The Adrenaline Zone

On this episode of The Adrenaline Zone, hosts James “Sandy” Winnefeld and Sandra Magnus are joined by gang member “Blanco”, one of the leaders of an innovative project to reduce inner city gun violence in Wilmington, NC.

Blanco grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, in a neighborhood that didn’t offer much in the way of economic opportunity. Like many of his peers, Blanco saw gang initiation as the most viable path towards community, safety, and opportunity. He became involved with a gang by the time he was a teenager.

One day, out of the blue, Blanco got a phone call from a man looking to start a brewery. He wanted to employ Blanco, as well as several members of rival gangs. The risks running through Blanco’s mind were numerous. Could this be a police setup? Was he going to be arrested? Even if this was legitimate, was it really safe to work side by side with members of rival organizations?

Despite the obvious risk, Blanco accepted the offer. Through his work at TRU Colors, Blanco is opening new opportunities for success for future generations—giving them a better chance for success than was previously possible in disenfranchised communities.

This episode is sponsored by Dunkin’.

If you enjoyed this episode of The Adrenaline Zone, hit the subscribe button so you never miss another thrilling conversation, and be sure to leave a review to help get the word out to fellow adrenaline junkies.

On this episode of The Adrenaline Zone, hosts James “Sandy” Winnefeld and Sandra Magnus are joined by Tim McGraw, prolific actor and country music star, to talk about some of the emotional risks associated with being a performing artist.

Early in his life, Tim had visions of pursuing professional sports, and even joining the military. His love for music eventually won out, however, and he dropped out of college to move to Nashville to try and make it as a songwriter.

Tim’s performances can be nerve-wracking for him, putting his most vulnerable side on display for thousands of fans, night after night. The reward, though, is immeasurable. The magic that ensues when Tim and the crowd are locked in is worth the risk. It compels him to give his all for each and every show. 

That dedication also extends to his acting career, where Tim is constantly giving his all for the sake of a good performance. Allowing their emotional vulnerability to be captured on camera might be a deterrence for some, but Tim’s commitment to his art makes these emotional risks well worth the effort. 

This episode is sponsored by ZOA Energy.

If you enjoyed this episode of The Adrenaline Zone, hit the subscribe button so you never miss another thrilling conversation. Be sure to leave a review to help get the word out to fellow adrenaline junkies.

On this episode of The Adrenaline Zone, hosts James “Sandy” Winnefeld and Sandra Magnus are joined by Sarah Thomas, an NFL official who became the first woman to officiate in a Super Bowl. She shares her story of breaking the gender barrier in a male-dominated industry, and the many risks that entailed.

Like many officials, Sarah was herself an athlete. She began playing softball and basketball when she was very young, and even went to college on a basketball scholarship. Upon graduation, she began playing basketball in a recreational men’s basketball league but was subsequently expelled from the league for being a woman.

It was the first time Sarah had stopped playing sports in over 20 years. In search of something to fill her athletics-shaped hole, she accompanied her brother to a local football officials’ meeting one evening. That meeting would set her on a path that would lead her all the way to the Super Bowl.

Sarah’s journey was not without hardship. Being the first woman in her field, Sarah had made herself vulnerable and endured plenty of uncomfortable situations on her way to going where no woman had gone before. 

Moving towards this glass ceiling was risky, but Sarah shattered it with all the confidence in the world.

• Sarah Thomas
• NFL
• 360 Total Rehab
• Keppler Speakers
• Sandra Magnus

This episode is sponsored by ZOA Energy.

If you enjoyed this episode of The Adrenaline Zone, hit the subscribe button so you never miss another thrilling conversation, and be sure to leave a review to help get the word out to fellow adrenaline junkies.

On this episode of The Adrenaline Zone, hosts James “Sandy” Winnefeld and Sandra Magnus are joined by Captain Brian C. Kesselring, Commanding Officer and Flight Leader of the Blue Angels.

Brian has been passionate about flying since he was six years old, flipping through aviation magazines in his hometown of Fargo, North Dakota. He started cultivating that passion early, working night jobs to pay for flight school in college and eventually logging over 4,000 hours of flight time before joining the Blue Angels.

The airshows Brian leads are a masterclass in synergy and teamwork. Brian’s talent and experience as a pilot are just one piece of a puzzle that involves his fellow Blue Angels and their robust ground crew. Individual talent is not enough. To pull off the complex maneuvers demanded of him, Brian’s individual skill must dissolve into the combined efforts of his team.

 In this sense, managing the risks of these spectacular airshows involves not just personal responsibility but trust and dependence on the whole team. To this end, Brian demands constant communication and rigorous practice from his fellow pilots.

With mutual trust and respect for their peers’ talents, the Blue Angels create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

• Brian C. Kesselring
• Blue Angels

This episode is sponsored by ZOA Energy.

If you enjoyed this episode of The Adrenaline Zone, hit the subscribe button so you never miss another thrilling conversation, and be sure to leave a review to help get the word out to fellow adrenaline junkies.

On this episode of The Adrenaline Zone, hosts James “Sandy” Winnefeld and Sandra Magnus welcome Josef Newgarden, IndyCar driver and two-time IndyCar Series Champion. They discuss some of the ways Josef’s training has helped him develop better instincts in high-risk situations.

Josef began racing competitively at the relatively young age of 13. His dad would take him on trips to Indianapolis to compete in go-kart races, and it was here that he developed his love for competitive driving. 

Josef attributes much of his success as an IndyCar driver to the training and coaching he sought early in his career. While it taught him many of the basics that make driving an IndyCar unique, it offered him something much more valuable as well. Years of practice and focused training have allowed Josef to develop the instincts necessary to compete at such a high level. These instincts bypass his conscious thought, letting him react to split-second scenarios faster than he should be able to.

His instincts are an essential tool in mitigating many of the risks of driving a racecar at breakneck speeds every week. They are not a product of chance, but of Josef’s discipline and dedication to his training. 

• Josef Newgarden
• Twitter - @josefnewgarden

This episode is sponsored by ZOA Energy.

If you enjoyed this episode of The Adrenaline Zone, hit the subscribe button so you never miss another thrilling conversation, and be sure to leave a review to help get the word out to fellow adrenaline junkies.

On this episode of The Adrenaline Zone, hosts James “Sandy” Winnefeld and Sandra Magnus speak with Brad Snyder, former EOD Officer and US Paralympian, about responding to the consequences that sometimes accompany risk.

Brad is certainly no stranger to risk. After graduating from the Naval Academy in 2006, he became an EOD Officer in Afghanistan, often responsible for defusing notoriously dangerous IEDs. Even careful planning and extensive risk-mitigation tactics can’t guarantee safety, and Brad was injured by an IED explosion in 2011, which left him blind.

Such a catastrophic injury would lead most people to seek a more stable and comfortable lifestyle. Brad responded by tackling this newfound challenge head-on. He continued to confront risk, albeit in a different form.

Having already proven himself a capable swimmer at the Naval Academy, Brad began representing the USA as a Paralympic athlete. He has since garnered over a half-dozen medals, most of them gold, at multiple Paralympics.

Brad’s journey testifies both to the dangers that many risks pose and to the rewards that come from persevering through their adversity. 

- Brad Snyder - https://www.bradsnyder.us/

- Brad Snyder - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradsnyderusa/

- US Paralympics - https://www.teamusa.org/Tokyo-2020-Paralympic-Games

- US Paralympics - https://www.linkedin.com/company/united-states-olympic-and-paralympic-committee/

- US Navy - https://www.navy.mil/

- Sandra Magnus - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-magnus-70754a16/

This episode is sponsored by ZOA Energy.

If you enjoyed this episode of The Adrenaline Zone, hit the subscribe button so you never miss another thrilling conversation, and be sure to leave a review to help get the word out to fellow adrenaline junkies.

Most people spend their lives avoiding risk. A select few attack it.

They dive head first into the zone where physical, intellectual, reputational, and financial risks fuel their actions, test their resolve, and fulfill their dreams.

Every week The Adrenaline Zone podcast explores the action-packed lives of people who seek out challenges most wouldn’t consider.

Buckle up and hold on as we interview these deep divers, high fliers, and fast drivers to find out how it feels to live life in The Adrenaline Zone.