad that you wanted to be on my show and I'm proud of all the accomplishments you've done since you've been I've been with you through basketball softball I mean bowling all of these things like when I started with you years and years ago there's a whole lot of uh adversity we had to go through and and grow and and and become better at these sports and you have shown consistent improvement um all the way up to now so I'm I I'm glad that you're on my team I'm glad that I get to know you the way that I do so I'm very blessed to have you on this show buddy I love you man I love you a lot well feelings mutual you're a you're a you're a stellar dude man stellar so there you have it folks I guess we can get ready to wrap this up but again the you know rhino's got his own talk rhino talk uh search for it on YouTube like he said while you can check him out on Facebook and all that good stuff um and he's just he's just an all-around good dude shout out to bridgehaven because bridgehaven does great work and this this young man right here is uh he's a prime example of of how good they do so I'm glad that bridgehaven existed for you even that place that you talked about which I didn't know about until we did the show but uh you when you went for that week um Lincoln Trail uh Lincoln Trail up in up in e town uh because the whole suicidal thoughts or auditions and stuff like that they they do obviously great work too because that week that he spent there is after that he hasn't you haven't had any issues with or thoughts of wanting to harm yourself and I'm glad that you don't because the world needs you in it so checking out early would do the world a injustice so you bring very good positive vibes to people and uh this world needs positivity so I'm glad that you're I'm glad that you got help so I'm proud of you I didn't know that story bye Val thanks for stopping in honey um but tip my hat off to Val. Val's a lady that is in every show that I do she is very supportive um and she's very interactive and I like that about her but also shout out to Wolf from Wolf Ver Records and podcast she um she's probably doing something else at the moment but she dropped in to say hi too and uh she's a good friend and she's got a good show to people to check out if they will so want to so but other than that uh thanks for Pamela Little dropping in Miss Janice Schmidt for dropping in I've I greatly appreciate Miss Janice I just met her not too long back but she has been incredibly supportive since I've met her so and just to let you know um you can find his video it will be on my YouTube um I'm at bones uh 42323 on YouTube it is this was also broadcast on my Facebook uh business page which is bones enterprises llc period that's my Facebook page this was broadcast live on that as well as YouTube and lastly we were also live on kick which I don't have a huge following yet on kick but apparently kick was pretty popular and it it also allows me to kind of hit some of the uh younger crowd as well so and I think the younger crowd there may be some people out there that would benefit from hearing stories and and from people like yourself that have gone through such adversities and I have no idea I have no idea what kick is I've heard some people talk about it I need to look that up kind of like twitch but it's another version of kind of like twitch I want to oh you don't even know twitch I'm surprised man my old ass knows something you don't know I'm not I'm not I'm not that I'm not that too familiar with online I I mean I Twitch and kick are kind of gaming platforms so you have a lot of videos where people will watch people you know do the video gaming but but they do podcasts and other stuff so I'm told so that's what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_01 1:45:16

I've got I only got Facebook and I got YouTube. I used to have a I used to have what's called Twitter right or I guess it's called X now but I only used it now yeah and I still have that only I only got on it maybe like maybe like three times in a matter of the 10 years I had it the third time was the final time I went on to delete it. I was still getting emails like I never got on it so I went on it the third time and I just deleted it.

SPEAKER_05 1:45:41

I said screw this I'm like I get a Facebook run I do Twitter which was you know a lot easier to understand so so well you uh you definitely say hi to your mama for me when you talk to her and she'll be able to pull this up and watch it late like I say she can find it on YouTube. Um the the emblem obviously you know what my logo looks like but also above your head I don't know if you can see it but uh for all of those there that is the new logo that I came up with for my special needs version of this podcast so if you're not into music but you still are very into hearing people like Matt here talk about the trials and tribulations of their life then you look for that logo because all of that is a special needs edition of the podcast and that's where you'll find people like Matt and can be inspired by his story and of everything come by and listen to us come by and listen to us people there's a lot of people out here that want their story for her and bones will help share their story as he's doing mine. That's what I'm trying to do buddy and I'm so glad to have you on here bud and uh and I know I won't see you Sunday because you're gonna be gone I know this Sunday you won't be at practice but you know I look forward to seeing everybody else at practice on Sunday I will be at OVW's Davis Arena watching some of the guys and girls down there I'll go watching some slamming and bang. That's gonna be a good time and then I've got vacation that's in the pipelines coming up so do you so it looks like we've got we've got everything well you know I have to sneak in a suitcase or something awesome well everybody I guess that wraps up for us everybody be safe bones you take care thank you very much for having me on and cheers buddy this is uh this is the rhino uh the art for rhino saying horns up show up horns out show out so that's right baby you heard it here straight from rhino himself thanks again rhino I appreciate it I appreciate you having on the show buddy I love you very much man and thanks everybody for tuning in and listening to his story uh it will eventually be uploaded to Buzz Sprout um I I kind of got month limitations so I'm playing catch up but uh it won't be long I would imagine his show will eventually air on Spotify Apple Podcast Amazon all of those good things plus there's like 12 others I've never even heard of he's going to be on all of those podcasting platforms as well but it will probably be in June when I when that drops so um so be on the lookout sometime in June you'll your episode will be uploaded to all that and then people that have Spotify could listen to you if they're drive driving in the car they could listen to your story. Awesome so all right well again rhino power there it is there's the rhino gotta love it love the nickname it fits you you're the only rhino I care to know and I love you to death buddy thanks bones appreciate it all right ladies and gentlemen well that's going to be a wrap thanks again for tuning in to Bones Unfiltered Podcast is special needs edition featuring my boy here rhino and uh definitely give likes and give follows to his podcast my podcast you you you already know where it is it doesn't cost anything to give likes and follows and subscribes please click those buttons because all of those clicks and help us grow numbers and and and help us reach other people and that way we can reach people that may be interested in stories of the special needs because I know there's got to be people like me that's why I wanted to do a special needs podcast is because they these men and women that are in my life through special olympics are very remarkable outstanding people. And I they don't get to tell their stories and I think people need to hear that or at least people that that are curious and want to hear it you got people like Matt here who Can articulate that quite well.

SPEAKER_03 1:50:02

Spread the word like wildfire, baby. That's why you got to that's right, brother. Spread the word like wildfire.

SPEAKER_05 1:50:07

That's right. So until we meet again, that's this is Bones saying farewell, be good or be good at it. And there's Rhino. He's saying goodbye.

SPEAKER_00 1:50:19

Hashtag becon. Hashtag uh love y'all.

SPEAKER_05 1:50:24

That's right. And that's a wrap. Peace out, everybody.

SPEAKER_00 1:50:29

Peace out.

SPEAKER_05 1:50:30

Rhino. Thanks again, buddy.