Behind The Shield

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.

Nick Smith is a Military Police veteran responsible for investigating war crimes. We discuss his journey into policing, the London terror attacks, lifeboats, mental health and crime, his own healing journey and much more.

Cliff Walker is a Navy Veteran, retired Federal firefighter and the founder of USS Battle Series. We discuss lifeguarding, his journey into the fire service, firefighter fitness, the combat challenge, Pearl Harbor and so much more.

Dan Grunfeld is a former professional Basketball player and the son of NBA legend, Ernie Grunfeld. We discuss how his grandmother escaped Auschwitz, his father's powerful immigration story, unification through sport, Transylvania, his book "By the Grace of the Game" and so much more.

Christopher "Douggs" McDougall is a world record holding, world champion BASE jumper and skydiver. We discuss his childhood in Australia, working on oil rigs, his journey into skydiving, how complacency kills, the importance of fitness, living in Switzerland, mental health and so much more.

Chris Jacobson is a 30 year law enforcement veteran and the creator of Operation Enduring Warrior's Task Force Sentinel. We discuss his journey into policing, working with the K9 unit, SWAT, helping wounded warriors transition, Iwo Jima and much more.

Tyr Symank, whose pen name is Charlie Martel, is a Army Special Forces Medic and part of the Black Rifle Coffee team. We discuss the ripple effect of the Afghanistan withdrawal, his journey into the military, trauma medicine, writing, mental health, the power of altruism, BRCC's charitable arm and so much more.

Jason Earle is a former Wall Street stockbroker and the founder of "Got Mold". We discuss his childhood illness, chasing material happiness, enlightenment in Nepal, mold myths and mitigation, addiction and so much more. 1-800-GOT-MOLD Website: https://www.gotmold.com/behindtheshield/

RJ Casey has held numerous roles including as an Army Special Forces Medic, Air Force Pararescueman, Physician's Assistant and Stuntman. We discuss his journey into the military, trauma medicine, education, realism in training, working with Mel Gibson and so much more.

David Vaux is a retired London firefighter and a practicing Osteopath. We discuss his journey into the fire service, fitness standards, the physical and mental impact of injury, Osteopathy, slowing the aging process and so much more.

Nick Hall was 8 years old when a murderer invaded his family's home. Through a tragic miscommunication, his mother shot by a police sniper after being mistaken for the attacker. Despite this trauma, Nick followed a career in law enforcement, choosing to be part of the solution. We discuss his early life, living through a hostage situation, his journey to overcome trauma, his journey into policing, fitness, nutrition and so much more.

Danny Boy O'Connor is the co-founder of House of Pain and the founder of The Outsiders House. We discuss his early life, his journey into Hip Hop, fame, his powerful addiction story, the impact "The Outsiders" had on his life, the healing power of community and so much more.

Dan John is an elite athlete, author and revered strength and conditioning coach. We discuss the impact of war on his family, training the youth athlete, physical education, gut biome, rehabilitating the tactical professions and so much more.

Dorith Mous is a Dutch model, photographer and filmmaker. We discuss her journey into the fashion industry, the impact of social media on our youth, travelling, the power of storytelling, her mental health journey, the dark side of modelling and so much more.

Dustin Osborne is a veteran Australian police officer and Tactical First Aid instructor. We discuss his journey into law enforcement, knife crime, gun laws, the ripple effect of the pandemic, tactical medicine and so much more.

Mike Dugan is a retired FDNY firefighter, podcast host and speaker. We discuss the impact of WWII on his family, his journey into the fire service, the importance of training, fitness, contrasting both of the WTC attacks he responded to, mental health, cancer and so much more.

Alex Racey is a veteran of the Army's most elite unit and a human performance coach. We discuss his journey into the military, training the tactical athlete, realism in training, transition, the Human Performance Project and so much more.

Scott McElroy is a law enforcement veteran, martial artist, stuntman and circus strongman. We discuss his journey into policing, entering the movie world, on set injuries, Chinese medicine, the history of wrestling, the importance of strength, combatives and so much more.

Steven Nisbet is a veteran of Air Force Pararescue's Tier One unit and the co-founder of the non-profit Shields and Stripes. We discuss his journey into the military, his paramedic clinicals, combat trauma medicine, losing a brother in training, creating solutions for physical and mental and so much more.

Spencer Thomas is a former football athlete turned stunt performer and John Cena's stunt double. We discuss growing up around athletics, moving to LA, humility on set, his journey into stunts, the mental impact of injury, his connection with the fire service, John's altruism, and so much more.

John Saporsky is a military college graduate, retired law enforcement officer and the man behind Law Enforcement Connect. We discuss his journey into ROTC, military education, fitness standards in policing, transitioning into the civilian space, the corporate application of a tactical skillset and so much more.

Flora Kasy is a firefighter for Kalifi County Fire and Rescue Department in Kenya. We discuss her journey into the fire service, the impact of the pandemic on Kenya, distance running, the need for PPE, the mental health cost of being ill-equipped, women in the African fire service and so much more.

Jason McCarthy is a former Green Beret, author and the co-founder of GORUCK. In this second conversation, we discuss the humanist lens of the Ukraine invasion, the mental health impact of the pandemic, the power of community, his three day fitness festival Sandlot Jax and so much more.

Susan Lopez is an Army veteran, military spouse and the woman behind "Tactical Dietitian". We discuss her journey into nutrition, school food, leadership in the kitchen, fueling the tactical athlete, sleep, meal prepping and so much more.

Panayioti Yannitsos is a filmmaker and the man behind the documentaries Freedom Besieged and Florian's Knights. We discuss his childhood visits to Greece, the financial crisis that bankrupted a nation, the opiate epidemic, firefighter mental health, finding healing through riding motorcycles and so much more.

Norman Penny spent three decades in the Canadian military, initially in the Army and then as a Search and Rescue Technician for the Air Force. We discuss his journey into the armed forces, serving in Yugoslavia, the Pararescue training pipeline, some of his team's notable rescues, the importance of realism in training, mental health and so much more.

Brock Bevell is a retired law enforcement officer and the man behind the "Chase the Vase" Podcast. We discuss the impact of childhood trauma, his journey into policing, his own powerful addiction story, the Fentanyl crisis and so much more.

Lance Davis, Sean Lazio and John Perez are military veterans and members of The Rising Warrior team. We discuss their own journeys into the military, the true price of war, the transition struggle, physical and mental healing and so much more.

Tyler Carroll is an Army Medic veteran, Texan firefighter and co-founder of Dead Reckoning Collective, Tyler Carroll. We discuss growing up in Austin, his journey into the military, the military industrial complex, firefighter fitness, the power of written word and so much more.

Ben Patrick is a basketball athlete and the creator of the "Knees over toes program" ATG. We discuss how we are injuring our youth athletes, his own knee injury journey, cultural contributors to muscle imbalances, physical education, creating joint mobility and strength and so much more.

Will Ayres is a firearms instructor, Regional Director for 5.11 and the host of their podcast "Call to Service". We discuss training youth gun safety, his journey into 5.11, designing clothing for the tactical communities, his lens on international policing and so much more.

Julien Pineau is a movement specialist, philosopher and the founder of Strongfit. In this fifth conversation, we discuss lactate as a stress marker, the physical and mental health crisis, sleep, government overreach, nutrition, alcohol and so much more.

BC Sanders is a veteran Gang Unit officer and author for Skillset Magazine. We discuss the straight edge culture, his journey into law enforcement, the genesis of gangs, the ripple effect of drug prohibition, America's unsung heroes and so much more.

Dr EJ Caterson began his career as a firefighter/EMT and is now a renowned plastic surgeon. We discuss his journey into medicine, the powerful story that took him into plastic surgery, face and arm transplants, treating burn injured patients, mental health, Sons of the Flag, The Human Performance Project and so much more.

Doug Orchard is a professional cinematographer, director, editor and an expert researcher. Doug's documentary "The Motivation Factor" shows the incredible positive ripple effect of La Sierra High School's PE program in the 1960s. We discuss his journey into film making, the personal tragedy that drove his quest for health information, the obesity epidemic, nutrition and immunity, the social impact of shared suffering, how healthcare costs are crippling our economy and much more.

Nicole Kopolovits is a Florida firefighter, SWAT medic and Smoke Diver. We discuss her journey into the fire service, strength and conditioning, the power of mentorship, her preparation for the fire service's most grueling week, diversity through skillsets and so much more.

Brandon Webb is a former Navy SEAL, author and the man behind SOFREP. We discuss his journey into the military, Navy Search and Rescue, losing friends in Benghazi, veteran mental health, journalism and so much more.

Bedros Keuilian is a best-selling author, speaker and business consultant. He’s the founder and CEO of Fit Body Boot Camp. We discuss his childhood in Armenia, immigrating to the US, the obesity epidemic, warning signs of tyranny, capitalism, his powerful mental health story and so much more.

Kevin Cyr is a RCMP SWAT Commander who has worked in multiple specialist teams in his 21 year career. We discuss his journey into policing, jiujitsu in law enforcement, physical fitness, the war on drugs, his powerful mental health story, Echelon Front and so much more

Dr Sean Rockett is the Head Orthopedic Surgeon for the Crossfit Games and a lifelong athlete. We discuss his journey into medicine, injuries in the youth athlete, finding Crossfit, healing injury through movement, when to get surgery, opiates and so much more.

Ryan Parrott is a former Navy SEAL and the man behind the burn charity "Sons of the Flag". In this first of the HPP Series, Ryan unveils the Human Performance Project and the incredible 7X event that he will endure in January 2023. He has assembled some of the greatest minds on the planet to develop a guide book for physical, mental and spiritual excellence. You can be part of this incredible community today.

Katherine Grimm is a massage therapist, strength and conditioning coach and meditation teacher. We discuss her journey into wellness, the power of massage therapy, coaching tactical athletes, Project Lyceum, healing relationships and so much more.

Jim McDonald is a strength and conditioning coach and firefighter. We discuss his journey into coaching, the importance of movement diversity in youth athletics, coaching high level sports athletes, his journey into the fire service, training the tactical athlete and much more.