Today we're talking to para powerlifter and motivational speaker Garrison Redd. As a high school football player, Garrison had aspirations of going pro. But when he lost the use of his legs after being shot by a stray bullet in his neighborhood at the age of 17, his life took a different course.

The 31-year-old Brooklyn native is one of the country’s strongest para powerlifters in the -56kg weight class.

We got the chance to talk with Garrison to talk about his origins in the sport, his weekly training routine, his diet and how he manages it, his competitive aspirations, and future goals in and outside of the sport.