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Bringing you culture, human interest, lifestyle, sports, and politics from San Clemente, California, the best place in the world to live.
SCP_Scott Muir_260709
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Speaker: [00:00:00] Welcome to the San Clemente Podcast, the only local podcast in the best beach town in the world. We're here to bring you weekly episodes highlighting everything from sports, culture, entertainment, politics, and everything else this beach town has
Speaker 2: to offer
Speaker: What's up, everyone? Welcome back to the San Clemente Podcast.
I'm Jeff Moore, joined as always by Brian De La Puente. Today, we've got a very exciting guest, one with a, uh, story that I think is really gonna stick with you. Scott Muir, division one soccer player at the Air Force Academy, 12 years of service as a pilot, husband, dad, and a guy whose life kind of flashed before his eyes and had a tragic event that changed potentially your life forever, and just a story that I think is really gonna resonate with the community, with us, and just appreciate you sitting down and talking with us.
Speaker 2: Man, I'm psyched to be here, guys. This is, like, a, a rad opportunity. Appreciate it. Really excited about it, so thanks for having me.
Speaker 3: Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. [00:01:00] So Scott, we've gotten to know each other the last few years- Yeah ... at school pickup and- Yeah ... surfed and all the things, right? Yeah. Um, what, like, what have, what have you been up to?
How's summer going? Like, what have, what are the kids into?
Speaker 2: Summer's been great, man. Yeah. It's been, like, one of the first summers where we haven't had, like, too many camps for the kids, so it's just been, just been rad- Yeah ... getting to the beach days here and doing T Street and Doheny with the kids and just, like, having lazy days, watching- Sure
soccer with the kids. Like, it's what I remember summer as a kid, you know? And I've just been loving it. It's been a good time. Have you guys been
Speaker 3: doing World Cup?
Speaker 2: Been doing a lot of World Cup. What's your- Can't get enough of it.
Speaker 3: As, as a former player-
Speaker 2: Yeah ...
Speaker 3: what are your takes a- up until this point?
Speaker 2: I think it's been super fun.
I was, like, a little skeptical about them going to, like, the bigger 48 team World Cup- Yeah ... and then it's brought a bunch of these smaller teams in here, Cape Verde doing cool things. So it's been really fun to watch, watch it expand a little bit and watch, um, just more teams get out there and see what they can do.
Speaker 3: Do you watch with a critical eye? I know my, my wife played college soccer at UCI. Yeah,
Speaker 2: yeah.
Speaker 3: When we're watching, like last night we [00:02:00] watched at one of her girlfriend's house, and they were all soccer players. Yeah. They all played at Utah. Um- They are, like, so critical. Yeah. "Yeah, defense, what are you doing?
Get the line." Yeah. Like, and it's like-
Speaker 2: It depends what game I'm watching. Like, if I'm invested, in the US game, watching that last night, like I watched with a buddy, a couple buddies, and we actually went down to, they had a big watch party. It was in Dana Point- Yeah ... at El Prado.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 2: And so we did that, which was super fun, but like, very critical eye- For sure
on the whole thing. But I was, just before we came down here, Argentina-Egypt was on, and I don't care whatsoever who wins that game, so it's a little more fun to just like sit back and soak it in, right? So I'm sure it's like you with football, right? Both you guys, like, you watch something you're invested in- Yeah
you're, like, picking it apart, and you just get to watch a game. For
Speaker 3: sure. Yeah. I, uh, it's hard for me to watch football without that.
Speaker 2: Really?
Speaker 3: Um, because you're like, you see it and you're like, "Oh, here comes this. This, this tackle's gonna get offsides."
Speaker 2: Yeah. "
Speaker 3: He's getting real close," or, "That's a holding call," or whatever.
But it, it's fun to watch, and it's, you get a lot of questions from everybody like- Sure ... "Hey, is, what are they [00:03:00] doing? Who's gonna win?" Like, "Who do you have in this game?" Yeah. And it's like, "I don't know. I like, I kinda just wanna chill and watch."
Speaker 2: Just wanna watch.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Just take it in. Just be a, just be a spectator.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: But that's awesome.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been a fun World Cup though. You guys been into it?
Speaker: Oh, yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker: It's been awesome.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: Competitive games. Yeah. Brian and I were talking about it. A little let down about USA and how they- Mm ... I mean, just, I saw the goalie come out of there. I'm like, "
Speaker 3: What are you doing?"
Speaker 2: Yeah, I felt bad. What are you coming out of the box? It was, you know, I think Belgium was always the better team. We had a chance, but it just- It sucked to watch the way they went out, you know? It just was such a lackluster performance- Yeah ... and, like, it's not representative of who they are, and it's such a bummer to have that performance on that game.
Sure. So I know they're better than that, and they showed it in a bunch of the other games against, you know, Australia, Panama, like, teams that, like, gave other very good teams- Yeah ... a run for their money. So like, oh- We came out the
Speaker 3: gate hot.
Speaker: But yeah, they're-
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, they're a lot more competitive now though, right, this year, than they have in the years past?
Speaker 2: Uh, I, I mean, definitely they have the best team they've ever had.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: But it's still-
Speaker: Yeah, still the- Still
Speaker 2: gotta put it together- For sure ... against the other big ones, right? Yep. And we always seem to do well, and then come up [00:04:00] against a proper European team, and it's just- Yeah ... get a little shell-shocked or something.
Gosh,
Speaker: I
Speaker 2: love sports. It's a
Speaker: bummer. Yeah, I love watching sports. No, it isn't. But I think this one takes the cake, honestly. Yeah. I think watching soccer in the World Cup is
Speaker 2: just- I, I went to the World Cup in Germany back in 2006- Yeah ... after I graduated, with another soccer buddy, and it's... There is no sporting event like it.
It is so much fun.
Speaker: And how are the fans too? You see these soccer fans just-
Speaker 2: Oh my gosh. And we would go out to bars or different, like, plazas and stuff, and have drinks, and we were playing, you know, whoever we were playing, Ghana or whatever, and there's Ghana fans there, and we're sharing beers with them, trading flags with them.
It's so- They have my flag, I have theirs, and you're like, it's just good vibes. It's so much fun. It's like what sport's meant to be. For sure. Right?
Speaker: I love it. Awesome. Well, before we get into the story and what happened- Yeah ... give us an update on how you're doing today, your recovery, and what that looks like right now.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah. So like, just the backstory, that with, like, my spinal injury right now, I think, yeah. And so, um, yeah, the recovery's going well, man. It's going, like, way better [00:05:00] than I probably coulda hoped for, so it's been really nice to watch that trajectory keep going. We were kinda talking a little bit before- Sure
about this, of at the beginning, the trajectory is very linear. I just kept kinda plugging away in this, like, kinda surprising path. And since I've been home, I think maybe the last couple months especially, I've noticed, like, the little plateaus and peaks and valleys and stuff. Yeah. But it keeps on this upward trend, so it's really cool.
It's a pr- like, a really big privilege to be able, like, like, keep getting better and keep doing the things I love doing, but I keep getting a little- I don't wanna say better at them, but less bad at them, right? Sure. Like, so like, yeah, I'm not, I'm not good at surfing anymore. I'm not good at prone paddling anymore, but I'm not as bad as I was a couple months ago.
So it's like- Maybe some- Yeah, it's just the right trajectory. So when I zoom back out, I have to do that all the time, and, you know, zoom in, and I get a little frustrated, and boom, zoom back out, and you're going, "Holy shit. This is, this is cool."
Speaker: So you're having to relearn a lot of the things.
Speaker 2: Everything.
Everything. I've had to relearn everything, and everything, like, from walking to [00:06:00] putting clothes on, dude. All of it's a challenge. Um, so it's all just a little bit different, and you just have to adapt to, okay, here's how I go up and down the stairs now. I have to think about it. And when you get to the beach, it's like, okay, I paddle a little bit different.
I don't catch a wave quite as well. I can't really get up to my feet all the time. Sometimes, not always, so sometimes I'm riding waves on my knees. Sometimes it's on my stomach, and just trying to get reps. But it's, yeah, everything I'm doing is, like, relearning it. And so a lot of the rehab I've been doing, it hasn't been as physically taxing as it is mentally taxing.
Like, I am exhausted after an hour or two because I have to think about every step that I'm taking, where I'm placing my foot, how's it going? And, like, I always find myself in my first rep of something, we're doing lunges with a twist or something, right? Like, isometric work to get work on my right side.
My first reps, my first round sucks, and I have to give myself the space, zoom back out, okay. And then I, my brain learns it, my body learns how to do it, and then my second round gets better, third round [00:07:00] gets better after that, so. And
Speaker: that mental fatigue is much different than the physical fatigue. Yeah. So you're having both.
Speaker 2: Yes. Yeah. I mean, it is physically exhausting. I'm sweating. I'm, I'm whipped. But, like, yeah, you get home, you're just kind of, "I just need to lay here for a few minutes, man- ... 'cause I'm, I'm toast." Yeah. But it's, but it's going good, man. It's going really, really well. Um, there's still a long, long way to go, um, and I don't know when it'll stop.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Who cares? But- Every- ... wherever it stops, it stops. But, um, yeah, it's, it keeps moving in the right direction.
Speaker 3: That's awesome. Let's- Yeah. I mean, I think a lot of y- the way you attack- Day-to-day now kind of started with you in your early years and getting into soccer, playing at Air Force. Let's get into that.
So you-
Speaker 2: Yeah ...
Speaker 3: we were talking about going to Trabuco-
Speaker 2: Yeah ...
Speaker 3: and then getting t- playing soccer through... Just talk a little bit about getting to that 12-year career and-
Speaker 2: Yeah ... all that stuff. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so I mean, grew up in Rancho Santa Margarita, and then just, like, fell in love with soccer from a young age, so that was a big part of my, like, [00:08:00] sport life.
I played baseball a bit, but I just, I was, my heart was never really in it. And so, um, I just had some really good coaches along the way that kind of pushed me and, and guided me through that. And so, yeah, played soccer at Trabuco, played club soccer out here for Mission and San Juan and some of the clubs out here.
And then, uh, got recruited to go play... I, like, I always knew I wanted to fly airplanes-
Speaker 3: Okay ...
Speaker 2: and I wanted to play D1 soccer, and I was like, "Well, there's really kind of only one place." Yeah. Have you heard of the Air Force Academy?
Speaker 3: That seems to fit
Speaker 2: it all. It seemed to check all the boxes. So I, I also think I needed, like, I knew I needed the discipline in my life.
Like, I was having a lot of fun towards the end of high school- ... and I knew what college would look like for me if I went to some of the other schools I'd talked to. Sure. I was, like, thinking about myself at 19, cut loose in New York City, and I'm like- Sure ... "Oh, my God."
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So I needed a structure. So the, the guardrails were really good in my life.
Um, so yeah, Trabuco- Did you
Speaker 3: grow up in a military family at all?
Speaker 2: No, no. My family's all Canadian, actually. Okay. Both my parents are Canadian. Um, my, my dad's [00:09:00] side, his, his dad and his two uncles all flew in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Oh,
Speaker 3: cool.
Speaker 2: So we had, like, a little bit of, like, kind of aviation military history in the family.
Yeah. They flew in World War II.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 2: Um, but that's, you know, not really.
Speaker: Yeah. Canadian born, or US?
Speaker 2: I'm US born, yeah. You are. My brother and I are the only two American-born in the family. Wow. We were born in Texas and then moved here when we were- Three, four Yeah Something like that. So, yeah.
Speaker 3: So what was... So was it a shock going to Air Force?
Like, what- Uh ... like that, talk about that discipline and that regimen. Like, was that day one?
Speaker 2: It was, I don't know. I, my approach to it was a little bit different. Like, it was a bit of a shock for sure. But if you show up, I just showed up to basic training, like, super fit and ready to, like, I don't know, probably stupid and overconfident, but I was just like, "I'm gonna have fun with this, and I'm gonna get myself in trouble just, like, screwing around- Sure
and, like, laugh my way through the whole thing." And I was like, "Oh, I can meet all these guys on, you know, you wanna go run? I'll run. That's fine. You wanna do pushups?" Like, I, I'll do pushups. Sure. Yeah. I mean, you'll break me at some point, but it doesn't matter. Right. [00:10:00] So I think I took it with an attitude of like, "Let's have fun with this whole thing," rather than, like, trying to let it beat me down.
Speaker 3: Sure.
Speaker 2: So- That's a good- Yeah, it was- ...
Speaker 3: approach.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was definitely a shock though. I mean- For sure ... and, and having the soccer team there made it all that much easier that, like, when you were going through hard stuff, sometimes, like, the soccer guys, the football guys, the sports guys kind of got carved out and pushed to the side, and you're like, "Oh, well, you're gonna be with your team now."
And so I got away from some of the minutia and some of, like, the, the military stuff, and some of, like, the reciting stu- I mean, you're-
Speaker 3: Sure ...
Speaker 2: as a freshman, you're up at 6:00 AM. You're outside your door. You're waiting for the seniors to pass by. You're telling them what's for breakfast. Like, you had to memorize the breakfast menu that day and the dinner menu.
And like- No way ... oh, dude. It's like-
Speaker 3: That's a, that's a different level. That's
Speaker: not a... Yeah, that's not a college experience- No, it's- ... that I think most kids are-
Speaker 2: It's not a normal college experience. I mean, me and the boys got out, and we had a lot of fun. Yeah. Like, I had a great time, but, like, yeah, that level of structure and, like, your door was open.
You are ready. You are reciting breakfast things. Like, [00:11:00] they'd have stupid quotations that you had to memorize, and someone would walk by and be like, "All right, Schofield's quote." And you'd be like, "Oh, shoot." And you'd rattle off this quote, you know? And if you didn't, it was pushups. It was all this stuff. So it's all a haze.
It's all a game, and once you figure out it's a game, then you're like, "Oh, I can play this. I can play a game," right? Like, that's fine. And the people that didn't figure out it was a game, like, they were pretty miserable. Yeah.
Speaker: Is it- Sure, yeah ... a typical four-year experience going to the Air Force?
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah. Standard four year. After your freshman year, all that stuff is gone. Mm-hmm. It's really after, like, the spring of your freshman year, you go through this, like, big physical event called recognition, where there's all this... It's, like, four or five days of just getting, like, hammered, right? Mm. And it's this big intense thing, and after that, you, like, they're like, "All right.
Good. You're part of the gang. You're in."
Speaker 3: Do you pick a, like, a- sector you want to go into? Like d- after your freshman year, you're like, "I'm gonna go into this type of-
Speaker 2: Yeah ...
Speaker 3: aviation or how, what is that? Uh, it's
Speaker 2: after your freshman year. So the way it works is you go freshman, sophomore year. The day you show up your junior year, you're committed.
So you could walk away at any [00:12:00] point in that time. You're like, "Oh, I'm out of here." I'm like, "Yeah, okay, no problem." But if you show up your junior year, day one, you owe them, I think it's four years or something like that.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 2: Um, so yeah. And then after that, like in your junior year, you select what you wanna do.
I think junior, senior year.
Speaker 3: Is it like a major?
Speaker 2: Well, you choose a major. You have a major. Yeah, choose a major. I was a psychology major. Okay. There was guys that were business- Like what
Speaker 3: sector of the
Speaker 2: military? And then, yeah. And then you start choosing what you wanna do, and you select that, and those get handed out based on class rank for the most part.
Gotcha. So if you wanted a pilot slot, there were usually, the Air Force Academy, more pilot slots than there were p- people, so it was pretty easy to get. Whereas like the ROTC guys do a pilot slot and they're like, "There's six of us in our ROTC unit and there's one pilot slot," and so it's gonna be pretty challenging for them to get it, whereas the Academy, it's pretty easy.
So-
Speaker 3: Is there a trend from guys from your team? Like, did you guys go into the same thing, like
Speaker 2: the same sector? No, not at all, actually. Yeah, there was probably six of us in my graduating class.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 2: And me and one other guy flew, and everyone else went other places. One went into finance. Interesting. One went into...
[00:13:00] Actually, no, finance. Um, yeah, intelligence. Interesting. Um, other one went on, did grad school for a while. I mean, they did all sorts of different things, acquisition. So it's this little mini world that you- Sure ... kinda get into. Like, the Air Force has, like, all, all this different stuff in it. So it's, it's a cool opportunity for people that are looking to, like, "I don't know what I wanna do with my life."
You get real word- real world training in something- Sure ... and experience. It's pretty neat.
Speaker 3: Is there, um- Like, we all seen Top Gun, right?
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Is there, is it like that? Like-
Speaker 2: When I went to pilot training- Yeah ... you're talking about? That's, I mean, pilot training was a fire hose of a different- Yeah ... level. So after I graduated, I had a year kinda off waiting for my pilot training class to open up.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 2: It was just full. So they said, "Hey, just kinda hang out for a year," which was pretty fun.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Um, and
Speaker 3: then- And you're in Palo Alto, Springs still?
Speaker 2: No, I got sent out to the Bay Area, out to Travis Air Force Base. Oh. So we lived in the, we lived in the Bay Area. Wow. Um, and I literally almost had nothing to do for a year- Yeah
but just have fun, so it was great. I surfed a lot out there. Yeah. It was great. Uh, but then I went to Texas, and that's where [00:14:00] my pilot training was, Del Rio, Texas. Okay. Do you know where that is?
Speaker 3: I would assume it's
Speaker 2: hot. Nobody knows where Del Rio
Speaker 3: is. Just
Speaker 2: kidding. Everyone in Texas knows where Del Rio is. I know where it is.
It's like, if you go San Antonio and you drive four hours due west till you hit Mexico- Yep ... that's Del Rio. Like, where they filled, filmed No Country for Old Men. Okay. It's just out there. Yes. Like, West Texas. Um, so we show up out there, and pilot training starts, and that was a fire hose like I had, like, never experienced- Sure
of just academic testing that was just super rigorous. Uh, and then you're, you're up, you're doing stuff all day. You're flying twice a day. It's just a lot.
Speaker 3: Sure.
Speaker 2: Uh, it was fun, but it was challenging, and I found myself in a position of, of, like, failing two academic tests right off the bat. Yeah. And if you fail a third one, you're gone.
And I'm like- Sure ... "Dude, this is like - This is not- ... this is, like, my goal- Yeah ... is flying, and I'm, like, hanging by a thread here." And I had a really good buddy, uh, uh, Teddy, who, like, he was top of our class, pick me up by the scruff of the neck. That's- He's like, "I'm gonna walk you through this whole thing. You will not fall behind."
And he did. That's awesome. And I made [00:15:00] it through. Uh, yeah Um, but it's- Sometimes
Speaker 3: you need that, right?
Speaker 2: Yeah, you do. But the culture there was fun. It was, you're flying fun planes. Like, the, the plane you start out on is the T-6, which is a, a propeller. Uh, but it's super fun because, like, there's no spool-up time and it runs at a constant speed.
It's, the propellers always spin at the same speed, so when you put power in, all it does is change the pitch, and wow, you just get going really fast. So the thing's fully aerobatic. Sweet. You're doing, like, all the fun stuff in it. So there was, there was some really cool flying out there. That was
Speaker 3: neat. And then w- do you find a, find your place in a...
Like, do you get a specific plane that, "Now I'm on this"?
Speaker 2: Yeah, so-
Speaker 3: But then you get, like-
Speaker 2: So you do your first six months in the T-6, and then from there everyone goes through that same plane, same course. And then from there, boom, boom, boom, same thing. Rack and stack everybody. "Number one guy, what do you wanna do?
Do you wanna fly fighters? Do you wanna fly helicopters? Do you wanna fly prop planes? Do you wanna fly big jets?" You know? And they just go down and you choose your way through the list. So, uh, I chose to track on the heavy side, which was, you know, kind of the cargo, air refueling [00:16:00] transport side of it.
Gotcha. Um, yeah. And so then once you get picked into that, then you go to a different plane. So I went and flew the T-1 from that. The guys that go fighters fly the T-38 at the time.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 2: Which was, speaking of Top Gun, the Migs in the original Top Gun- Yeah ... those are all T-38s.
Speaker 3: Gotcha.
Speaker 2: That's what those guys flew.
And I think that's- Those are some fun planes.
Speaker: Yeah, I think that's really cool. I can't imagine there's that many 18-year-olds graduating high school that know exactly what they wanna do.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: So this is a great pathway for people
Speaker 2: who- I felt fortunate there, because I always look at kids now, and you know, like my daughter and stuff, and you're like How are you supposed to choose what you wanna do here?
You're like, you don't know anything. No. So yeah,
Speaker: just- No, they think they do, right?
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, they do.
Speaker: But they don't.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker: And so the fact that you can go to the Air Force, you can get a great degree-
Speaker 2: Yeah ...
Speaker: I mean, I don't know about you, but that sounds- Yeah ... really fun.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: Flying- Yeah ... planes, helicopters.
Yeah,
Speaker 2: it was cool.
Speaker: Playing with a bunch of toys.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, that's what it felt like. It just felt like an extension of sports, right? That's what it felt like, is just like you had this group, you had this team, you're working on things, you're flying, you're having fun. It just, it, it was rad. It was fantastic.
Speaker: So looking [00:17:00] back on that, was, was that a decision that you would stand behind and do again?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I would. I- for me in my life, I know I needed that. Like I said, I needed the structure, the discipline. I loved playing college soccer. That was so much fun. I love the group of guys I had. So yeah, I would stand by the decision again.
I, I don't think it's for everybody, though. Yeah. Like, it is very structured, and it's like if you're not playing the game, then you could get pretty beat down by it. So, um, I don't know. There's a bunch of different avenues to fly in, so there's a bunch of ways to get there. But yeah, for me, it was the right call.
I'd do it again.
Speaker: Very cool. Yeah. And then did you meet your wife post-college, or-
Speaker 2: I met her during college, yeah ... during college. She, uh, she didn't go to the Air Force Academy. She went to Cal Poly. But I came back on spring break through a friend, and we wound up meeting in Newport. And then we went and th- the night after we met, we split ways, and then I went down to Mexico.
We were down in Baja- Yeah ... popping us a beer- Yeah ... like we were talking about. Of
Speaker: course, yeah.
Speaker 2: I'm sitting there dancing, having a few beers with friends, turn around-
Speaker: There she
Speaker 2: is ... there she is. Out of nowhere. And you're like, "All right, see you guys later. I'm [00:18:00] gonna go with her." And that was it. That was the end of it, so.
That's awesome. Yeah. Yeah, we've been together for a long time. We're still, I think it's 18 years married this August, so. That's awesome. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: I tell people all the time- It's a good one ... yeah, hey, the most important decision you're gonna make in life is who you marry.
Speaker 2: Completely. Yep. Yep.
Speaker 3: Partner in crime, dude.
Speaker: Yeah, it's your, it's everything, right? Yeah. I mean, and you- It is ... yeah, you see people with tough marriages, and you just feel for them. And you see people with great marriages, and it's just, it's awesome to see. Yeah. Talk to us about her support through everything you've been through.
Speaker 2: Oh my God, dude. I don't even know where to start.
She has been everything. I mean, there's no way I would have made it through this process, this whole thing without her. Um, gosh, yeah, it's a little emotional, but she's just like, she shows up in so many ways. Sh- from the very beginning, you know, for her being next to me in the hospital bed and being there and, like, starting to move all the pieces.
And, like, I remember the very f- one of the very first things when she got to the hospital, 'cause [00:19:00] I'm laying in a bed just looking at the ceiling the whole time, and she showed up after my buddy called her. And, uh, she just came over and, like, she gave me a kiss on the cheek, and it was just like this thing where, like, I was never freaking out, but, like, everything slowed down.
And I'm like, "All right, I'm gonna be all right." You know? Like, "She's here. I'm gonna be all right." And, uh- She's just been by my side the whole time, everything I've needed. Um-
Speaker 3: She's, I mean, just from a, uh, from a far away from the whole thing, seeing her at pickup, her big smile, like she kept it together like un-
Speaker 2: Yeah
Speaker 3: un- incredible. Like- Yeah, she's- ... seeing her, like there was a couple times I gave her a hug c- just 'cause we had that relationship.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3: And she knew that I was a safe, safe place. She would little glimpse, like a little, like a tear.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Or like, like, "Are you okay?" Like, it was like-
Speaker 2: Yeah ...
Speaker 3: not really, you know?
No, no, no, no. Like, she, those little moments, but she was a freaking rock star, dude. And
Speaker 2: she's been so open [00:20:00] and vulnerable. She, from the very beginning, she started kind of a journal, like a Google open source doc, just to let people know what was going on. It started as just, like, friends and family. Like, "Here's the daily breakdown on Scott.
Here's what happened. Here's what the doctors are saying," blah, blah, blah, right? And then it, it kinda morphed into this thing where she was journaling about her life and her experiences on it, and, like, a huge open book. Like- Yeah ... very vulnerable stuff that she was journaling about, and it wasn't locked.
Like, anyone could read it. Right. And so we had people that were like, "Dude, I was reading this morning, watching her type."
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Like, you know, she's in Colorado. I'm wa- I've been sitting in San Clemente, and I could see her typing on the Google Doc, like, her feelings, her emotions, her highs, her lows. And it was a special thing that she did because when she came back, people would open up to her in this way that, where they're like, "Oh, you were vulnerable, and that was okay for you to share- Right
your low or your high." And they would, they would open up these things, and I thought it was just this really cool way of, like, kinda cracking people open and [00:21:00] making... You know, letting people know it's okay to share things, and it's okay to be vulnerable. Um, so yeah, she's just... I don't know. I couldn't even...
I could, we could spend the whole podcast talking about her.
Speaker 3: That's awesome. Like, yeah. Let's di- let's dive into it. I mean, let's talk about that day at DMJ's. Yeah. It's pumping swell.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3: Just d- go into it. It, I mean- Yeah,
Speaker 2: yeah, yeah. So it was, yeah, it was during that Hurricane Nora swell, and it was just...
It was super fun. It wasn't huge, but it was consistent and powerful, and just a good day.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: And I met up with my buddy Dan, who I'd known since third grade, and him and I had just stayed buddies forever, surfed forever. Um, we've gone different ways and whatnot. Dan was in the Navy doing some spec op stuff there.
Really awesome dude. And, uh, so yeah, we met up for a surf, which we do every month or so, and we were having a blast. Uh, we were just, like, we found this little peak down by the jetty, and it was just kinda us, and we were scoring for a long time. And then, uh, I remember a couple groms paddled out, and they were over by us, and it was, it was fun.
We were having a good time with them. It, it's pretty uncrowded down there, so- Yeah ... we were getting waves, and it wasn't a problem, [00:22:00] but we were kinda back and forth with them, and like, "All right. Well, we're gonna push these guys a little deeper- Give 'em a ... to get this right," like ... And it was just cat and mouse, but never, like, really acknowledging each other, but they surfed well, and they were having fun.
They were nice kids. And I remember, I'd, I was paddling back out from a wave, and, uh, Dan, I watched Dan go on a wave, and it just kinda closed out on him, so he's kinda floating in that impact zone. And the next one comes, and I see one of the groms look, and he's, like, eyeing it, and he's like... I could see he wants to go, and I...
You're watching the trajectory, and you're like, "Oh, dude, this guy's gonna mow over Dan- Yeah. ... if he goes," right? No. And like, "Oh, God," and Dan's not a guy you wanna mow over. Yeah. Like, he's not... He's a tough-looking dude, right? And the kid looks, and he's like- Ah, he just puts his head down and goes, and he pulls in, gets barreled, and boom, it closes out on him, and they kind of go right by each other, right?
And you're like, "Oh, no." He comes up and he's like, "Dude, I'm sorry." And Dan, I was waiting for it- 'Cause I was just- ... maybe 15 yards away. I'm like, "Oh, here we go." And Dan just goes, "Dude, that was epic." Yeah. Like, "That was [00:23:00] awesome. You kids have been sending it all day." Yeah, yeah. Like, "Don't even... Don't ever apologize for chucking it over the ledge and going on one," right?
Yeah. And the kid was like, "Oh, okay, sweet." So they start chatting on the way back out. I catch up to them. We catch up to their other friend, and we just, the four of us strike up this conversation, and we're just having a blast out there, probably 20 minutes or so of, like, talking to him about the spot, trading waves.
Like, I'd see a set come in, and you know, like, oh, the second one's gonna bounce. The second one's gonna be the good one. So one of the other guys, I was like, "Dude, this one's you." Like, it was my turn. I was in the spot. I'm like, "No, no, this one's you. It's the, it's the good one," right?
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: And he... The kid told me later, he's like, "That's the f- you were the first person in my life that has ever given me a wave."
"That's ever been like, it's not my turn, but I get to go." Yeah. And it was just, I don't know, it was a magic 20 minutes of, like, what it's supposed to be in the water, of just people having fun with each other, talking, sharing. Not competing, but everyone's getting- Right ... theirs. It was magic. And, uh-
Speaker: Great vibe
Speaker 2: it was so cool, man. Yeah, it was really nice. [00:24:00] Um, and so then another set comes in. Uh, one of the groms, his name's Judah, he goes on the first one, and then the second one comes in and I'm like, "Oh, this one's a good one." It's good. "I'm going on this one." So I take off on it, kind of turn on the outside, and it hits this inside sandbar, and I backside pull in, and I'm just like, "Oh, here we go."
Like, I can go... I can see the vision still right now of just, like, I'm in the tube of the day, right? Yeah. I'm just packing this thing. Um, I can see my exit. I am coming out. Like, I'm- Yes ... I'm, I'm pretty stoked for this wave. And, uh, before I know it, not... I don't even know how, like maybe the foam ball picked up the back, and I just get pitched head over.
And befo- I can't get my hands out, anything. It just driven, boom, straight to the bottom and pile drive, head down. And you kind of feel a little c- little crunch. And I'm going, "All right." You know, just a little body scan, assess what's going on, right? Like usually a little stinger or something like that. And I couldn't move anything.
Legs, hands, arms, nothing.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: [00:25:00] And I'm like, "Oh, shit."
Speaker 3: Immediately.
Speaker 2: Immediately I go, "I broke my neck. I'm paralyzed." And I- You
Speaker: said that to yourself?
Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. I knew. I knew immediately, like, you're paralyzed. And you're trying to move. You're frozen in this body, and you can't do a thing.
Speaker 3: No, never lost consciousness.
Speaker 2: Never lost consciousness. Completely aware of my situation the whole time.
Speaker: Fully cognizant of everything going on around you.
Speaker 2: Completely aware of it.
Speaker: But cannot move your body.
Speaker 2: Cannot move. Just face down, too, in the water. I'm not on my back. I'm face down, and I'm just sitting there going like, "All right."
You can't fix this. Like, there's no... Like, you can try, but there, you can't fix this situation. It's just what it is. And, like, I just remember telling myself to just relax and stay calm. I'm like, "That's the only way you're gonna make it through this. That's your only chance of making it through this," right?
You're face
Speaker: down-
Speaker 2: Face down in the water ... on,
Speaker: on the surface.
Speaker 2: On the surface, yeah. And just going like, "All right," like, the only, your only chance of survival is just relaxing and maybe you buy yourself an extra [00:26:00] five seconds. 'Cause I'm like, if I panic, I'm gonna burn all my air and I'm done, right? So just relax and kind of submit to what this is.
Like, don't submit to the outcome, but, like, just let this happen- Yeah ... and see where it goes. And, um, it was three waves. Like, a, a three, three waves held down underwater. And, uh, you know, like, a lot of things go through your mind at that point, like knowing... You know, I talk about the difference between, we've all been out there and had those hold downs and those- Sure
days and big waves where you're scrambling to the top and you're like, "Oh, God, I don't know if I'm gonna make it," and it's scary. And you're like, "God, that was a close one." But that's always like, I'm not sure. This was a, this was a difference between not I could die. It was the, uh, the recognition that, like, you're gonna die, dude.
Like, that was it, and you're just sitting with it waiting in the water.
Speaker 3: Are you in survival mode? Are you... Or, like, are you... What's going... Uh, is the- I didn't- ... is your wife and kids, is that going through your mind?
Speaker 2: Yeah. That... The one thing that went through my [00:27:00] mind, um, was, was Kristin- Yeah ... and, and thinking about her.
And, you know, I, I love my kids so much, I thought if you'd asked me before, it'd have been my kids are gonna go through, and it was her. And that's all I could think about was her- It was the idea of her getting that phone call. Um, that- that's really what stuck with me, is like that cannot happen. I just had this picture of her, like zoomed, watching her get this call that I was gone- Jesus
and watching it break her, and I just couldn't... Like, it just crushed me. And I... So I was just like, "That can't happen. Just relax, that can't happen." Yeah. And, uh, so that... Yeah, that's what's going through my mind during that. Just stay calm, that can't happen. Maybe I'll get pushed in onto the shore, get kind of propped up on my elbows.
And I'm just like, you know, you start getting that reflux and you're like, "Okay, I got more, I got more. I can wait." And then, you know, the water starts coming in, and the last thing I remember is, is something kind of like this. Like, it felt like something on my [00:28:00] collar bone. Like, "Ah, that's really weird." And then I don't really remember much after that.
And, uh, and come to find out afterwards, um, Judah, the guy that had gone on that wave before me, he saw my wave, he watched me get barreled. He paddled over the wave and didn't see me fall, but looks back and was like, "Oh, I see a surfboard there, but whatever. He's probably just coming back for it." Paddles over the next, kind of around it, and he's like, "God, I still don't see him.
That's really weird." And he said for just a split second, he saw my shoulders come up and back down, and he's like, "Holy shit, something's wrong."
Speaker 3: Go.
Speaker 2: And he scrambled over there. And the last thing I remember was him reaching underwater for me, and he said, he's like, "It was all sandy, murky water." He's like, "I got there, I could see your board.
I didn't know where you were." Right. "So I was just reaching around underwater," and that's when he, he felt my wetsuit, and grabbed me, scooped me up under the arms and the back, lifted me out of the water.
Speaker 3: Had you been pushed in enough where he could stand?
Speaker 2: Yeah. Judah's about, I guess he's maybe 5'8" or something like that.
[00:29:00] Um, he's not a super tall guy. I mean, he's a strong dude. Um, but yeah, he was in... He was up to about his neck in water. So it's hurricane swell, consistent waves pushing in, you know, so he's getting... He's got his board around his leg, my board around my leg. Every wave that comes in has two missiles coming at him that he's trying to put out of the way.
He's trying to keep his head above water through the whole thing-
Speaker 3: Right ...
Speaker 2: uh, while moving backwards and screaming. And so he starts yelling. His friend Thomas that was out there, Thomas is like, "Oh my gosh, something's wrong." Like, and he goes to Dan. Which the funny part of the whole story is he goes to Dan, he didn't know Dan's name at the time or didn't remember it.
And he's like, "Oh,
Speaker 4: I gotta get ahold of this guy. What do I do?" He's like, "
Speaker 2: Uh,
Speaker 4: hey,
Speaker 2: bald guy."
Speaker 4: I'm
Speaker 2: like, "Oh my God." Like, no one in the world calls Dan Bald- Bald Guy. You see Dan, you're like, "I'm not messing with that
Speaker 4: dude."
Speaker 2: I'm not calling him Bald Guy. Yeah. And, and Dan was pissed at first. He's like, "Your friend's in trouble."
And then so those two book it in.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Um, and Judah's pulling me the whole time, and he pulls [00:30:00] me to the beach and gets me to the sand, and then they show up. Thomas had been a junior guard, and Dan had done g- junior... He'd done guards, he'd done, you know, a bunch of Navy stu- Sure ... like, he'd done, he'd done a bunch of stuff with, uh, with, with rescue things.
And so, um, yeah, so they figure out quick, they stabilize me, the lifeguards get there. Uh, and then the first thing I remember after that is on the beach looking up, and I'm looking up, and there's all these heads around me, and I'm like like I get that breath, right? Um, and I'm like, 'cause they didn't have to do CPR, I guess.
I, I guess I was un- not really with it on the way in- Unresponsive ... but, uh, like I still had... I was kind of breathing, I guess.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 2: And I get that breath o- like when I come to on the beach, and I see all these heads over me, and I'm like, "Oh, my God," like holy shit, dude. I'm alive. Like, I didn't think- Yeah ... like, that, the juxtaposition between that, like, those two moments, and that breath and that sunlight, and realizing, like, you made it through this, it's like the [00:31:00] sweetest moment of my life, man.
It was really- Dang it ... special. Um-
Speaker 3: I need to keep it together. Yeah. Adam? Sorry. Yeah,
Speaker 2: yeah. So I see all those heads over me, and I was like, the first words out of my mouth are, "Who pulled me out of the water?" And they're all kinda looking back and forth, and then this head peers over from the back. Judah. And it was Judah, and I was like, I remembered him.
I remembered the Grom from, like- Yeah ... that inc- that incident, and I was like- Good ... "You saved my life, dude."
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: And from there, it was a whirlwind. It was, you know, um, onto the stretcher board, onto the back of the truck, into a paramedic, onto a helicopter, over to Scripps Hospital. And so Dan called my wife during that.
He called Kristin, and-
Speaker 3: And says what?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I know. I- That's a lot I put on him, because that's the other thing I said is, "Dan, you need to call Kristin." And he's like, "Shit, all right."
Speaker 3: And you're completely with it. You just know
Speaker 2: you're paralyzed. I'm completely with it. I know I'm paralyzed- Yeah ... um, but I'm totally with it.
Like, I remember all this perfectly. Um, yeah, and so [00:32:00] Dan calls her, and he's just very matter-of-fact. He's been through stuff before, and he knows. Yeah. And he says, "Kristin, Scott's, Scott's okay. Scott's alive. There's been an accident. Like, you need to get down to, uh, you need to get down to Scripps."
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: And we'd been out at OhanaFest the night before, Kris and I.
Yeah. And so she was, um, you know, she'd taken the morning off. I told her the kids were with my mom. Dude,
Speaker 3: that guitarist saw you, dude.
Speaker 2: Saw you there.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yep, we hung out at Ohana that night.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: The night before. Absolutely.
Speaker 3: Yeah. The night before. We were watching, uh, Hozier.
Speaker 2: Hozier was there. Yeah. Yeah. It was epic.
Yeah, she was actually journaling at that time- Yeah ... 'cause Hozier got up, and remember he got up on stage and he had- Yeah ... this whole, like, kinda come together community thing- Yeah ... that was, like, really powerful and, like- Yes ... kinda crossed beliefs and- Yeah ... all these kinda things and ideologies. Yeah. It was, like, really cool.
I thought it was... I'm not always into, like, preachy concerts, but it was a really cool thing.
Speaker 3: Yes.
Speaker 2: And, uh, she was, she was at home just journaling around, and she was writing some of his lyrics that were like, "Love every stranger. The stranger, the better." And, like, as she was writing that, a stranger [00:33:00] pulls me out of the water.
It was crazy. Saved your life. Yeah, and so she had this real calm thing, and she drove down to the hospital and, and ran into her there, and it was, yeah, from there- Yeah ... everything kinda got going. But yeah, she had this eerie level of calm about her. Um, probably a lot of thanks to Dan and his approach- Sure
and stuff, so.
Speaker: So you get down to Scripps Hospital.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: And then what, what next?
Speaker 2: Scripps was a whirlwind. Um, you know, you're in the stretcher, uh-
Speaker: Are you in severe pain?
Speaker 2: No pain, man. No pain. Nope, I just, like, from my, from my neck down, shoulders, I was just, like- Nothing ... stuck. And that's, so they got me in a, a CT scan, X-rays, all that stuff, and then they put me in an MRI.
And, and the MRI was where, like, I'm in there and it's, it's not quiet, but you're by yourself. There's finally not people around me. And that's when it was like Okay. Like, I get to take it all in, right? And that was, like, a really emotional thing of, like, I don't know. I, I went back and forth, but I was, like, just so grateful to be [00:34:00] alive and for life, and, like, that feeling of like, okay, like, I understand I'm paralyzed and I may never walk again.
Like, I didn't know the severity of it. At that point I thought, like, all right, that's it. Like, you're, like, a, like, a proper quadriplegic for the rest of your life and you'll never walk, and it was, like, inconsequential. Like, it didn't matter. I was like, "That's fine." Just
Speaker: the fact you were... Yeah "I don't care."
I'm, I'm alive.
Speaker 2: Don't care. Like, I'll take that bargain from what I went through underwater to, to that. I was like, I would take that deal 10 out of 10 times. And, uh, I just, I go back to that moment a lot and I, like, when I've have rough patches now, which are plenty, right, I go back to the MRI a lot of times and I'm like, "Dude, remember, like, you're here."
Speaker: You would...
Speaker 2: Yeah. I, like, this is, this is a good deal. Even if it seems like a bum deal, like, this is a good deal compared to what you were, what you thought was gonna happen. So that MRI was a, a really emotional point for me, and I... Like, I remember crying in there, but not out of, like, a, my life's ruined. Like, I never even thought about that.
[00:35:00] It was like, I still have a life, right? It was, like, the opposite of ruined. It's like, I still get to do this thing, and I just remember being, like, so hungry for it. It was really-
Speaker: What a great mindset though, because I would imagine a lot of people would be upset and- Yeah ... mad and pissed and-
Speaker 2: Yeah ...
Speaker: why me?
Why me? But you've taken the opposite-
Speaker 2: Yeah ... viewpoint-
Speaker: I just- ... perspective.
Speaker 2: Yeah. I don't know, I don't know why necessarily, but I, I mean, nothing, nothing happened. Like, a thing just happened. Like, I know the way I frame it all the time is that, like, people are like, "Oh, this happened to you." I was like, "No, nothing happened to me.
Something happened. It didn't happen to me. It just happened," right? And I think your approach after what happens makes what it is to you, right? And so- Right ... I think I've just kinda always felt that way, and so, yeah.
Speaker 3: That's so
Speaker 2: freaking
Speaker 3: inspirational. It's crazy to have that mindset. When you s- feel sorry for yourself it's like, ha- get in your MRI, right?
Like, have that be your head space of like, no, I- Perspective ... I am lucky I [00:36:00] get to do this. Yeah. Like, you get... You didn't care about not being able to walk or whatever. Like- Yeah ... I get to see my wife.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: And then her calm, and then your mindset. I, I can... I guarantee you that your mindset has so much, such a big role in your recovery.
Because I feel like the world is just a thing of energies, and if you're- Yeah ... if you've got positive energies, positive energies pumping into you, all this community that's just loving on you, all this good energy happening- Oh, God,
Speaker 2: the community. Yeah ...
Speaker 3: like, wow. Like, holy moly.
Speaker: Life is such a trip if you think about it just being a game of inches.
It's a game of inches. You're in a perfect barrel, right? Yeah. And how close to maybe coming out of it.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: And not, right? Like it's- So
Speaker 2: I, I went to, I went to a hospital in Colorado called Craig, a super specialized spinal and brain injury hospital. Amazing.
Speaker: How long after Scripps? So you're, so you're- Scripps, Scripps, Scripps
Speaker 2: are about eight, nine days.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker 2: And then I go to Craig, I get- Did you
Speaker 3: have surgery there?
Speaker 2: I had surgery, yeah. At Scripps. So yeah, [00:37:00] we had surgery at Scripps, so it's sp- spinal fusion, the C6 and 7 vertebrae.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 2: Um, but speaking of a game of inches, um, you know, the people I'd met there, we were all inches away, right? From people th- you know, getting hit by cars, people falling off zip lines, people, like all these things, trees landing on them, right?
We're all inches away from that not happening at all, right? But the flip side of the coin is we're all inches away from dying, right? Yeah. And you go, okay, like it is a game of inches. It's a game of seconds and milliseconds and stuff, but when the outcome is you're here, what physical state you find yourself in is kinda like-
Speaker: Irrelevant
irrelevant.
Speaker 2: Yeah. You're
Speaker: still playing the game.
Speaker 2: Still playing the game, exactly. So it's, uh, yeah, yeah, yeah. That, that, I don't know, that mindset, I find the people that had that mindset, they, they did well there, you know? And the
Speaker 3: people- Was that, did you have anybody at Craig that, like motivated and pushed you?
Speaker 2: Um, I had some physical therapists that [00:38:00] did, very hard. I mean, I, the, the people that I was with there inspired me big time. I was there with, uh, Dakota Briley. Um, he was a guy from Hawaii, surfer from Hawaii, a big North Shore family. Like Dakota's a real good surfer, and he got hit by a car out there, and I mean, his situation's terrible.
He was just destroyed, spinal injury, brain injury, you name it. A full coded out on the bed- Yeah ... kinda things. And he got there, and this kid was in the worst situation, and he had every right to be pissed. Someone hit him, right? And God, he was just a warrior. Like I'd go to his room every day to talk to him, and he just like, we would talk surf.
We would just talk like all the things that we're gonna do together, and he just like, every day I'd look at his situation and go, "God, how are you so freaking positive," right?
Speaker 4: Right.
Speaker 2: And he was just on it every day. And so being around people like him, my buddy Jake that was there, some of the firefighters that I met there, just all the people there that like we had this good little [00:39:00] core group of people that was kind of the iron sharpens iron thing, right?
And we just, we kinda pushed each other back and forth, and we see someone that needed a pick me up or someone that needed like, "Oh, I gotta give you some shit today," right? And like, "See if I can push you a little harder." So it was a really good group of people that I went through there with.
Speaker: What are the doctors telling you while you're there?
Speaker 2: So the doctors, when I was at, um, zooming back out to La Jolla at Scripps, so after my surgery there, the doctor, uh, that, that did it, Dr. Gari, who was awesome, he looked at it and he's like, "You know what? I did- the surgery went great, like everything went well. Um, your spinal cord luckily was not severed." So there's complete and incomplete injuries.
Complete injury is this wire is cut in half. Complete spinal cord injury, there's no coming back from it. Incomplete is this wire's dented, right? So it's, uh, it's, we're getting stuff through there, but it's not perfect, right? And he's like, "So that's where you are. You're an incomplete injury. Uh, what level of healing you'll get from there, we don't know.
It's, [00:40:00] you know, it's up to your body a lot of it, but the everything's in place for you to heal as best you can." So the, the nice thing was no one ever told me like, "You will never walk again." You know, no one ever said that. Uh, no one ever said, "You will walk" either. I was really fortunate for the medical staff to just kinda have this choose your own adventure thing of like- And you see where it
Speaker: goes Yeah.
And you weren't asking those questions. You were just taking it like- I
Speaker 2: didn't wanna ask the questions ...
Speaker: day by day. Yeah
Speaker 2: I, I knew... My mantra through the whole thing was just effort and attitude. And like, this is what I tell my kids all the time, like, those are your two controllable things in your life, effort and attitude.
And I just said, "All right, man, I'm gonna make the best out of this situation that I can, and I'm gonna work my ass off every single day. And if I do those two things, my outcome, I know I'm gonna get the best, best outcome that my body will physically let me get." And I don't know what that'll be, right?
Wherever that goes, that's fine. Right Still, I guess it's, you still don't know. I still don't know where I'm gonna go from here, right? But I know work hard, have a good attitude, uh, it's the best outcome I'm gonna [00:41:00] get. I love- So, um, yeah, so the- That
Speaker 3: hits, I mean, that hits everything, right? Attitude and effort.
Speaker 2: Yeah. That's what I just, I, I tell my kids that all the time, and I just, I've... It's kind of, I think, like, without saying it out loud, it's been one of those things that have gotten me through so many things in life, through sports, through pilot training, through soccer at the Air Force Academy, through all these things that like, yeah, I wasn't always the best, but I worked hard and had a good attitude, right?
And like, it gets you pretty damn far in life- It's true ... right? Yeah. It really
Speaker 3: does.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: Please, thank you, good attitude- Yeah ... be nice to people.
Speaker 2: It's
Speaker: amazing. Life's really not that complicated out- It's- ... outside of that.
Speaker 2: It's not
Speaker: It's really not.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: It's really- So nine days at Scripps, fly to Craig Hospital.
How long in Craig Hospital total? Um, just about- And just kinda walk us through a little bit ... about
Speaker 2: three months. Yeah About three months. So I show up at Craig in a gurney, like I couldn't really do much. They'd gotten me up a little bit, uh, at Scripps. They kinda got me sitting on the side of the bed. They got me in like a standing frame kinda thing, which I, I couldn't do on my own.
They propped me up into it, but it was pretty cool. [00:42:00] Uh, but we show up at Craig. Uh, the first, first day there, you're kinda getting your bearings. And then I met my whole team, doctor, physical therapist, occupational therapist, actual therapist, like all these different things. Uh, it's a really comprehensive one-stop shop hospital.
And I remember getting paired with my physical therapist, Sarah, who was, she was a college volleyball player, a rock climber, like just, like she was me. She was just like a, a no bullshit go-getter. Like, "We're here to work," right? "And I'm here to kick your butt." And I remember the first day being there, um, she got me out of the wheelchair onto a walker, like an old lady walker.
She's like, "Can we get you up there?" I'm like, "I'll try whatever you wanna try," right? "I don't care." Yeah. "I'll fall on my face 100 times. I don't care." And so she stood me up on this thing with a... There was a harness that was over me that's like tied to the ceiling that's taking weight off of me. So I've got like 60% of my body weight off.
Speaker 4: Yeah
Speaker 2: And we start working on taking steps, and we start working on like, I'm like- [00:43:00] Okay, wait. Like, I thought I was a wheelchair guy, and all of a sudden this girl sees the potential and she's like, "I can push this dude." And she, she gets me taking steps, and she's like, "Dude, you're doing pretty good. You wanna take some of the weight off the harness?"
I'm like, "Okay." She takes a little more off, she's like, "You wanna take the harness off altogether?" I'm like, "Okay."
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So we take the harness off. I'm in the walker, she's behind me helping my feet, and within the first day she got me- No way ... taking my first steps.
Speaker 3: Wow.
Speaker 2: And that moment, like, shaped the trajectory of like, okay, like, I never let myself get there, but I like, that...
I might walk, dude. Like, I might, I might walk. We'll see.
Speaker: Now, are you, are you a faithful person or...?
Speaker 2: Uh, I'm like a, I'm like very much like a love-based person. Like, that's my faith, I guess, is love, is just like feeling that, um... Yeah, so.
Speaker: That energy, yeah.
Speaker 2: That energy. Mm-hmm. For sure, and spreading that around and receiving it and handing it back out.
Sure. And that was, yeah. Uh, so- I don't wanna jump around [00:44:00] too much. I, I like, I do wanna get back to that idea though- Yeah ... and the community aspect of it. Yeah. So like, we'll talk- We'll get to- Yeah, I wanna talk about that, um, for sure. But, um, yeah, the Craig experience was just great. And so, I mean, I was still, again, wheelchair bound.
I could pick up my left arm. I could do that. My left hand was stuck in a fist like this basically, and I remember the day where my left thumb moved like that, like just like a millimeter.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: And I freaked out. It was the-
Speaker 3: Doped ...
Speaker 2: coolest thing ever. Yes. 'Cause I was like, "Oh my God, my left hand might work," right?
And then like I could wiggle my toes a little bit. Yeah. And just things that started to like kinda start clicking back online, uh, was huge.
Speaker 3: And there's no way to track when it's gonna
Speaker 2: turn on? No clue.
Speaker: Or if it's gonna turn
Speaker 3: on. If
Speaker 2: or if. Or if it'll turn on, right? You just don't know. And so my injury still is very asymmetric.
It's right side, the right side of my spinal cord was injured, so I still... Like this hand, like you could see it shakes like this- Yeah ... every now and then. And [00:45:00] like, if I try and open it quick, it's still really slow, really affected. So, and my right side still like, I mean, I can't... I'm touching my thigh, like I can't feel it- Can't feel it
unless I see it, right? So-
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Um. Wild.
Speaker: And can that change too, or is it just- It
Speaker 2: can, yeah. Yeah. This has stayed pretty consistent, so it's a weird thing. Like there's, there was times where I was able to move body parts through just kinda willpower and getting like things to move, but I couldn't feel them move.
So it's like a very out of body experience- For sure ... to watch one of your limbs do something-
Speaker 3: Not f- ...
Speaker 2: but not feel it. And it's like-
Speaker 3: Well, they
Speaker 2: talk- It feels like a magic trick, right? Yeah. Where you're like, "Is shit moving?" I can't. Like, am I a Jedi or something? Like what is happening here?
Speaker 3: Didn't they talk about those feelings with like amputees, like-
Speaker 2: Yeah
Speaker 3: like your, the energy of your arm is there, but it's-
Speaker 2: Yeah ...
Speaker 3: there's nothing.
Speaker 2: I surfed with a, a guy a little while ago through an organization called High Fives and, uh, One More Wave, two radical, [00:46:00] uh, organizations that do stuff for people with injuries and whatnot, and he was an amputee, uh, below the knee. And I talked to him about it, and he's like, "Yeah, dude, it's a real thing of like you feel that- Right
even though it's not there. It's a challenge."
Speaker 3: That's wild. Wow.
Speaker 2: Yeah
Speaker 3: It's fun to, I mean, to make light of a very serious situation, to pretend you're a Jedi.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Watch this. You just gotta laugh- I don't feel any of this ... and have fun.
Speaker 3: Yeah,
Speaker 2: exactly. I know. I was always making jokes about, like, I kept going back to Talladega Nights, and Ricky Bobby with the, "Don't you stick that knife in your leg, Ricky Bobby."
Yes. And I was like- Watch ... I felt like I could do that. I could, I could just stick the knife in my leg, you know? Oh, and he can feel it. Oh, and he can
Speaker: feel it.
Speaker 2: Don't.
Speaker: Don't do that. Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't
Speaker 2: do it. Don't do it. Yeah.
Speaker: So three months there.
Speaker 2: Three months there, yeah. And then-
Speaker: And then were you thinking, like, as your only job at this point, you've got a great support staff- Yeah
is just to heal?
Speaker 2: That's it. That's it. It was... You know, I wanted to be there for my family, and I tried to do the things I could, but my wife and I talked, and we're like, "Dude, your job is to get as good as you can," [00:47:00] right? Uh, you get one shot at this, so make it count. So yeah, it was, it was nonstop. I mean, Craig's eight-hour days, like you woke up, there was someone who would come in my room, they'd help me get dressed.
I didn't put my clothes on at all, so they help you get dressed for the day, help you get into your wheelchair. Um, so I started in like, like I said, I came in in a gurney. I started in a powered chair 'cause I could kinda move my left arm, so I could steer with my left hand. And then as that got better, I got moved into a manual wheelchair, and then into a walker, and into hand crutches.
So they, they move you along the whole step of the way, the whole process. Are they
Speaker 3: push- are they pushing you out of your comfort zone every day?
Speaker 2: Um, some of them are and some of them aren't, but they've done it so well, they can... Uh, they're really blessed with they don't have to follow a script, right? They, every patient that comes in, they get to say, kinda dial you in and say, "I think we can go this way."
And then they push you in that direction. And the more you go, the more they get to go-
Speaker 3: Yeah ...
Speaker 2: the way they want. So it's not like, "Oh, today is A, B, and C, and tomorrow is D, E, and F." It's very [00:48:00] fluid. And it's just, it's... Yeah. "We're gon- oh, we're gonna jump to X, so let's go."
Speaker 3: Oh, so you just did this, let's do these things.
Speaker 2: Exactly. So they were, they're very much like you are, you're kind of a driver of, of a lot of what you're capable of, so. What
Speaker 3: was your... Was the fam able to come out, and like-
Speaker 2: Yeah ...
Speaker 3: what was the logistics on that?
Speaker 2: They came out a lot. So Kristen would come out probably eve- every other week, and the kids would come out every two weeks for a week.
Okay. So, um, we didn't wanna disrupt them too much, so they got to stay at home, and they were in school, and they got- Sure ... we kinda wanted that, kinda wanted their life to keep going as much as normal- Yeah ... as, as could be.
Speaker: And how old are they?
Speaker 2: Uh, my daughter is 11, and my son's just about to turn 6. Okay. So yeah, they were in kindergarten and, uh, fifth grade at the time.
Speaker: Yeah. So did your kindergarten, did he, boy or girl?
Speaker 2: Boy. Yeah.
Speaker: So did he understand what was happening,
Speaker 2: or- He didn't get it at first. It took him a while. My daughter got it right away. Uh, my son, it took a while. He would come to the hospital at Scripps or, uh, Craig And he didn't [00:49:00] wanna touch me. He thought he was gonna hurt me.
I mean, he sees me hooked up to all these- Sure, scary ... machines and beeping, and oh my God, what's happening, right? Uh, so he was... It took him a little while, but I remember specifically one day at Craig, maybe a month, month and a half in, he wouldn't... He didn't wanna do anything, 'cause he and I were very physical in our relationship of he'd just, "Dad, you wanna wrestle?
Dad, you wanna fight? Dad, you wanna play baseball? Dad, you wanna play basketball?" Yeah. Like, that's all we do is, is screw around like that, and he couldn't do that, and he was scared to. And I remember one day I was on a big mat on the ground getting stretched out and moving around, and he- they had to go.
And, like, unprovoked, he just walks up, just throws his arm around me and gives me the biggest hu- like, just wouldn't let go. And it was like- Mm ... we had this understanding, like- Yeah ... oh, it clicked. Like, we're good again, man. Like, you and I are good again. And it was, it was a really cool moment- Mm ... for, to get that relationship back kind of, 'cause I was like, "Oh, what is this gonna look like?"
Mm. And he accepted it, [00:50:00] and he's like, "I'm here with you, Dad," you know? Uh- Yes ... my daughter was, my daughter was kind of the- Yeah ... opposite. Like, she was there day one. Like, she was in the hospital, "Dad, what do you need?" Taking care of me. If people got, like, near things, she's like, "No, you gotta stay away from that."
She's like, you know, "Dad, can I get you water? Dad, can you get you this?" She brought her guitar to the hospital- Mm, mm ... and, like, core memory is she's sitting in the hospital. She's learning to play the guitar. She's playing songs for me, just sitting on the floor singing.
Speaker 3: So-
Speaker 2: Like, I can't listen to- No ... Yellow from Coldplay anymore without crying.
Like, it comes on, and I just start weeping, man. I'm like, "Ooh."
Speaker 3: God dang it.
Speaker 2: So it was- Sorry ... that kind of family stuff-
Speaker 3: I can't even ask another question, dude ... I know, man. I know.
Speaker 2: But
Speaker 3: jacking me up.
Speaker 2: I- That family stuff is like- Yeah ... it was- 'Cause
Speaker 3: it, everybody with kids can relate to. Yeah.
Speaker: For sure. Yeah. Totally.
Speaker 3: And- Especially for me, I got the two boys, and it's like- Oh,
Speaker: yeah.
Speaker 3: That's it. That's it. I mean, that's-
Speaker 2: Yeah ...
Speaker 3: that is our relationship. It is physical. Yeah. And Mom doesn't do that. Like, let's- Yeah ... you know, you throw them [00:51:00] into the... Like, that's just what you do. That's
Speaker 2: what you do.
Speaker 3: And for him to be like, "We're good."
Speaker 2: We're good. Yeah. Yeah. And we're... Yeah. It was, it was cool. So it, a lot of those moments.
Speaker: What was, what was the hardest day at Craig Hospital?
Speaker 2: Oh, man. That's a good question. My hardest day Gosh, I don't know. I didn't, like I didn't have a lot of bad days there. I, like I don't, like I'm scouring through my brain- Yeah
I'm like, "Give me a shitty memory of Craig," and I just-
Speaker: But nothing-
Speaker 2: I don't have
Speaker: a lot ... really for the most part, but that
Speaker 2: goes- There were challenging days for sure. There was mornings sitting there trying to put your socks on that were challenging. Uh, I mean, yeah, without getting into it too much, like a lot of the things you don't realize with a spinal injury that I didn't realize is you break your neck, and all the things below it are affected, right?
Well, bowel and bladder are at the very bottom of that chain.
Speaker 4: Mm.
Speaker 2: So everyone that goes in with a spinal injury has, you're on a catheter- Mm ... you're on some [00:52:00] sort of bowel program, and that was a big shock to me. And I remember a night specifically in, in La Jolla at Scripps where, you know, you're getting cleaned up in bed because there's no taking you to the bathroom.
It's just- Just a young lady ... there we go. Yeah. You're in a bed covered in your own crap, right? Yeah.
Speaker 3: Sorry.
Speaker 2: And some young nurse is cleaning you up, and I just remember this moment of like- Okay, that, that was a shock of like, "Wait, is this, is this it? Is that gonna be my wife cleaning me up for the rest of my life?"
Oh. And that was a really hard night of like, "Whoa, okay, I think I was ready for all of this, but I didn't- Yeah ... see that coming." And so luckily a lot of that stuff, it came back online. It, it works, and it's fine, and I can... I'm on, like, independent there. But- Yeah. ... for a while, that was a scary prospect. Um- You
Speaker 3: just spoke on that very well.
Speaker: Very well. Very well. That was like the
Speaker 3: most- That was the most- ...
Speaker: articulate
Speaker 3: way of ta- of that possible.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: I'm sure your [00:53:00] wife's very happy about that
Speaker 2: too. Very. She- Everyone's happy. I'm happy, she's happy. No one wants that. It's a tough thing. But the guys that are there still doing it, I mean, it's, it's a part of their life, and they, you know, they figure it out.
So I have so much respect for the people that live that and figure out how to, how to do all that on their own. Yeah. It's amazing, so.
Speaker: Have you been back to Craig Hos- to Craig Hospital? Haven't got
Speaker 2: to go back yet. I stay in contact with a lot of my physical therapists, occupational therapists, a lot of the other people that were there that are still there that are going through stuff, that are just-
Speaker: Still there, and this is what?
12 months later
Speaker 2: approximately? Yeah, yeah. So you do Craig, you do inpatient. You're, like, in a hospital bed essentially. You have a room and a bed, and then after a while they graduate you to outpatient. And then you go... They have, like, a family housing thing that you can live in for a couple months, and then you travel back and forth.
And I... When I say travel, it's like- Like a- It- it's like a- across the sidewalk, right? It's like it's that close. Right. So it's like, okay, like, instead of already being in the hospital, I'm like one sidewalk over. And so it's [00:54:00] really, it's a, it's a part of the hospital basically. So, um, it's a really cool thing they got going on there.
So the outpatient stuff is nice 'cause they're basically prepping you to be independent, right? It's like, okay, you're kinda independent on your own. Let's see how you do in this little apartment, right? Can you... And they're getting you ready. The whole time they're getting you ready for the next step. So I feel like I was fortunate in that all the people that I worked with were a step ahead of me.
They... I was never pushing it. It was like, "Hey, today we're gonna do this." You go, "Oh, all right. Let's see if we can do that. Let's go." And they were, they were, they were pushing me, um, as hard as I was pushing myself, which was really cool.
Speaker 3: I know we kinda glazed over a little bit, but talk about while you're at Craig, all of the community
Speaker 2: support.
Yeah.
Speaker 3: Like, how did... I mean, from a certain standpoint, I'm sure you were bombarded with like, "Hey, bro, are you okay?"
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Like, how did you manage all that? And then- Like, what was that process like and-
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was a lot at first with, like, the text and all that stuff, 'cause my hands didn't work, so you're learning how to do all that stuff.
And I very much, like, [00:55:00] wanted to get back to everybody and say thank you, so I answered as many as I- Yeah ... could. I think I got back to almost everybody. Yeah. Um, yeah, but yeah, you are bombarded with stuff. But it felt, I don't know, it was so amazing. Like, it's been one of the, my favorite things of this whole experience.
And like, I say, like, my belief is in love, and like, it just felt so overwhelming to have- Yeah ... like, in the best possible way overwhelming- Sure ... to have that many people there just absolutely showing up for us. And like, you know, this is a San Clemente podcast, and that community, this community that we're a part of, showed up in such a big way.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: It was so humbling and just, like, I don't know. I always say, like, I don't ev- wish anyone goes through this, but I wish everyone could feel that acute level of love once in their life. Like, it's nothing like I've ever experienced before.
Speaker 3: Well, it speaks to you too as a person.
Speaker 2: The family at least. For Kristen and all that, yeah, I think, yeah.
Speaker 3: I mean, to you and your whole, the whole crew, it's like you people show up. Because you showed up in maybe [00:56:00] something that didn't resonate with them, but you showed up.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Or you were just a good influence or whatever it is. You brought the good vibes and you're fun to hang out with, whatever it was, you affected those people.
So like, I, we were fringe, right? We see a pickup and-
Speaker 2: Yeah ...
Speaker 3: talk about surfing, surf handful of times together. Yeah. But like when I heard that news, I'm like, "Holy shit." Like- Are you okay? What can I do to help?
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: And it j- and if the more im- you just have impact on everybody, so-
Speaker 2: Oh, thanks ...
Speaker 3: I think that love was deserved, and it's a product of you and your family and- Thanks.
Speaker 2: Yeah ... so. Well, and I, I mean, wanna thank you guys, too, and like, you- it's so generous, like helping us out, you know? Like a lot of people pitched in for a GoFundMe, which was huge. That was, that's been a huge factor in like getting people to and from Colorado, and all that stuff, and refitting things in the house and all that, has been a, a huge blessing, so thank you- Yeah
very much,
Speaker 3: but- Talk, talk about that coming home. Like what's the, "Okay, Dad's done with Craig. He's coming home." What did you have to... I know you g- you talk about the tree [00:57:00] house all the time.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: What-
Speaker 2: Yeah ... needed to be done? Our house was, our house was daunting. I, well, luckily, not a ton. We had to put in a bunch of hand railings and stuff like that, and get it set up, but luckily, I was able to walk through most of it- Yeah
which was nice. Um, so yeah, we, we did some work there. Uh, you know, I'll get to it in a minute, probably the biggest bit of work that we did, um, was kind of s- building like a little, like kinda ADU, a little extra space where Judah now lives, and his sister, so we can get to that in a bit. But yeah, so we outfitted the house a bunch, but coming back, uh, I don't know, it all ties in with that whole community thing and the people that showed up, um, and the people that showed up for my wife and my family.
And you know, a lot of people were asking what they could do, and a lot of people just did things, and they just were there. And you're like, "The lawn's taken care of. The dog is getting walked. There's a meal that shows up. The kids are taken care of. Um, here's a ride here. Here..." And it, like people just came out of the [00:58:00] woodwork to help and to be a part of the whole thing, and it, it was just such a testament to how beautiful this community is and the people here.
And we were talking about how everyone here in San Clemente Dana Point is one degree of separation from- For sure ... and that one degree, second degree, third degree people that we didn't know were showing up to help and provide things. And- That's
Speaker: so wild ...
Speaker 2: it's, it's just really, really cool. Yeah. Um, so I just feel like super privileged and honored to be a part of that community, and to be a recipient of that.
Uh- It's- ... it's really neat.
Speaker: So as we, as we shoot this podcast today, it's July 7th, 2026.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: How long ago was this accident?
Speaker 2: It was September 25, 28th. Yeah, September 28th.
Speaker: 2025.
Speaker 2: 2025. Yeah.
Speaker: So less than a year ago.
Speaker 2: Less than a year. Yeah. Yep. Yeah, it's, it's all-
Speaker 3: So let's, let's talk about now. Like, you're catch- you're surfing with the kids.
Like, what- Yeah ... you're doing five days a week rehab, putting in the work-
Speaker 2: [00:59:00] Yep ...
Speaker 3: but you're seeing the r- like, you're in the water, you're paddling.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah. We get out- Let's talk about that ... those, those doho days with the kids and the family and stuff, and, you know, I, I mean, I remember the first surf getting out there.
Like, it, God, it was so hard to get a wetsuit on to, like- Oh, I can't imagine ... I couldn't even walk down to the beach at that time, so I had to have two people. Judah came with me, and then, like, my best friend Pat came down there, and they, two of us, you know, they walked me down to the beach. And we surfed, like, I'm not joking, like, maybe six-inch doho.
Right? It was, like, the smallest day, but it was the four of us out, or the three of us out there, and then my wife Kristen and the two kids came out, and, uh, it was just epic getting back in the water. That's awesome. And so that's progressed to every day it gets a little bit easier. And so now, yeah, we're, we're out at Doheny with the kids catching waves, and I'm able to paddle and turn around and catch waves and pop up on my knees and stuff and, you know, share waves with my daughter, which is just, like, and my wife.
It's just, it's really fun, man. So, and then back prone paddling a bunch as much as I can. And yeah, [01:00:00] it's just, it-
Speaker 3: I was telling Jeff earlier about What was it? A couple weeks before the accident-
Speaker 2: Yeah ...
Speaker 3: you did the Catalina Paddle?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I did the Ben- the Ben Did Go Paddle.
Speaker 3: Yeah. I was just like, freaking wild.
Is there anything like those in the f- near future that you, like, are gonna-
Speaker 2: So I did, um... Yeah, so the Ben Did Go was super fun. That's a great Catalina crossing. Good group of people. That organization has been absolutely wonderful to us. They've been very generous. They've been very supportive. They've just been an awesome, awesome group of people.
I lo- I love them all. Um, so I'm still trying to st- I s- we still stay involved with that. Um, but as far as myself, upcoming events, like, I did the Loop, which is an 11-mile paddle around Coronado. So I'd done that last year. I did it again this year, uh, with my buddy, Sam Lovell. Um- Nice ... so Sam went out there and paddled with me, and we started early and ended late, but we got the 11 miles done.
It was a slog. So it was like, it was one of those things, like, "I'm gonna suffer through this," and there was a lot of suffering [01:01:00] through it. But, uh, I'm gonna work my way through it and, and do it, and- God ... I proved to myself we can do it. And it was- That mindset
Speaker 3: is so rad.
Speaker: I was just gonna say, yeah. I mean, mindset is everything.
Speaker 2: It... Yeah.
Speaker: Mind over matter.
Speaker 2: Yeah. It does. Yeah. It's... And you have to be willing. I mean, you guys know, playing sports, you gotta be willing to suffer for a lot of things, right? For sure. And you're going, "All right, this is gonna suck, but, like, it's worth it and I wanna do it, and at the end, I'm gonna feel good about it."
So, um, in the future, I don't know what's up. I w- I wanna do another crossing. Like, I desperately wanna do another crossing. Yeah. I think my best shot is probably Rock2Rock, which is to Palos Verdes, which is 22 miles. I'm not there yet. I'm, my upper body is still, like, really weak when I do my prone work.
It's like, it's slow. I just can't generate a lot of power out of my right arm still. Like, it, it moves, but it doesn't move well. And by the end of that Loop paddle, this hand was a fist. Like, I was just Like pawing at the water. And so, you know, it's [01:02:00] slow, so- Yeah ... um, I don't know if I'll do Rock to Rock proper, or if I'll just try to do a crossing with some friends one day where we just take the day and do it, and- Yeah
and whatever. But I, I really have my goals set on, on doing something like that again. That's legit. Yeah.
Speaker: What does a day, what does a day look like now in terms of- Yeah ... physical activity? Are you waking up, working out, stretching?
Speaker 2: I do physical therapy five days a week now. So pretty much every day I wake up and I either go to Mission Hospital where they have a neuro unit.
I do that Mondays and Fridays, Mission Hospital Neuro, uh, PT and OT. Tuesdays and Thursdays I go to DSC here in San Clemente with Kevin, who's awesome. He's great, and he's really gotten me dialed in on a lot of other... He's got a focus in orthopedics. He's got a focus in surfing. He's worked with all those guys.
And so that's been really fun, uh, doing stuff with him and kind of progressing there. I'm like, "Oh, I think I can surf again," you know? And then on Wednesdays I go down to a place called Adapt, which is down in Carlsbad. So it's a full boat. Like it's a full job of, of doing [01:03:00] this. So a lot of times you get back and, like I said, you're tired and, and whatever, but you kinda like- Yeah
have to force myself into rallying. You're like, "Okay. Yeah." And- You guys wanna go play baseball? You wanna go surf? Let's go.
Speaker: Yep. And what about Judah?
Speaker 2: Judah. Yeah. Gosh. So he has become like a, such a huge part of our life. Like when we moved back, when we came back from Colorado, we would have him and Thomas over for dinner.
We're just like, "Come for dinner. Like, let us... You guys are teenagers. Like, you need a place to eat dinner, like we'll provide you free food." So they would come over for dinner. We'd hang out with them a bunch. And then, uh, we just got to know him and really loved him. He's just such a nice- Judah's such a nice kid.
Uh, Thomas is awesome, too. Um, but the more we got to know Judah, the more we got to know his life, we kinda understood the situation a little bit more. And unfortunately, a couple months ago, his mom passed away.
Speaker 3: Judah's mom?
Speaker 2: Judah's mom. Yeah. And, uh, they were kinda left with not a whole lot of options of where they were gonna go and what they were gonna do.
And so Kristen [01:04:00] and I talked, and it just seemed like a no-brainer to try and set something up for him. So we went and built out, uh, part of our garage and some crawl space we had, and turned that into a little, a little unit for him and his sister Layla. Uh, and so they've- they moved in with us here a while ago.
They've been
Speaker: with us
Speaker 2: for a couple months now. Oh, that's epic. Full circle. Yeah. It's been- How old
Speaker: are they?
Speaker 2: Judah's 20 and Layla's 17.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker 2: Yeah, man.
Speaker: Mom passed away. Where's dad?
Speaker 2: Yeah, dad's in Mexico.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker: It's a single mom situation.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. And they've- Wow ... yeah, and they're just- What
Speaker 3: a lifeline, dude.
Speaker 2: They're the best kids. They're so much fun. It's been, like, so awesome having them with us. Like, our kids adore them.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: My, my son Willem's knocking on their door all the time, "You wanna play video game, Judah?" Or whatever. Yeah. And like, you know, like, it's not even like a- Like a big
Speaker 3: brother ...
Speaker 2: they're just part of the family now.
Like, they absolutely are part of the family, and so it's been really rad having them around and, you know, they're always upstairs for dinner, for breakfast. I just [01:05:00] see them all the time and- Yeah ... and Layla's such a good kid, too, and so it's been nice having her and, you know, like- What a full
Speaker: circle moment.
That's pretty cool Just a day out, just a day out at, uh, DMJ's, trying to get some surf in and-
Speaker 2: It's... I mean, I can't-
Speaker: Fast-forward a year and-
Speaker 2: Like, no, I can't stop but look at that and just, like, spin the whole thing around of like, whoa, like, what... He saved us, and we were able to like, you know, help him out as well and, and the whole thing coming together, um, it's just magic.
It's really cool. And so we're just... We're psyched to have him around and yeah, I don't know how long they'll stay, but I... hopefully it's a long time. Yeah. Yeah. They, they are family now. Like, there's no- Yeah ... there's no two ways around, around it.
Speaker: Were they living down in San Diego or-
Speaker 2: They were living on Pendleton, actually.
Okay. Dad was a, a, a vet. That they got some, uh, disabled vet housing down there, I think. And so they were on Pendleton for a little while until that lease kinda ran out, and then it was like, "Well, we're gonna go to Arizona. We don't know where we're gonna go." And so I thought we could solve his [01:06:00] problem.
Yeah. So. For
Speaker: sure.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: It's awesome. Well,
Speaker 2: you're-
Speaker 3: You're an inspiration to us all, dude. Oh, thanks
Speaker 2: bro.
Speaker 3: Um, thanks for coming and hanging out. I know, Jeff, learning your story, it was... I, I had a little bit more of knowledge about it. Um, it's inspirational. So-
Speaker 2: Thank you. Yeah. I, I genuinely appreciate you guys having me here, and I love what you guys are doing.
It's so cool, like, bringing the community together. Like, we're talking about the whole community thing and, like, what you guys are doing, that hub and spoke of, like, bringing people in and connecting all the people. Yeah. And just, like, hopefully spreading more good vibes and more awareness and- That's the goal
more people smiling at each other on the water and just having a good time. And, like, you guys are starting that here- Yeah ... which is really a really cool thing. That's the goal. I love what you guys are doing. Appreciate that. Yeah,
Speaker: appreciate it. How else can we help you out? Are you still, uh, raising money?
Any, any GoFundMe
Speaker 2: situation or- That's pretty much done. They're, they're good. Okay. But it's... Yeah, it's just, uh, nothing. You can- Hate to put you on the
Speaker: spot.
Speaker 2: No, no. It's, um... [01:07:00] Yeah, there's no other way to help other than, like, passing a smile along. Like, that's all I'd ask is, you know, everyone go out there and-
Speaker: Amazing
Speaker 2: give a set wave away one day, and just see
Speaker: how that makes people feel. Share the... Share the video. Share the video. Maybe they'll-
Speaker 2: Share... Yeah. Yeah. But just, uh, just spreading that love and that, that, those good vibes is... I just wanna see more of that around. It's
Speaker 3: contagious, man.
Speaker 2: It is. It is. And you watch someone do it on the water, and you watch the whole lineup change from, "I'm, I'm taking that wave, I'm burning someone," to, like, the whole thing changes.
And it is. And
Speaker: most humans are pretty good. Yeah. If you peel it back, right? I mean- They're pretty good. They're pretty good ... they wanna be good. Yeah. They really do.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so it's
Speaker 3: out there.
Speaker: Awesome.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker: Unbelievable.
Speaker 3: Another good one, dude.
Speaker: They're just getting better and better, aren't they? Truly a wild story.
Thank you so much for coming on. Yeah, guys. Really appreciate it.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you both. Yeah, this was awesome. Super fun. Thank you so much. Thank you. Appreciate [01:08:00] it.