Behind The Shield

Sean Chuma is one of the world's top BASE Jumpers and a member of the Human Performance Project team. We discuss his childhood athletics, his journey into extreme sports, injury, fitness, mental health, overcoming fear, when to say no, psychedelics and so much more.

Ashley Cummins is a retired veteran law enforcement officer, MMA fighter and one of the founders of OTX Tactical. We discuss her journey into martial arts, policing, defensive tactics, training the tactical athlete, mental health and so much more.

Doc Pete Chambers is a Green Beret veteran, physician, cowboy and the man behind Full Spectrum American. We discuss his father's immigration story, Doc's journey into the military, his road into medicine, 9/11, Army special forces, vaccine mandates, mental health, the border crisis and so much more.

Annette Verpillot is a Canadian entrepreneur, therapist, public speaker, and internationally recognized Posture Specialist. We discuss the injuries that sent her into medicine, coaching youth athletes, posture and pain, barefoot training, vision and performance, mental health and so much more.

Pete Wakefield is a veteran British firefighter, athlete, coach and the host of The Firefighters Podcast. We discuss his journey into the fire brigade, firefighter fitness, exogenous testosterone, the mental health crisis, sleep, helmets and so much more. https://linktr.ee/the_firefighters_podcast

Bill Denehan has spent over 35 years in aviation, flying helicopters for the military, fire and EMS. We discuss his journey into the Army, flying for the Special Operations Squadron, Operations Desert Storm, the Hammer 34 rescue, veteran mental health, the World War II Museum and so much more.

Clayton Lindley is a professional scooter rider, base jumper, skydiver and member of the Human Performance Project. We discuss his journey into extreme sports, radiation in Umatilla, the good and bad sides of social media, Undialed, 7X and so much more.

Toby Harkins is a College Athletic Trainer, martial artist and the founder of Fifith Hand Jiu jitsu. We discuss his journey into sports medicine, training the youth athlete, pre-hospital treatment of heat emergencies, proactive injury rehabilitation, jiu jitsu and so much more.

Dean Lister is a veteran jiu jitsu competitor, MMA fighter, co-founder of Victory MMA and a member of the Echelon Front family. We discuss his early life in the Americas, his journey into grappling, competing in the UFC, the power of plant medicine, BJJ Hero Retreats and so much more.

Leah is a gym owner, strength and conditioning coach, birth doula and the online program director for BIRTHFIT. We discuss her journey into Crossfit, pregnancy myths, prenatal health, fertility, post-partum depression, pelvic floor function, nutrition, supplementation and so much more.

Jonny Garrett is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and the founder of William Wood Watches. We discuss his grandfather's service in the British Fire Brigade, the impact that had on Jonny, watch making, firefighter history, social business, Tunnel to Towers, The Firefighters Charity and so much more.

LTC Scott Mann is a Green Beret veteran, author and one of the men behind Task Force Pineapple. We discuss his journey into the military, rooftop leadership, rescuing our Afghan allies, the industrial military complex, writing plays, his latest book and so much more.

Russell Foster is a neuroscientist, professor, author and a pioneer in the world of circadian rhythms and sleep. We discuss his journey into chronobiology, the physical and mental ill health caused by sleep deprivation, how shift work is killing our front line personnel, pushing progressive change, the power of recovery, his new book "Life Time" and so much more.

Nichole Scaraglino is an artist and member of the Black Rifle Coffee family. We discuss her journey into the fashion industry, her powerful 9/11 story, tattoos, bodybuilding, post traumatic growth, the healing power of art and so much more.

Kevin Holtry is a veteran Boise Police Officer, SWAT operator, undercover officer and adaptive athlete. We discuss his journey into policing, the war on drugs, the shooting that left him paralyzed, his physical and mental rehabilitation, the importance of realism in training, the heroism of K9 officers and so much more.

Ethan Suplee is an actor, athlete and the host of the "American Glutton Podcast". In this second interview we discuss the impact of lockdown on the Nation's health, racism, male body dysmorphia, his own mental metamorphosis, overcoming injury, the importance of rest and so much more.

Anthony Gillan is a Scottish immigrant, US Recon Marine and veteran Florida firefighter. We discuss his childhood in Scotland, his journey into the military, special forces training, firefighter fitness, down to earth leadership, mental health and so much more.

Sheena Sharapata is a former High School soccer athlete, TBI survivor and advocate. We discuss her athletic journey, the concussions that cut her soccer career short, her migraine misdiagnoses, Trigeminal Neuralgia aka "The Suicide Disease", how surgery is saving lives and so much more.

Brendan Hynes is a Canadian Special Forces veteran, who spent a majority of his career as a breacher and IED expert. We discuss his journey into the military, the role of a Combat Engineer, the ingenuity of guerilla tactics, traumatic brain injuries, the power of psychedelics and so much more.

Kenneth Panagiotakos is a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt and the owner of BJJ Swamp Academy in Gainesville, Florida. We discuss his childhood in the Philippines, immigrating to New York, his journey into martial arts, personalisation of jiu-jitsu, innovation, humility and much more.

Will Jimeno is a retired law enforcement officer, author, speaker and was the last remaining survivor pulled from the World Trade Center collapse along with his sergeant, John McLoughlin. We discuss his family's immigration from Colombia, patriotism, his journey into policing, the attacks on 9/11, survival, rescue, the physical and mental rehabilitation, his latest book "Sunrise through the Darkness and so much more.

Rudy Reyes is a Recon Marine, martial artist, actor and television personality. We discuss his turbulent childhood, the importance of mentorship, his journey into the martial arts, his powerful mental health story, shooting Generation Kill, service and gratitude, the aging tactical athlete, the true cost of war and so much more.

Jeff Denholm is an extreme athlete, entrepreneur and the man behind Strong Water. We discuss his journey into deep sea fishing, the accident that took his arm, treasure hunting, wildland firefighting, PFAFs, psychedelics, creating a safe firefighting water enhancement and so much more.

Ray Murphy is a Marine, BASE jumper, Canine trainer and the founder of Warriors Healing Network. We discuss his journey into the military, Operation Desert Storm, his introduction to skydiving, his rescue attempt during a parachuting accident, training warrior dogs, his powerful mental health story, ayahuasca and so much more.

Shane Taylor is an actor, ambassador and the man who portrayed Army Medic Doc Roe in "Band of Brothers". We discuss his journey into drama, Captain Dale Dye's movie boot camp, forging camaraderie, the real men of Easy Company, horse riding, mental health and so much more.

Jake Hastings is a former Air Force mental health counselor, park ranger, ski patroller and firefighter. We discuss growing up with a special needs brother, mental health in our returning combat veterans, the inability to save, his journey into the fire service, treating the special needs patient, the healing power of riding, his non profit and so much more.

Marjorie Lloyd is a Doctor of Physical Therapy who has worked with collegiate athletes, pediatrics and tier one operators. We discuss her journey into physical therapy, footwear and injuries, the aging athlete, the power of sleep, the importance of PE in schools and so much more.

Marcus Capone is a former Tier 1 Navy SEAL and the founder of "Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions". We discuss his journey into the Navy, TBIs and microtraumas, his powerful mental health story, the healing power of Ibogaine and so much more.

Rob Bilott is a veteran Environmental Litigator and the lawyer portrayed by Mark Ruffalo in the movie Dark Waters. We discuss his journey into law, navigating environmental law, how a farmer's dying cattle burst open the unethical practices of Du Pont, the diseases and deaths attributed to "Forever Chemicals" and so much more.

Marc is a veteran law enforcement officer who has served in multiple specialty roles including the Gang Unit and SWAT. We discuss incident that sent him into law enforcement, his martial arts journey, defensive tactics, the importance of fitness, mentorship and so much more.

Bassel Ibrahim is a veteran firefighter, Florida Smoke Diver and a member of the Proactive Rescue Operations team. We discuss his childhood in the Ivory Coast, his powerful immigration story, losing 100 pounds to become a firefighter, the fatality that shaped his mindset, firefighter fitness, realism in training, mental health and so much more.

Michael Easter is a journalist, professor and the author of "The Comfort Crisis". We discuss his journey into writing, the metamorphosis of the magazine industry, the concept of Misogi, the obesity epidemic, seeking discomfort, the importance of boredom and so much more.

Chelsea Burkart is a Performance Dietitian for some of the country's most elite warfighters, working to optimize combat readiness, health, and career longevity. We discuss her journey into nutrition, working with collegiate athletes, energy drinks, hydration, feeding the tactical athlete, supplementation, exogenous testosterone and so much more.

Mohammad Wali Tasleem is a former Afghan Special Forces Company Commander and a member of the Black Rifle Coffee Company team. We discuss his family's fight against the Soviet invasion, watching the Taliban oppress his country, martial arts, his journey into the military, Wali's powerful immigration story and so much more.

Owen Valuch is a veteran firefighter, athlete and Crossfit Medical Operations Team member and who was diagnosed with Lymphoma late last year. In this essential conversation we discuss the importance of his fitness both on and off the fireground, sauna and recovery, fasting with chemotherapy, the mental health toll of a cancer diagnosis, the importance of regular physicals, the incredible news he just received and so much more.

Dr Kelly Starrett is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, the author of the Supple Leopard books and the co-founder of The Ready State. We discuss the importance of hydration, the power of sleep, the aging athlete, overcoming injury, forging wellness in our schools and so much more.

Jake Clark worked for the Secret Service, FBI and LAPD before founding "Save A Warrior". In this second interview we discuss his own healing journey, the importance of a rite of passage, narcissism, courage, philosophy and so much more.

Tim Kennedy is an Army Green Beret, the founder of Sheepdog Response, author and martial artist. In this fourth interview we discuss his work with "Save our Allies", his new schools, mental health, strength and conditioning for jiujitsu, his biography "Scars and Stripes" and so much more.

Jason Khalipa is a former Crossfit Games champion, author and the founder of NCFIT. We discuss Sandlot Jax, jiujitsu and fitness, his journey into Crossfit, overcoming distractions, training the tactical athlete, his daughter's powerful cancer story and so much more.

Pablo Gener is a Florida firefighter and the co-founder of Build Your Culture. We discuss his family's immigration story, toxic relationships, his journey into the fire service, the importance of fitness, common search mistakes, mental health and so much more.

Carmen Ordonez is a TV host, lifestyle expert and the widow of Miami firefighter Fernando Ordonez. We discuss their parents' immigration stories, their romance story, the birth of their son, Fernando's cancer diagnosis, grief, growth, community and so much more.

Dean Stott is a former Special Boat Service operator, contractor, author and mental health advocate. We discuss his journey into the British military, overcoming injury, his cycling world record, royal military service, reality television, mental health and so much more

Kevin Atlas is a former NCAA Division One athlete, author and speaker. We discuss his near death experience at birth, childhood as a congenital amputee, grief, bullying, his powerful journey into basketball, spirituality and mental health, mentorship in schools and so much more.

Keelin Darby is an Alabama law enforcement officer and the wife of Ben Darby; the Huntsville police officer who is currently sitting in a prison on a wrongful conviction. We discuss their journey into policing, the pursuit of higher level tactical training, the suicide call that became an ambush, how both Ben's agency and City stood behind him, the miscarriage of justice from the District Attorney, how we can help overturn this erroneous conviction and so much more.

Nick Wilson is a retired police officer and the man behind "The Resiliency Project". We discuss his journey into policing, the San Bernardino attack, mental health, organizational betrayal, Officer Ben Darby's case and so much more.

Matt Dawson is a finance manager, explorer and the man behind Dawson's Peak. We discuss the career that ended his football journey, the world of finance, the pursuit of happiness, enlightenment in Nepal, overcoming grief, Project Seven for Soldiers and so much more.

Brandon Dreiman is a veteran Indianapolis firefighter, attorney and peer support leader. We discuss his unique journey into the fire service, colour vision, volunteer firefighting, his own powerful addiction story, first responder mental health, yoga and so much more.

Shay Eskew is a burn injured survivor, elite Ironman triathlete, author and proud father. We discuss his near fatal burns at aged 8, the physical and mental recovery, finding endurance sports, the obesity epidemic, forging grit, the Human Performance Project and so much more.

Justin Melnick is an actor, stuntman and plays k9 handler "Brock' on the TV show "SEAL Team". We discuss the nightclub industry, combat photography, his time in law enforcement, warrior dogs, his journey into acting and so much more.

Bridget Truxillo is a former police officer, practicing lawyer and founder of My Protective Wellness. We discuss her journey into policing, SWAT Round Up, organizational betrayal, empowering first responders with legal education, mental health and much more.