On this episode of the Strong New York Podcast, host Kenny Santucci sits down with Steve White—founder of Brae 100, HomeTeams, and The Pacific Clinic—to share a story of resilience that redefines what recovery can look like.
After years of football-related head trauma, Steve faced severe neurological decline, including seizures, cognitive loss, lupus, and APS. Told his condition would only worsen, everything changed when a mentor challenged him to “fight”—sparking a shift from passive treatment to radical personal responsibility.
At 64, Steve began training for extreme physical goals while rebuilding his brain and body through unconventional methods: cold-water exposure, high-intensity exercise paired with cognitive “brain hits,” grounding, disciplined sleep, nutrition, and daily gratitude.
In this conversation, he breaks down the mindset that fueled his recovery—belief, finishing what you start, and showing up for others—and how those principles connect directly to healing and neuroplasticity.
Steve also shares how he rebuilt his life and mission, acquiring and expanding a major health facility and launching HomeTeams, an app designed to simplify caregiving—organizing support networks, reducing costs, tracking appointments, and delivering personalized care at home.
This episode is a powerful reminder that limits aren’t always what they seem—and that transformation is possible at any stage of life.
00:00 Bootstraps And Hope
01:06 Podcast Intro Steve White
01:50 First Knockout At 17
03:08 Basketball To Football Pivot
05:00 UNLV And Playing Both
05:55 Symptoms And Decline
07:23 Sprinkler Head Concussion
08:55 Emotional Fallout And Lupus
10:43 Belief Over Magic Pills
14:20 Misogi And Four Rules
17:10 Finish What You Start
21:29 Caring And Neuroplasticity
23:51 Cynicism Blocks Change
26:06 Wim Hof And Manifestation
29:15 Brain Hits Training
33:02 Grounding Gratitude Basics
36:13 Movement Sleep Rhythm
37:55 Clinic Mission Access
39:34 Building Pacific Campus
43:26 Health Is Team Sport
47:00 Home Teams Platform
52:19 Where To Find Steve
What is The Strong New York Podcast?
Being STRONG is more than just how much weight you can lift.
The Strong New York Podcast is dedicated to inspiring you to become your strongest self- in the gym, in business, in relationships and in life.
Join Kenny as he sits down with his strong as fuck buddies and shoots the shit on what it takes to be strong willed, strong minded and physically strong. Season one features everyone from entrepreneurs and local business owners to doctors and industry leaders in the fitness and wellness space.
With over a decade of experience, Kenny Santucci has made himself known as one of New York City’s top trainers and a thought leader in the health and wellness industry. After transforming his life at 15 years old through fitness, Kenny made it his mission to transform the lives of those around him.
Kenny has trained some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Jon Bon Jovi, Liev Schreiber, and Frank Ocean, and has been tapped as a fitness expert sharing his training approach with Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Runner's World, SHAPE, Well+Good, among other publications.
Kenny is the creator of STRONG New York, NYC's only Health and Fitness Expo. Strong New York is an immersive day of workouts, wellness experiences, panel discussions, and inspiring conversations with the best in-class wellness professionals, industry leaders, and change makers who are sharing their expertise on today's hottest wellness trends and first-hand experiences on how to optimize your overall health and life.
You can find Kenny at The Strength Club, his private training and group strength training facility in the heart of Manhattan located on 28th and 5th Ave in New York City.