GRIT

Just like an athletes career, coaching can take many different roads with many different roles. Some of us get into coaching through volunteer work while, for others, the job is a calling. No matter the case, no two coaching journeys are the same – but, with that said, at the end of the day, the common thread that binds great coaches together is to teach, to motivate and to help athletes use sport as a vehicle for their growth as human beings – because winning – however you choose to define that word – tends to take care of itself when that happens.

31 marathons in 31 days in 31 different cities. Even the thought of that challenge is daunting. We spoke to a man who not only achieved it, but he achieved it as a double-above the knee amputee, and raised a quarter of a million dollars for veteran charities while doing it. Our show is called WIN and our channel is called GRIT – today’s guest is a beacon of both.

31 marathons in 31 days in 31 different cities. Even the thought of that challenge is daunting. We spoke to a man who not only achieved it, but he achieved it as a double-above the knee amputee, and raised a quarter of a million dollars for veteran charities while doing it. Our show is called WIN and our channel is called GRIT – today’s guest is a beacon of both.

On July 22, 2010, Rob Jones – who served in the Marine corp as a combat engineer – stepped on an IED in Afghanistan resulting in a double above the knee amputation. 

Five days later, Rob was in Washington DC at the National Naval Medical Center, disconnected from the Marines and the mission. It was here, that a new mission began for Rob. 

Rob was introduced to other amputees who helped him to begin crafting a new path of perseverance – and thats exactly the path Rob followed.

Since his injury, Rob has competed in Paralympic doubles rowing (earning a bronze medal in the process), he has trekked across America on a bike – a journey which took 6 months, and, as we said at the top of the episode, he successfully ran 31 marathons in 31 days in 2017.

Today Rob is a professional speaker, writer, philanthropist. His journey is nothing short of incredible and above all he is an inspiration and ambassador of the human spirit.

Watch any Disney sports film and you’ll most likely witness a heart-warming story of an underdog rising the ranks to achieve some form of greatness. We might not be Disney, but this podcast is going to tell a story like that – about how one man’s passion for his sport took him from being homeless to becoming the only individual to coach at EVERY level in both baseball and softball.

Coach Matt Lisle, has a journey thats worth learning from. Matt is the most followed baseball and softball coach in the world. In addition to his coaching, Matt is also a successful businessman and a proud father and grandfather. His story will both inspire you and motivate you as you listen.

Sacrifice and service are two words that those on teams and the military use often – but with drastically different meanings. No matter the arena, the group that understands the severity and calling of those words will be in a position to succeed.

Brad Thomas is the founder, songwriter and lead guitarist for Silence & Light – an all-veteran band that brings mental health awareness through music. Brad is also a former Army Ranger and Delta Force operator, having spent over 20 years in the service.

While Silence & Light has attracted grammy award winning producers and quite the fan base, the band has embraced the higher mission of giving back by donating their royalties to special operations, veterans and first responder charitable organizations.

He’s the first guest we’ve had on the show that we can say is both a Rock Star and a member of the tier-1 special operations.

We say at the top of every episode that we interview champions and trailblazers. While our show has a strong sports focus, we know that to learn to truly “WIN”, we had to look just beyond athletics. Today’s guest is a champion in her field, a trailblazer in her field, and one of the most influential leaders in her field – and I guarantee you will learn something from listening to her today.

This week’s guest, Johnese Spisso, RN, MPA, is one of the top clinical leaders and one of the top most influential Women leaders in America. Her life has been dedicated to service for others and her journey has taken her from starting as a Registered Nurse to becoming the current President of UCLA Health, the CEO of the UCLA Hospital System and the Associate Vice Chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences.

In short everyone – listen up! Johnese is about to gift us with 45 minutes of knowledge!

Growing up – we all dream of being pro athletes at some point. We all dream of making a heroic last second play or reaching memorable milestones on our chosen field of sport. As we get older, we realize that making an impact in the game isn’t limited to just accomplishing the dreams of our youth. This week’s guest has and continues to impact the game on a daily level both on and off the ice.

Kevin Weekes played over 350 games in the NHL between the pipes as a goaltender. Following his playing career, Kevin became a trailblazer in business (most notably with his company NO5HOLE), and in broadcasting – where he currently serves as an analyst for the NHL on ESPN and the NHL Network.

But beyond business and broadcasting, Kevin has been an inspiration to countless individuals as someone who not only wants to have a positive impact on the game we love, but more importantly – the people surrounding the game.

Championship moments are often frozen in time via photos, video and achievement. However, they are just a moment. The road leading up to and the road after those moments are often filled with adversity, controversy and sacrifice. This week’s guest, 2x Super Bowl champion and MVP Mark Rypien has traveled both roads with grace and class.

Mark is a two-time Super Bowl Champion and the MVP of Super Bowl 26 with Washington Redskins. Those accolades are accompanied with an illustrious career in the NFL and with his philanthropic work in his post-playing career.

When you’re chasing a dream, the only one who can tell you that you’re done – is you. While there may be many moments and obstacles that make you want to stop pursuing what may seem impossible, those that succeed have the will deep inside that whispers, “hold on.”

You may know Vince Papale as the subject of the Disney movie “Invincible,” starring Mark Wahlberg, which shares his story of conquering incredible odds to walk onto the Philadephia Eagles. For some, Vince is known as the man that made them believe that dreams can come true if you’re willing to believe in yourself.

His life is well documented online, on tv, and in the film – but our goal with this episode is to dive deeper into what makes Vince, “Vince,” and what we can learn from him to become better people for tomorrow.

When you hear the word leadership, what comes to mind? Do you think of a specific person that influenced your life, or do you dive into descriptive words like decisive, dedicated and diligent? No matter the case, being a leader is a privilege we are all faced with at times. This week’s guest has served in a leadership role for most of his life.

The Honorable Patrick J. Murphy is the first Iraq War veteran elected to Congress, the former acting Secretary of the army, a healthcare innovator in the public and private sectors, and a champion for veterans and mental health. As we’ll find out in the show, much, much more than that, he has worked with and among the men and women of uniform, professional athletes, former Congressmen and Congresswomen, and presidents of the United States.