Giovanni Perez | Throttle, Teamwork & Purpose
What happens when the mission changes, but the drive to keep moving forward remains?
Combat Vet Vision welcomes Giovanni Perez, a retired U.S. Army combat engineer, wounded veteran, adaptive motorcycle and off-road competitor, and veteran advocate whose post-service journey has taken him from Afghanistan to some of the toughest terrain in off-road racing.
Giovanni lost his left arm while serving with the Army in Afghanistan. After returning home, motorcycles became more than recreation. Through adaptation, determination and the veteran community, riding became another place to find challenge, camaraderie and purpose.
Giovanni has competed in desert and off-road events including the Baja 500, Baja 1000 and Vegas to Reno. His adaptive riding includes motorcycle modifications that allow him to ride with a prosthetic left arm. In the 2018 Baja 1000, he was part of a six-rider team that officially finished the legendary event.
His story also extends beyond racing. Giovanni has been connected with the Warrior Built Foundation, an organization serving combat veterans and wounded service members through vocational and recreational opportunities, including fabrication, mechanics and off-road racing. He has also participated in Wounded Warrior Project advocacy activities supporting issues affecting post-9/11 veterans.
In this episode, we explore:
• How the combat-engineer mindset can translate into adapting to life after a major injury
• The transition from military service to finding a new mission
• Returning to motorcycles after losing his left arm
• Adaptive riding and the challenge of desert and off-road competition
• The role of camaraderie, machines and racing in rebuilding purpose
• Why continuing to serve and advocate for other veterans matters
This conversation is not simply about overcoming an injury. It is about adaptation, teamwork and discovering that purpose can take a different form when the original mission changes.
Guest
Giovanni Perez
Retired U.S. Army Combat Engineer
Wounded Veteran | Adaptive Motorcycle & Off-Road Competitor | Veteran Advocate
Guest Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giovanni.perez.353803
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giovanni-perez-54847797
Instagram (@oggio31): https://www.instagram.com/oggio31/
Warrior Built Foundation: https://www.warriorbuilt.org/
Featured Resource
Drive On, Echo Bravo Productions
A documentary project following combat veterans competing in the Baja 1000.
https://echobravoproductions.com/drive-on
Crisis Support
If you or a veteran you know is in crisis, contact the Veterans Crisis Line. Dial 988, then press 1, or text 838255.
Call to Action
Listen, share this episode with a veteran or military family who needs to hear it, and connect with organizations creating new opportunities for veterans after service.
Combat Vet Vision's mission is simple: Educate, Empower, Elevate.
Links
Co-Host
Aaron Q. Seibert
Linktree - https://linktr.ee/aqseibert
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aqseibert
Email - aqseibert@yahoo.com
Co-Host
Chef James L. “JB” Brown, AAC
Veterans Transition Resource Center
PRODUCER
Brian Colburn
Linktree - https://linktr.ee/Bcolburn
Transcript
Hey, welcome to Combat Vet Vision.
Speaker A:Hey, it's me, Aaron Siebert, and J.B. brown, world renowned chef, with me, co host.
Speaker A:Everything's good.
Speaker A:How you doing, Chef?
Speaker B:Great.
Speaker B:Good afternoon, Aaron.
Speaker B:It's another great day to have a podcast.
Speaker A:It is, it is.
Speaker A:Hey.
Speaker A:And this podcast is for our sponsors, supporters, volunteers, mainly for the combat vets, veterans, family members, things of that nature, first responders, a whole bunch of cool things that want to be discussed and talked about and transition wise and what's going on.
Speaker A:And we always have some interesting guests to interview and do some incredible things with.
Speaker B:And we're coming live from downtown Las Vegas.
Speaker A:That's right.
Speaker A:Right from the VTRC center, the Veterans Transition Resource center that sponsors this and allows us to have the studio right here.
Speaker A:And we're knocking it out weekly.
Speaker A:If not, we're at our home or wherever we might be on, on, on site, on the road.
Speaker A:We can do this anywhere.
Speaker A:Brian Colburn in the background pushing buttons, making things happen from citradio.com and my guest today, Giovanni Perez, really good buddy of mine, we go way back.
Speaker A:We do a lot of really cool things and a lot of Warrior built stuff.
Speaker A:A lot of Warrior build stuff and a lot of other things too.
Speaker A:He's been part of the PTSD foundation of America's groups.
Speaker A:He's been a lot of things, taking, taking advantage of a lot of different things.
Speaker A:Not too much, but enough to help him out.
Speaker A:So, Giovanni Perez, how you doing, brother?
Speaker A:United States army vets.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Hello.
Speaker C:I'm doing good today, chief.
Speaker A:Hey, good to see you in the, in the Monster Energy sponsored T shirt.
Speaker A:You know, that's, you know, and that's cool because you fall under the Monster Energy athlete.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Category.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker A:Racing with the Warrior Built foundation.
Speaker A:And, and, and with yourself, your avid motorcycle rider.
Speaker A:All kinds of good stuff.
Speaker A:Hey, we're gonna get into your story.
Speaker A:I look forward to, you know, sitting here with you and talking about all these cool things, and we have a lot of stories together, you and me and so many other things.
Speaker A:But talk about, you know, your journey, man, because what was it that inspired you?
Speaker A:And what's cool about Gio, he's still inspired.
Speaker A:He's inspired by life, a lot of other things.
Speaker A:But what inspired you to join the Army?
Speaker A:Where'd you grow up and all that good stuff, brother.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker C:Yeah, well, I grew up.
Speaker C:I was born in Torrance, grew up in Gardena down the LA area.
Speaker C:No one really in my family was ever in the military that I knew of that were like close cousins to me.
Speaker C:So Fast forward like a few years.
Speaker C:We ended up moving out of Gardena to Hesperia to the high desert, where I kind of.
Speaker C:That's where I started getting into like BMX and.
Speaker C:And dirt bike riding.
Speaker C:You know, moving up to the desert, you know, moving away from the city.
Speaker C:Skateboarding was.
Speaker C:There's really no roads to skateboard on just because they're so rough.
Speaker C:And then my.
Speaker C:My parents signed me up for the Young Marines.
Speaker C:So I was.
Speaker C:I did the Young Marines, learned all the ranks and learned the.
Speaker C:The Marine Corps song, you know, everything.
Speaker C:All the Marine Corps things.
Speaker C:And kind of still didn't think of me joining the military to maybe my senior year in high school.
Speaker C:I started seeing everyone kind of going to college.
Speaker C:I wasn't like ready to go to college or I didn't want to kind of go to the community college.
Speaker C:I thought everyone kind of goes there after they graduate.
Speaker C:So I kind of was thinking of something different.
Speaker C:I had somebody's kind of joining the Navy and he was kind of trying to push the Navy, like, oh, should join the Navy or you'll like it.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And then he took me to the neighbor recruiter and I took the practice asvab.
Speaker C: w months after I graduated in: Speaker C:And the recruiter just kind of told me, like, oh, you failed.
Speaker C:Come back in six months.
Speaker C:You need to go like, practice.
Speaker C:And then I came home.
Speaker C:I was a little bummed out.
Speaker C:I was like, oh, man.
Speaker C:Like six months, That's a long time.
Speaker C:A lot of things can change.
Speaker C:And my sister ended up taking me to the army recruiter because her husband was in the army and she thought I'd been.
Speaker C:Be a good fit for me.
Speaker C:So we went there and I passed the practice as.
Speaker C:And then they're like, heck yeah, would love to have you.
Speaker C:That's.
Speaker C:I kind of went in, Would love to have here.
Speaker A:Hey, but you took you.
Speaker A:You took the army real serious.
Speaker A:You were looking forward to it.
Speaker A:You enjoyed the.
Speaker A:The whole thing.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Once I got in there, it's like, oh, this is best decision I ever made.
Speaker C:Even though it's a sucky time too basic, you know, they're pretty hard on us.
Speaker C:I think that that was one of the last cycles where they kind of didn't have no rules.
Speaker C:They kind of can still get on your butt.
Speaker A:Right, right.
Speaker C:All basic trainings, like, that's different.
Speaker A:And you went 11 Bravo, right?
Speaker C:No, 12 Bravo.
Speaker C:I went to Fort Missouri.
Speaker C:It's a home of engineers out there.
Speaker A:Combat engineers.
Speaker C:Yes, sir.
Speaker A:With the, with the engineering gate oh, it's the Castle.
Speaker C:Castle, yeah.
Speaker B:Engineer, tackle, Equipment operator.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Heavy equipment operator, combat engineer.
Speaker A:A lot of stuff involved.
Speaker C:There's a few different types of engineers, but as a 12, probably, I were like the.
Speaker C:Where you see 12th November is going to be attached to infantry units.
Speaker C:But yeah, we got, we got attached to like, infantry.
Speaker C:We're a light infantry unit.
Speaker A:And, and what did you.
Speaker A:What did you like most about it and what did you end up doing?
Speaker A:What, what infantry did you go out with?
Speaker A:And then finally you ended up in.
Speaker C:Yeah, well, so I ended up getting station.
Speaker C:After basic training, I did the O set.
Speaker C:So it's all in one.
Speaker C:It's only one, like, basic training area.
Speaker C:You don't have to go do your basic training and then do your AIT.
Speaker C:It's all put into one.
Speaker C:So it's like 14 weeks straight.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And then after that, I got stationed at Fort Stewart at the 3rd Infantry Division and in the 4th Brigade.
Speaker C:And then that's who I ended up deploying with.
Speaker C:And in our platoon, it was all combat engineers.
Speaker C:And then we had a, a small group of 12 Novembers too, which are the heavy equipment operators.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And they pretty much did the same job as us.
Speaker C:You know, the only thing difference, they knew how to work the, the heavy equipment, the tractors and stuff.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:And did you, did you, did you get back to riding during this time, before you, before you deployed?
Speaker C:Yeah, I started riding and racing bmx, like elementary school, like sixth grade.
Speaker C:I kind of moved up there from Gardena, so I just remember that, like, right before we moved up there that year, my parents bought me like a Kmart bike.
Speaker C:It was like a Honda racing with the pegs.
Speaker C:I've always wanted pegs.
Speaker C:That was like a big thing down in la, like, so you can ride your friends.
Speaker C:And then when I, when I moved up to Speria, I met these dudes that race bmx and they kind of all laughed at my bike.
Speaker C:Like, what kind of bike is this Is a Kmart bike.
Speaker C:And then I just remember, like, riding every jump, scraping the pedal on every jump, like I didn't know what to do.
Speaker C:And everyone's kind of laughing at me.
Speaker C:And I just remember going home and telling my dad, like, pops, my friends, like, race bmx.
Speaker C:Can I go watch him race?
Speaker C:And then I went to go watch him race one time.
Speaker C:And then my dad is like, oh.
Speaker C:And then he's like, next weekend I started racing.
Speaker C:He bought me a BMX bike.
Speaker C:And it's pretty cool.
Speaker C:That's where it kind of the two wheels Started and then just.
Speaker C:My dad used to ride dirt bikes, race bmx, too, so he kind of got me into all that, and then that's something I've always wanted to do.
Speaker C:And that's one of the things I joined the army is like, I want to get my own stuff going.
Speaker C:I want to get my own dirt bike and my own car.
Speaker C:And, like, I think this is going to be the best way for me to do instead of going to college.
Speaker C:And then.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And then ended up deploying.
Speaker C:I ended up losing my arms, so I didn't really think it was really possible to ride again after that.
Speaker C:So let's.
Speaker A:Let's.
Speaker A:Let's talk about how you lost your arm, man.
Speaker C:You.
Speaker A:You and your buddy both.
Speaker A:Both ended up losing your arms in the same incident.
Speaker C:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker C:I ordered just a routine mission, doing route clearance, you know, looking for IEDs, and we came across one.
Speaker C:But it was, like, kind of weird because the a.
Speaker C:The Afghan national army are kind of, like, in the way of the ied, so they're, like, trying to get us to stop on top of the ied, which is kind of weird.
Speaker C:And then we get it.
Speaker C:We end up finding the IED under the culvert.
Speaker C:They're still kind of trying to, like, there's just conflict between the A, A, and S. And I just remember, like, my sergeant, like, get ready, boys.
Speaker C:You're gonna, you know, get ready.
Speaker C:Things are about to pop off right now.
Speaker C:Kind of be aware.
Speaker C:And then they kind of, like, arguing.
Speaker C:They want our C4.
Speaker C:And we're just kind of like, no, we're not going to give you our C4.
Speaker C:Like, if you guys are going to blow it up, you guys blow it up.
Speaker C:And then.
Speaker C:And then they're like, kind of the argument with her.
Speaker C:We had our Terps or Terps talking.
Speaker C:We're just telling them what to say and what they're saying.
Speaker C:And then I would kind of come into agreement, like, all right, you guys blow it up.
Speaker C:Use your own C4.
Speaker C:We're just gonna Charlie Mike.
Speaker C:And then.
Speaker C:So we mount back in the vehicles, and as we're taking off, you know, next time I blink, freaking RPG round is.
Speaker C:Is piercing the.
Speaker C:The vehicles.
Speaker C:And I was in the Buffalo.
Speaker C:I was in the center of the vehicle, and my.
Speaker C:It came from the left side to the right, from left to right.
Speaker C:And then my buddy was left to me.
Speaker C:I was on the seat next to him on the right side.
Speaker C:And RPG just kind of came and struck both her arms and her vest.
Speaker C:Her whole vests were shredded and kind of took a big chunk out of our forearm.
Speaker C:It didn't necessarily blow our arm off.
Speaker C:It just.
Speaker C:It looked like a shark bite.
Speaker A:Dang.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So it didn't even explode.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:When RPG blows up, Chief, it, like, it blows up, and then it shoots a shape charge through the vehicle.
Speaker C:That piercing.
Speaker C:Okay, vehicle.
Speaker C:So it was like an armor piercing round.
Speaker C:You know, I really don't know to this day, but that's what we all assumed, and that's what everyone told me.
Speaker C:I got hit with an rpg.
Speaker C:I'm pretty sure there's, like, the tell of the RPG on the.
Speaker C:On the.
Speaker C:On the vehicle.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So it pierced through the vehicle.
Speaker A:The explosion already came through and obviously shredded a lot of things.
Speaker A:So all your gear saved your life, but you ended up losing your arm.
Speaker A:Buddy lost his other arm.
Speaker C:Like, I remember taking shrapnel on my face.
Speaker C:I took my eye pro off right when I kind of mounted back in the vehicle, to be honest.
Speaker C:It's like, you know, I was at this amount, so I just took a little breather, you know, it was a little hot.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:But, yeah, my best.
Speaker C:I'll say definitely saved my life.
Speaker C:I feel like maybe like, a few more inches, like, of us, the vehicle pulling forward.
Speaker C:It might have went through my side plate, and it could have injured me way worse because I remember, like, you know, it's all like a.
Speaker C:Not a blur, but at the same time, I remember a lot of it because I was, like, awake, and I didn't really, like, panic.
Speaker C:Like, I wasn't screaming or anything.
Speaker C:Like, I kind of took it all in, like, really, like, the really slow mo.
Speaker C:What I remember is just being.
Speaker C:Everything was just slow mo and just, like, trying to, like, look at things.
Speaker C:And I'm looking at my arm kind of just hanging.
Speaker C:My whole vest is just shredded.
Speaker C:All my magazines are blown up.
Speaker C:I just got.
Speaker C:I'm covered in face kind of dripping a little bit blood.
Speaker C:I might get.
Speaker C:I might have some blood from my buddy next to me too.
Speaker C:And then my.
Speaker C:I just don't know what's wrong with me because I can't feel my arms.
Speaker C:So I'm like.
Speaker C:I think my whole face is blown off.
Speaker C:So it was just a.
Speaker C:It was a crazy time.
Speaker C:It happened so quick, but I. I remember everything, you know, getting on the medevac, you know, talking to everyone.
Speaker C:Everyone's eyes just coming over, looking me at the litter.
Speaker C:They're telling me I'm gonna be okay, but just look on their face is just like, what the f. Just happened?
Speaker C:You know?
Speaker C:So it was.
Speaker C:It Was gnarly for sure.
Speaker C:And then the medevac, you know, feeling the morphine once it hits you and you're injured, like, I don't know.
Speaker C:And then your buddy next to you screaming his head off.
Speaker C:So I don't know, it's.
Speaker C:It was just crazy.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:As a chaotic, the chaotic moment of, of the reality of what's going on, you know, it's hard to keep track of as everything slows down.
Speaker A:I remember when I got blown up too.
Speaker A:It was similar, you know, just dang, what's going on.
Speaker A:I thought I could take a step and buckled over.
Speaker A:Blood starting pouring.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:Bad day in the office, right?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And how old were you at the time, gio?
Speaker C:I was 19.
Speaker A:And you've been in the, you've been.
Speaker C:In the army now, how long that day is?
Speaker A:A year in army, one year in the army.
Speaker A:Lost his arm, just totally.
Speaker C:So I graduated basic training like end of July.
Speaker C:I got to my unit in August.
Speaker C:Like, you know, we could leave and then we came back and then straight to Fort Stewart where it was there.
Speaker C:And then that's when we're kind of already, we're hearing orders like that we're deploying, but at the same time it's like when the, the President was saying that we're like pulling out troops out of Afghanistan and then we're getting orders that were getting deployed to Afghanistan and then we had to go do like a JRTC at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
Speaker C:It's like a pre deployment training.
Speaker C:And then from there we deployed in January.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker A:And, and from that point, how was your, how was your, how was your medevac?
Speaker A:I mean, what was the process for getting you back to the States and how did that go for you?
Speaker C:Yeah, it was cool.
Speaker C:It took a little bit longer than it should have possibly.
Speaker C:You know, it was one of our first missions where we're taking casualties, you know, like that where like, you know, someone's losing a limb and stuff, you know.
Speaker C:But yeah, it took a little bit, but it got, it got there.
Speaker C:One of my medics, she was super, super good, or all our medics are good.
Speaker C:But I just remember her, you know, she's a female medicine and she did a really good job on me and kind of did everything right, you know, took care of me till the medevac got there and then.
Speaker C:Yeah, and then those dudes are on point, you know, they know what they're doing.
Speaker C:You know, we get to another airfield to get me stable enough and then stable enough to go to Bagram and then from Bagram.
Speaker C:That's where we're kind of.
Speaker C:I just had a cage on my arm, kind of holding my hand in place.
Speaker C:And then from there, they got me stable enough to get me to Long Stool Germany.
Speaker C:And then that's where I.
Speaker C:They asked me if I can move my fingers.
Speaker C:And then I. I tried.
Speaker C:I just remember looking at my hand and I tried to move my fingers, and then it just.
Speaker C:I couldn't.
Speaker C:And then the next time I woke up, my arm was amputated, and it was just, like, really swollen.
Speaker C:And, you know, it's like, I'm at amputee now.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:You just kind of came to that reality right then, right?
Speaker A:It's like, oh, okay.
Speaker C:I guess I don't have it not being a movement for those.
Speaker C:Like, know, when I was in Bagam and then the flight to Germany, I was just like, the whole time, like.
Speaker C:Like, my arm's in a cage.
Speaker C:I can't move it.
Speaker C:I can't really, like.
Speaker C:Like, I don't know.
Speaker C:I didn't.
Speaker C:I don't even remember trying to touch it.
Speaker C:Like, I don't know.
Speaker C:I was just on so much medication that, you know, I. I didn't have the right thought process.
Speaker C:I just thought the pain was so gnarly that.
Speaker C:That.
Speaker C:That's why they put me on all that medication.
Speaker C:But.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And then from there, after my amputation, um, they got me stable enough to move me to Walter Reed, and then I started kind of.
Speaker C:I became my, you know, my recovery process.
Speaker A:And how do you feel about.
Speaker A:How do you feel about the recovery process?
Speaker A:And, you know, talk about your mindset, because you've always had a very awesome, you know, mindset.
Speaker A:You know, very strong personality, happy.
Speaker A:But, you know, it's positive.
Speaker A:And, you know, at some point, you got to look at it and be like, oh, man, how am I gonna function?
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:How am I gonna continue?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Questions that you have to ask.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And that's one thing that I'd say, like, the army, like, taught me, like, I always think that I'm always like, if I was never in the army and I would have lost an arm, I think I would have.
Speaker C:My.
Speaker C:Like, how I am would have been a little bit different.
Speaker C:You know, the army kind of taught me, you know, not to give up.
Speaker C:And tough situations, that's when you kind of try to push through, you know?
Speaker C:You know, try to be tough about it.
Speaker C:You know, if there's always something or you got to just figure out a different way to do it.
Speaker C:If you can't do it the way you're trying to do it, you know, there's got to be a different way to.
Speaker C:To go upon it.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:And as a comb engineer, you know, or a master of none, a jack of, you know, or jack of all trades.
Speaker C:Master of none.
Speaker C:So, like, I kind of took that added.
Speaker C:Put that into my attitude, like, after I lost my.
Speaker C:I'm like, okay, this is just another obstacle.
Speaker C:I need to get across, you know, across.
Speaker C:Or figure out a different way to do it or just learn how to do stuff in general that you do.
Speaker C:You did with two hands, with one hand, you know, so it's kind of like.
Speaker C:That's a.
Speaker C:Kind of kept me positive.
Speaker C:And I always liked the army, too.
Speaker C:So I can't be like, oh, I hate the army because I lost my arm.
Speaker C:You know, that's part of it.
Speaker C:You know, I. I wish I didn't lose it.
Speaker C:You know, I wouldn't trade.
Speaker C:I. I'd love to have my left arm again and still be in the army, but, you know, that's not the cards.
Speaker C:The cards I got dealt.
Speaker C:But it's just.
Speaker C:I don't know, kind of just adapted.
Speaker C:Instead of being sad, you know, like, I just want to be happy.
Speaker C:I feel like it's a waste of energy if you're just gonna be depressed and bummed out and looking at all the bad stuff.
Speaker C:I always just try to look at, you know, the positive and everything, you know, I think everything always has a positive.
Speaker C:It's just how you look at it, definitely.
Speaker A:And I've always.
Speaker A:I've always admired that about you.
Speaker A:I mean, we've got to spend a lot of times together, and I never really fully got this whole story because it's not like something we sit around and talk about all the time.
Speaker A:We just look at each other all the time, and it's been like, hey, we're going to carry on with whatever.
Speaker A:But it is pretty amazing that you came back and you still wanted to be involved in motocross and doing some stuff, and you came across Warrior Build.
Speaker A:You came, you know, talk about your transition out of.
Speaker A:Out of the army, talking about how.
Speaker A:How you met, you know, the War Build foundation and any other foundation you want to talk about, too.
Speaker A:I mean, we made sure that there's a great opportunity for an organization to give you a Harley Davidson.
Speaker A:He never rode on road until he got his Harley.
Speaker A:But, you know, he.
Speaker A:He was.
Speaker A:He was off road all the time until then.
Speaker A:He was like, hey, man, how am I gonna get on the road and ride?
Speaker A:I only know the off road.
Speaker A:And I was like, dude, the on road's easy.
Speaker A:Everything sticks to the pavement.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker C:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Well, at the hospital, the.
Speaker C:At Walter Reed, they have, like a lot of organizations that come and try to get the combat wounded guys, you know, out of the room, you know, so they're not just drinking or depressed in the room because, you know, everyone does get affected differently.
Speaker C:You know, some people might be a little bit more depressed about losing a limb, you know, so, you know, everyone's different.
Speaker C:Everyone's just not like me, you know, I feel like I'm a little different on that.
Speaker C:Just I look at stuff different, you know, and just to.
Speaker C:It helps me, you know, I don't like to be thinking of bad stuff, so I just always hope the best.
Speaker C:But.
Speaker C:Yeah, so there's a lot of organizations that just took a lot of bets out.
Speaker C:And one of the organizations was Suds, and it's Scuba for disabled soldiers.
Speaker C:Soldiers undergoing old scuba.
Speaker C:And they took me out.
Speaker C:They do a lot of stuff besides scuba, but they took me to Credit Butte after I lost my arm in Colorado.
Speaker C:And they had like a whole week of us just like doing kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing, fishing.
Speaker C:That's a whole bunch of outdoor stuff, riding horses.
Speaker C:And the big thing I signed up for is to ride a bicycle because they're like, oh, we got a prosthetic that.
Speaker C:And this is a few months after losing my arm.
Speaker C:They're just kind of.
Speaker C:I got more positive with all the prosthetics that they have, like, oh, you should be able to still do your fun activities.
Speaker C:And I'm like, what?
Speaker C:Like how?
Speaker C:And then they're like, showing me this prosthetic for a mountain bike.
Speaker C:And then one of the organizations took me to Colorado, where I got to test out that prosthetic.
Speaker C:After riding that.
Speaker C:That bicycle, a pedal bicycle, mountain bike, I just knew I could ride a dirt bike.
Speaker C:Kind of instantly I was like, it's two wheels.
Speaker C:The handlebars are the same.
Speaker C:I'm using the same functions.
Speaker C:I'm pushing, pulling.
Speaker C:I can yank the wheel.
Speaker C:And I was all I was.
Speaker C:I couldn't believe it.
Speaker C:Like, I'm riding.
Speaker C:I didn't think it was possible.
Speaker C:And I'm right here riding a bike.
Speaker C:And then fast forward like a few months.
Speaker C:Ricky Carmichael came to the hospital, and he's a pro motocross racer and supercross champion.
Speaker C:Motocross and supercross champion.
Speaker C:He's probably one of the fastest riders in the world.
Speaker C:But he ended up coming to the hospital to visit all the combat wounded guys at Walter Reed, and, you know, he's a monster athlete.
Speaker C:And I kind of.
Speaker C:I love motorcycles and dirt bikes.
Speaker C:So I asked him for Anaheim Round one tickets.
Speaker C:That's the first supercross round in Angel Stadium in January.
Speaker C:It's like the first week of January.
Speaker C:It's opening round.
Speaker C:I just love.
Speaker C:Would love to go.
Speaker C:You know, I just got back from Afghanistan, so I haven't been to one in a few years.
Speaker C:And then he.
Speaker C:He says, yeah.
Speaker C:He ends up sending me tickets, and then I end up taking friends and family.
Speaker C:I have, like, six tickets.
Speaker C:And then I happen to sit next to Nick Ham, which started warrior belt, and he was there with two other Marines that he's been helping.
Speaker C:And then he kind of approached me, like, asked me if I was a veteran, if that's how I lost my arm.
Speaker C:And I told him, yeah.
Speaker C: that they're racing the Baja: Speaker C:And I was just like.
Speaker C:Like, this has been a dream of mine before I even joined the Army.
Speaker C:Like, one of my best friends, Donnie Fish, we were supposed to race that when we're little.
Speaker C: gh, we're gonna race the ball: Speaker C:And then, you know, plans change.
Speaker C:You know, we all got our separate ways.
Speaker C:We went.
Speaker C:I joined the army, and then.
Speaker C:And then, yeah, I haven't heard about that race in a while.
Speaker C:And then I.
Speaker C:Here I am, fast forward two years after losing my arm, I meet Nick Ham, and he tells me that they're racing it, and then that I should go race it with them and have I ridden a dirt bike?
Speaker C:And I'm like, I ridden a mountain bike, but I haven't ridden a dirt bike yet.
Speaker C:And then he's like, we'll try to get on a dirt bike.
Speaker C:And then that's when I called my buddy Donnie.
Speaker C:He got me on his dirt bike.
Speaker C:I put my.
Speaker C:Cut the.
Speaker C:His.
Speaker C:The grip.
Speaker C:Because for my attachment to go on the handlebars, you have to cut the grip.
Speaker C:And I.
Speaker C:Obviously, the left side, the clutch side, so you cut the grip, and then my attachment will just slide on there, and it bolts on with the Allen key.
Speaker C:And then I just kind of.
Speaker C:I can't pull in the clutch.
Speaker C:So I just started it.
Speaker C:I threw it.
Speaker C:I'm coasting down the hill, and I just threw it in gear.
Speaker C:And then I just didn't stop.
Speaker C:And I was like, oh, I could ride.
Speaker C:And then I remember calling Big Hand back, and then he told me about the Recluse.
Speaker A:In case you're wondering why you didn't need a clutch.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Such an awesome deal.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So it's the recluse clutch.
Speaker C:That's like the way I'm able to ride.
Speaker C:It's the best.
Speaker C:I have that on my Harley and my dirt bike.
Speaker C:And it just allows me to ride the bike way more comfortable.
Speaker C:I can actually stop without worrying about the bike stalling out.
Speaker C:It's a crazy invention.
Speaker C:I really, I just, I have to worry just about twisting the throttle now instead of pulling the clutch and stuff.
Speaker C:You still have to shift, but it's, it's a semi auto, so you can still use the clutch.
Speaker C:I just don't have an arm to pull it, so.
Speaker A:Yeah, and you don't need to on that recluse.
Speaker A:I think, I think we were, we were one of the very first organizations or even race teams to even use the recluse, and now it's being used so.
Speaker A:So just across all the, all the racing circuits now.
Speaker A:Yeah, but Geo, Geo knows the, the recluse clutch very well because obviously it needed it and such a cool deal.
Speaker A: d you, you've raised the Baja: Speaker A:Talk about how you went down, did some other things too, but you also went to an orphanage down there and, and I think that was a really cool special moment for you when all these kids were like, you know, you got a big following down in, in Baja for one.
Speaker A:Gio's known down there.
Speaker A:So talk about that a little bit.
Speaker A:Why that was important too.
Speaker C:Oh, no, that was, that was rad to, you know, go watch the Funo go.
Speaker C:You know, donate to that orphanage was cool.
Speaker C:No, I just really like Baja.
Speaker C:You know, the fans are really into it.
Speaker C:They treat us like we're like superheroes.
Speaker C:Especially the dirt bike guys, I guess some of the big trophy truck guys too, but they know that the, the dirt bike guys, like, you know, it's way rougher than just sitting in the roll cage.
Speaker C:You know, you really got a lot of protection.
Speaker C:You got water on.
Speaker C:The dirt bike is just you and the dirt bike, you know, you mainly are standing up if it's so rough, you know, so it really wears down.
Speaker C:So I feel like a lot of the locals there, they do respect the dirt bike riders.
Speaker C:They know that, you know, we're more of the, the badasses out there, you know.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:Eating up all the terrain, the gnarliness of it all, you're feeling it through your whole body.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's quite a.
Speaker A:It's quite a deal.
Speaker A:And, and Geo talk.
Speaker A:Talk about, you know, what it, what was your, you know, what was your life like after that?
Speaker A:I mean, after, after, after getting involved with Warrior Build and doing some things, you know, you had a lot of opportunities to be involved in so many cool things.
Speaker A:Obviously still doing the diving programs, you know, you, you're the one that told me about, you know, cruises.
Speaker A:You know, you've done some really cool things with so many cool organizations and job wise, got some opportunities as well.
Speaker A:Obviously selling motorcycles.
Speaker C: ike, because I raced the ball: Speaker C:And then that's when I kind of just, I was like, man, like I'm just gonna do like cool stuff and have fun, you know, instead of going to school right away.
Speaker C:And yeah, that's when I kind of dove in.
Speaker C:Just getting better at dirt bike riding.
Speaker C:I don't know why that I feel like dirt bike riding kind of saved me and, and thankful to Nick Ham at Warrior Belt for, you know, let he let me borrow a dirt bike because I didn't have one.
Speaker C:You know, I just got out of the army, I wasn't getting paid 100.
Speaker C:I gotta, you know, that kind of screwed over.
Speaker C:You know, I only got like 70 when I first initially got out, so it's kind of hard to live off of that in California.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:Yeah, so I just kind of rode road dirt bikes my whole time and just kind of found myself actually got really good at it.
Speaker C:Got a lot faster, more confident.
Speaker C:You know, there's stuff I change up on my prosthetic.
Speaker C:Like I got an elbow brace and a lot of stuff that I did just to make me good because I started going a lot faster than I when I first started riding.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:And then I kind of.
Speaker C:My dad always kind of gave me crap like, when are you gonna grow up?
Speaker C:When are you gonna stop riding and get a job?
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And then that's when I stopped riding for a little.
Speaker C:And then that's when I got a job at, at a power sport dealership, Burt's Mega Mall.
Speaker C:And then kind of dove straight into that and worked there for eight years and kind of was really successful at it.
Speaker C:I ended up finding out that I'm a good sales guy.
Speaker B:It's your positive mental attitude, you know,.
Speaker C:People like, you know.
Speaker C:Exactly.
Speaker C:And yeah, I just like to be helpful and I like the industry too, just because I live and breathe it.
Speaker C:So it's really easy for me to talk and compare other models.
Speaker C:Like, oh, they might be looking for this bike, but I have another bike that's better, similar, better pricing.
Speaker C:Like, let's check this one out.
Speaker C:I don't know.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:And definitely you knew that.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:It was cool though that and then now I'm you know, signed up at Cal Poly.
Speaker C:I'm trying to take this in the other course.
Speaker C:It's a utility planner course.
Speaker C:So I'm trying to get into the electrical industry.
Speaker C:So it should be interesting.
Speaker C:I never done that.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:And you're open to a lot of different things.
Speaker A:Obviously, you know, you know, it's great that this, you know, this network and we, we've been part of a network for a long time.
Speaker A:You, me and so many others hang out with Warrior Built.
Speaker A:We do stuff with the PTSD foundation of America and other organizations.
Speaker A:But you know, you've had a couple of awesome opportunities come your way too.
Speaker A:Darts only golf, you know, is another great thing.
Speaker A:I hopefully, hopefully you get into is like getting out there on the golf circuit and just kind of like helping out the, the tournaments on that all over Southern California.
Speaker A:How's you know, those kind of jobs that are therapeutic effect, super cool and Burt's Mega Mall.
Speaker A:You were like, you know, always, always trying to be the top salesman.
Speaker A:I remember talking to you and you'd be like, yeah, I was, I was the number one guy this, this year, you know, this month and I'm gonna try to beat this guy, you know.
Speaker A:And you just had like this total like self motivating competition amongst yourself.
Speaker A:Oh yeah.
Speaker C:I don't know, it gets something in the army.
Speaker C:Just be the best we can be.
Speaker C:I don't know, I like it.
Speaker C:I've always been like that in the army and competitive.
Speaker C:I don't know if a lot of people like it, but I don't know, like running, I'm always trying to be in front and give me the guide on.
Speaker A:That's, that's right, that's right.
Speaker A:And we've, we've had great, great adventures.
Speaker A:How many times have you been to Baja?
Speaker C:And I've been there like at least 10 times.
Speaker C:Race it probably eight times.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:Iron Man Vegas Torino.
Speaker C:One year on the dirt bike.
Speaker C:You know, a lot of off road racing.
Speaker C:We rode a four corners motorcycle rally.
Speaker C:Remember that chief on the Harleys.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, that was right.
Speaker A:That was great.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:You know, few Baker fo san Felipe, the Baja 500.
Speaker C:Yeah, I've been out there.
Speaker C:That's one of my biggest passions is riding dirt bikes and just being on our adventure or just trying new things too.
Speaker C:Like things that you think you can't do.
Speaker C:It's like to see if you can.
Speaker C:And then didn't even like golfing.
Speaker C:I just got into golfing and it's really hard with one hand.
Speaker C:But I think I figured it out.
Speaker C:Everyone always kind of like oh, how do you play?
Speaker C:And then I'm just like, like this, like with one hand I just swing it.
Speaker C:I was like, I got, I got two hands in one.
Speaker C:Now I'm missing but.
Speaker D:Dang.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:And then I finally found out a sport that actually I could do with one hand.
Speaker C:It's bowling.
Speaker C:Like final found a one handed sport.
Speaker C:Yeah, I'm throw some strikes now.
Speaker A:Oh, that's good.
Speaker A:That's good.
Speaker A:Well, it's, it's awesome.
Speaker A:Geo to you know, for one thanks for being on the show for, for you know, combat vet vision and, and being here, you know, it's really cool.
Speaker A:I would have liked to have gotten you a long time ago too.
Speaker A:But I think, I think now is just a really good opportunity to talk about just your story and I think it's awesome that you're able to tell it, you know.
Speaker A:And this becomes a library of support for other veterans.
Speaker A:And you know, I want to give you a chance to talk about any last words, any motivational things you want to talk about.
Speaker A:And you know, if somebody wants to get a hold of you, how do they do that too?
Speaker A:So feel free to put anything out there.
Speaker C:Yeah, well, YouTube now I guess my.
Speaker C:The easiest way to get a hold of me if you don't have my phone number and I guess Instagram, right?
Speaker C:And it's Instagram G I O31.
Speaker C:And then my Facebook is just my email, right.
Speaker C:Geoparez31aol.com that's my email too.
Speaker C:Anyone can feel to reach out to me.
Speaker C:I ain't no one can always do it through me.
Speaker A:You can always, yeah, you can always get a hold of me.
Speaker A:Get a hold of them through me too.
Speaker C:Look for my number too.
Speaker C:You know I'd love to if any veterans want to talk or anything.
Speaker C:And that's something I wish I could do a little bit more is, you know, be more around warrior belts to help out some of the vets and stuff which I love to do.
Speaker C:I just love surrounding myself with, you know, that brotherhood again.
Speaker C:That's what's always cool when I go do a trip With Warrior Bill and, you know, just being with all the boys, you know, Marines, Navy, Air Force, army, you know, we're all space force.
Speaker C:We're all together.
Speaker A:Oh, you threw them all in there.
Speaker A:That's good.
Speaker B:And coast guard.
Speaker C:I met some pretty cool coast guards in Guantanamo Bay.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Good stuff.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:It's like they gave us a trip.
Speaker C:I went out there scuba diving, Chef, and.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:The.
Speaker C:The Coast Guard, they gave us a ride in their sweet Bentley boat and drove us to, like, the borderline of Cuba and United States.
Speaker C:It was pretty cool.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:That sounds like that.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Buckle up like you're gonna fly.
Speaker C:He did like a 182 in the water.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:Oh, it's crazy.
Speaker C:I was like, damn.
Speaker C:I don't know.
Speaker C:I'd have to send a. I have a picture of it, honestly, of me on the book.
Speaker C:I'll send it to Chief after this.
Speaker A:Yeah, send it to me.
Speaker A:I. I'll let him see it.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:All their gear was like.
Speaker C:Like some special ops.
Speaker C:I was like, man, they got some.
Speaker C:And like, their gear setup is sick.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah, that's cool.
Speaker A:That's good.
Speaker A:Hey, Gio, it's great to see you, man.
Speaker A:Chef, you got any.
Speaker A:Anything you want to ask?
Speaker A:Geo.
Speaker B:It's amazing how.
Speaker B:How people, you know, face some of the things that you faced in your life and still have that PMA positive mental attitude to know that, you know, not only can you help other people.
Speaker B:People, but you can help yourself.
Speaker B:Terrific.
Speaker B:Terrific.
Speaker B:I. I'm.
Speaker B:I'm an.
Speaker B:You know, I'm a fan already.
Speaker C:Yeah, I appreciate that.
Speaker C:And that's one thing I try.
Speaker C:I feel like that's one of my missions is like, you know, spread my positiveness, you know, my positivity to like others.
Speaker C:You know, I tried to at least.
Speaker C:Like, I remember when I worked at Burt's, it was kind of everyone's to themselves, all quiet and.
Speaker C:And here I am, the loud one, and trying to, you know, everyone.
Speaker C:Bringing everyone together, kind of making it like a little brotherhood, like a platoon like I had in the army, which is cool.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:And like, I volunteered too, at the.
Speaker C:An amputee camp with all these kids, you know, with amputations and, you know, and they're.
Speaker C:They're like the only amputee in their town, you know, so when they come to this camp, they're around all amputees, so they're kind of a little bit comfortable.
Speaker C:You know, they.
Speaker C:They might have been born like that or got injured when they're little And I learned a lot from them, you know, that I didn't know about being an amputee, you know, just because mine's.
Speaker C:When I was a little bit older, you know, they had to grow up and they had to deal with the one arm.
Speaker C:You know, I. I had two arms at once.
Speaker C:So it's cool.
Speaker C:I like to spread my positivity.
Speaker C:My positivity on them to not then, like, get judged or feel ugly because they have one arm.
Speaker C:You know, I try to make the best out of it and, you know, and you can still be happy with one arm, you know, or any disability,.
Speaker B:You know, having just one arm.
Speaker B:It's like, you have to.
Speaker B:You want to show that, hey, it doesn't matter that I don't have.
Speaker B:I can still do things.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Don't beat you.
Speaker C:I'm gonna be talking chat.
Speaker C:Once I beat you, you're like, man, you're lucky if they didn't have two arms, or I would have smoked you.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I will say I almost feel like, you know, because, you know, when I first got injured, I still wanted to try to be as good as I could be.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And so we did MCMap, and I did MCMap with.
Speaker A:With Captain Hater.
Speaker A:And he was.
Speaker A:He was.
Speaker A:He's a.
Speaker A:He's an amputee, you know, but he had.
Speaker A:From his leg.
Speaker A:But I swear he had, like, an extra appendage that I couldn't deal with because it was like getting me in the chest.
Speaker A:And I didn't have enough.
Speaker A:Enough appendages to fight his leg because it was just more functional without carrying the bottom of it.
Speaker A:But he was, like, getting in my rib cage, and I was.
Speaker A:I went two minutes with this guy, and it was quite a.
Speaker B:Quite a.
Speaker B:Quite a.
Speaker A:Quite a battle.
Speaker A:But I gotta say, you know, disabilities do not make you, you know.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Less than.
Speaker B:It doesn't make you less than.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Who.
Speaker C:Whose quote it is.
Speaker C:But it might.
Speaker C:It kind of stuck to me, and probably I learned it at that amputee camp.
Speaker C:It said, the only disability in life is a bad attitude.
Speaker B:And that's something my students all the time.
Speaker B:Jill, I say, I can teach you how to be a great chef.
Speaker B:I can teach you the restaurant in the west, but I can't teach you how to do.
Speaker B:You know, you either Got it or.
Speaker C:Exactly.
Speaker B:You gotta have.
Speaker C:No, absolutely.
Speaker B:And that's what drives us.
Speaker B:Maybe I.
Speaker B:You know, I'm.
Speaker B:I'm retired, and I still work with disadvantaged young adults, you know, because it's the thing to do.
Speaker B:I mean, it Brings me a lot of joy and I have better endurance at being old.
Speaker B:You know, I'm not sitting in a rocking chair wasting away.
Speaker B:You know, my wife said I, I can't, you know, I can hardly keep up to you in the airports anymore.
Speaker B:We just went on vacation.
Speaker B:She said, you're screaming through the airport.
Speaker B:It's like.
Speaker B:And I have, I have copd, so, you know, I gotta stop every once in a while.
Speaker B:I get around.
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's right, Chef.
Speaker A:Sounds good.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So you know what?
Speaker B:Bravo to you, man.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Thank you, Chef.
Speaker B:Well, it's, it's vets like you that we really like to talk to and work with because it makes us better.
Speaker C:Yeah, well, you guys got going on too.
Speaker C:That's super rad, you guys, his vet center, the studio, it's so rad.
Speaker C:I like that chief game to look tour the last time I made it out.
Speaker C:Yeah, I need to come back.
Speaker B:Yeah, you come back, let me know.
Speaker C:Yeah, no, for sure.
Speaker B:Barbecue and stuff.
Speaker C:Oh, man, I love me some barbecue.
Speaker B:I have a barbecue line now.
Speaker C:Oh, damn.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's one of the things I do, so.
Speaker C:And I love barbecue.
Speaker B:Okay, good.
Speaker A:Hey, great to have you, Gio, Thanks a lot for being on the show.
Speaker A:And, you know, hopefully I can bring you back because there's always going to be somebody that might have some questions and I want to hear some other stories of ours.
Speaker A:I know we always have these crazy adventures.
Speaker B:So next time you're racing or something, let us know.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:If you have any.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:If you have anything.
Speaker A:Coming up, a 10 minute segment I want to put you on, you know, advertise it, whatever.
Speaker C:For sure.
Speaker C:Heck yeah.
Speaker C:See, Chef.
Speaker C:Thank you, guys.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:Thanks, brother.
Speaker A:Until next time.
Speaker C:Thank you.
Speaker C:I haven't seen you in forever.
Speaker C:Love you, dude.
Speaker A:Hey, that was great, Chef.
Speaker A:You know, and I know, you know, Geo, Geo's involved in a lot of things he's involved in, you know, trying to get this, this college thing he's wanting to take on that his.
Speaker A:He's got an awesome girlfriend that's helping him guide through some of these things.
Speaker A:And he's just, he's just, he just makes it happen.
Speaker A:And you know, he does want to get out on the, you know, darts only.
Speaker A:Golf provides our veterans, you know, job opportunities, you know, they want to provide you with at least in the Southern California area.
Speaker A:If you're a veteran and you're part of this organization.
Speaker A:It's part of the organizations that we're part of right here.
Speaker A:Hit me up.
Speaker A:And if you want to get on that.
Speaker A:Let me know if you want to be on the show.
Speaker A:Let me know if you want to be a volunteer for one of the organizations that we're dealing with, let me know.
Speaker A:We'll go from there.
Speaker B:Yeah, we always need people here at the Veterans Transition Resource center.
Speaker B:And we don't do just veterans.
Speaker B:We do spouses and their families.
Speaker B:That's why we say, you know, we're, we're, you know, we try to help the whole family because, you know, working with veterans is okay, but there isn't a lot of services for the kids or input on, you know, what, what mom and dad have maybe been through.
Speaker B:And we've had a lot of women on our show, too, so that's definitely.
Speaker B:That's great.
Speaker B:And, you know, you do a lot of stuff with ptsd.
Speaker B:We were talking about that this morning.
Speaker B:And, you know, I'm, I'm working with young kids 18 to 22 is, is usually the, the age range that I'm working with.
Speaker B:And, and, you know, lately we've been getting some really good kids in that really want to make a difference and got a great attitude.
Speaker B:And, you know, it's so much easier than working with people that don't want to listen or you.
Speaker B:You don't even think that they're not listening, you know, that they have a bad attitude.
Speaker B:You know, nothing worse than that, trying to work with people with a bad attitude.
Speaker B:And you.
Speaker B:And, you know, it.
Speaker B:I mean, it's like it stops us from being positive with us with other people, you know, and, And.
Speaker B:And that's the real shame, you know, so it's a great program.
Speaker B:It's St. Jude's Ranch for, For.
Speaker B:For kids and for young adults and, and, you know, it's.
Speaker B:It's very rewarding.
Speaker B:I mean, we're going to be doing a lot of things coming up in the future with the veterans here in the btrc, But I'm always going to have a little place in my heart for that program, you know, and those kids, too.
Speaker B:I mean, those kids will grow up, and I hope to be part of their lives for a while.
Speaker B:You know, it's always good, especially when you get some good ones and you want to be part of their life, you know, you want to mentor them and you want to be.
Speaker B:See how they do.
Speaker B:You know, it's always good to see people growing up and, and becoming productive adults in society and, and, you know, being a part of who you are.
Speaker B:You know, we always want to leave a legacy, so.
Speaker B:So hopefully, you know, I can leave Some legacy behind when I go, you know.
Speaker A:Yeah, Chef, I mean, you can.
Speaker A:You could be retired, rocking in your rocking chair, enjoying life, but, you know, you're still turning and burning every day.
Speaker A:You know, you got stuff going on, man.
Speaker A:It's, it's, it's great to see that you're still involved.
Speaker A:I know you're trying to get others involved and, and you have that servant heart.
Speaker A:We talk about that a lot.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Super important.
Speaker B:And, you know, if you want something done, you give it to a busy person.
Speaker B:You know that.
Speaker A:You always remind me of this statement.
Speaker A:It's all.
Speaker A:It sounds almost ridiculous, but it's so true.
Speaker B:It is so true.
Speaker B:You know, you don't, you don't go to somebody in a rocking chair, sitting at home, retired.
Speaker B:You know, you put somebody like Chief or myself, you know, or between us, we, we feed off each other.
Speaker A:Believe me, we do.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:But it keeps us good.
Speaker B:I mean, it keeps us healthy.
Speaker B:I'm healthier than I probably been in 25 years.
Speaker A:And that's good.
Speaker A:You know, that's, that's really, you know, if, if you do it before you're unhealthy, that's even better.
Speaker A:You know, it's so much.
Speaker A:Obviously, our health is super important and everything in between, so it's always a challenge.
Speaker A:But, you know, when you're running into people, when you're running like the warrior groups that I do and the things of that we all tend to kind of talk to each other about these angles that we need to hit and these support elements and either medication use or, you know, stop medication use, and those things are super important.
Speaker A:So the better healthy you can be, and you can push yourself into the older age and you can still be getting healthier.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And like Chef's saying he's.
Speaker A:He's healthier than he's been.
Speaker A:You know, when he got out, when he got out of the military, they told him he was gonna die.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's really what they told him.
Speaker A:They're like, hey, man, it looks like you got some sort of thing.
Speaker A:You got cancer, you probably got two months left or something.
Speaker A:Something weird like that.
Speaker A:And then come to find out that wasn't the case.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:It was a rare parasite, virus disease.
Speaker B:And took some medication for 30 days, sulfur based medication, and it dropped, drove it out of my body.
Speaker B:And then all of a sudden it was like, well, what are we going to do with you?
Speaker B:You know, and then I always love to cook.
Speaker B:And so I went to OJT on the job training for chefs 52 years ago and I've just continued ever since.
Speaker B:But the important thing is, is that military based people, we've already been through boot camp.
Speaker B:We've already, you know, we know how to be some of the best we can be.
Speaker B:And when you say sit at home, I'm, I'm 74 years old, I consider.
Speaker B:But then all of a sudden you start eating sweets and cookies and junk and you don't eat right.
Speaker B:You're not, you know, I was doing maybe a thousand, fifteen hundred steps a day because of copd.
Speaker B:Now I'm doing five to ten thousand steps a day.
Speaker B:I mean, it's just, I've lost some weight.
Speaker B:I swim in the pool all the time and, and in the sun, I got a little sun tan.
Speaker B:You know, I, I feel and look healthy and, and that's what's important is veterans have to take care of themselves, you know, and it's important to do that.
Speaker B:Definitely more so now, you know, and Brian, he's lost 61 pounds in 40 days or something.
Speaker B:I don't know, 50 days.
Speaker B:It's unbelievable.
Speaker B:Our, our, our producer and our producer, the man behind the scenes.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, Good stuff.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Hey, chef, you, you got a couple things to pass.
Speaker A:What, what about the event that's going on in Reno coming up?
Speaker A:Just, just throw that back out there.
Speaker A:It was, you know, we had the flyer up last week.
Speaker B:Yeah, we had the flyer up last week.
Speaker B:It was, we're having a poker tournament.
Speaker B:It's a heroes gala poker tournament up in Nevada State Museum in Carson City at our capital.
Speaker B:And it's a really great event because you can bring your family, you can have play poker if you want to play poker, and your kids can go on a scavenger hunt.
Speaker B:There's three floors there in that museum.
Speaker B:And like I told you last week, there's an actual mint from the United States Mint downstairs.
Speaker B:All the presses are still there.
Speaker B:Everything's there.
Speaker B:And you know, a lot of silver and copper and things like that were mined here in Nevada.
Speaker B:So what better place to have a mint than in, in Carson City?
Speaker B:And now Reno is one of our U.S. treasury's biggest treasury holding spots in the United States.
Speaker B:So big treasury here.
Speaker B:So it's a great place, a lot to do, a great project.
Speaker B:And Denise Davies runs VTRC north, the Veterans Transit Transition Resource center up in Reno or Gardnerville, Carson City, Reno area North.
Speaker B:And she does a really great job.
Speaker B:They collaborate with a lot of 501c3 veterans groups and they'll be there talking about what they do.
Speaker B:So it's just going to be a really fun, great evening.
Speaker B:So that's September 12th.
Speaker B:It's a Saturday night, and I'm.
Speaker B:I'm going to be doing the food for.
Speaker B:I told her I'd come up and.
Speaker B:And do the food again this year.
Speaker B:I met all the people at the museum.
Speaker B:They're really great.
Speaker B:The directors up there, there, I mean, they just turn over the whole place.
Speaker B:They give us a donation.
Speaker B:They don't even.
Speaker B:They just turn the whole museum over to us.
Speaker B:Tables, linen, everything, so.
Speaker B:And we take pictures.
Speaker B:It's really good.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:And it's going to be a great night.
Speaker A:That's good stuff.
Speaker B:Thanks for reminding me to bring that up.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, it's.
Speaker A:I think we'll do it until we.
Speaker A:Until.
Speaker A:Until the event comes up, which is.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I, you know, there's always some incredible events and, you know, that.
Speaker A:That I get to partake in.
Speaker A:And Chef, too.
Speaker A:And Chef brings me to his sometimes because they're all.
Speaker A:You know, he's got a lot of good connections here in the Las Vegas area, but in the Southern California area, I have a lot of connections and I get to do a lot of really cool things.
Speaker A:And, you know, darts only golf, obviously, supporting our veterans with job opportunities and things like that.
Speaker A:But there's also other fundraising golf tournaments that are coming up.
Speaker A:And one of the ones that are coming up for the PTSD foundation of America, as well as the American Patriot Music Project.
Speaker A:They're the ones that we did the guitar build with.
Speaker A:You can definitely look into that.
Speaker A:They have an awesome program.
Speaker A:But we have a golf tournament at Morongo, November 15th.
Speaker A:If you want any information on that, hit me up.
Speaker A:And we'll put the.
Speaker A:We'll be putting the flyer up in next week's.
Speaker B:That's like a Monday or something, because I know I got Honor Flight coming up in November.
Speaker B:We'll be talking about that later on.
Speaker B:I'd like to go to one with you.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:We'll have to do that.
Speaker B:Road trip.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Or, you know, darts only golf will get them up here in the Vegas area to put a golf tournament on for.
Speaker A:Yeah, the vtrc.
Speaker A:But, hey, you know, that's.
Speaker A:That's pretty much all I got.
Speaker A:Jeff, I just want to say thank you to the.
Speaker A:To the Warrior Built foundation, the PTSD foundation of America, Recon Chief Incorporated, the Veterans Transition Resource center, and my podcast, Combat bed vision, and citradio.com Brian Colburn.
Speaker A:But we're gonna.
Speaker A:We're gonna pull him in here in a second.
Speaker A:Chef, you got anything else to add.
Speaker B:That's it.
Speaker D:All right.
Speaker A:We're gonna have an evaluation.
Speaker D:And this is.
Speaker A:This is just getting the evaluation of the podcast to see how it went.
Speaker D:And.
Speaker A:And Brian guy.
Speaker A:Yeah, and Brian.
Speaker A:Brian Colburn.
Speaker A:He is the guy to do it, and he's gonna show you how to, you know, he's.
Speaker A:Not only is it benefiting me as a podcaster, it's gonna, you know, and I'm not a podcaster, but I play one in real life every once in a while.
Speaker A:But it benefits you.
Speaker A:I'm not really allowed to say that anymore.
Speaker A:Brian told me that.
Speaker A:That's why he's shaking his head.
Speaker A:But for you podcasters out there want to be podcast, this is how, you know, listening to these evaluations will help you out.
Speaker B:Out.
Speaker A:And me and.
Speaker A:And Brian.
Speaker A:How you doing, brother?
Speaker A:What you got?
Speaker D:I'm just messing with you.
Speaker D:He always messes with.
Speaker A:He's like, oh, shoot, I forgot to put the right button.
Speaker A:And it makes me feel like, oh, what's wrong with my calm?
Speaker A:All right, good stuff.
Speaker B:Go ahead, brother.
Speaker D:You're muted.
Speaker D:Hey, dude.
Speaker D:Love Geoman.
Speaker D:I've known him for quite a few years now, and just his heart and.
Speaker D:And just his motivation to live is.
Speaker D:Is phenomenal.
Speaker D:It's infectious is what it is.
Speaker B:Yes, it is.
Speaker D:Great.
Speaker D:Great.
Speaker B:Not like that.
Speaker D:Yeah, no, people aren't, man.
Speaker D:You just.
Speaker D:You're happy to be around him.
Speaker D:You're happy when you see him just because he's so happy to be who he is and where he is.
Speaker D:So that.
Speaker D:That's awesome.
Speaker D:The biggest issue with today's show was the fact that he didn't have a headset in, you know, so he got some noise.
Speaker D:Wasn't all too terrible, but it is distracting.
Speaker D:Other than that, you.
Speaker D:You carried the story.
Speaker D:You asked him questions.
Speaker D:You.
Speaker D:You guided the story that you wanted told, which was phenomenal.
Speaker D:We've been talking about that for quite some time, and, man, I wish you would have had that picture.
Speaker D:The.
Speaker D:The u. S. Coast guard boat.
Speaker D:We could have thrown it up on screen for everyone to see.
Speaker D:So when you get it cheap, you're gonna have to make sure you.
Speaker D:You do a post.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker D:Show the boat and say, hey, if you want to hear geo talk about his experience on this boat, come hit this episode up.
Speaker D:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker D:So that's awesome.
Speaker D:And then, chef, on your side, we talked about doing some b roll of the food items and events and stuff like that so we can flash on screen when you're talking about all the awesome stuff you do.
Speaker B:I'll be taking pictures this week.
Speaker D:Sweet.
Speaker D:Sweet.
Speaker D:That'll make the video portion a little more dynamic and then auditorial.
Speaker D:We just have to remember to.
Speaker D:To describe what we're showing visually for the people that are only listening.
Speaker D:So that's going to add another layer of.
Speaker D:Of concentration to the show, if you will.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Complexity.
Speaker D:But, dude, I'm super proud of the fact that you guys guided the story today.
Speaker D:I'm stoked we need to continue to do that.
Speaker D:And that's it, man.
Speaker D:Great show, boys.
Speaker B:Hey, I could tell.
Speaker A:Thanks, Brian.
Speaker B:That geo's positively worked out on this show.
Speaker A:Good stuff.
Speaker A:Thanks, Brian.
Speaker B:Great critique.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Hey, Chef.
Speaker A:That's all I got.
Speaker B:That's all I got.
Speaker B:You know, listen, have a great day out there.
Speaker B:An awesome day.
Speaker B:And remember, bon appetit.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Until next time.
Speaker A:Hey, I hope you guys get a chance, like, share doing all that stuff.
Speaker A:Never really had the opportunity to say that, but, you know, gets the word out, and then veterans can utilize this for different purposes.
Speaker A:And you yourself, I hope you enjoy the show.
Speaker A:And if there's some things that you want to talk about, let me know.
Speaker A:If you want to be on my show, let me know.
Speaker A:I think I have this thing locked on for the next three weeks, but after that, I'll be.
Speaker A:I still have a lot of people to go through, so.
Speaker A:But I'd love to get you on.
Speaker A:Until next time.
Speaker A:Strength and honor the only way and we need nothing more the only way Together forever.
Speaker A:That's for sure.
