Nick Allard: How Unusual Encounters Led Him To Uncovering War Stories In Ukraine & Create "Dima"

In this week's Team Never Quit Podcast, Marcus engages in a gripping conversation with Nick Allard, whose life took an unexpected turn at the onset of the Ukrainian war. Nick's seemingly ordinary life in Austin, Texas, was disrupted by two extraordinary events that ignited a profound shift in his perspective. Motivated by a newfound sense of purpose, Nick made a spontaneous decision to travel to Ukraine just weeks later, driven by a desire to amplify the untold stories of those affected by the conflict.

The podcast delves into the transformative experiences that shook Nick to his core and convinced him of a greater calling. While in Ukraine, Nick encountered a man whose life had been shattered by the ravages of war. This encounter inspired Nick to create a powerful film titled "Dima." The film vividly captures the horrors endured by its protagonist along the perilous journey, providing a poignant glimpse into the human cost of the conflict.

Kickstarter:

 - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nickallard/dima-0

Socials:

- IG: iamnickallard

In this episode you will hear:

• Athletics was always king for me when I was growing up. (7:00)

• I was a kid obsessing on war movies, and as I got older, I transformed into an athlete type, and once that ended, I transitioned back to what I’m doing now. It’s come full circle. (7:16)

• That communal feeling was more important than anything growing up as a kid. (8:11)

• [One night] I was knocking out emails on my computer, and all of a sudden I hear a knock on my door. There’s a voice mumbling “Please open the door” and there’s a woman with zip ties firm behind her back and she said that three guys had tried to rape her. (14:34) 

• When things like that happen, I have to find ways to put meaning to it. Otherwise it’s just a thing that happens. (20:22)

• [Marcus] If one thing goes wrong, that’s a day. Days are hard. They’re supposed to be. But when you have two or three constantly pushing you in a certain direction, a lot of people can’t pick that up. That’s why their life get so difficult. That’s your purpose. (22:07)

• [When my friend was drowning] to save my friend was my second thought. The first thought was “God what the hell do you wanna do? What is this?” Then I went into the mode of we gotta pick this guy up and move him. And that was a defining moment. (27:57)

• Once the train’s on the tracks, there’s always the prospect of something happening. (28:46)

• The next place that I went to was Auschwitz. To see and feel the energy that place has was something - unlike anything I’d ever felt. (31:12)

• The have photos of where specific things happened, and then looking at the photo of a woman with her son walking down the path to the gas chamber, and you’re looking at the photo taken in that exact spot. (32:21)

• When you’re backpacking Europe, you get all the kids on vacation. When you’re backpacking in Ukraine, you get like every person from every walk of life that’s involved in war. (36:50)

• [I asked a man] “Were you there when the invasion all started? All of a sudden in his face he was trying to get it out, but there was this pause, his eyes kind of like wearing off into the distance. It was this gut instinct at that moment. It felt like “Oh my something happened.” Something in that pause… (49:14)

• Every dime I had went into that film. (50:53)

• I grew up Catholic but I was always a dude that tried to skip church, then after those 2 life events, I gave up thinking I was in control of all this. (54:26)

• The Ukrainian people feel like they’re ten years behind everybody. (58:22)

• The history that Ukraine and Russia has is brutal. (58:36)

• Don’t forget about it. You don’t have to be posting Ukrainian flags – everybody’s got things to do. Just don’t lose sight of it. (71:31)