In this week’s episode I sat down with Chuck Aoki. Chuck is an American wheelchair rugby, aka “murder ball” player, a 4-time Paralympic medalist and one of the most recognized and decorated athletes in the sport both on the court and off. He is also one of the co-founders of Culxtured, a media collective that is changing the ways in which the world views para sport. We discuss the evolution of wheelchair rugby and how he found the sport, the timelines it takes to become a Paralympian compared to an Olympian, how the Paralympics have evolved in regards to media coverage, brand development and partnerships and much, much more.

Learn more about and support the Mascots Matter Campaign using the link here: https://bit.ly/4h6XN16

Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires:

Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/rd-relief-fund/

United Spinal Disaster Relief Grant: https://unitedspinal.org/disaster-relief-grant/

Inevitable Foundation Emergency Relief Fund: https://www.inevitable.foundation/erf

Follow Chuck: Instagram: @chuckaoki TikTok: @chuckaoki

Follow Culxtured: Instagram: @culxtured TikTok: @culxtured_ Website: https://culxtured.com  

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]

Read With Me:

Goodreads

The StoryGraph

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin