Greater Clevelander Ron Shadrach spent years and years, trying to right a wrong. His ancestor, Private Philip Shadrach , and one other man, Private George Wilson were not recognized by the US government as persons of valor regarding a heroic feat they and a small band of men performed against the confederate forces in the Civil War.. They stole a train and disrupted enemy forces before being captured and hanged. Shadrach details the ordeal he went through and why it was so important to him to have the men earn their medals of honor

Organ donation is truly the gift of life. This week, a selfless, heroic act by dying 21 year old Bryce Dunlap gave Cleveland Browns legendary quarterback Bernie Kosar a new lease on life. Bryce , a lifelong Browns fan passed away unexpectedly from a brain injury. He expressed wishes to be an organ donor. The family put Bernie Kosar’s name on the list. And Bernie did receive Bryce’s liver. The surgery was performed Monday, November 17 in Cleveland. In this episode, I talk to Cleveland broadcaster Andy Baskin about organ donation. He has been very passionate about it since his late brother was gifted a double lung transplant 20 years ago while dealing with cystic fibrosis .

This episode of Telich Talks looks into the career of the great Josh Cribbs, NFL return dynamo who spent much of his career with the Cleveland Browns. He’s a 2023 inductee of the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame. My cohost on this episode is Cade Cracas, Ashland University grad and multitalented journalist who is also the social media director of the Greater Cleveland sports Hall of Fame.This episode will tease a concept that will start in early 2026, a new podcast called Forging Greatness, the stories of the Greater Cleveland sports Hall of Fame.

Jared Beasley is an award winning author. His recent book, the Endurance Artist, chronicles, the story of Gary Cantrell of Tennessee, a man who has created some of the toughest and most unique ultra endurance races in the world. His Barkley Marathons race each year is legendary in reputation and the concept of Backyard Ultra’s has captivated the imagination of a lot of the ultrarunning community . Beasley has written for the New York Times, The Guardian, Canadian Running , Outside, and Ultrarunning Magazine. Also, see my October 7th episode with ultra running legend Harvey Lewis.

Dave Rastoka is a 1990 graduate of John Carroll University and a former multiple time all American football player. He played high school football at Lake Catholic high school in Mentor, Ohio. Rastoka has owned and operated several companies that help people with disabilities live better lives. Recently, John Carroll University renamed their athletic Hall of Fame, the Dave Rastoka Sports Hall of Fame.

Marc Bona is an author of 4 books, including Not Your Average Joe, the Joe Thomas story, co-written with Dan Murphy. Our conversation centers about some sports nuggets found in another book, The Hidden History of Cleveland Sports. Bona is a features writer for Cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer. Marc is a proud graduate of the University of Iowa .

Tianna Madison is a three time Olympic gold medalist in track and field. She won Olympic gold as part of the 4 x 100 relay team in both 2012 and 2016. She won Olympic gold in the long jump in 2016. She is an Elyria, Ohio high school product, who was wildly successful in high school. In 2005, at age 19, she won the world championships in the long jump. Our discussion was about navigating the downtime in her career, the feelings of life not being worth living, and how she not only rebounded, but sees it as her life‘s mission to help others be their best. She will be inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame on December 2.

Harvey Lewis, a high school teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio, is recognized as one of the greatest ultramarathoners in the world. The unassuming 49 year-old set a world backyard ultra last man standing record of 450 miles in 2023. He is back this October to compete once again in Tennessee. Lewis excels in a lot of different type races , either , 24 hour competitions or 100 milers or grueling , punishing events like the Badwater 135 where he has won twice. Lewis came up to Brunswick Ohio to help crew for his wife Kelly who was running in the NEO24 ultra marathon.

This episode looks into the greatness of college basketball stand out Wanda Ford, who played years before the WNBA started and who is one of many elite athletes from East Tech high school in Cleveland Ohio. East Tech has sent the likes of Jesse Owens to greatness and many others. This December, Wanda Ford will be inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame on a night where the Hall of Fame itself will debut. The first physical structure housing Sports greatness in Cleveland, Ohio.

Josh Fenick Is a sophomore football standout & multiple-sport athlete at Eastlake North high school in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. At age 6, a case of strep throat became much more ominous. Josh was dealing with chronic kidney disease. There was a point where he might not have been able to play sports again. He was on a walker. But he recovered and has proven to be one of the strongest high school football players around.He’s an honors student, and a team leader at a very young age. The conversation is about family, faith and keeping a positive mindset.