Underdog

Travis Mills served in the Army 82nd Airborne and was sent on three tours to the Middle East. On his third deployment, a bomb exploded near him and he lost all four limbs. Recovery was difficult across multiple facets of his life but he decided to never give up and never quit. Today, he is a businessman, motivational speaker, author and philanthropist. In this episode:

• Trying out college but learning that the military was a better path forward
• Joining the Army 82^nd Airborne and going on three deployments
• Marrying his best friend’s sister and how they navigated long distance dating and marriage
• Best advice for young married couples before deployment … don’t call each other everyday! This will prevent mundane repetitiveness and dry conversation.
• Losing all four limbs by a bomb explosion during his third tour in Afghanistan
• Over 400 units of blood given to Travis on the operating table to save his life which is the most blood that has ever been given to someone in Afghanistan
• Overcoming the internal question, “Why didn’t I just die? How is this life better than death?”
• Why his wife decided to stick by his side through thick and thin
• Switching from questions of reasoning of his new reality to a mindset of “In it to Win it” for his wife and daughter
• Depending on nurses and family to help dress him, feed him, and assist him in the bathroom for the first five weeks
• No thoughts of suicide because he knew he could honor his fallen comrades by living his life to the fullest in memory of them
• Building the Travis Mills Foundation which helps injured veterans learn indoors and outdoors adaptive activities in Maine
• Living life with the motto, “Never give up. Never quit.”
• You can’t always control your situation, but you can control your attitude
• Writing the book Tough as They Come

You can learn more at travismills.org or find him on Instagram @ssgtravismills

Tracy Herbert was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes at 17 years old and her life dramatically changed forever. She chooses to not let diabetes control her lifestyle and is soaring to new heights within the diabetic community. Her most notorious accomplishment is biking over 3500 miles across the United States. In this episode:

• Diagnosed with Type I diabetes at 17 years old while fighting for her life in the ICU
• The stress and hopelessness that comes with a diabetes management regimen plan including the news that she will never have kids
• Deciding to be better or bitter
• How the flu was a catalyst to set her autoimmune disease into motion which initiated late onset, Type I Diabetes
• Why Type I diabetes patients need insulin shots multiple times a day and cannot live without it
• The partnership between a patient and doctor in improving treatment plans
• Mind. Mouth. Move.
• Becoming a diabetes coach and helping others thrive with this diagnosis
• Find Your Why is important
• Finishing a new “celebration” each decade including biking 3500 miles across the USA
• Hearing inspirational stories throughout the entire journey
• From San Francisco to Brooklyn and finishing on the Dr. Oz show
• Riding with no food and limited water and getting lost on a mountain while trying to maintain her blood sugar levels
• Speaking on stage and her goals for the future

You can find out more information at www.tracyherbert.com and you can email her at tracy@tracyherbert.com. Tune into her podcast, Your Diabetes Breakthrough.

www.scottkujak.com

Jerzy Gregorek is a World Record Weightlifting Champion. He grew up an alcoholic adolescent in communist Poland before weightlifting saved his life. Later, his wife and him fled to the USA and settled in Southern California where he began his personal training career. A few world championship titles later, he wrote "The Happy Body" which inspires millions worldwide on how to live a healthy and fulfilling physical and mental lifestyle. In this episode: 

• Learning obedience at an early age in war-torn and communist oppressed 1970s/1980s Poland
• Falling into alcoholism as an adolescent
• Entering the fire department at 19 years old
• How weightlifting saved his life from drinking
• Suffering temporary paralysis from a squatting accident
• Finishing high school at age 24
• Snatching 115kg at 132lbs
• Finding a best friend through strike and then losing him to torture and murder by the government
• “Truth, Love, and Forgiveness”
• Traveling through Europe as a refugee making his way to the US with his wife
• Bringing Olympic Weightlifting to Southern California
• Winning 4 World weightlifting championships
• Why the snatch lift is the purest form of power and his favorite exercise
• Starting the UCLA weightlifting team
• Forming The Happy Body and sharing his methods throughout the world
• “Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life.” Aligning with stoicism – our responsibility to become the best version of ourselves and serve the planet.

You can learn more about Jerzy and The Happy Body: https://thehappybody.com/

Discover more underdogs: https://scottkujak.com

Michael Cleveland was born blind but he knew he was born to be a fiddler at four years old. Described as “untouchable” by Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill, Michael was awarded the 2020 GRAMMY for Best Bluegrass Album - Tall Fiddler, and is the IBMA’s most awarded Fiddle Player of the Year with 12 wins, has won Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year 6 times, and fronts their 6-Time Instrumental Group of the Year. In this episode:

• Determined to be a fiddler player after hearing “Orange Blossom Special” on the fiddle at four years old
• Learning to play at the Kentucky School of the Blind
• Finding and refining passion for the fiddle every single day as a child
• “When you go to the school of the blind, you’re nothing special because everyone else is visually impaired, too.”
• The Grand Ole Opry, his favorite spot that he played in as a teenager
• Forming the band, Michael Clevelend and Flamekeeper, with musicians he grew up playing with
• Grammy award, 12 time Fiddle Player of the Year, 6 time Instrumental Group of the Year
• How Michael is trying to transform the stigma of bluegrass music by blending it with other music varieties

You can learn more about Michael & Flamkeeper at flamekeeperband.com as well as MC Flamekeeper on Facebook and Instagram

Karen Darke became paralyzed from the chest down in a climbing accident but became a Silver Medalist and Gold Medalist in the Paralympics representing England. In this episode:

• Growing up with a passion for rock climbing
• What happened during her climbing accident in Scotland?
• Running out of strength under an overhang and falling onto rocks below
• Waking up 3 days later and hearing that she is paralyzed from the chest down
• Her friend’s climbing accident death helped her live life to the fullest after her accident
• Removing herself from the mountains temporarily to heal emotionally
• Cycling through the Himalayan Mountains with friends for six weeks
• Kayaking from Vancouver to Alaska without transporting her wheelchair
• Crossing Greenland on a sit-skit
• Winning the Silver Medal in the 2012 Paralympics in her home country England
• Winning the Gold Medal in the 2016 Paralympics
• Breaking the land speed record at 41.86mph
• The number 79 and the Quest 79 mission – Find Your Inner Gold at the Pole of Possibility

You can learn more about Karen at karendarke.com and on Instagram @handbikedarke

Derek Stone grew up in small town Alabama and pursued a music career just after high school. His up-and-down journey brought him to Nashville where he made the difficult decision to give up music and start a construction business. Years later, he now runs a million dollar company and shares why he decided to forgive those who hurt him the most. In this episode:

• Growing up without his biological father
• Handling abuse from his stepfather as a teenager and blaming his father for the lack of protection
• Growing up in the Deep South learning how to fight, work, and live day-to-day
• Pursuing a music career and moving to Nashville
• Changing life directions and opening a business in construction
• Handling the unknown of his wife’s cancer diagnosis
• How a musician grew a construction business to over $1 million gross revenue per year
• Learning how to forgive his father and reestablish a relationship with him
• Publishing his book, “Why Should I Forgive?”

You can learn more about Derek at derekstone.online

We kickoff Season 3 with Amberley's Snyder return to rodeo after breaking her back and becoming paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident. In this episode:

• Why Amberley fell in love with horses during childhood
• All of the events in rodeo she competed in over the years and the championship belts she won
• How an accident left her paralyzed from the waist down
• Pushing through rehab and leaning on her family support system
• Getting back on the horse and what it was like the first day
• Returning to rodeo and competition
• Handling stardom and inspiring others through her competitive spirit
• Writing a book and helping Netflix produce a movie based on her story

You can learn more about her at amberleysnyder.org and on Instagram @Amberleysnyder

Maggie Seymour is an Intelligence Officer in the Marines. She has a mission to run across all 50 states to raise money for local charities. In this episode:

• Feeling inspired to join the Marines after her cousin lost his life in Iraq
• Her experience in boot camp as one of only a handful of women in her platoon
• Serving as an Intelligence Officer in the Marines for 10 years of active duty before transitioning to the reserves
• Serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait
• Hating the first mile she ever ran to running over 30 miles everyday across the United States
• Running is like a “Fine Scotch, it takes time to acquire the taste.”
• Running across the country and across different states gives her the chance to reconnect with a large chunk of the country that she never knew that she served during her deployments
• Selecting a different local organization to raise money for in each state she runs across
• Running through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama in less than three weeks with only one rest day
• Her favorite states and the most difficult states to run across
• The most interesting people she met? Rattlesnake hunters in New Mexico
• “We are our choices.”

You can discover more about Maggie at runfreerun.com and you can follow her on Instagram @runfreerunner

Adriane Fields is a survivor of rape and the founder of Rip the Bandage which helps the homeless, victims of abuse, and others within her community. In this episode:

• Challenged with paranoia after hearing of two rape and murder cases near her apartment complex
• Feeling like she would be the next one to be attacked
• Waking up in the middle of the night due to someone breaking into her apartment
• Surviving rape and escaping death from the man known as the “Bathtub Murderer”
• Losing her mind in the immediate aftermath
• Getting angry at God for a long time after the attack
• Finding healing in the therapeutic relief of sharing her story and talking with others
• Rip the Bandage – A nonprofit focused on helping less fortunate individuals like the homeless and victims of abuse
• The joy she experienced when her perpetrator was found and arrested
• Learning to remove the spirit of fear cast over her life
• The difference between teaching out of fear vs. teaching out of love
• “That was a fearless lion in baby mode. It’s time to roar, let’s go!”
• You can follow Adriane at https://ripthebandage.wixsite.com/rip2 or on Facebook @ Rip The Bandage

Tracy Schmitt was born a 4-way amputee. She learned how to become unstoppable at an early age and accomplish goals that most people would never even dare to try. In this episode:

• Over 15 million views for her video, “Nobody Left Behind”
• When you’re told no, respond with “How come?”
• Shoelace Leader
• Learning how to play with the neighbors in their yard
• The benefits of having a “tough love” mom
• Born limbitless
• Pursuing leadership development in developing countries
• Learning how to sail and overcoming multiple challenges
• Pursuing the Canadian Paralympic Sailing Team
• Driving to Miami, washing and waxing boats everyday, and living in her car for 3 months to pursue Magnus Liljedahl, Gold Olympian Sailor, as her coach and mentor
• How Tracy responded after years and years fo effort without selection to the Canadian Paralympic Team
• Becoming the #1 Female Transformational Leader
• No excuses, no limits

You can follow Tracy on Instagram @unstoppabletracy and learn more about her at unstoppabletracy.com

Ryan Harris won Superbowl 50 as a starting offensive lineman for the Denver Broncos. He retired after a long career in the NFL and inspires others throughout the world with his message of "I am, I can, I will." In this episode:

• The lessons in life that football taught Ryan
• “I became a better Muslim at Notre Dame.” Staying true to his faith through college.
• Overcoming three back surgeries during his football career
• The biggest failure during his time in the NFL: getting released in his fifth year because of arrogance
• Unwillingness is a blanket over arrogance
• Trying to win a championship with every fiber of his body and every action of his life
• Utilizing proper breathing techniques
• Winning Superbowl 50 with the Denver Broncos – What he believed became knowledge
• Receiving the Lombardi Trophy for the first time from Peyton Manning
• Transitioning to life as a broadcaster, motivational speaker, and a financial coach
• I am, I can, I will

You can find out more about Ryan at ryanharris68.com and you can follow him on Instagram @ryanharris_68

Mark Pattison played in the NFL for 5 years before he embarked on a journey to become the first NFL veteran to climb the 7 Summits. He completed 6 and has one more to go. In this episode:

• Becoming an All-American at WR and QB in high school, and playing WR at University of Washington
• Transitioning to college ball and playing against NFL talent in the Pac-10
• Getting drafted by the LA Raiders and playing in the NFL for 5 years
• How his career in the NFL translated to mountaineering
• Launching businesses after his career in international trade business
• Going through a messy divorce and deciding to become the first NFL veteran to climb the 7 summits
• Going from “How did I get here?” to “What am I going to do about it?”
• Stories of hardship on the tallest mountains in the world
• Almost getting to the top of Mt. Denali to make a decision for survival and turn around in -80 degree weather
• Preparing physically and mentally to go back to Denali and summit it successfully
• The only remaining mountain on Mark’s 7 Summits List: Mt. Everest
• Mark’s podcast, Finding Your Summit Podcast, which interviews people who have overcome extreme adversity to find the highest level of achievement
• It takes a little more to become a champion

You can follow Mark at markpattisonnfl.com and @markpattisonnfl on IG and Twitter.

Chelesa Fearce grew up homeless in Atlanta throughout high school. Even in the midst of that hardship, she was a dedicated student and graduated as the valedictorian of her class. She is pursuing a dual degree in medicine at Yale University. In this episode:

• Pursuing dual degrees in medical school in research and child psychiatry
• Living in and out of homeless shelters and hotels for eight years as a teenager
• Moving to Mississippi when her mother was diagnosed with cancer
• The worst experience she had from homelessness
• Recognizing her duty as a role model to her younger siblings
• Why Chelesa looks up to her mother
• Receiving a full scholarship to Spelman College
• Why Chelesa chose Yale for medical school among many other elite schools she was accepted to
• Her key to limiting stress while creating an environment of meaningful studying
• Why she wants to become a child psychiatrist: to give a voice to children who can’t speak up for themselves, and to design medical drugs that help kids throughout the world
• Her advice to other homeless people: It is temporary, it is not your identity, and you deserve to be loved

You can follow Chelesa on Instagram and Facebook @chelesafearce

Steph Hammerman was born with Cerebral Palsy. She became the first adaptive trainer athlete sponsored by Nike due to her Crossfit expertise. In this episode:

• Wanting to become a teacher ever since she was a little girl
• Her doctors told her parents that Steph may never be able to read, speak, or write, however she graduated high school and college
• Steph lives a fulfilled life with cerebral palsy. She does not suffer from cerebral palsy
• The most difficult part of having CP – getting out of bed in the morning.
• The best part of having CP – the perspective she has gained on life
• The question her trainer asked her that transformed her life, “What do you want to accomplish?”
• Overcoming bloody, ripped hands and fatigue to finish her first hand cycling marathon
• How the passing of her friend inspired her to carry on his athletic legacy
• The starting pieces of her journey to becoming a CrossFit athlete and certified trainer
• Why Steph has the power to tell someone about something verbally and watch them accomplish their workout even though Steph can’t do the same movement herself
• Battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Stage 3B in 2016
• Becoming the first Nike sponsored adaptive training athlete
• Opening up Hammer Driven Fitness and the challenges that come with running a business

You can follow Steph on Instagram @stephthehammer

Andre Shelby served in the Navy for 18 years. He lost his mobility from the chest down in a motorcycle accident. He picked up archery after he finished recovery and won a Gold Medal in the 2016 Paralympics. In this episode:

• Joining the Navy and becoming a seaman; involved with the deck maintenance of the ship and the cargo
• The most important lesson learned from 18 years in the Navy – how to interact and manage different types of people
• Losing all mobility from the chest down after a motorcycle accident
• How Andre and his family found help through a veteran that served in a different branch of the military
• How Andre went from a man with no experience in archery to a Paralympic Gold Medalist
• How the point system in archery works
• His time at the Olympics and the experience of it all

You can follow Andre on Facebook.

Dr. Richard Shuster is a licensed clinical psychologist, keynote speaker, CEO of MARS Industries, and the host of The Daily Helping with Dr. Richard Shuster: Food for the Brain, Knowledge from the experts, Tools to Win at Life which is regularly downloaded in over 100 countries. On his podcast, Dr. Shuster’s guests educate and inspire listeners through their stories, expertise, and passion for helping make a difference in the lives of others. His mission is to help people become the best versions of themselves and as a result, make the world a better place. A sought after media expert, Dr. Shuster’s clinical expertise and podcast have been featured in such publications as The Huffington Post, NBCNews.com, Glassdoor.com, Reader’s Digest, Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan, and others. In this episode:

• Chasing after materialistic possessions young in life
• Surviving a brutal car accident when he should have died
• Breaking his spine, suffering internal injuries, tearing every ligament and muscle in his neck, and recovering
• Shifting his mindset while recovering
• Going back to school and pursuing his phd in psychology
• Having a son who was born with physical disability but normal cognitive ability
• Creating The Daily Helping Podcast to inspire others to become the best version of themselves
• Every Kid Rocks – a nonprofit designed to give kids time-limited speech, physical, and occupational therapy that just need a boost
• The #mydailyhelping Movement
• www.SeekYourPowers.com – Code "underdog" at checkout, to receive your dream job guide for free, and use the result of the POWERS Assessment to discover the career that may be the best fit for you

You can find out more about Dr. Richard at www.drrichardshuster.com and on Instagram @dailyhelpingpodcast

Chris Norton lost his ability to walk after a brutal football injury. However, that didn't stop him from walking across the stage at his college graduation, or walking down the aisle with his wife after they got married. Today he is an inspirational speaker, an author, and a foster care parent. In this episode:

• Starting in football and embracing the physicality
• How one play gone wrong in college football changed his life forever
• The immediate aftermath of being a teenager and becoming paralyzed from the neck down
• Feeling like a prisoner in his own body
• “You will beat this.” How a physician shifted Chris’ mindset and lifted him up.
• You Will over You Can
• How teammates became brothers and helped Chris through college each day
• The toughest parts of therapy
• Relying on his faith when he could no longer rely on his own abilities
• The Chris Norton Foundation – Helping cover the medial and rehab expenses of others overcoming a traumatic spinal or musculature injury
• Meeting his wife, Emily, and pursuing her with intention from the beginning
• Finding identity in who he is, not the things he does
• How walking across the stage at his college graduation was upended by walking down the aisle with his wife after they said their vows
• The most monumental 7 yards of all time
• Dealing with mental health issues in marriage
• Why Chris and Emily choose to foster care
• Adopting 5 kids
• “I don’t want my physical paralysis to paralyze my mindset”

You can visit www.chrisnorton.org, or follow @chrisanorton16 on Instagram for more information on Chris. You can also listen to the first 2 chapters of his audio book here:

• https://soundcloud.com/harperaudio_us/the-seven-longest-yards-by-chris-and-emily-norton/s-sd07v

Amanda May was born and raised in Wisconsin. In high school and college, she started to experience pain day-in and day-out that her trainers and doctors could not provide an explanation for. As her swimming performance dropped and her medical appointments increased, she finally was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. In this episode:

• The onset of Lupus and the resulting intense pain
• How her college swimming times changed to one of the best on her team to only being able to finish with her 8th grade swim times in competitive swim meets
• Waking up one day and feeling paralyzed
• The 3 different forms of Lupus and the symptoms that they cause
• Why working out harder and working out longer did not work
• Misdiagnosed with leukemia and the emotional toll it took on her and her parents
• Becoming a Wisconsin state weightlifting champion while battling excruciating pain during training
• Best snatch – 180lbs, Best clean and jerk – 220lbs
• What Amanda does to track her training regimen while balancing her medications/therapy
• On purpose with purpose – Aligning action with goals
• Biggest advice on Lupus: Don’t necessarily believe everything you read or are told regarding limitations of the disease. You can define lupus for yourself.
• What sets your soul on fire?
• Find your freedom

You can follow Amanda on Instagram @Mayday1320 or reach out to her through email: ammay1320@gmail.com

Tim Rhode retired at the age of 40. He is the founder of the 1Life Fully Lived Conference and the Dare2Dream program. In this episode:

• Envisioning and writing down goals
• Struggling as a grocery clerk at 25 years old with 2 kids and transitioning to real estate
• The art of sunshine service
• What is in the 1Life Fully Lived Journal?
• The intersection of passion, talents, and opportunities
• Where do you come alive?
• Learning financial management without a mentor
• What happens at the 1Life Fully Lived Conference?
• Dare2Dream – visiting high schools for free to empower the students to learn about themselves through vision planning, finances, and wellness
• Going from victim to victor

You can learn more about Tim and his organization by emailing him at tim@timrhode.com or visiting www.1lifefullylived.org. 

The 1LifeFullyLived Conference is October 12 and 13 in Long Beach, CA. Find details and apply online.

Daniel Griggs was not heavily recruited as a football player coming out of high school, but when there is a will there is a way. Daniel played for a Division III program and contact NFL programs religiously after graduation. He earned an opportunity to workout for two NFL teams before he launched his web development business. In this episode:

• Growing up in small town America and shining as an athlete
• Never receiving an offer to play football college, so he made his own highlight video and reached out to colleges himself
• How embarrassment on the field fueled his motivation to get stronger in the weight room
• How following up and relentlessness paved the way for him to receive an opportunity to workout for NFL teams
• Blowing the biggest opportunity of his life by changing his workout routine
• Transitioning to boxing
• Starting a web design business without having any IT experience
• Creative solution solving – his greatest asset as an athlete and as an entrepreneur
• Going from the Quarterback to the Coach of his business
• Balancing the responsibilities that come with a large family and a full time entrepreneur
• Your family is never an inconvenience to your business

You can follow Daniel on Instagram @danielogriggs and can learn more about his business at www.atxwebdesigns.com