Podcast 1244: From Trauma to Triumph: Author of Hunger For More in Life on Finding Purpose Through Pain

What does it take to become one of only three people on Earth to complete 10 Ironmans in 10 days across six Hawaiian islands?

The answer, according to JD Tremblay, isn’t superhuman strength. It’s discipline, faith, and an unshakable sense of purpose.

In a powerful new episode of the Inside Personal Growth podcast, host Greg Voisen sits down with JD—author of Hunger For More in Life: Conquer Mental Struggles, Defy Limitations, and Discover Purpose Through Epic Achievements—to explore a story that goes far beyond endurance sports. It’s a journey of healing, spiritual transformation, and becoming the man he was born to be.

📖 Get the book: Hunger For More in Life on Amazon
🌐 Explore JD’s work: hunger4more.com


The Epic Deca: A Feat of Body, Mind, and Spirit

In 2022, JD Tremblay completed the Epic Deca—a once-in-a-lifetime event involving 10 full Ironman triathlons in 10 days on six different islands. Each day meant swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles, and running 26.2 miles—without fail, without rest.

Only six athletes started. Only three finished.

JD was one of them.

But as he shares with Greg Voisen, this journey wasn’t about physical prowess. It was about overcoming the real enemy—his inner world. Childhood trauma. Divorce. Addiction. Shame. These were the weights he carried long before lacing up for Hawaii.

“The hardest battle I ever fought wasn’t on a race course,” JD says. “It was the war inside my own mind.”


Faith, Discipline, and the DECA Method

At the heart of JD’s personal transformation is faith—a return to Christian values and a spiritual path that offered structure, healing, and hope.

He also developed what he calls the DECA Method:

  • Discipline: the daily commitment to show up

  • Endurance: the ability to stay the course over time

  • Competence: identifying your unique strengths and gifts

  • Action: turning faith into movement

This method now powers JD’s work through the Hungry Warrior Academy, a nonprofit coaching program that helps men confront their past, reclaim their values, and step into purpose.

“Spiritual discipline is freedom,” JD explains. “It’s what gives you clarity when life gets dark.”


💥 Key Takeaways from the Podcast

Whether you’re an athlete, a leader, a father, or someone simply trying to rise above your pain, JD’s story offers timeless and practical wisdom:

Pain isn’t the teacher—your response to it is
Discipline isn’t punishment—it’s protection
Purpose doesn’t begin with passion—it begins with values
You don’t need superpowers—you need consistency
Your greatest strength is often found in stillness, not speed


Fatherhood, Philanthropy & Passing the Torch

One of the most moving parts of JD’s story is how he includes his 13-year-old son in his training and mission. His son, now a two-time world champion in youth trail half marathons, grew up watching his father train in snow, ice, and fire—and embraced the mindset of a warrior.

JD also speaks passionately about his philanthropy work, including fundraising through endurance events to send ill children to summer camps and help athletes from underserved communities achieve Olympic dreams.

“We can use our trauma to leave a legacy of pain,” JD says, “or we can use it to be a light for someone else.”


Final Message: Purpose is Found Through Principles

JD’s parting wisdom is simple but profound:

If you take nothing else from his story, start with a set of values. Whether you choose Christianity or another framework of meaning, values give you a compass. When life gets stormy—and it will—you’ll have something to anchor you.

“I don’t negotiate with excuses anymore,” JD says. “I show up for my family. I show up for my calling. And that’s what freedom feels like.”


Connect with JD Tremblay

Book: Hunger For More in Life
Website: https://hunger4more.com/
Instagram: @jdtremblaytri
LinkedIn: JD Tremblay


 If You’re Ready to Transform…

Visit Hungry Warrior Academy to schedule a free consultation and learn how JD’s coaching and retreats can help you conquer mental struggles, defy your own limitations, and live a life aligned with your deepest purpose.

You may also refer to the transcripts below for the full transcription (not edited) of the interview.

[00:00.5]
Welcome to Inside Personal Growth podcast Deep dive with us as we unlock the secrets to personal development, empowering you to thrive. Here, growth isn't just a goal, it's a journey. Tune in, transform and take your life to the next level by listening to just one of our podcasts.

[00:20.1]
Well, welcome back to Inside Personal Growth. This is Greg Voice and the host of Inside Personal Growth. And joining us from Quebec, Canada with the water bottle in his mouth is JD Tremblay. And JD has a book out called Hunger for More in Life.

[00:39.2]
JD, good day to you. How are you? I'm doing well, Greg, I'm doing well. Thanks for having me. Well, it's a pleasure and an honor to have you and you've got quite the story and we're going to let you tell that, but I'm also going to let the listeners know a little bit about you.

[00:57.0]
And for those of you who want to check out his pretty compact website, it's amazing website, just go to hunger4thenumber4more.com hunger4thenumber4.com.

[01:13.8]
You can learn more about JD there. So JD, I got to ask this, what does JD stand for? It's Gen David. And then I realized after traveling outside of Quebec, which is the French province or the Texas, I would say of Canada, I travel a lot and many people just mispronounce my name Jean David, which is French for John David.

[01:45.9]
So I just went with JD and it sounded pretty self predict or it's and I think people get that. Well, thank you. I think that'll help our listeners know really what your name is. So JD is an ultra endurance athlete and he's joining us from one of his training centers in Quebec where he actually helps train people who has achieved amazing things.

[02:09.2]
He recently completed the epic deca and accomplish that is accomplishment that only three people in the world have been able to attain. That is pretty phenomenal. He is part of a rare breed and the strength with the fortitude to push his body and his mind to new heights.

[02:29.5]
And when you do that, depending on the again, I'm going to put a little note in here. The ability to have these chemical releases in your body that allow you to endure that is really something that is, is quite amazing.

[02:44.7]
I know when you gotta get in the flow and stay in the flow and be able to do what you do. I have a friend that just finished climbing Everest for the third time. He just came back down. So he's dedicated himself to helping people and their craft, enabling them to stand out amongst the world's greatest athlete.

[03:03.1]
His story is one that should be shared as an example of what can be accomplished through the right mindset, determination. As JD says, if your goals don't scare you, set the bar higher. Well, that's a good place for us to let you tell the rest of the story.

[03:21.8]
As somebody who is so driven in achievement, I always kind of ask this question, how did you get from where you were to where you are today? And what is your personal story and why do you think that you're so driven like this?

[03:38.4]
To help others find this as a way to bring more meaning in their life, more purpose in their life, and to live life more fully.

[03:51.2]
Well, I always had this hunger mentality and this drive to always keep learning. I was really different when I was in school and we did not really have the means to pursue lofty goals.

[04:11.5]
So I always had these amazing and outside of the box ideas and I knew there was something more that I needed to achieve and I wanted to achieve it. But then because I always put these excuses in my mind and I always fluttered and tried to find new ways to achieve it, then I never really understood how to really achieve those goals.

[04:42.7]
And it's not until I finished the Epic deca, that I realized I have to put it on paper. And it's, it's not until I put it on paper that I realized this is a step process that really needs to happen.

[05:01.7]
Well, I think for our listeners, they need to know the Epic Dhaka is this, 10 full Ironman triathlons in 10 days across six Hawaiian islands. For the listeners who might not grasp the magnitude of this, could you paint a picture because you went 1406 miles of swimming, cycling and running in 10 days?

[05:26.9]
Actually, I don't know if there's that many people that have an idea. And you said you're one of only three people to have finished that. Yeah. That is an amazing feat in of itself. How many people dropped out, how many people started that and why do you think you were able to finish?

[05:52.6]
The 10 people that registered, one of them got injured and I took his spot. I called him and I said, can I take your spot? And I was one of the 10 that were registered for the Epic Deca.

[06:11.5]
So the Epic Deca is part of the company Epic 4 5. And the epic fight is 5 Ironman on 5 islands in 5 consecutive days. Only about 40 people in the world finish this event and it's, it happens annually, but for their 10 year anniversary, they did the Epic Deca.

[06:29.0]
So deca, which means 10 in Latin, and the epic deca only happened in 2022. That's it. It will never happen again. Now, six people showed up on the start line, and three people dropped out.

[06:48.1]
One, one was due to medical reason he could not finish. Another one, she. It was the only female she, she dropped out, due to personal reasons. And the last one was due to, again medical reasons.

[07:05.6]
He is, his body could not even function after the sixth Iron Man. It was too much for him. So for me, the reason why I was able to finish is because, I treat my body like a temple.

[07:20.9]
And discipline and fate transform the body into this temple of resilience. And at the Hungry Warrior Academy, we teach the principles of aligning your body, your mind and your spirit to overcome life's toughest challenges.

[07:39.9]
Now, you look at other UFC fighters and all the greatest warriors in history, and you look at world, champion UFC Khabib, his cousin, Islam, Gadzi.

[07:55.8]
They're all Russians who are Muslim and they have some form of faith, and they use this faith factor as the ultimate def differentiator, so that only three people in the world finished this particular event.

[08:14.9]
I don't consider myself to have superpowers, and I. My. The favorite. My favorite page of the book is page 294. And. And it reads that I don't have superpowers and I, All I do is that I possess the courage to take risks.

[08:36.4]
So I understand that failure is this possibility, but I'm ready to face it on, And so when you look at

[08:48.3]
physically, I would say that a lot of people, if we remove the psychological aspect and the spiritual aspect, we only take the physical aspect. I would say that a lot of people in the world would be able to complete the epic deca.

[09:05.0]
They only put those limits on themselves. But then if we add the psychological part right, it would become much less a, few. A few amounts would be able to complete it. But it's when you add, that faith component that all of those which I consider all of the variables that we can control.

[09:28.4]
For example, one person during, the Epideca, their bike, forgotten on another island. And the airline had to ship their bike and it arrived late, so they had to ship, shift and adapt.

[09:46.2]
Luckily for him, he was able to finish. But it could have happened that we have a big storm and we weren't able to finish. And now I would have spent all of that money to do a race that I wouldn't have been able to finish.

[10:04.0]
My legs could have gave up. There is something that could have happened that is outside of my control. And I was blessed that I was able to finish and that, and that it was that year. So again, it was those spiritual component that, that part of that faith that I knew that I had to finish.

[10:30.9]
That's when only a few, only three people in the world were able to finish and will ever, because that race will never happen again. It's very complicated to pull, it off, I'm sure. Well, you know, you mentioned in this, in the book that it's a spiritual voyage, not a race.

[10:50.2]
So I guess the question is, could you walk the listeners through what the spiritual transformation looked like for you? Because to do all of these triathlons in the course of these consecutive days seems almost mind bending to anybody listening to this.

[11:10.5]
But especially during the darkest moments when your body was like screaming to you, hey, I gotta quit. You have to have a spiritual transformation to actually have the faith to hang on.

[11:26.3]
What was that like for you?

[11:32.3]
For the spiritual voyage? It began with stripping away everything that was superficial. And I had to remove any form of distraction and only focus on what the important parts were.

[11:50.9]
For example, I, I thought, I really thought that I would have to focus more on the physical aspect. And when I did some courses with the special forces in the military, I thought the same thing.

[12:11.7]
I thought I have to train only the physical part. But when I arrived on the courses, I realized those guys are not really physically active. It's that mindset and that heart, and that heart is driven to have this sense of purpose.

[12:30.4]
So I took that into the epic deca. When I looked at my training, I trained the physical part. That's a given. But I knew that it was a shift in mindset. I had to train the mind even more than the body.

[12:49.0]
And then I realized that there were a lot of variables that I could not control. So I made a list, I made a plan, and I focused more on the aspect of this spiritual.

[13:05.9]
So for me, what I did was my body. Although it screamed to quit, all that remained was faith and my will. So essentially all I did was just follow the plan that I already had in place.

[13:25.9]
So I created this 30 page plan elaborating exactly what I would do and how I would be successful. And in my plan, quitting was not an option. It wasn't until I left the first island. I slept for minutes, on an airport floor and kept moving.

[13:47.1]
And I realized that it wasn't just a Physical challenge. But after the first two Ironman, the physical pain was intense but manageable. So unfortunately, after the third Ironman, my crew chief told me that based on my previous times, I might not be able to complete that section because we only had 24 hours to fly to the new.

[14:20.2]
To the next island and do the race as well. So that added the challenge. And she said, you're not going to be able to finish. So what we did was we switched you to the EPIC 5 because the EPIC 5 was happening at the same time as the epic deca.

[14:36.4]
The epic deca started prior and ended after. And I said, no, this is. This is not what I came here for. I knew that it was my mind and my strategy. Everything was set for the epic deca.

[14:51.6]
So I knew I had this sense of purpose, and I knew it had to be the epic deca. So I pushed even harder. And that's when I finished the epic deca. I finished the four. The third Ironman.

[15:07.0]
I got in with the fourth. And it's during the fourth that after the fourth Ironman, that's where my body just shut down. I was. Yeah, I. I went to the airport and my legs seized up and I could not even walk to the.

[15:25.3]
To my airplane. So my crew put me into a wheelchair and pushed me to. It was a memorable birthday, because I remember it was birthday, and they. They were wishing me a happy birthday in a wheelchair. My face was all burned from the sun and the grueling before Iron man.

[15:43.2]
And they wheeled me to the. To my plane. And when I got to the other side, my crew chief knew that because of the. At the third Ironman, she said, all right, you already made that commitment with God that you're gonna finish it.

[16:00.4]
It's somewhat of this. You understand that this is gonna happen. And they just allowed me to just keep going. So. What a glaring. When you think about it, though, you know, the question was, you know, the spiritual voyage, the amount of faith you had and your ability to be able to do it was a key factor.

[16:25.2]
And I think one of the things that listeners who are into personal growth and achievement and bettering themselves want to know. And you talk about conquering mental struggles and defying limitations because, look, the mind is always playing tricks with you.

[16:43.1]
Like, hey, it's telling you it's time to give up. J.D. this is enough. What's the biggest mental battle you faced that wasn't related to physical endurance? And how did your athlete mindset that you've just talked about help you to overcome it?

[17:01.1]
And how would you tell people out there listening to this podcast today how to overcome that issue? I know that these, extreme athletic events, like my friend was telling me the story about Everest, you know, he said, greg, my regulator went out at the top, and I was without oxygen for an hour and a half at 26,000ft.

[17:31.3]
Now, he said, it's not like you can find another regulator because you're in the middle of the desert. There aren't a lot of people out there that are just walking around with brand new regulators for your oxygen. Right. So as I was speaking with him, I go, well, what did you do?

[17:47.3]
And in a sense, you borrowed oxygen from somebody else for a while and took it off, then put back on again. And so the reality is, when you have that kind of mindset to overcome those defying limitations, those limitations where, my God, my regulator's not working, I got to get down.

[18:06.0]
Or in your case, a bike breaks down, or flat tires, or, you know, in your legs seize up. What would you tell people how to actually have a mindset of an athlete who wants to endure? Well, I've lived my fair share of mental battles when I was a child.

[18:27.0]
So it molded me into understanding what true pain was, from rejection to abandonment as a child. And I walked through, divorce and adultery, but by God's grace, I've forgiven everyone who ever wounded me.

[18:45.5]
It's. And I've moved on. And. But those weren't the hardest battles. I think that the hardest battle I ever faced and the biggest struggles and the one that broke me weren't external, but it was the war against myself.

[19:07.4]
And it's those battles with, addictions, the battles with when you scrape, when you have to live with your own mind constantly. And it's not.

[19:24.5]
It's those whisper that are within, not necessarily the noise that is on the outside. So this was the biggest struggle that I had to. To face as an athlete or even as a person.

[19:43.5]
Well, you know the book you mentioned that personal struggles like you just mentioned, they come and go. But you said the key in the book is to yearn for knowledge and growth. Okay.

[19:59.7]
So, in yearning for that knowledge and growth, could you share some kind of specific struggle that taught you the most about yourself? Think.

[20:16.5]
I think divorce, breakups, rejections are all part of some of the biggest challenges that you're going to go through through the addiction process of breaking free from these shackles of sin and these barriers are the struggles.

[20:38.2]
But what I've learned is that the pain itself isn't the teacher is the stressor is just the signal. So what really matters is how you respond when the pressure hits. That's where the lesson exist. So focusing on the pain and the struggle, what I do is I take men into our training camps and our retreats, and then we focus more on actionable, steps such as getting greater discipline and how to react to these stressors.

[21:19.0]
So for me, I kept pushing through any of the pain. I worked on myself, I kept training, I keep performing. But beneath all the discipline, it was addiction. And I knew, I, wasn't at my full potential.

[21:36.4]
And the most painful part, it was knowing that guilt and shame were keeping me from having a relationship with God. So that was the real challenge and understanding that I had to rest and I had to recover because I understood that now I was at my weakest point and this seemed vulnerable.

[22:07.7]
So for me, and I think a lot of people will understand it because a lot of men use physical activity as a coping mechanism. I see it many, many times with people going through addictions or going through divorce and breakup where they just go to the gym and they start training.

[22:31.6]
But in my case, after the epic deca, I started doing a lot of races. And eventually your body shuts down, your mind shuts down, and you're somewhat of this. In this transcendent state where you don't even feel anything.

[22:47.9]
There's. There's no feelings at all whatsoever. I took a cold. I was taking a cold bath. Three degrees. I would not feel anything. I would take warm showers. I would not feel anything. There would be no sensation on my body. Wow.

[23:04.6]
And, and, and I realized that. But I kept on pushing and pushing. So then I realized at some point I have to just stop and recover. So when your training is removed from you, so when your workout is removed from you, that's your coping mechanism.

[23:22.8]
So now you've got. You ha. You must find a different coping mechanism. And the part where you have to rest, the part where you have to recover, the part where you have to use others to as support and be vulnerable in front of other people, that's the, that's the hardest.

[23:45.2]
That, that was the hardest struggle that I ever had was to stop. Because running I can, I can run, I can swim and I can bike, almost entire countries. And that's not a problem for me.

[24:01.2]
Going into dangerous situations is not a problem. The issue is stopping. Right? So look, you. You have a philosophy behind these extreme goals, and anybody with your mindset would have to have that.

[24:20.2]
And you wrote about A lofty ambition should both daunt and drive us. Right. Whatever that ambition is for someone listening or watching on YouTube who feels stuck in mediocrity, what's the first step to developing that.

[24:40.3]
What you call hunger for more, Right. Or just that hunger that you talk about, that. That. Because I think, look, a lot of people have ambition, but the degrees to the ambition they have are all relative, relative to who they are.

[25:00.4]
You actually take people and turn them into athletes at your camps. You take athletes who've been athletes and you make them better athletes at your camps. Right? And I think for anybody who wants to know, we're going to have the link to the hunger for more so they can go and learn more about your training camps and what you do.

[25:21.2]
But the question is this, how do I get beyond that? What's the first step to developing that hunger for more that you talk about? Because I'm not certain that everybody else sees it that way. You see it that way, JD because that is your reality.

[25:40.4]
Right. And, I guess my question would be, if I'm gonna break through to a new, level of athlete, a totally different level than what I am today, what would be the first step?

[25:56.1]
You would tell any athlete, whether they're a triathlete or they're a long distance cyclist, or they compete in marathons, whatever it may be, what would you tell them? The first step is take. Many coaches will say, pick a goal, pick a race, pick something that you're passionate about.

[26:16.8]
Or. And, I'd say that passion just destroys your wallet. And it's about. And. And those goals sometimes are not even relevant to what your purpose is.

[26:33.5]
So what we do is we take men into our training camp. We only deal with men anyway. And what we do at first is when we set goals, we go with per. We go.

[26:49.1]
We go with purpose and capacity. So we use the DECA law, which I'm known for, the EPIC. DECA. DECA, which means 10 in Latin. So we use the acronym DECA. And the acronym DECA, we use it as discipline, endurance, competence and action.

[27:12.0]
So if you have discipline, you carry it through for a long period, which is the endurance part, and you focus on what your competence. And so, for example, for me, I'm not a salesperson, but if one person is a salesperson and they focus only on sales, they would be the best salesperson.

[27:39.1]
And if one person is a plumber and they focus only on becoming a plumber, then they would be the best plumber. And many people think that you need to focus on one specific task and always the same task.

[27:58.5]
Because you're a content, because one person is a content creator and make lots of money, then you need to focus on making content. When really you need to focus on what you're competent. What is your purpose that God provided you and then provide and then pursue it with action.

[28:17.1]
So with the deca. So the first step, I wouldn't, I would tell anyone, anyone. Before even picking a goal, whether it's a professional athlete or One of the CEOs that came through our camps, is to anchor yourself in a defined set of values.

[28:34.9]
You must have a set of values prior to going. And a purpose. And a purpose. Any goals. Right. You just mention therapist. If you don't have any purpose, your purpose become your set of values. So if you have a set of values, then you can carry yourself to becoming that man.

[28:58.4]
That purpose essentially finds itself. So for if you have Christian values or Muslim values, your, if your values are to stay the long course and be a kind person and follow a strict set of rules that don't involve addictions and your discipline and you have this set of values, then what happened is that the purpose finds itself because you, you're following a strict course and then you have to obviously find other people that would show you what you're competent in.

[29:51.3]
And that's what we do. That's a. So it's not. Yeah. And it. Well, you've explained it very well. In other words, you're saying to have this extreme focus requires that you kind of let go a lot of a, lot of this outside world and work on what you're truly good at.

[30:14.4]
Like you said, if you're a good plumber, great. If you're a good salesperson, rate you can be. But you can be the best at that. You can be a master at that. And the way you become a master is by applying your faith, your spirituality to that situation.

[30:30.9]
Now you've completed everything from sprint triathlons to Ultraman or Ultraman in three months. How do you maintain the level of this level of intensity without burning out?

[30:46.2]
And what role does recovery? You just talked a second ago about recovery and that sometimes that's challenging. Does recovery play in your philosophy? So I come to your camp and I say, hey, I want to compete this Ultraman.

[31:03.7]
And you say, well, here's how to do it. And then you talk to me about recovery and somebody is extremely driven. How do you speak to them about the importance of recovery? Support is everything. That's the first step is that support is everything.

[31:19.6]
We look at the addiction level and there was a study that came out about, soldiers who went to Vietnam and they were highly addicted to drugs.

[31:35.5]
And when they came back, somehow they were not, they were not addicted anymore. And so sometimes it's based on environment and very often it's based on the community that you're with and what you're, what you're surrounding yourself with.

[31:55.8]
You are surrounded by extreme, cases, but the support is everything. We often glorify the warrior or the soldier, but coming back from the battlefield. But how much more should we put our families on the podium, the those who are waiting for us when we needed, when we need them the most.

[32:20.9]
So your needs matter and recovery is very important because it gives you perspective. So just taking a step back, it helps you look at the whole picture.

[32:39.6]
Just like a, person that runs way too fast all the time, at some time he needs some, some runs that are much slower. And those run will allow him to experience the outside world, to have fun with other people on, on the outside.

[33:03.0]
And with this, it gives you that confidence because now you're able to see the whole picture. And with that recovery, I would say that love fuels it, fuels it all. Because now you're able to have more meaningful relationships, you're able to understand the bigger picture and you're able to focus on what's more important.

[33:26.8]
And to be able to listen to your body at some point, that's, well, important. I think listening to that helps to make you, a complete. You'll complete these events versus not completing them. And you know, when you, JD are not pushing the limits of your human endurance, you're spending time with your son and you're involved in philanthropy.

[33:54.7]
And I think this is the balance we're talking about. How do you balance being an extreme athlete with being present as a father? I mean, I saw the pictures you sent me, Costa Rica, with the kids and all the kids on the bicycles, and you kind of leading this pack of kids out.

[34:13.2]
Tell us a little bit about this philanthropy and then what you're doing with kids and why you believe in this so strongly. For me, it's never about balance. I believe in alignment because balance and this form of equilibrium does not seem to exist for me.

[34:40.2]
I think that at some point you have to be more focused on certain goals in your life and other times you're able to focus more on your family and it just goes into some form of what must be done and to be courageous about it.

[35:01.7]
So Fabi, so what you're telling me is that with your son, you found a way to blend these two things because your son rides a bike. So instead of you being away from him, you're with him doing your most favorite thing, which is riding a bike.

[35:18.3]
And I think it's important for people. People to realize, look, my friend who just did Everest couldn't take his two young kids, but he spent his life. He's climbed all the highest seven summits in the world. And so the amount of time he's spent away from his family, his name is Beau Parfet.

[35:37.2]
Is extreme because of all the training that goes into doing stuff like this ahead of time and then the actual climb itself and all of those kind of things. And I think what I'm trying to get at here is he recognizes, like you said, it's something he wanted to do.

[35:57.8]
He climbed because he raised about $350,000 to help people who are becoming blind because of cataracts around the world. So every $50 that he raised, literally, he had 50,000 people that literally, could see again as a result of him going up Everest.

[36:23.5]
Right. He had a mission beyond just finishing the climb, just like you have a mission every time now of doing your philanthropy work, too. So the question here is really, I'm not trying to dance around this.

[36:40.5]
I heard exactly what you said. But you found a way to include your son in many of these things that you do and do this philanthropic work, correct? Correct. Yes. I. I built a sled. I was in the mountain of Quebec, and it was very cold when I was training for the epic Deca.

[37:02.0]
So I constructed a sled that with a harness, and I would carry my young son up mountains with snowshoes. And I involved my son all the time with my training, whether it was training in extreme cold weather, and I would show him how to jump in the snow in my underwear, and I would climb mountains with him.

[37:30.1]
I would always involve some form of pushing the boundaries, pushing the limits. And what that allowed him to do is now he is. Now he's 13 years old, and he is the two time world champion of, trail half marathon.

[37:47.4]
So he was the world champion at 11 and 12 and continuing on his 13. And he became so good and so disciplined with this mindset that now this year, he skipped an entire grade.

[38:04.6]
And he's out of school right now for the next year and a half because. And if he. Yeah, he doesn't need to go to school right now because he used this discipline, this mindset.

[38:20.7]
And now he's onto other goals. So it's helping other people. It's necessary. It's sending the elevator back. It's showing others that potentially will never be able to do it.

[38:38.8]
I look at the swim that now I'm about to do. So I'm registered for the big swim. And that's an event that is 14, kilometers in the street of northern Berlin, which is to swim between two province, about nine miles of swimming.

[38:57.7]
And that's in, that's coming up in two weeks. And we're raising funds for children with illnesses to go to summer camps. And those are people that will most likely never be able to complete an ironman, will never be able to have all of these benefits that I worked on that I have the capabilities of achieving.

[39:27.1]
When I went to Mexico and we built races for the kids and we donated money and we help people go to the Olympics, children go to the Olympics. Those are, those are the next generations. So I can leave pain into this world because I was a victim of some form of trauma when I was a child, or I can use this trauma, don't allow it to become a victim.

[39:57.4]
Right. Become this higher person that will use his money to enhance the life of others. And through all of this, maybe what they'll see is some form of light that is brighter at the end of the tunnel.

[40:12.7]
Some, some form of hope for these kids. We went to Mexico and I usually tell people I come from a very poor background, but when, I mean when I was poor we still had food on the table and wifi. WI fi wasn't big when I was a child because I grew up in a different era.

[40:33.5]
I'm still 39. But for these kids. We went down there in 2023 and at some we went through a village that didn't even have WI fi. They did not even have cell phone coverage.

[40:50.8]
And to me that was. I realized that a lot of people, they're never going to be able to achieve any type of goals financially. It will be extremely hard for them. So to be able to give back a portion or if not at all, all of my money is just a blessing.

[41:10.8]
I've been blessed and now it's time for me to give back. And I give back to my family. I give back to God and I allow him to glorify himself through all of this giving to all of the people that were able to bless with these funds.

[41:29.7]
And it's up to them to now rise up to the occasion and build a life that and the legacy that they want to build for themselves. Well, I wonder. This is our next generation. Yeah. And I want to acknowledge you for.

[41:45.5]
And it acknowledges it enough because you can hear it in the passion in your voice and how committed you are to this. But number one, you, are an extreme individual.

[42:00.8]
You are an individual that puts, their mind to something, their mindset. And that leads me to this last question to kind of wrap up our interview. For people that have listened this far want to apply your mindset to their own lives, whether it's in business, relationships, personal growth, what's one principle from your ultra endurance experience that translates most powerfully to everyday challenges?

[42:33.7]
In other words, the average person listening today is going, wow, this guy is really something. But I'm never going to get there. That's nothing that I'm going to do. Let's say they're saying that. Let's say that that's what's listening in their mind. So they go and they buy your book, they go to Amazon, we get a copy of this book, and they read about your story.

[42:54.4]
You know, here's this guy just told a little bit on the podcast. There's more in the book about your story. What would you hope that they could then, after reading it, listening to us, apply in their life every day? Yeah, we've, we've had lots of people read books.

[43:12.9]
Read, read that specific book. And they keep saying, well, sometimes I was struggling with addictions or other people are saying they want to, end that life. And they read the book and, or they came to the retreat and now they have hope again.

[43:37.2]
I would say the first step in everything is, is always that spiritual discipline is freedom. And to build that set of value, just pick one. It. It. I pick Christianity. I teach about Christianity.

[43:54.6]
It is a Christian organization. It is a nonprofit organization. But it, it's. If you pick some form of set of values and you have discipline over it, you become.

[44:11.6]
It's the gateway to resilience, to clarity and lasting purpose. So when you train your body and your mind with this spiritual discipline, you're not just checking boxes or being in survival mode.

[44:27.0]
You're building an emotional armor and you become equipped to face lives, storms, and all of the challenges. Because you can follow this system. When you're in a storm, you can always fall back on this system of values.

[44:46.4]
So if you're going say, should I think in a certain way about someone? And you're saying, well, no, this in my set of value, this is not how I should be thinking for Example, the fifth commandment is that you shall honor your father and your mother.

[45:10.1]
So should you respond to your mother this way, should you talk to your father this way, how should you be talking? Well, my set of values says I must honor my father and my mother in that way. So it's always going back to your set of values.

[45:28.6]
Now I keep saying that I'm disciplined and there are moments of down, but it's with that resilience, that type of endurance that always falling back on this set of values.

[45:44.7]
If, if they don't get any of what I said, pick a set of values because I'm not a superhuman, I don't have superpowers. I'm a normal human being. I am weak.

[46:00.0]
I have flaws. And all I do is just follow a strict set of values and eventually it leads to greater goals and loftier events. I don't get myself ruled by emotions.

[46:17.8]
I stop negotiating with excuses. I show up for my family. I use my faith and my calling every single day. And that's what freedom feels like, is because it's that spiritual discipline.

[46:35.1]
That's the warrior's path that we're teaching at the Hungry Warrior Academy. That's true freedom, it's consistency and that's aligning with your purpose. So that's the invitation that I would have to everybody that I would have to say is pick a set of values and if they want even more, you can go to hungrywarrioracademy.com and you can have a free consultation and one of the person will get in touch with them, you'll have a free consultation.

[47:10.8]
And then maybe it's just that, that if they're not able, if we're not able to help, we'll at least guide you to some other counselors or other person that might be able to assist. Because we have lots of partnerships around the world with other Christian and faith based counselors that are precise into what their looking for.

[47:37.9]
Well, I think kind of to sum it up, while as you were speaking, in I think, Winston, Churchill said never, never, never give up.

[47:53.1]
And a most famous speech that he attributed, he delivered those words in 1941 during a challenging period of World War II, according to the International Churchill Society, never give in, never, never, never, not in anything great or small, large or petty.

[48:15.6]
Never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. And I think that what you convey is a person who never gives up and never gives in. And the reality is it's these set of values that you've established yourself on JD that are an inspiration, and I want to thank you for inspiring our listeners today.

[48:44.1]
God bless you. Thank you for being on the show and sharing some of not only your personal story, but your philosophy and your wisdom. And again, we'll put links to all of his websites so you can go up there, learn more about his training programs, learn more about his book.

[49:01.6]
There will also be a Wise Note version of this, which is a seven minute summary that we'll put out there on YouTube for all my listeners who want to look to that as well. Please get in touch with JD if you're interested in attending one of his, camps and you're interested in becoming a better athlete, but I think more importantly, having somebody help you realize how you can strengthen your mind and your faith.

[49:26.7]
So thank you so much for, being on the show. Take care. All right. Thank you. Thank you for listening to this podcast on Inside Personal Growth. We appreciate your support. And for more information about new podcasts, please go to inside personal growth.com or any of your favorite channels to listen to our podcast.

[49:48.4]
Thanks again and have a wonderful day.

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