""We need to change ourselves before we change the world.""

Richard Whitehead MBE is a Paralympic gold medallist, world-record marathon runner and founder of the Richard Whitehead Foundation. Beyond sport, he has dedicated his life to challenging perceptions around disability and helping people realise their own potential through purpose, leadership and inclusion.

Level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/richardwhiteheadmbe242/

Richard Whitehead has spent his life proving doctors, doubters and society wrong—but this conversation isn't about medals. It's about what happens when other people decide who you are before you've had the chance to discover it for yourself.

We talk about purpose, grief, resilience, leadership, disability and the quiet question that still drives him despite everything he's achieved:

Have I done enough?

More than anything, this is a conversation about refusing to accept limits that were never yours to begin with. Whether you've been underestimated, written off or simply feel stuck, Richard's story is a reminder that your future doesn't have to be defined by someone else's expectations.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Richard Whitehead MBE is a Paralympic Gold Medallist, world record holder, marathon runner, professional athlete and a global advocate for diversity and inclusion. Born with a double through-knee congenital amputation, Richard has defied expectations from an early age, embracing sport as a way to live without limits, a philosophy instilled by his parents and one that continues to shape his life and inspire others.

Driven by ambition and resilience, Richard set his sights on the marathon over two decades ago, completing the New York Marathon and proving that no dream is too bold. His athletic journey soared from there, winning gold in the T42 200m at the London 2012 Paralympics on home soil and subsequently adding further medals to his ParalympicsGB legacy.

In 2024, Richard broke the world record for athletes with bilateral knee amputations at the TCS London Marathon and then smashed his own record later that year in Chicago, finishing in an astonishing 2:41:36.

2025 saw Richard complete a remarkable global challenge - 20 marathons across the world, culminating in his 100th career marathon in New York. But this feat wasn't just about endurance, it was about connection. Through every mile, Richard championed inclusion, accessibility, and community, using sport as a bridge to bring people together. Richard's 2024 world record has already been surpassed twice in 2026. He first smashed the record at the Milano Marathon in April, finishing in 2:40:47, before pushing the standard even further just two weeks later with a remarkable 2:40:25 at the TCS London Marathon. In 2021, he founded The Richard Whitehead Foundation, a charity dedicated to empowering disabled people through sport and physical activity. The foundation works to remove barriers and unlock potential, reflecting Richard's unwavering belief that everyone, regardless of age or ability, has a gift worth nurturing. 2026 saw Richard also become an ambassador for Mental Health UK, a charity which champions the UK's mental health.

Richard is officially the fastest amputee runner in the world, and his story is one of grit, positivity, and boundless possibility. He continues to inspire generations to dream bigger, run further, and live without limits. www.richardwhiteheadmbe.com

WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR

This episode is for you if...

• you've ever felt other people's expectations have become your own.
• you're trying to build a life with purpose rather than simply collect achievements.
• you need reminding that progress starts long before confidence arrives.
• you've spent too long living inside other people's expectations.
• you've achieved things but still wonder if you're doing enough.
• you're trying to build a life driven by purpose instead of chasing the next achievement.
• you need reminding that your circumstances don't get the final say.
• you want to stop borrowing limits that were never yours in the first place.

#Richard Whitehead #disability #running #amputee #NextLevelGuy #Podcast #MensDevelopment #Mindset #Purpose #Resilience #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #Paralympics #DisabilityAwareness #BetterMen

""The strength was already there. I just took away the handbrake.""

Most men do not realise they are training themselves into the body they will later regret. They chase strength, size and performance while quietly accepting stiff backs, aching knees and shoulders that "just do that now." Tom Morrison has lived the other side of that story: pain, diagnosis, fear, rebuilding and a completely different understanding of what strength really means. This is not a stretching episode. It is a conversation about building a body you can still trust decades from now. The real question is simple: are you training for now, or for the man you still need to be later?

Tom Morrison is a mobility specialist and creator of The Simplistic Mobility Method, helping people understand pain, rebuild movement and get back to doing what they love. For the Next Level Guy listener, his work matters because it reframes strength as something deeper than numbers in the gym — it is the ability to keep living fully.

Level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/tommorrison241/

This episode is for you

• If you want to Build a body that still says yes to life thirty years from now.
• If your body keeps sending warning signs and you keep pretending they are normal.
• If you train hard but feel less capable than you used to.
• If you want to still move, play, lift and live properly in thirty years.

#tommorrison #buildabodythatsaysyestolife #podcast #mobility #health #injuries #moveproperly #buildabodythatlasts #achesandpains #simplisticmobilitymethod #warningsigns #pain #notjuststretching

The Adopted Kid Who Built His Own Tribe | Chris Burns

"It's less about what goal can I conquer and it's more about what makes me feel right in being alive."

This conversation starts with jiu-jitsu but quickly moves into much bigger territory. Chris and I talk about adoption, belonging, depression, fatherhood, purpose, service, and what it means to build a life that feels meaningful rather than merely successful. If you've ever felt like an outsider or wondered what actually makes life worth living, there's a lot here to think about.

Level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/chrisburns240/

Chris 'Bones' Burns is a Rickson Gracie black belt, educator and founder of Academy Jiu-Jitsu in Sydney. Known for his obsession with fundamentals and his refreshingly honest take on life, Chris helps people think more deeply about self-defence, purpose, belonging and becoming more fully themselves.

Most people will look at Chris Burns and see a jiu-jitsu black belt. What they might miss is the deeper question that has driven much of his life: what actually makes being alive feel worthwhile? In a world obsessed with status, followers, achievement and constant optimisation, Chris offers a different perspective. One built around belonging, service, presence, family and finding the things that make you feel right in yourself. This conversation explores what happens when you stop chasing what looks impressive and start paying attention to what feels meaningful. The answer may be simpler than most of us expect.

• This episode is for you if you've achieved things in life but still feel like something important is missing.

• This episode is for you if you're tired of chasing what looks impressive and want to figure out what actually matters to you.

• This episode is for you if you've ever struggled to feel like you belong, even when you're surrounded by other people.

#chrisburns #bjj #adoption #findyourself #belonging #depression #fatherhood #purpose #service #grappling #ricksongracie #academyjiujitsu #betruetoyourself

"You can't outrun yourself, but you can choose a different direction."

Level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/tomjenkins239/

What if the habits ruining your life aren't the real problem?

For years, Tom Jenkins blamed the drinking, gambling, porn, failed relationships and reckless behaviour.

But underneath it all was something far deeper:

A man who didn't believe he was enough.

The uncomfortable truth?

Tom knew something wasn't right for years.

He knew he wasn't happy. He knew the behaviours weren't helping. He knew he wanted more from life.

But awareness alone wasn't enough to change.

🎙️ Meet Tom Jenkins — author of The Drunk Gambler with Erectile Dysfunction, entrepreneur, traveller, conservationist, and a man who spent years searching for meaning in all the wrong places.

After decades of alcohol, gambling, pornography, failed relationships, self-sabotage and chasing the next escape, Tom eventually discovered that the thing he was really searching for wasn't out there — it was within himself.

In this brutally honest conversation, Tom shares the mistakes, regrets, lessons and turning points that helped him stop running from himself and finally build a life worth living.

We explore self-worth, loneliness, addiction, intimacy, masculinity, purpose, and why so many men spend years searching for answers everywhere except within themselves.

This isn't a story about addiction.

It's a story about self-worth.

It's a story about facing yourself.

And it's a story about discovering that no amount of success, pleasure, travel, or distraction can fix a problem you refuse to confront.

#TheNextLevelGuyShow #MensMentalHealth #SelfWorth #PersonalGrowth #MensWork #MentalHealthAwareness #SelfImprovement #PurposeDrivenLife #Masculinity #Confidence #MindsetShift #OvercomingAddiction #GrowthMindset #PodcastLife #TomJenkins #podcast

He looked fine on the outside — but was writing "I want to die" on his school papers.

🎙️ Meet Sam Eaton — once battling depression in silence, now helping thousands of men take their first step back into life.

This episode will help you realise you're not broken — you've just never been shown how to deal with what's in your head.

You'll finally understand why you feel stuck, flat, or disconnected — even when life looks fine on paper.

This will help you name what's actually going on inside you — instead of just calling it "stress" or ignoring it.

Level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/sameaton238/

You'll walk away with a way to start again — without needing to fix your entire life first.

You'll feel less alone, less ashamed, and more capable of taking your first step forward — even if you've been stuck for years.

Sam Eaton is an author, speaker, and founder of Recklessly Alive, a suicide prevention organization sprinting toward a world with zero deaths by suicide. Sam has spoken at over two hundred and fifty events throughout the U.S. sharing his story of battling depression and suicidal thoughts. Sam holds a master's degree in educational leadership which he utilized to create the Recklessly Alive Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to bringing mental health awareness to young people.

Sam's first book, Recklessly Alive, was released in January 2021 and reached the top 200 best-selling books on Amazon. He has amassed more than 175,000 followers on Instagram and over 90,000 followers on TikTok. His newest book, You Can Do This: Daily Affirmations to Live Recklessly Alive published by Harper Collins is available now. Sam currently resides in Minneapolis, MN, where he enjoys collecting vinyl records, lifting moderately heavy weights, and trying every flavor of Oreos.

#podcast #nextlevelguy #sameaton #recklesslyalive #newbook #author #youcandothis #suicide #changeyourlife #itsworthit #mentalhealth #depression

"You don't have a discipline problem — you're just trying to follow someone else's plan."

🎙️ Meet Alex VanHouten — exercise scientist and coach helping high performers cut through the noise and actually make progress that sticks.

Coach Alex's personal journey started with him wrestling with a painful genetic disorder called Ehlers Danlos yet still achieving his deams. This taught him the discipline of 1% BETTER Daily and gave him a passion to help others do the same.

Coach Alex completed his undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University in 2010 focused on chemistry and psychology. In the years since, he has earned certifications in personal training, corrective exercise, performance enhancement, and behavior change through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). He's also written multiple peer-reviewed articles for the International Sport Science Association (ISSA) and published over 500 5-Star podcast episodes. He is a certified nutritionist and health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), and has been a professional coach and personal trainer since 2005.

He works with everyone from everyday men to elite operators — showing them how to train, eat, and live in a way that actually fits their life.

This episode will help you feel less overwhelmed and finally understand why nothing seems to stick — even when you know what to do.

It will help you release the pressure to follow perfect plans, and instead focus on what actually works for you.

You'll feel more in control and more grounded, with a clearer sense of where to start — without needing to overhaul your entire life overnight.

Most importantly, you'll feel less alone in the struggle, and realise that real progress doesn't come from doing more — it comes from doing the right things consistently, with the right support.

#AlexVanHouten #EverydaySpy #personalfitness #performance #tier1 #covertintel #eliteoperator #activeduty #military #intel

What happens after the war ends?

In this conversation with Craig Harrison, we get into the part most people never see — coming home, dealing with PTSD, and rebuilding life when the structure is gone.

This isn't theory. It's lived experience.

What you'll take from this:

• Why ignoring what's under the surface doesn't work
• How elite performers actually deal with pressure and trauma
• What "strength" really looks like when no one's watching

If you've ever felt off, stuck, or carrying something you haven't faced — this one lands.

🎧 Watch / listen here: [https://www.nextlevelguy.com/craigharrison236/]

The Hardest Battle Was Coming Home | Craig Harrison on War, PTSD & Life After the British Army

""The world knows the shot. But the hardest battle was learning how to live after the war.""

The world knows Craig Harrison for the longest confirmed sniper shot in military history.

But the real story begins after the war — when the mission ends and a man has to rebuild his identity from scratch.

Soldiers train for war. Very few are trained for what happens when the war ends.

And you don't have to be a soldier to recognise that feeling — the moment when the mission that once defined you disappears.

Level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/craigharrison236/

🎙️Meet Craig Harrison — former British Army sniper and the man behind the longest confirmed sniper shot in military history. Today he speaks openly about war, trauma, and the difficult journey of rebuilding life after the uniform comes off.

This isn't just a story about war.

It's a conversation about identity, resilience, and the quiet work of rebuilding a life when the world you once belonged to is gone.

#identity #ptsd #military #army #soldier #afterthebattle #offthebattlefield #mentalhealth #rememberwhoyouare #war #trauma #sniper #mission #resilience #rebuildyourlife #startfromscratch #whentheuniformcomesoff

"You're not in competition with anybody — you're just trying to get better than the person that walked in on day one."

What if the reason you're burning out, getting injured, or quietly losing confidence… isn't your age — but the way you define success?

Most men step on the mat trying to prove something. They leave years later either broken, bitter, or gone entirely.

Most men don't quit Jiu-Jitsu because they're too old — they quit because their ego can't handle not winning.

This week with Rick Ellis, we break down why recovery is training, why intensity isn't discipline, and why the only real competition is you vs the man who walked in on day one.

If you want to train for decades — not just dominate for months — this episode will change how you measure success.

You can level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/rickellis235/

In this conversation with Rick Ellis, you'll hear a completely different framework:

• Why taps don't matter as much as you think • Why recovery is training • Why ego — not ability — is what really slows progress • And why the only metric that ever mattered… was you vs the old you.

🎙️ Meet Rick Ellis — Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, creator of The Art of Skill, and author of a guide built for grapplers who refuse to quit.

He didn't start at 20. He started at 41 — and cracked the code on how to train, improve, and stay dangerous without destroying your body.

If you've ever felt:

• Too old

• Not fit enough

• Behind everyone else

• Or quietly beating yourself up after a "bad session"

This episode might change how you train — and how you live.

Because this isn't really about jiu-jitsu.

It's about longevity. Identity. And redefining what winning actually means.

#rickellis #podcast #bjj #grappling #martialarts #oldergrapplers #oldergrapplerhandbook #artofskill #longevity #trainsmarternotharder #identity #killtheego #jiujitsu #whatsuccessactuallyis #redefinewhatwinningis #blackbelt #brazilianjiujitsu #dontburnout #injury #winthedecadenotjusttheround

I recorded an episode this week that stayed with me long after we stopped recording.

I sat down with James K. Ellis, a clinical psychologist known as The Loneliness Doctor, and we talked about something a lot of men feel but rarely say out loud — that quiet, gnawing sense of not quite fitting, even when life looks fine from the outside.

One of the biggest shifts from this conversation was realising that loneliness isn't a personal failure. It's not proof that you're broken. It's a signal — information your system is giving you about connection, meaning, and how your life is actually structured right now.

We talk about why you can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely, why friendships get harder for men as adults, and why connection isn't dependency — it's humanity.

If you've ever felt that deep, quiet ache… this conversation will land.

You can level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/jameskellis234/

You'll leave feeling less broken, more grounded, and clearer on how to build real connection as an adult.

🎙️ Meet James K. Ellis — a clinical psychologist focused on modern loneliness, helping people build real connection without shame, fluff, or quick fixes.

#jameskellis #loneliness #socialisolation #lonely #lonelinessisnotapersonalfailure #lonelinessisasignal #connection #betterfriendships #lonelinessdoctor