21CL Radio

The episode you are about to listen to is with Othman Almulla, who is the first tour golfer from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was an honor and a joy to sit down with Othman to talk about his very unique journey and to learn more about him as a person and as a professional athlete. 

Othman exemplifies what it means to be a risk-taker and to have the guts and determination to follow his dreams. Othman is the very first tour pro to represent his home country of Saudi Arabia and is a genuine ambassador of the game of golf. 

Othman grew up playing multiple sports but focused mostly on soccer. Having had great success as a junior soccer player, his dream was to represent Saudi Arabia by playing on their national football team. That all changed when Othman picked up a golf club for the very first time at the age of 15 years old. He fell in love with the game and quickly improved his form becoming a scratch player by the age of 18.

Othman earned a scholarship playing golf in the US, but returned to Saudi Arabia to focus on competing at the highest amateur level possible in the middle east region. As well, he became a member of the Saudi national golf team during this time. 

To refine his swing and improve his game, Othman set out on a journey to work with different coaches, but, during this time, he was led further and further away from the natural swing and style of play that helped him to succeed in the first place. As a result, he experienced great struggle and hardship during this time that ultimately led to him to giving up the game. 

He decided to go back to university degree to complete his degree. However, the fire to compete and to play the game he loved still burned brightly. 

Although he had hit a roadblock in his game and had given up on his dreams, he was determined to get his swing back and to compete once again and this is when everything changed for Othman. 

All great achievers feel compelled to investigate their inner mind in order to confront the internal dialogue and emotions that can hold them back from achieving excellence. Othman is the kind of person who is very introspective and driven to better understand himself in order to not only survive as a professional athlete but to thrive. 

As the famous writer Ernest Hemingway once said, “The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, and the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable, they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed, but never give up.”

Othman exemplifies what it means to be resilient and to put himself in the arena to do the hard work necessary to follow his dreams and inspire others to do the same. 

He recently played in European tour golf events in Dubai and Saudi Arabia and has his sights set on getting his European tour card. HIs self-belief and determination come shining through in this episode. It was great to chat with him and I wish him all the best with his journey. Without further adieu, my episode with Othman Almulla. 

About Othman

Othman Almulla (born July 9, 1986) is the first Saudi professional golfer, and was the first Saudi Arabian and youngest Arab amateur golfer to qualify and play in the Dubai Desert Classic, a major PGA European Tour event that was held February 1–4, 2007 at the Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, U.A.E. After winning the Qatar Open in January 2008, Almulla qualified to play in the PGA European Tour's Commercialbank Qatar Masters January 24–27, 2008 in Doha, Qatar.

Almulla also won the 2008 Saudi Aramco Invitational held at Aramco's Rolling Hills Golf Club in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia on Nov. 7, 2008, becoming the first Saudi national ever to win this tournament long dominated by Bahrainis. He also competed in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2020 and the Saudi...

The episode you are about to listen to is with Othman Almulla, who is the first tour golfer from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was an honor and a joy to sit down with Othman to talk about his very unique journey and to learn more about him as a person and as a professional athlete. 

Othman exemplifies what it means to be a risk-taker and to have the guts and determination to follow his dreams. Othman is the very first tour pro to represent his home country of Saudi Arabia and is a genuine ambassador of the game of golf. 

Othman grew up playing multiple sports but focused mostly on soccer. Having had great success as a junior soccer player, his dream was to represent Saudi Arabia by playing on their national football team. That all changed when Othman picked up a golf club for the very first time at the age of 15 years old. He fell in love with the game and quickly improved his form becoming a scratch player by the age of 18.

Othman earned a scholarship playing golf in the US, but returned to Saudi Arabia to focus on competing at the highest amateur level possible in the middle east region. As well, he became a member of the Saudi national golf team during this time. 

To refine his swing and improve his game, Othman set out on a journey to work with different coaches, but, during this time, he was led further and further away from the natural swing and style of play that helped him to succeed in the first place. As a result, he experienced great struggle and hardship during this time that ultimately led to him to giving up the game. 

He decided to go back to university degree to complete his degree. However, the fire to compete and to play the game he loved still burned brightly. 

Although he had hit a roadblock in his game and had given up on his dreams, he was determined to get his swing back and to compete once again and this is when everything changed for Othman. 

All great achievers feel compelled to investigate their inner mind in order to confront the internal dialogue and emotions that can hold them back from achieving excellence. Othman is the kind of person who is very introspective and driven to better understand himself in order to not only survive as a professional athlete but to thrive. 

As the famous writer Ernest Hemingway once said, “The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, and the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable, they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed, but never give up.”

Othman exemplifies what it means to be resilient and to put himself in the arena to do the hard work necessary to follow his dreams and inspire others to do the same. 

He recently played in European tour golf events in Dubai and Saudi Arabia and has his sights set on getting his European tour card. HIs self-belief and determination come shining through in this episode. It was great to chat with him and I wish him all the best with his journey. Without further adieu, my episode with Othman Almulla. 

About Othman

Othman Almulla (born July 9, 1986) is the first Saudi professional golfer, and was the first Saudi Arabian and youngest Arab amateur golfer to qualify and play in the Dubai Desert Classic, a major PGA European Tour event that was held February 1–4, 2007 at the Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, U.A.E. After winning the Qatar Open in January 2008, Almulla qualified to play in the PGA European Tour's Commercialbank Qatar Masters January 24–27, 2008 in Doha, Qatar.

Almulla also won the 2008 Saudi Aramco Invitational held at Aramco's Rolling Hills Golf Club in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia on Nov. 7, 2008, becoming the first Saudi national ever to win this tournament long dominated by Bahrainis. He also competed in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2020 and the Saudi...

In today’s episode, I feel very fortunate to have interviewed Simon Dyson. Simon, who is from England, was a 17-year veteran of the European Golf Tour having won 6 times in Europe and 3 times in Asia. Simon played in 20 majors over the years, having made the cut in 9 of them. Anyone who knows and understands the game of golf, knows just how hard it is to qualify for a major, let alone make the cut. 

Simon played in 2 Masters, 4 US Opens, 9 Open Championships, and 5 PGA Championships. His best showing in a major was in the 2009 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s Golf Club where he finished 9th place. 

His best world ranking was in 2012 when he was ranked the 26th best golfer in the world. 

One can only imagine the hard work that a professional athlete has to put into their game in order to develop the physical and mental skills necessary to compete at such an elite level. 

In this episode, Simon digs deeply into his own journey and the mental framework that he developed and applied that not only helped him achieve great success but also helped him to get through the lower points in his career.

Simon’s journey with golf began by his father taking him to a nearby school along with his brother to hit some golf balls at the age of 10. Simon was captivated by the game right away and would go on to become a scratch player by the age of 15 and represent England in the Walker Cup in 1999. 

Simon began his professional career in Asia and through a very hard work ethic and the support of his coach Pete Cowan, he was able to have a breakthrough year as a rookie, winning three times in his first season. This led him back to Europe and a spot on the European Golf Tour. He would go on to play 17 seasons on the tour. 

Unfortunately a serious wrist injury sidelined him in the 2015 season and upon returning to the game, Simon had difficulty getting back on track. However, in knowing his career as a tour player was coming to a close, Simon wanted to redefine his purpose and to find new meaning in his life. This led Simon to change career paths and become a coach. Simon now wants to give back to the game by mentoring others and working with them to unlock their potential with the game of golf. He not only works on the physical skills necessary to play the game but also the mental skills required to to bring on peak performance. 

In this conversation, Simon shares his authentic self, his ups and his downs, and how he has always been able to stay focused in order to fulfill his purpose and the vision he has for the future. Simon also discusses the work he is now doing with his Elite Golf Performance School which is also known as the Simon Dyson Academy.

I really enjoyed this discussion and hope you find takeaway value that you can apply in your own life. With that, let’s jump right into this discussion with Simon Dyson. 

About Simon

Simon’s golfing career began to flourish in 1999. He was runner-up in the English Amateur Championship, won the Finnish Amateur title and was a member of the Great Britain and Ireland side which won the Walker Cup at Nairn. He turned professional in September of that year.

The Englishman won the Asian PGA Tour Order of Merit, Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in 2000, clinching three titles along the way. His breakthrough on the European Tour came in 2006, with victories at the Enjoy Jakarta HSBC Indonesia Open and the KLM Open.

Tour wins

ENJOY JAKARTA HSBC INDONESIA OPEN 2006

KLM OPEN 2011

IRISH OPEN PRESENTED BY DISCOVER IRELAND 2011

ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP 2009

KLM OPEN 2009

THE KLM OPEN 2006

Simon sustained a serious wrist injury which sidelined him for the 2015 golf season. On returning to the game in 2016,

In today’s episode, I feel very fortunate to have interviewed Simon Dyson. Simon, who is from England, was a 17-year veteran of the European Golf Tour having won 6 times in Europe and 3 times in Asia. Simon played in 20 majors over the years, having made the cut in 9 of them. Anyone who knows and understands the game of golf, knows just how hard it is to qualify for a major, let alone make the cut. 

Simon played in 2 Masters, 4 US Opens, 9 Open Championships, and 5 PGA Championships. His best showing in a major was in the 2009 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s Golf Club where he finished 9th place. 

His best world ranking was in 2012 when he was ranked the 26th best golfer in the world. 

One can only imagine the hard work that a professional athlete has to put into their game in order to develop the physical and mental skills necessary to compete at such an elite level. 

In this episode, Simon digs deeply into his own journey and the mental framework that he developed and applied that not only helped him achieve great success but also helped him to get through the lower points in his career.

Simon’s journey with golf began by his father taking him to a nearby school along with his brother to hit some golf balls at the age of 10. Simon was captivated by the game right away and would go on to become a scratch player by the age of 15 and represent England in the Walker Cup in 1999. 

Simon began his professional career in Asia and through a very hard work ethic and the support of his coach Pete Cowan, he was able to have a breakthrough year as a rookie, winning three times in his first season. This led him back to Europe and a spot on the European Golf Tour. He would go on to play 17 seasons on the tour. 

Unfortunately a serious wrist injury sidelined him in the 2015 season and upon returning to the game, Simon had difficulty getting back on track. However, in knowing his career as a tour player was coming to a close, Simon wanted to redefine his purpose and to find new meaning in his life. This led Simon to change career paths and become a coach. Simon now wants to give back to the game by mentoring others and working with them to unlock their potential with the game of golf. He not only works on the physical skills necessary to play the game but also the mental skills required to to bring on peak performance. 

In this conversation, Simon shares his authentic self, his ups and his downs, and how he has always been able to stay focused in order to fulfill his purpose and the vision he has for the future. Simon also discusses the work he is now doing with his Elite Golf Performance School which is also known as the Simon Dyson Academy.

I really enjoyed this discussion and hope you find takeaway value that you can apply in your own life. With that, let’s jump right into this discussion with Simon Dyson. 

About Simon

Simon’s golfing career began to flourish in 1999. He was runner-up in the English Amateur Championship, won the Finnish Amateur title and was a member of the Great Britain and Ireland side which won the Walker Cup at Nairn. He turned professional in September of that year.

The Englishman won the Asian PGA Tour Order of Merit, Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in 2000, clinching three titles along the way. His breakthrough on the European Tour came in 2006, with victories at the Enjoy Jakarta HSBC Indonesia Open and the KLM Open.

Tour wins

ENJOY JAKARTA HSBC INDONESIA OPEN 2006

KLM OPEN 2011

IRISH OPEN PRESENTED BY DISCOVER IRELAND 2011

ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP 2009

KLM OPEN 2009

THE KLM OPEN 2006

Simon sustained a serious wrist injury which sidelined him for the 2015 golf season. On returning to the game in 2016,

In todays’ episode, I sat down to have a face to face conversation with educational consultant and cartoonist, Matt Smith. 

Matt has a great story and is genuinely a person of the world. He is a third culture kid. If you haven’t heard this term before, this is what the actual definition is:

Third culture kids (TCK) are people raised in a culture other than their parents' or the culture of the country named on their passport (where they are legally considered native) for a significant part of their early development years.

As a young person, Matt lived in Germany, Thailand, and Malaysia. Having attended international schools, Matt was constantly exposed to a multitude of different cultures and experiences and it is during these very formative years when he began to develop an identify that was deeply rooted in a love of film-making. 

After graduating from high school in Malaysia, Matt attended the Vancouver Film School then ultimately went on to get a degree in education. 

Matt jumped right into the world of international teaching at the American International School of Japan which is located in Tokyo. From there he went on to teach in Kuwait as well. 

What I appreciate about Matt’s story and what you will learn from listening to this episode is his ability to take initiative in his life and to follow his passions. As a very creative person who enjoys writing and story telling, Matt began to develop himself as a cartoonist in order to pass on his love of story-telling and creativity to young people. 

Although he had a short stint in Cartooning school, he is very much self-taught. You’ll hear about Matt’s journey as a cartoonist and how he uses cartooning as a means to develop student’s literacy skills in the classroom. 

Matt now travels and presents at many different international schools around the world. 

He’s a man who continues to take action in his life to not only be his best but to live a life of purpose and meaning through his work. 

Matt’s Bio

Matt Smith is a Canadian/British cartoonist, filmmaker and educator. He has lived all over the world in countries like Malaysia, Japan and Kuwait. He currently lives in Glasgow, Scotland where he continues to create comics and facilitate comic workshops. Matt has taken his comics workshops to schools, comic conventions and art galleries in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. In May 2018, Matt facilitated a panel on creating comics at the Vancouver Comics Arts Festival with fellow cartoonist Ryan Howe. 

He is best known for his humorous autobiographical Smith vs Smith comics, which can be found online at SmithvsSmith.com, on the Tapas app and in the Comixology and ComixCentral online stores. You can also buy Smith vs Smith comics in book stores across Canada and the UK. Matt's comics typically focus on travel, the ups and downs of modern relationships, and the joys and frustrations of cat ownership. 

Matt also appears at comic conventions across Canada and the Middle East where he sells his books and runs workshops for future cartoonists.

While Matt is best known for his humorous autobiographical Smith vs Smith series, Matt has branched out to the horror genre, creating Gruesome Comics, horror stories written by Matt and illustrated by a host of international artists.

Connect with Matt

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmithvsSmith

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithvssmithcomics/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smithvssmithcomics

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.smithvssmith.com/about

Themes Discussed:

Creativity, Cartooning, Literacy, Purpose, Culture, Teaching, Gratitude, Initiative

In todays’ episode, I sat down to have a face to face conversation with educational consultant and cartoonist, Matt Smith. 

Matt has a great story and is genuinely a person of the world. He is a third culture kid. If you haven’t heard this term before, this is what the actual definition is:

Third culture kids (TCK) are people raised in a culture other than their parents' or the culture of the country named on their passport (where they are legally considered native) for a significant part of their early development years.

As a young person, Matt lived in Germany, Thailand, and Malaysia. Having attended international schools, Matt was constantly exposed to a multitude of different cultures and experiences and it is during these very formative years when he began to develop an identify that was deeply rooted in a love of film-making. 

After graduating from high school in Malaysia, Matt attended the Vancouver Film School then ultimately went on to get a degree in education. 

Matt jumped right into the world of international teaching at the American International School of Japan which is located in Tokyo. From there he went on to teach in Kuwait as well. 

What I appreciate about Matt’s story and what you will learn from listening to this episode is his ability to take initiative in his life and to follow his passions. As a very creative person who enjoys writing and story telling, Matt began to develop himself as a cartoonist in order to pass on his love of story-telling and creativity to young people. 

Although he had a short stint in Cartooning school, he is very much self-taught. You’ll hear about Matt’s journey as a cartoonist and how he uses cartooning as a means to develop student’s literacy skills in the classroom. 

Matt now travels and presents at many different international schools around the world. 

He’s a man who continues to take action in his life to not only be his best but to live a life of purpose and meaning through his work. 

Matt’s Bio

Matt Smith is a Canadian/British cartoonist, filmmaker and educator. He has lived all over the world in countries like Malaysia, Japan and Kuwait. He currently lives in Glasgow, Scotland where he continues to create comics and facilitate comic workshops. Matt has taken his comics workshops to schools, comic conventions and art galleries in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. In May 2018, Matt facilitated a panel on creating comics at the Vancouver Comics Arts Festival with fellow cartoonist Ryan Howe. 

He is best known for his humorous autobiographical Smith vs Smith comics, which can be found online at SmithvsSmith.com, on the Tapas app and in the Comixology and ComixCentral online stores. You can also buy Smith vs Smith comics in book stores across Canada and the UK. Matt's comics typically focus on travel, the ups and downs of modern relationships, and the joys and frustrations of cat ownership. 

Matt also appears at comic conventions across Canada and the Middle East where he sells his books and runs workshops for future cartoonists.

While Matt is best known for his humorous autobiographical Smith vs Smith series, Matt has branched out to the horror genre, creating Gruesome Comics, horror stories written by Matt and illustrated by a host of international artists.

Connect with Matt

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmithvsSmith

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithvssmithcomics/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smithvssmithcomics

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.smithvssmith.com/about

Themes Discussed:

Creativity, Cartooning, Literacy, Purpose, Culture, Teaching, Gratitude, Initiative

In today’s episode, I sat down with Hamish Brewer. Anybody who has seen Hamish in action can immediately feel his presence, his passion, his zest for life and learning, and his desire to make a genuine difference in the lives of the teachers and the students he serves. 

Hamish is the principal of Fred Lynn Middle School in Woodbridge, Virginia. One the the very first things you can notice about genuine difference makers in this world is their ability to clearly articulate their purpose in life. 

Without question, Hamish knows and understands that his purpose in life is to serve others and to bring out the very best in them. Although every decision he makes in his role as an educational leader is about students, Hamish has a very strong commitment to supporting teachers on their autonomous journeys of personal and professional development. 

Having grown up in New Zealand, Hamish felt, from an early age, that he was meant to use his talents in a way to change the world. It took him some time to figure out what those talents were and how he could use them to make an impact, but he quickly realized that it was going to be through teaching and educational leadership. 

Hamish is all about creating a deep sense of belonging in the schools that he leads and continually builds a very strong community base that all stakeholders feel a part of. 

In this episode, we dive into how Hamish was able to overcome the obstacles he experienced as a young person and how he dealt with a dysfunctional family environment. He openly discusses what his hopes and dreams were when he was young and how he was destined to leave New Zealand in order to travel the world and learn about different people and cultures. Hamish has deep gratitude for these experiences.

It was this life of travel that ultimately led Hamish to America and to the current path he is on in the field of education. 

Hamish pours his heart and soul into the work that he does as he feels strongly that serving others is a noble gift that can help to change the world, one person at a time. 

Through the Dave Burgess Publishing company, Hamish released his first book a couple of months ago which is entitled ‘Relentless’. This book has taken the world of education by storm and is a very honest and open narrative about Hamish’s life and an unpacking of the educational philosophy that guides the amazing work that he is doing with the students and with teachers he is responsible for leading. 

Although much has been written about Hamish being the skateboarding, tattooed principal, we don’t discuss his tattoos or his skateboarding at all in this episode. Instead we dig deeply into who Hamish is as a person and what continues to drive him forward in his life in order to create his own dent in the universe. 

I want to thank Hamish for his time and energy. He’s a gem of a person and I’m so happy that our paths crossed. 

Hamish's Bio

Hamish Brewer, the relentless, tattooed, skateboarding principal in Northern Virginia isn’t your normal principal. Hamish is high octane, constantly calling on his students to “Be Relentless. Mr. Brewer has become known as an educational disrupter and game changer who transcends the status quo and typical educational norms.

Known for working with some of the most at risk students in America and getting results! Its not often you find an educational leader who not only inspires the world but does it while getting results and changing the outcomes of entire communities.

Hamish was recognized as the 2017 NAESP Nationally Distinguished Principal, the VAESP School Bell Award, and ASCD Virginia Impact Award. In 2018 Hamish was named a Northern Virginian of the year by Northern Virginia Magazine and the 2018 Principal of the year for the national publication Education Dive.

In today’s episode, I sat down with Hamish Brewer. Anybody who has seen Hamish in action can immediately feel his presence, his passion, his zest for life and learning, and his desire to make a genuine difference in the lives of the teachers and the students he serves. 

Hamish is the principal of Fred Lynn Middle School in Woodbridge, Virginia. One the the very first things you can notice about genuine difference makers in this world is their ability to clearly articulate their purpose in life. 

Without question, Hamish knows and understands that his purpose in life is to serve others and to bring out the very best in them. Although every decision he makes in his role as an educational leader is about students, Hamish has a very strong commitment to supporting teachers on their autonomous journeys of personal and professional development. 

Having grown up in New Zealand, Hamish felt, from an early age, that he was meant to use his talents in a way to change the world. It took him some time to figure out what those talents were and how he could use them to make an impact, but he quickly realized that it was going to be through teaching and educational leadership. 

Hamish is all about creating a deep sense of belonging in the schools that he leads and continually builds a very strong community base that all stakeholders feel a part of. 

In this episode, we dive into how Hamish was able to overcome the obstacles he experienced as a young person and how he dealt with a dysfunctional family environment. He openly discusses what his hopes and dreams were when he was young and how he was destined to leave New Zealand in order to travel the world and learn about different people and cultures. Hamish has deep gratitude for these experiences.

It was this life of travel that ultimately led Hamish to America and to the current path he is on in the field of education. 

Hamish pours his heart and soul into the work that he does as he feels strongly that serving others is a noble gift that can help to change the world, one person at a time. 

Through the Dave Burgess Publishing company, Hamish released his first book a couple of months ago which is entitled ‘Relentless’. This book has taken the world of education by storm and is a very honest and open narrative about Hamish’s life and an unpacking of the educational philosophy that guides the amazing work that he is doing with the students and with teachers he is responsible for leading. 

Although much has been written about Hamish being the skateboarding, tattooed principal, we don’t discuss his tattoos or his skateboarding at all in this episode. Instead we dig deeply into who Hamish is as a person and what continues to drive him forward in his life in order to create his own dent in the universe. 

I want to thank Hamish for his time and energy. He’s a gem of a person and I’m so happy that our paths crossed. 

Hamish's Bio

Hamish Brewer, the relentless, tattooed, skateboarding principal in Northern Virginia isn’t your normal principal. Hamish is high octane, constantly calling on his students to “Be Relentless. Mr. Brewer has become known as an educational disrupter and game changer who transcends the status quo and typical educational norms.

Known for working with some of the most at risk students in America and getting results! Its not often you find an educational leader who not only inspires the world but does it while getting results and changing the outcomes of entire communities.

Hamish was recognized as the 2017 NAESP Nationally Distinguished Principal, the VAESP School Bell Award, and ASCD Virginia Impact Award. In 2018 Hamish was named a Northern Virginian of the year by Northern Virginia Magazine and the 2018 Principal of the year for the national publication Education Dive.

In today’s episode, I had the privilege to interview Shawn Livingston. Shawn is a 10-year military veteran having served in Iraq during his time in the military. Having sustained a serious back injury while serving, he required long term use of narcotic pain killers to get through each day due to the intense pain he was experiencing as a result of the back injury. 

Over the course of two years, military doctor’s continued to prescribe these meds to Shawn which resulted in him developing a severe opioid addiction. This is when everything began to unravel for Shawn in his life. After finishing his time in this military, Shawn’s life spiraled further downward. Feeling lost and displaced, he turned to heroin to ease his physical and emotional pain. It was this heroin addiction that led to his arrest and landed him in prison for a period of time on drug possession charges.

Almost three years ago, Shawn was facing a 15-20 year prison sentence for drug possession charges, but in that very dark and desperate moment, he had the internal strength to turn his life around. 

You’ll hear about his extraordinary journey and how physical activity, in particular running helped to transform his life. Shawn is now an up and coming ultra marathoner, motivational speaker and has devoted his life to serving others. It’s this service to others that has given him a clear sense of deep purpose in his life. 

Shawn opens up about his life and his struggles in this episode, but also shares the amazing work he is doing with disadvantaged youth and with other military veterans who also struggle with opioid addictions. 

Shawn’s struggles with heroin addiction and his transformation through ultra running will be featured in an upcoming documentary which is called Woke the Monster. You can find links to Shawn’s work and the documentary in the show notes of this podcast. 

It was a genuine honor to interview Shawn. I hope you enjoy this episode with the inspiring Shawn Livingston. 

Shawn’s Bio

After the tragic events of 9-11, right out of high school, Shawn joined the air force. He felt so young and naïve at the time. After a tour of 4 years, he found himself sliding down a very slippery slope. After receiving several cortisone shots and opioid pain due to a back injury sustained in training, Shawn developed a severe addiction to narcotic pain killers. He knew that these powerful drugs were masking more than the physical pain he was suffering from. 

After almost bring imprisoned on drug possession charges, Shawn turned his life around through ultra-running and now devotes his time to serving others. Although he doesn’t consider himself to be a motivational speaker, he now finds himself front and center on many stages sharing his story in order to help others. 

He is passionate about the community of people he has met through running and has found a sense of belonging to this running community.

He understands the need to step outside his comfort zone.

He understands that addiction doesn’t discriminate.

He now lives in Austin, Texas and serves others through his work with disadvantaged youth and other military veterans overcoming addictions of their own. Shawn’s life is being featured in an upcoming documentary entitled Woke the Monster. 

Connect with Shawn

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawn.livingston.566

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iam_shawnlivingston/

Website: https://www.wokethemonster.com/

Themes Discussed: 

Addiction, Emotional Trauma, Physical Activity, Purpose, Service to Others, Connection, Community

A trailer to Shawn’s documentary can be found here: 

https://vimeo.com/327282863

In today’s episode, I had the privilege to interview Shawn Livingston. Shawn is a 10-year military veteran having served in Iraq during his time in the military. Having sustained a serious back injury while serving, he required long term use of narcotic pain killers to get through each day due to the intense pain he was experiencing as a result of the back injury. 

Over the course of two years, military doctor’s continued to prescribe these meds to Shawn which resulted in him developing a severe opioid addiction. This is when everything began to unravel for Shawn in his life. After finishing his time in this military, Shawn’s life spiraled further downward. Feeling lost and displaced, he turned to heroin to ease his physical and emotional pain. It was this heroin addiction that led to his arrest and landed him in prison for a period of time on drug possession charges.

Almost three years ago, Shawn was facing a 15-20 year prison sentence for drug possession charges, but in that very dark and desperate moment, he had the internal strength to turn his life around. 

You’ll hear about his extraordinary journey and how physical activity, in particular running helped to transform his life. Shawn is now an up and coming ultra marathoner, motivational speaker and has devoted his life to serving others. It’s this service to others that has given him a clear sense of deep purpose in his life. 

Shawn opens up about his life and his struggles in this episode, but also shares the amazing work he is doing with disadvantaged youth and with other military veterans who also struggle with opioid addictions. 

Shawn’s struggles with heroin addiction and his transformation through ultra running will be featured in an upcoming documentary which is called Woke the Monster. You can find links to Shawn’s work and the documentary in the show notes of this podcast. 

It was a genuine honor to interview Shawn. I hope you enjoy this episode with the inspiring Shawn Livingston. 

Shawn’s Bio

After the tragic events of 9-11, right out of high school, Shawn joined the air force. He felt so young and naïve at the time. After a tour of 4 years, he found himself sliding down a very slippery slope. After receiving several cortisone shots and opioid pain due to a back injury sustained in training, Shawn developed a severe addiction to narcotic pain killers. He knew that these powerful drugs were masking more than the physical pain he was suffering from. 

After almost bring imprisoned on drug possession charges, Shawn turned his life around through ultra-running and now devotes his time to serving others. Although he doesn’t consider himself to be a motivational speaker, he now finds himself front and center on many stages sharing his story in order to help others. 

He is passionate about the community of people he has met through running and has found a sense of belonging to this running community.

He understands the need to step outside his comfort zone.

He understands that addiction doesn’t discriminate.

He now lives in Austin, Texas and serves others through his work with disadvantaged youth and other military veterans overcoming addictions of their own. Shawn’s life is being featured in an upcoming documentary entitled Woke the Monster. 

Connect with Shawn

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawn.livingston.566

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iam_shawnlivingston/

Website: https://www.wokethemonster.com/

Themes Discussed: 

Addiction, Emotional Trauma, Physical Activity, Purpose, Service to Others, Connection, Community

A trailer to Shawn’s documentary can be found here: 

https://vimeo.com/327282863