In this episode, our hosts Mike Nelson and Steve Willet interview Justin Hall, an Army veteran with some stories of courage and hope to tell! They discuss his post-military health problems, his wonderful service dog Rosa, his non-profit Jiu Jitsu organization, and more in this inspiring episode!
A GLENS FALLS TODAY PRODUCTION
NOTE: The opinions reflected in this podcast are not indicative of the views of Saratoga Business Report, SaratogaBride.com LLC, Saratoga TODAY, Glens Falls TODAY, or Spa City Digital.
00:06 - Introduction: Welcome Back, Steve!
00:31 - A Brief Introduction to Justin Hall
01:51 - Justin’s Injuries: Started With Side Effects From an Anthrax Vaccine!
05:30 - Steve’s Vaccination Tale: Deployment Can Entail Dozens of Shots - With Plenty of Side Effects!
07:35 - The BioThrax Tragedy
08:51 - Refusing Shots: Not an Option in the Military! Vaccination or Discharge!
09:55 - Multiple Sclerosis in Veterans is Becoming Unfortunately Common…
10:58 - Justin’s Jiu Jitsu Training!
12:58 - Rosa the Service Dog: The Best Friend a Guy Could Have!
14:02 - Mike Cannot Guess Weight
14:12 - How Rosa Can Detect and Help Justin with his PTSD Episodes: Wonder Dog!
15:43 - One Size Does Not Necessarily Fit All: Service Dogs are VERY Specifically Trained!
16:24 - Rosa the Key: Opening Justin’s Doors!
18:15 - How Medical Conditions Can Make You Feel Like a Prisoner…
19:01 - … But Your Emotions are the Cage!
19:57 - How Justin Gained the Power to Break That Cage…
20:59 - … With His Passion for Jiu Jitsu, and a Dedicated Team Who Shared That Passion!
22:59 - Starting at White Belt and Working Your Way Up: A Rewarding Journey!
24:48 - Jiu Jitsu Scholarships - Available, Particularly to Veterans!
25:06 - A Visit From Nicholas Rahn of Warrior’s Next Adventure!
26:51 - Camaraderie: Easy to Find in the Military, Precious on the Outside!
27:47 - If You Don’t Do It… Who Will?
28:03 - Justin’s Non-Profit Venture: Hosting Jiu Jitsu Competitions to Raise Veteran Suicide Awareness!
29:01 - Use the Bait to Better Spread the Message: Awareness is Awareness However it’s Gained!
30:47 - Rolling With Strangers: A Scary Challenge With Growth Potential Abound!
32:20 - Bad Eggs Don’t Spoil the Bunch: Very Good Sportsmanship on Average in Jiu Jitsu!
33:45 - 22 Tournaments: Operation “Rolling for Resilience”
35:45 - From Tournament Series to Non-Profit Organization: Amazing Progress!
37:03 - One Key Piece of Advice: You’re Not Alone! Reach Out and Get Help!
39:00 - Making the Connection: When it Was Time to Meet Rosa
41:38 - How Physical Fitness Can Help Improve Your Mental Health, Too!
42:35 - Improving Mental Health is Not “A Moment” - It’s Conscious, Consistent Effort Over Whatever Period is Necessary!
43:42 - Don’t Give Up! Tomorrow is Another Day, and An Hour From Now is Another Hour!
45:03 - Fatherhood: Worth All the Effort!
45:45 - Closing Remarks: How to Get in Touch
