Consequence of Habit

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Today is International Overdose Awareness Day, and before we get into the weeds about what that actually means, I want you to take a second and really contemplate these facts: the US alone has experienced a 30% rise in overdose deaths in 2020, with more than 93,000 recorded in a 12-month period…the highest ever on record. Mental health challenges exacerbated by Covid-19, combined with an increase in lethal synthetic drugs like fentanyl, has created a perfect storm that continues to ravage our country and the world with no signs of slowing down.

In honor of International Overdose Awareness Day, I sat down with SAFE Project Founder, Ret. Admiral James “Sandy” Winnefeld and Ret. Captain Bill Pinamont. SAFE Project stands for Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic and was co-founded by Admiral Winnefeld and his wife Mary Winnefeld shortly after losing their son Jonathan to an accidental overdose of fentanyl. Soon after Jonathan’s death, the Winnefelds immediately took action, dedicating themselves to do whatever they could to help prevent other parents from experiencing the same unimaginable grief.

Joining Ret. Admiral Winnefeld is Ret. Navy Captain Bill Pinamont, Sr. Director of Veterans Programs at SAFE Project. Bill and the team at SAFE Project have established veteran-specific programs designed to support military veterans and their families who have experienced substance use disorders and mental health challenges. Some of the topics covered in my discussion with Admiral Winnefeld and Mr. Pinamont include:
     · Working collaboratively with communities, campuses, workplaces, and active-duty service members, veterans and their families to bring non-partisan effective solutions to the overdose epidemic.
     · Fighting stigma associated substance misuse and mental health issues, both for the veteran and civilian community.
      · Building SAFE Veterans programs: Unpacking Your Emotional Ruck, Veteran Wellness, and Virtual Veterans
      · Sharing resources if you or a loved one is experiencing addiction or mental health issues. For more information about SAFE Project, be sure to check out www.SAFEproject.us or their social media links found below.  

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/safeprojectus

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2nv0nYVOYTz3iY6_h5eNoQ

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This week I’m joined by Chad Pregracke, the Founder of Living Lands & Waters and author of the book "From the Bottom Up." Chad is a lot of things…he’s the 2013 CNN Hero of the Year, an author, an environmentalist, and an entrepreneur. But the word I think best describes Chad is “Rebel”. Chad has rebelled against the notion of what we can, and cannot achieve. 

 At 19 Chad decided he was fed-up with the amount of trash in the Mississippi River, so in true “Rebel” form he created an "industrial strength" not-for-profit river cleanup operation like no other in the world. Since then, Chad has gone on to rally over 118,000 volunteers, and built a fleet of five barges, three towboats, a crane, excavator, six workboats and coordinating up to 25 work vessels. Chad and his crew have removed 10 million pounds of garbage from our Nation's great rivers.

Not convinced Chad is a rebel yet? His most recent project, named “Bison Bridge'', aims to convert an old abandoned bridge into a bison and recreational crossing connecting the Illinois and Iowa river fronts on the Mississippi River. His vision of “Bison Bridge” is to introduce a small herd of wild bison, with approximately 100 acres of grazing land on either side of the river. Bison Bridge project will provide a space for reclaimed prairie and the opportunity to grow the wild bison population. Click here for more information about Bison Bridge, or go to https://bisonbridge.org/. To join Chad and his crew at Living Lands & Waters, or to donate to his organization, visit https://www.livinglandsandwaters.org/

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This weeks’ guest, Tyler Hamilton, is a former professional cyclist who has reached the highest pinnacles of the sport, and felt the harshest of consequences when it was discovered that he and many of his teammates took part in an extensive doping program. He and many of his teammate’s stories have been well documented, and although we cover part of it, it’s not what this interview is about. This conversation is about what you do when everything you’ve worked for professionally is now gone. Tyler discusses the fallout from his 60 Minutes interview, the tough conversations with close friends and family members, and how he went on to rebuild his life personally and professionally. To read more about Tyler’s story be sure to check out his book The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France, or his Adventure Audio Podcast.

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I’m extremely proud to say that this is episode 50! This week I sit down with 25 year Navy veteran, Wellness Advocate, Mindfulness Coach, and ultra-runner, Chris Norris. Chris and I go deep into the connection between actions and the emotions associated with them. We discuss his history with addiction and the tipping point that sparked the fire of change within him. Chris describes how he initially found sobriety and how that path has changed throughout the years with the help of mindfulness training and Buddhism. Chris is extremely open about his own demons and how he not only went about tackling them, but also how he continues to be of service to others trying to make a positive change in their own lives. August 6th, Chris will be running 31 Miles in Memory of Extortion 17 to benefit The Honor Foundation through. Please support him by donating to the campaign here. Also check out Chris’s LinkedIn profile to learn more about him and his mindfulness practices here.  

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As CoH closes in on 50 episodes I am consistently amazed by the awesome people that hosting this podcast has allowed me to come in contact with, and this week’s guest is no exception. This week I sit down with best-selling author, special operations veteran, and mental skills coach, Andy Riise. Andy’s accolades are extensive to say the least: Eagle Scout, West Point graduate and football player, multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and current Mental Skills Coach for the Cincinnati Red’s Baseball Team. With that being said, these accomplishments are not what Andy likes to dwell on, it’s his failures and the times he’s missed the mark that he went into detail about during our conversation. To learn more about Andy check out his LinkedIn profile at Andy Riise, or on Instagram at Coach_Riise. You also learn more about his mental skills and leadership coaching at Mission Six Zero. 

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This week I sit down with JB Hager, co-host of the massively popular podcast, The Move. Originally, I thought this conversation would be about how JB used his extensive radio experience (30 years) to help Lance Armstrong launch The Move, a podcast breaking down the individual stages of the Tour de France. That in itself would have been a fascinating story, especially since at the time Armstrong had been somewhat absent from the sport of cycling since the turmoil surrounding his admitted use of performance enhancing drugs. Ultimately, how I thought the conversation would go, and what it became were two completely different things. 

 JB describes how five years ago he found himself unemployed and unsure of his professional future, all while his daughter was experiencing some serious health issues. He recounts a phone call from Lance asking if he could co-host a podcast. He tells JB, “Oh by the way, you’ll need to drive 1,000 miles to Aspen and we’ll need to find a place to record it.” Ten million downloads later and The Move has become one of the most successful sports podcasts and has gone on to add former USPS Teammate George Hincapie, and former USPS Team Director Johan Bruyneel to the co-host team. Huge thanks to JB for coming on and sharing his story.

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We’re Back! This week I sit down with a career firefighter, Stoic philosopher, and the founder of The Functional Man, Ben O’Brien. Ben reached out to me after hearing some prior episodes dealing with stress and trauma, and the effects it has on first responders. And Ben’s insight on the topic is vast, both through his role as one of his departments peer support officers, but even more importantly as someone who’s personally suffered the consequences of not properly dealing with the stresses associated with trauma. Ben talks openly about the impact this had on his own life and how he eventually came to a point where, in his own words, “I didn’t like the person I had become.” This realization is what sparked the fire of change! A change that would include living a more purposeful life, and with the help of Stoicism, a life guided by principles. We talk about identity, ego, and ways to break the stigma associated with mental health issues. For more on Ben and how to live fulfilled through purpose, be sure to check out his website The Functional Man.

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This week on the podcast we welcome Jared Shaw, founder of Recovery Strong. The idea behind Recovery Strong was born 6 months into Jared’s own recovery process and is based on a sober and healthy lifestyle branded towards individuals either in recovery, or affected by the disease. Jared’s desire to affect change within the recovery community doesn’t stop there…he also owns a contractor business with approximately half of the employees in the recovery process.

 I’m always extremely impressed when someone makes an honest assessment of their life and does the necessary work required to become a better version of themselves. What I find even more impressive about Jared’s story is his desire to motivate and empower others to make the same positive change. Jared does this first by talking openly about his own battle with addiction and all the consequences it had in his life. He then demonstrates the power of change by living a healthy and examined life, while empowering others in their own battle with addiction. An example of this was when he and his team recently supported past guest Taylor Spike as he ran the absolutely absurd Cocodona 250-mile ultra-marathon, with Jared joining Taylor for 40 miles to help pace. Both of these men are shining examples that we are capable of amazing things, no matter how dark our pasts may look. Please help support Recovery Strong by purchasing some of their gear at https://recoverystrong.com/.

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This week I had the opportunity to talk with teacher, professional mountain guide, adventure athlete, Stoic philosopher, and all-around motivational guy, Jason Hardrath. I initially asked Jason to come on to discuss his goal of completing 100 Fastest Known Time (FKT) records, but as you’ll hear, our conversation wanders into topics much deeper. We discuss the effects of ADHD in our lives, the habits that’ve facilitated his success, Stoicism, and how a car accident almost ended everything. To learn more about Jason and his FKT attempts, check him out at  https://maps.findmespot.com/s/8B7M#history/assets and on his IG at https://www.instagram.com/jasonhardrath/. 

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Joining us this week is Brian Walton, a highly decorated cyclist and three-time Olympian. Brian raced professionally for fourteen years on Team 7-11, Motorola Cycling Team and Team Saturn, as well as for the Canadian National Team. During his cycling career, he achieved a great amount, such as a silver medal at the Olympics and three Pan American gold medals. In 2006, Brian was inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame for his many accomplishments. After his racing career, he pivoted to coaching, where he developed Team Snow Valley into one of the top-ranked amateur teams in the US. His efforts earned him the USA Cycling Developmental Coach of the Year award in 2003. After that, he went on to coach other teams and athletes, from Olympians and US cycling teams to U.S. Marine Corps National Triathlon and Marathon teams, utilizing his talents to propel them to excellence. 

In 2012, Brian co-founded Walton Endurance, which is an organization that specializes in building trust, teamwork and cultural change by facilitating cycling events that provide a once in a lifetime experience. With Brian’s leadership as CEO, they seek to change the dynamic of corporate culture and facilitate team bonding through fostering collaboration and improving employee morale, all while coaching their clients to a higher level of fitness. 

Listen along, as we discuss Brian’s cycling past and what he’s up to now. Our conversation gets pretty emotional towards the end while we talk about his wife’s diagnoses. For more about Brian and his work, visit http://waltonendurance.com/wp/.