Who Are You: The Life Lessons of Sports

Max Prokopy addresses the serious problem athletes face when they follow the 10,000 hour rule, so famously written about by New York Times Best-Selling Author, Malcolm Gladwell in his book "Outliers".

Tony has lost people in his life to cancer, so this cause is very close to his heart. Tony makes a make a difference by carrying his fridge over long distances all over the world. He does so to promote the cause and to continue to raise money for the ongoing research for earlier detection, more effective treatments and ultimately a cure for cancer. "If you have lost somebody you love to cancer. If you are fighting cancer right now. If you have been affected by cancer in any way. Every step I take is a tribute to you. Be relentless – Live in the moment – We can beat cancer.” –Tony the Fridge  

"Bob Bigelow" is one of the foremost "youth sports" speakers and youth coach trainers in the country. As a former professional and collegiate player, Bob played for the Kansas City Kings, Boston Celtics and San Diego Clippers as well as for Hall-of-Fame coach Chuck Daly at the University of Pennsylvania. Bob has been featured dozens of times in the media, and co-authored the groundbreaking book about improving youth sports: “Just Let the Kids Play”.

As the well-known Indian-American author and physician Deepak Chopra so eloquently writes, “There will never be a time when you life is not this moment.” Casey Jennings, professional Beach Volleyball Player and 2016 Olympic hopeful, lives by this mantra. Casey Jennings is the youngest of 5 brothers. As any younger sibling knows, being born on the bottom branch of the family tree only means you figure out a way to climb to the top. And climb to the top, Casey has.  Casey has a remarkable gift. His gift is the ability to bottle and harness the wonderful teammates, coaches and overall experiences from his past that enable him to maintain present-day perspective, and therefore, success. To Casey, the scoreboard is important, but his family, teammates and continuous journey to simply learn have been his most valuable award. No athletic medal can serve as a substitute for mastering your craft and understanding your drive. As you will hear, Casey has an entire trophy case full of gold medals representing life’s most important events: being a great husband, father, teammate, coach and friend.  Equally importantly, Casey has learned to adopt the power of “living in the moment” and simply being present. A learned-trait oftentimes absorbed and understood through adversity and deliberate practice. As the listener will learn from Casey, any great athlete, parent and spouse must have the wherewithal to have an open mind. Casey has done so successfully. Therefore he understands the art of how to harness lived-experiences during his formative years, boosting him into the realm of acceptance and positivity. In other words, Casey Jennings has accepted and embraced lessons learned from his past in order to propel his personal life and professional career. These lessons have now become the catalyst for Casey’s success both on and off the Volleyball court. In this episode, Casey shares reflective stories from his childhood all the way to present day. As a 2016 Rio Olympic hopeful in Beach Volleyball, Casey has incredible qualities that add to his tremendous success as an athlete, but more importantly as a father and husband. Casey Jennings is a professional Beach Volleyball player. In fact you may see him center-stage in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. He teams up with Kevin Wong and has teamed up with Brad Keenan or Matt Fuerbringer during most of his career. Casey began his college career at Orange Coast College and Goldenwest College before transferring to Brigham Young University. At Goldenwest, Casey was a setter and outside hitter, receiving MVP honors on his way to a Junior College Championship. While at BYU he was named Team Captain, helping lead his team to the 1999 National Championship. He and his former partner, Matt Fuerbringer, captured their first victory at Belmar, New Jersey in 2004. Casey Jennings along with partner Kevin Wong successfully ended the 2010 season by capturing gold at the Swatch FIVB World Tour by beating the Brazilian duo of Benjamin Insfran and Bruno Schmidt at The Hague, Netherlands. Casey made his AVP in 1999 in Chicago. Over his long and successful career, Casey has seven AVP tour victories from 2004-2013. He was named the AVP Most Improved Player in both 2002 and 2003, and was named Best Defensive Player in 2003. Casey is married to fellow beach volleyball player and 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Kerri Walsh-Jennings. The couple has three children. Casey is currently sponsored by Oakley, Asics, and Rain. 

Winter Vinecki’s father was diagnosed with prostate cancer when she was 9 years old. He passed away 10 months later, just before his 41st birthday. Competing since Age 5, Winter aspires to be a summer and winter Olympian In memory of her dad. Winter and her mother Dawn Estelle join us for this powerful mother-daughter Podcast interview. An interview about a family of champions born from two loving parents who valued free play, hard work and grit! Winter Lee Vinecki “Winter” Winter was born on December 18, 1998 in Grand Rapids Michigan.  She grew up in Gaylord Michigan and Salem, Oregon and now trains in Park City, Utah. After losing her Dad at the age of 9 to an aggressive form of prostate cancer, she formed www.teamwinter.org a 501 (c) (3) non-profit to raise money for prostate cancer research & awareness.  She’s raised over $400,000 toward that effort and counting. Winter began racing Triathlons at the age of 5 and completed her first Olympic triathlons at 9!  She went on to become the national Ironkids champ for 2010 & 2011 and finished her third year as the official ambassador of the sport. She was the 2011 recipient of the Annika Inspiration Award.  At that event she met Aerial’s Olympian Emily Cook who convinced her to try out for the Fly Elite Freestyle Aerials team in Park City.   After a weeklong camp, Fly Elite decided to sponsor Winter as a 2018 Olympic hopeful in Aerials Freestyle. This was a significant change in Winter and her family’s lives because joining this team requires Winter to live in Park City Utah with a host family for the foreseeable future. Winter’s Mom, Dawn and 3 brothers live in Oregon and they are able to visit as often as possible at races across the country and brief periods of downtime between training sessions. Winter, now 14 years old is planning to race in dozens of events throughout 2013, she’ll be focused on freestyle aerials throughout the Winter as well as completing her world record marathon attempt by the end of the year. She recently set a new world record as the youngest person to ever complete a marathon on Antarctica. She’ll also be racing in multiple running triathlons including the Xterra series. For Winter, it’s not about the attention. It’s about bringing vindication to her dad, who was given a death sentence in the form of prostate cancer; a disease in which one in six men will be afflicted with. She strives every day, sacrificing playtime and other luxuries kids her age take for granted to ensure that she is doing all she can to bring an end to this tragic and all-too-common disease. 

Alan Stein is the co-host of the popular Podcast, Hardwood Hustle. Alan is also the owner of Stronger Team and the strength & conditioning coach for the nationally renowned, Nike elite DeMatha Catholic High School basketball program. Alan brings a wealth of valuable experience to his training arsenal from over a decade of extensive work with elite high school, college, and NBA players. Alan’s passion, enthusiasm, and innovative training techniques make him one of the world’s leading experts on productive training for basketball players. He is a performance consultant for Nike Basketball as well as the head conditioning coach for the annual Jordan Brand Classic, the CP3 Elite Guard Camp and the Nike Basketball Summer Skills Academies. Alan is a former camp coach at the prestigious NBA Players Association’s Top 100 Camp as well as the former strength & conditioning coach for the McDonald’s All-American game. Alan is the founder of The Stronger Team Nation and Cutting Edge Clinic Tour as well a partner with The D1 Experience.

Joshua Sweeney started playing hockey in middle school and then played for Ironwood High School in his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. He joined the United States Marine Corps upon his graduation in 2005 to support his country and travel the world. In October of 2009 while serving in Afghanistan Josh was severely injured by an improvised explosive device. Due to this horrific injury, both of Joshua's legs had to be amputated above the knee. While undergoing intense rehab, Josh gravitated back to the sport he loved. Having been a hockey player, friends like Rico Roman, also a military serviceman injured after a bomb blast, encouraged and recruited Josh to play Sled Hockey for Team USA as part of his rehabilitation. Not only did Josh join Team USA, he made the 2014 Olympic team and scored the only goal in the Gold Medal Game versus the Russian Sled Hockey Team in Sochi, earning Josh and his team a Gold Medal. Now in his third year on the team, Josh is proud to represent his country and wear the Team USA jersey as he embraces the present moment, but also looks towards the future for the next journey...another Gold Medal. Josh is also a Hockey Coach in his local community.

For 17 years, Rod Dixon was one of the best runners in the World. He is an Olympic Medalist; two-time World Cross Country Championship Medalist and the 1500m Champion of the United States, France, Great Britain, and New Zealand. And, to this day, his victory in the 1983 New York City Marathon remains one of the most dramatic finishes the event has ever seen. Rod is now a passionate advocate of the worldwide children's health and fitness movement. He knows that kids around the world are not getting the physical exercise and nutrition they need. It is Rod's goal to bring the KidsMarathon Foundation and program to thousands of children around the world, so they can experience the true value (and fun!) of exercise and nutrition, and develop positive life-long habits.  

Erik Weihenmayer lost his vision at the age of 13 due to a degenerative eye disorder called retinoschisis. Despite his blindness Erik has become one of the most accomplished adventurers in the world. Determined to rise above his disability, Erik has redefined what it means to be blind, leading a fulfilling and inspiring life with his beautiful family. The most recent proof that no barrier, in Erik's words, will stop him from finishing the story is the No Barriers challenge he has casted. The language of the No Barriers Pledge is clearly stated on his website www.kayakingblind.org: I pledge to view my life as a relentless quest to become my very best self; To always view the barriers in my life as opportunities to learn; To find ways to work with others to build teams, serve those in need, and do good in the world; And to push the boundaries of what people say is possible; for only I know the potential that lies inside of me.

Chase Jones experienced the childhood cancer world first-hand; in 2006, as an eighteen-year-old college freshman, he was diagnosed with Stage IV brain cancer. As a byproduct of community help and national research, Chase attests his status of six years cancer-free to a combination of the two. Since beating cancer, Chase has had the chance to collaborate with multiple childhood cancer organizations, from local children’s hospitals to international efforts in the constant battle to help more kids. After being treated at the NC Children’s Hospital, Chase went on to work with Ronald McDonald House Charities, the LIVESTRONG Foundation, and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. In college, Chase founded BaseBald, enabling student-athletes a platform to give back to childhood cancer, which grew to connect dozens of communities and thousands of supporters to donate to childhood cancer research. In 2013, the Office of the Governor of the State of North Carolina named Chase to the North Carolina Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control Chase is a 2011 graduate from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Chase is a Christ follower, former collegiate baseball player with the UNC Tar Heels, and lives in Raleigh, North Carolina

Jeff Serowik attended Lawrence Academy Prep School and went on to play four years at Providence College, a Division I Hockey East School. Jeff received a scholarship to attend and earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance degree as a successful student-athlete with the Friars. Highlights of Jeff’s 10-year professional career include: winning the Eddie Shore Award and earning Best Defenseman AHL honors. Jeff also is the current record holder for most goals in a season by a defenseman in the NHL. His playing career included the traditional journey, playing in the minors as well as with the NHL team of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins. Unfortunately Jeff suffered a career ending injury in 2000 at the pinnacle of his pro career while playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Although he had founded Pro Ambitions Hockey, Inc. many years prior to his injury, Jeff realized that he did not need to be competing in the NHL to take his game to the next level. Instead he found his new passion providing dedicated and full-time focus on the development of youth hockey players. 22 years ago he and his wonderful team at Pro Ambitions have grown to be the largest Hockey School Outfit in the world with over 8000 campers attending both day and boarding / residential camps each year. Jeff and Pro Ambitions have been featured on the Competitive Edge television series as well as on ESPN, TSN, Fox Sports Net and NESN Sports Desk. Jeff was inducted into the New Hampshire Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.  

Jim Baron is the Head Basketball Coach for the Canisius College Golden Griffins men's team. He previously held the same position at Saint Francis University, St. Bonaventure University and the University of Rhode Island where he had a 20-season stint as coach in the Atlantic 10 Conference, between nine seasons at St. Bonaventure and eleven seasons at Rhode Island. Jim was a four-time recipient of the A10 Conference Coach-of-the-Year award. More importantly, all but two seniors that have played for Coach Baron in 27 years have earned their undergraduate degrees. Coach Baron has two sons playing professionally overseas and in 2013, Jim was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. As a player Jim won the NIT Championship in 1977 as a co-captain of the St. Bonaventure Bonnies.

Listen in to hear exclusive access to a behind-the-scene interview where Michael reveals the impact Johnny Unitas had on his life.

Michael Watson is from Baltimore, MD where he grew up playing Hockey, Lacrosse, Golf, Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Baseball and Football. After High School, Michael attended the University of Virginia where he was a four-time All American in Lacrosse. Michael played for Team USA in 98 World Lacrosse Games and played 8 seasons in Major League Lacrosse for both Boston & Los Angeles and capped off an amazing career by being inducted into National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. He is also the template used for the Major League Lacrosse logo. Michael is currently a Managing Partner at Motive Pure and the owner of Lax West. Michael lives in Cardiff by the Sea, CA where he enjoys Surfing, Golfing and doing Yoga in his free time.

Jamie speaks about her own goals and how much of an honor it is for her to be able to help others.

Jamie Watson grew up Towson, MD loving sports - playing mostly on the boy’s soccer and baseball teams. While in High School, Jamie Earned an impressive 9 varsity letters in 6 different sports during only a period of 3 years. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst as an exceptional student-athlete, Jamie has continued her positive contributions hosting radio shows, golf instruction and providing hydration solutions. The "Tee Off with Jamie Watson" sports radio talk show airs Sunday mornings at 10am on Q1370AM. Jamie goes around the wide world of sports and is the only female golf teaching professional live on the air in Baltimore. Her hour-long show features expert guests, sports talk, golf instruction tips, local course reviews, interviews with celebrities, fitness tips, and the all the latest sports news! Jamie is the Vice President of Motive Pure, an electrolyte hydration. Naturally flavored and naturally sweetened. Zero sugar, zero calories. Electrolytes help your body absorb water. Plain water has no electrolytes. When you drink water, you should absorb it. Jamie currently is the golf teaching professional at Northwest Park and Golf Driving Range. She has been teaching for 17 years in the Baltimore area. Her website is www.goals4golf.com.

Pamela Boteler is a world-class athlete and advocate who has been making waves in her sport since 2000. She made USA Canoe/Kayak history at the 2000 National Championships by becoming the first woman to compete in sprint canoe – against the men, and won gold and bronze medals. She continued to race against the men in 2001, winning gold in the Men’s C4 (4 person canoe). Finally, in 2002, influenced by her success on the water and lobbying off the water, USA Canoe/Kayak changed its by-laws to allow women to compete at the National Championships in events of their own – in all age and boat categories. Finally, U.S. women sprint canoeists had a league of their own. Pam was inspired into sprint canoe in 1999 by Canadian pioneer and legend Sheila Kuyper. That image of a powerful and graceful woman in a man’s canoe has been a driver and primary catalyst for her working tirelessly – on and off the water – to pave the way for women of all ages to follow and pursue their dream of training and competing within their own club, their own country, in their own events, and for their country in international competition, and ultimately the Olympic Games. And she has done this while working a full-time job for the U.S. Federal Government. As an athlete and President of WomenCAN International, Pam works tirelessly as a global voice for equality in Olympic Canoeing. She serves as a role model for women to pursue their Olympic dream and desire to compete nationally and internationally, regardless of age, gender, ability, or socio-economic background. She also inspires us to do the very things that we think we cannot do – and to give a hand back to others to help them pursue their dreams.

Jerry goes more in depth about his first monday night football game and how Howard Cosell attempted to blame everything on the dominating Sherk!

Jerry Sherk has a masters in psychology with an emphasis in counseling, and he has almost two decades of experience being a mentoring consultant.  In addition to the one-on-one model, Jerry has an expertise in group mentoring, as he created and ran group mentoring programs in the school setting for more than six years. Jerry recently co-wrote a manual for Public/Private Ventures on how to develop ex-prisoner mentoring efforts. An author or co-author of over 15 workbooks on youth and employee-to-employee mentoring, Jerry began honing his mentoring and leadership skills during a 12-year career as a player for the NFL's Cleveland Browns.

TIME magazine named Dean Karnazes as one of the "Top 100 Most Influential People in the World." Men's Fitness hailed him as one of the fittest men on the planet. An internationally recognized endurance athlete and NY Times bestselling author, Dean has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits. Among his many accomplishments, he has run 350 continuous miles, foregoing sleep for three nights. He's run across Death Valley in 120 degree temperatures, and he's run a marathon to the South Pole in negative 40 degrees. On ten different occasions, he's run a 200-mile relay race solo, racing alongside teams of twelve. His most recent endeavor was running 50 marathons, in all 50 US states, in 50 consecutive days, finishing with the NYC Marathon, which he ran in three hours flat. Dean and his incredible adventures have been featured on 60 Minutes, The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS News, CNN, ESPN, The Howard Stern Show, NPR's Morning Edition, the BBC, and many others. He has appeared on the cover of Runner's World and Outside, and been featured in TIME, Newsweek, People, GQ, The New York Times, USA TODAY, The Washington Post, Men's Journal, Forbes, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, and the London Telegraph, to mention a few. He is a monthly columnist for Men's Health, the largest Men's publication in the world. Beyond being a celebrated endurance athlete, philanthropist, and bestselling author, Dean is an accomplished businessman with a notable professional career working for several Fortune 500 companies and startups alike. A graduate of USF's McLaren School of Business & Management, with additional graduate-level coursework at Stanford University, he is uniquely able to demonstrate how the lessons learned from athletics can be applied to business, and he is able to convey, with authenticity, the many insights he has gleaned along the way as an athlete and business professional.

We are treated to a number of short stories. Including: an announcement about horse in the street and funny moments on the air!

Jake Brown has hosted shows on ESPN Radio, WGBB and WRHU, and appeared as a guest on radio shows and podcasts around the country. Jake has been able to interview Hall of Famers, current and former players, and some of the most experienced broadcasters in the world of sports. Jake’s dream as a child was to talk sports for a living. As Jake says: “Getting behind the microphone isn't a job, it's a hobby and it's something that I want to do every day for the rest of my life.” As one of the most passionate young sports talk hosts in the country, Jake's work is defined by incredible work ethic and ambition. His ultimate goal: “not letting anything get in my way of becoming one of the top sports talk radio hosts in the world.” He hosts "The 5th Quarter in New York Sports" on 1240AM-WGBB in New York and has been on the WGBB airwaves for over two years. Some of his guests include: Tommy John, Jim Leyritz, Charles Jenkins, Shawn Green, Leonard Marshall, Anthony Becht, Ed Coleman, and more.  Jake has also been a guest on radio shows and podcasts around the country and always looking for additional invitations. At the time of this recording, Jake was the Program Manager at CBSSportsRadio.com. As Program Manager Jake handles all aspects of the digital side of CBS Sports Radio. Including having to copy edit, create headlines, and post all articles that go to the site, which features interviews from the various CBS Sports Radio shows and weekly columns from sports reporter John Feinstein and Damon Amendolara, host of The D.A. Show on CBS Sports Radio and also a host on NFL AM on NFL Network.

Damian Orslene is a 28 year US Air Force Chief Master Sergeant, life long lover of Leadership and Honor, was medically retired from wounds received following his third deployment, this one to Kirkuk Iraq. Despite many physical limitations, and suffering from both Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and a Traumatic Brain Injury, Damian has dedicated his life to reaching into the darkest corners caused by PTSD/TBI and shine a saving light. Through his Motivational Speeches he helps save veteran's lives everyday through involving them and their families in sports. Damian is a Paralympic Athlete, Seated Shot Putt and Discus Thrower and is in Team USA's Emerging Athlete Program. He is training full time in hopes to make the National Team and go to the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016.

Elana Meyers-Taylor is an Olympic Bobsledder who has competed for the United States Olympic Team since 2010. Now she sets her goal not only 2018, but also in 2016 in Rio as she fights for a spot on the first Women's Rugby Olympic Competition. Elana was named to the United States Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics and along with Erin Pac won the bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. In 2014 Elana along with Lauryn Williams won the "silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Did we mention that her journey started as a student-athlete playing Softball? Playing multiple sports has its benefits!

Olin Browne is a professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and now the Champions Tour. Olin has won the PGA Tour three times and has featured in the Top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. He captured his first Champions Tour victory at the 2011 U.S. Senior Open, making his maiden win on tour a senior major championship. Browne held off the challenge of Mark O'Meara on Sunday to prevail by three strokes and become only the fifth player in professional golf history to win on the Nationwide Tour, the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. He is currently a member of Wolferts Roost Country Club in Albany, New York. Browne has a son, Olin Jr., who is also a professional golfer.

Justin Shares The Ups & Downs Of An Olympic Athlete

Justin Spring is an Olympic medalist in gymnastics and now spends his time helping others to perform at their best. Justin was a member of the bronze medal winning U.S. team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He was also a top gymnast in NCAA competition, where he represented the University of Illinois. Born in Houston, Texas and raised in Burke, Virginia Justin graduated from Lake Braddock Secondary School in 2002. His father, Sherwood Spring is a Vietnam Veteran and retired NASA astronaut. His sister, Sarah, was also a highly decorated collegiate gymnast at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH from 2000 to 2004. In 2010 Justin was named Head Coach of the Fighting Illini men's gymnastics team. Justin is proud to return and represent his alma mater - the University where, as an athlete, he strung together one of the best seasons in Illinois gymnastics' history. His success at Illinois culminated in 2006 when he won the Nissen-Emery Award, an honor that goes to the top senior male gymnast in the nation.

You better ask Scott's wife to clear this one up.

Scott Lonergan is a graduate of Rice University in Houston, Texas. Scott was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 Major League draft. As a professional, Scott was the first Red Sox player from the 2007 draft class to play at the Triple-A level. Scott also played professionally in Europe for the Regensburg Legionaere. In 2010 Scott transitioned his playing career into a career working in the Front Office as an Advance Scout with the San Diego Padres. After two years working in San Diego, he was hired away by the Chicago Cubs to work in Amateur Scouting where he helped institute a new draft process for the Club. Seeking a new entrepreneurial challenge, Scott accepted a position at MVP Sports Group as an agent in 2012 and currently resides in Los Angeles. In addition to his career in the Front Office and as a Sports Agent, Scott also serves as the Chief Business Development Officer of a company he Co-Founded, Phantom Weight Technologies.

Why Is Tom Brady Still So Upset? Jamie Recounts A Story That Ron Jaworski Shared About One Of The Best NFL Quarterbacks Of All Time

Although Jamie Horowitz is soon to be the Senior VP and General Manager of NBC’s The Today Show Jamie is thankful for his time at ESPN as an award-winning television executive who created and produced multiple highly rated shows. Prior to the late summer of 2014 transition, Jamie was the Vice President of Original Programming and Production at ESPN. During his career with ESPN, Jamie created and reinvented a variety of shows that pursued specific audiences such as SportsNation, First Take, and Numbers Never Lie. In 2013 Jamie developed Olbermann, the show that brought Keith Olbermann back to ESPN. Born and raised an avid Boston Sports fan, Jamie shares his love for sports from childhood to current day life-work integration.

Nikki shares the story of running with the Olympic torch far longer and faster than she should have; all in the Olympic spirit (and the Television Cameras).

Nikki Stone competed in the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan and became America’s first-ever Olympic Champion and Gold Medalist in the sport of inverted aerial skiing. What made this performance so unbelievable, was the fact that less than two years earlier, a chronic injury prevented her from standing, much less walking or skiing down a slope at almost 40 miles per hour. Nikki came dangerously close to being sidelined from aerial skiing indefinitely. Her tenacity and refusal to step down from a challenge brought Nikki Stone back to the top of the freestyle skiing podium. This top spot was far from foreign to Nikki, as throughout her career she earned 35 World Cup medals, eleven World Cup titles, four national titles, two year long Aerial World Cup titles, and a World Championship title. She also became the first pure aerialist ever—male or female—to become the year long Overall Freestyle World Cup Champion.

Rob shares the story of his college coach, Bill Bockwitz, how Bill challenged him and how his life has been impacted from knowing Bill.

Rob has coached at the Youth, High School and College levels and has worked with The Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference, The National Christian College Athletic Association and The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.  His experience gives him an amazing view at the status of modern day coaching and parenting. Listen in for a fun interview with some great insight.

Chris tells the story of having his game face on and answering a sincere compliment with a comeback about "his mama". Come on Chris!

Chris Akers grew up in Washington, DC as two-sport high school athlete in both track and basketball. He then headed north to attend Amherst College to pursue both sports, but ended up staying with basketball. After college, Chris played professionally for the now-defunct National Rookie League, and then on a pro team in Dublin, Ireland. After a successful basketball career, Chris began working as an advertising executive and has also been an actor for commercials, Television and Film, and then worked for a successful film production company in LA. Chris lives with his new bride, Angela in Santa Monica, CA. and works mostly from home (and on set) as a commercial and film director building up his portfolio.

Listen to Bob share a few of his fantastic and truly remarkable stories from his days staying in the same hotel as the New York Yankees.

Bob Wilber is from a large family where sports and baseball ruled the roost. Fortunate enough to have the guidance of his Major League Baseball playing father, loving mother and supportive/competitive siblings, Bob has lived a life full of adventure and love. After earning his degree in TV/Radio Broadcasting from Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville, where he also played four years of baseball for a team that competed in two NCAA Division II World Series championships, Bob Wilber was signed to a free agent contract by the Detroit Tigers in 1978. He played parts of two seasons of minor league baseball with the Tigers, followed by a single season with an Oakland A’s farm club, before joining the Toronto Blue Jays as a Scouting Supervisor and Minor League Coach.  After four years with the Blue Jays, he entered the sports marketing arena, initially in the sports apparel business with Converse Shoes, and then joined his brother Del at Del Wilber + Associates, managing major sponsorships for IBM, Chrysler, Black & Decker, and other corporate clients, while also developing new sponsorships for USA Baseball, US Rowing, and the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). He was named Vice President of the St. Louis Storm franchise in the MISL in 1989, and later was General Manager of the Kansas City Attack indoor soccer club. He entered the racing world when he was selected to be the General Manager at Heartland Park, a multi-purpose racing facility in Topeka, Kansas, and soon found his way into management roles at the team level. From 1997 to 2008 he was the Team Manager for Funny Car driver Del Worsham and since 2009 has held the same position for Tim Wilkerson. Bob handles the team’s management needs and liaison with sponsors and he also represents the organization in terms of both public and media relations. As part of his PR duties, he has written a popular blog at NHRA.com for the last six years. With nearly 10,000 regular readers around the world, it is regarded as the most widely followed blog in the sport of professional drag racing.

Bobby shares the story about his first day with the Giants and how his locker ended up in the bathroom. Bobby also shares the story of Bayler Teal, a young Gamecocks fan that meant so much to Bobby and the whole team.

Bobby Haney and his teammates at South Carolina won a College World Series and celebrated their championship by honoring Bayler Teal, the young Gamecock fan who had lost his battle against cancer. Bobby is a professional baseball player, speaker and author. His book "From Kings Park to Omaha,” inspires children to think and be leaders. From setting his goals high and working hard to reach them, to winning the NCAA National Championship” and turning pro the very same year, he offers life-changing lessons for youngsters who want to achieve their dreams in any arena.   Bobby’s book, "From Kings Park to Omaha", shares his ups and downs and provides many lessons along the way. It offers behind-the-scenes insight most people don't know about becoming a professional baseball player and what it truly takes to take it to the next level.  

Alexander Nicholas is the founder of EPIC Hybrid Training Center-one of the most popular training centers in New York City. He partnered up with his Mixed Martial Art instructor and business partner Brayner Martinez to provide an outlet where people can train in a healthy semi-private atmosphere. The EPIC workout is a complete training regime that molds people of any fitness level into their optimal shape. With fitness trends that come and go, EPIC concentrates on proven core values of training that breeds results: Functional Strength, Increased Mobility, and a higher sense of mental and physical confidence. I would like to say a special thank you to Amanda Sullivan for introducing me to Alex.

Raj tells the story of a few post-Olympic pranks that went on between the Men's and the Women's Olympic Teams.

Raj Bhavsar is an Olympic medalist, actor, entrepreneur and public speaker. He has performed with Cirque du Soleil and has won numerous awards both nationally and worldwide. He lives in Los Angeles, CA pursuing acting and entrepreneurial endeavors. Raj follows the ideal of working to live rather than living to work. Raj believes in abundance and conviction and enjoys all kinds of mental, physical, emotional and spiritual challenges. As Raj states on his own website, he will "live my life according to the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen, which is a dedication to never-ending improvement."  Finally Raj is a believer that one needs to: "Go get what you want because there is plenty to go around."  

Steve shares a story of a child who, because of Classroom Champions, now only sees ability where others would see disability.

Steve Mesler is an Olympic Gold Medalist. In 2010, the Steve and the rest of the U.S. Men's Bobsled team ended a 62-year-old drought by bringing home the first U.S. Olympic gold medal in four-man bobsled since 1948. Driver Steve Holcolmb, along with push athletes Steve Mesler, Justin Olsen and Curt Tomasevicz dominated the World Cup circuit for all of the 2010 season in a sled nicknamed the "Night Train." After the Olympics Steve found himself wanting to do more to help children and to create a platform for positive change in their lives. Steve put his vision into action and founded Classroom Champions. Classroom Champions connects top-performing athletes with students in high-need schools. Classroom Champions uses video lessons and live video chat to motivate students to recognize their potential, set goals and dream big, while educating them in the practical use of communications technology.

Jenn shares the story of traveling and filming for the IMAX Thrilling documentary, Everest after just coming home from Mt. Everest the day before.

Jennifer Nelson is a filmmaker and former ESPN X-Games mountain bike racer based out of New York City. Subsequent to graduating with honors from U.C. Berkeley with a B.S. in Sociology and a minor in Creative Writing, she pursued her passion for mountain biking and became a professional downhill racer on the televised Chevy National circuit. Jenn competed in the inaugural ESPN X-Games, as well as specialty sporting events on CBS. In addition to racing, Jennifer was developing her story telling skills by writing sports stories for magazines and websites. At the height of her racing career, Jennifer was introduced to film and hired to be a stunt double in the IMAX film Everest, appearing in the dramatic opening sequence of the film. She was also featured as talent in an adventure series called Adventure Quest for OLN (now the VS Network) and rode her bike to Mt. Everest Base Camp for a one-hour documentary. Jennifer retired from mountain bike racing and attended Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and received an M.A. Jenn has since been traveling the world filming in various genres including; TV documentaries, feature documentaries, 'webisodes,' and TV specials/content branding with subjects ranging from car racing, pregnant teenagers, underground tunnel workers, to arête, the philosophy of excellence. Jenn is committed to adventure and exploring the art of story telling through images. Her goal is to make global impact through film and multimedia.

Jim shares insight on his acting career in the movie Ed Wood. Jim also is called Monkey-Man in a park. Did the person who called him this live?

Jim Myers is well known by his WWF ring name George "The Animal" Steele who wrestled professionally with legends such as Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino, Randy “Macho Man” Savage, Rowdy Piper, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Rick Steamboat and the Iron Sheik. But what most people did not know is Jim had an entirely different and separate life. During his entire professional wrestling career, Jim was also a teacher, coach, husband and father. Jim’s career lasted from 1967 until 1988, though he made occasional wrestling appearances into the 1990s and 2000s. Jim was also an actor and portrayed Swedish wrestler/actor Tor Johnson in Ed Wood, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. Jim was raised in Madison Heights, Michigan. During high school, he found success in track running, baseball, basketball and football. In 1956, Myers entered Michigan State University as a football player for the Michigan State Spartans, but his career as a football player was immediately cut short as a result of knee problems. After gaining a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University and a master's degree from Central Michigan University, Myers became a teacher, amateur wrestling coach, and football coach at Madison High School in Madison Heights, Michigan. Looking to supplement his income, he got into the world of Detroit-area professional wrestling, but in order to protect his privacy, he wrestled using a mask and the name “The Student”. Jims has dyslexia and was also diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in 1988, an inflammatory bowel disease that currently has no cure but can be brought into remission. In 1998, doctors told Myers that his Crohn's Disease had gone into remission and that he no longer suffered from any of the disease's symptoms. In 2002, to prevent the symptoms from returning, Myers had his colon removed. Jim is a religious man. He attends the First Baptist Church Merritt Island, and currently lives in Cocoa Beach, Florida with his wife Pat, whom he married before he entered Michigan State in 1956. Together, Pat and Jim have two sons, Dennis and Randy, and a daughter, Felicia. Jim is in the Michigan Coaches and Michigan Football Coaches Halls of Fame as well as being inducted into The WWE Hall of Fame and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. Listen in as Jim talks about his troubles at a young age and how "George The Animal Steele" saved his life.

Lisa shares how she was able to go from being terrified of public speaking to being a great teacher and motivator, not to mention a great interviewee on our podcast!