PROWESS AND PERSEVERANCE Part 1:

the best things that's ever happened to me. I have to be honest with that because I've done so much. I've done so much in my life that I would have never thought was possible, and finding myself through these challenges because of my injury, just to me, has made me a better person. Yeah. I also discovered the power of scaling peaks and a grueling climb of Antarctica's highest mountain, Mount Vincent, sixteen thousand icy feet. I kept telling myself, I was like, what do you what do we do?

And I'm like, well, we don't quit, so we're getting to the summit. And the only thing I can do is try to find motivation. And I always go back to this because it makes me laugh. But I always thought of my Marines because I had the Marine Corps flag in my backpack, and that's what that was. Another

motivation of mine was getting that to the summit. But I always thought about my Marines, how they would laugh because I don't like cold, and being an African American, like on the coldest mountain on the in the coldest place on Earth. It was just like, oh, there's so

many jokes, so many jokes. I just kind of laughed in my own head and just kind of took those name names and the people that I remember who did pass away and even to you know the names of my friends that they're still alive, um, and kind of just envisioned them like walking next to me or hiking with me and we're just kind of like laughing, um. And it it gave me that feeling of being back during those hard times where like I would even question

in the Marine Corps like can I do this? And I find my way to push through, And that was my motivation was doing it for them, doing it for me. But then also the other piece of that puzzle that clicked as I was walking up there was like, I'm doing this for other veterans who are wounded as well, who are in the hospital, who didn't think that you know who, who don't know what's beyond or what's the

episcope their limit. The transformation of Kyante is remarkable. He never knew his biological parents, grew up in the foster care system in California, was eventually raised by an older second cousin whom he considered his mother. It was a shy kid, bullied in school at a nineteen and he was searching for identity. He joined the Marines. He wanted to test himself in a war in Afghanistan, where he faced a moment that could have meant the end. It

turned out to be just the beginning. I do want to go back to the day that did not define you, but certainly helped shape who you are, and that September seven, We're in Afghanistan, third Battalion, seventh Marine. You're the team leader. It's a patrol fighting the Taliban, and the task is pretty normal for you, guys, it's too clear a building.

As the team leader, it's taking longer than you thought it would you go inside to investigate, and a moment happens that it does reshape at least your your near future. Take us through that and then the aftermath of that, of that explosion, my team is pretty much in the building.

I'm providing out of security at the time, and as I wait for my team to kind of get worse so we can figure out what we're doing next, I'm realizing, oh, you know, we're in there for quite some time, and to me, it was just like, well, we're not doing anything. We need to be doing something wise it taking so long.

So I repositioned my junior marine and I walked inside like three steps, and like twelve other people are already in this building, which is like a hallway, so it's pretty narrow, and we work concerned about I E. D S. But I'll be honest, at that time, my brain was just like, you know, everyone walked in there. It should be fine. It shouldn't be that. I didn't have to worry.

But I just happened to step on you know, maybe the ground was I don't know, but I just happened to take that right step and trigger that I d that everyone walked over and it's sound of my right leg below the knee. But in that instance, um, it felt like I was hit by truck. Um. And you know, I remember just being knocked down and dirt filling my ear, which is what kept me conscious. And that was what actually what pissed me off at the time, was just

having that dirt fall in my ear. I was just like, oh my god, that's so annoying. But I'm laying on the ground. I'm like, what just happened? Trying to figure out what direction I'm oriented and I couldn't really tell. I just knew that I'm on the ground on my right side or so UM, and I'm trying to kick push myself against the wall um because I know that I'm in a hallway, so I know at least two directions have at least one wall. UM, And I'm trying

to push myself against this wall. But my legs aren't responding or they're not doing what I'm requesting on them. So I'm initially assuming I'm a bye ladder im BT And so that mom that fun comes into your moment right there, there's the clarity you're kind of doing a self diagnosis, and from almost the detached positions like he pactrically. It sounds like it is because the way that my I initially remember and how I feel like I was trained to do was let me figure out what's going on.

So because I know we have a good corman, we have a previous corman who's also down a marine with us, So I knew once they got to me, if I can give them, you know, my situation or sit rep ab like what's going on with me, they can already start the triage process and do what they need to do while me remaining conscious and talking to them and explaining like, hey, this is what I'm feeling this. You know,

they can do what they need to do. Um and it's going to be an efficient process, a smooth process. And I wasn't really concerned at all. I was just like, they just need to get to me, and they're hopefully no more I DS in the way. That's an amazing thing that the brain is a powerful tool, and at that moment, you're training kicks in the instincts you've been trained to have kick in so that you're concerned for others, but you're also able to kind of step back and

figure out what's going on with you. If I remain calm, my team remained calm and will be here in no time. Your thoughts were for them, your thoughts were, and I need to act a certain way so that they'll be able to feed off of my calm, which is remarkable for those of us that have not had that kind of trauma to to have that presence of mind. Yeah, I mean, I mean sometimes even see it in movies or you see it in a situation where someone is

freaking out and everyone starts to freak out. Um, but then you always have that one person that's trying to remain calm or keep everyone calm. That's how I always envisioned it, is like, if I start to freak out, then everyone else is going to freak out around me because they don't understand why I'm freaking out. Um, but I think, I mean, that's just in my own mind, But that's how I looked at it. Was. If I say calm, they'll stay calm. Easy, you know, easy day.

The aftermath of this is powerful. So you you realize that it's it's your right leg below your knee, it's not both your legs, and now you're in the hospital and recovering. And in those hours and days just after the incident, when you're sort of in a kind of shock, what what is top of mind? What what are you feeling at that point. Yeah, So I initially wake up in the hospital and cambastion, and then I was flown to Germany and then I winded up in um uh

but that's the hospital. H And at the time, my my brain wasn't really concerned that I was missing a leg. Um. I actually didn't really care that I was missing a leg. I actually really only cared about my guys that were still there. And I I feel like, oh, why wouldn't you care about your leg. It's like it didn't mean at the time, it didn't mean. It didn't matter as

much as my guys did. And so, you know, I laid in the hospital and then I realized, while you know, I'm missing a leg, even if I could be in the fight with them, you know, I I couldn't. I just couldn't be there with them anymore if I wanted to. And that's when I started to realize, Okay, you know it stigned for recovery. Let's what do we gotta do next? And that's when I started going through a little bit

of physical therapy. I think I had a you know, a few more surgeries before I actually left Desta and then flown to San Diego Naval Medical Center where I did my physical therapy. For those of us that haven't served, explain what it is about the power of the bond with those brothers that made you more concerned about them what they were going through your own condition, because people

listening to this will have a difficult time understanding that. Perhaps, Yeah, so that bond is just you go through so many annoying circumstances and situations, um from training to you know, being up until you know, forty eight hours with each other, from hiking you know, any miles with heavy packs and rocks. You you develop a bond of brotherhood with each other

because you're all suffering together. And when you're you know, overseas, it's even closer because now there's no more distractions, there's no more family, there's no more girlfriends, there's no more wives. It's just you and the people you've trained with for hours and months and weeks and years, and so that brotherhood becomes even closer. I mean, it's just like a family like you have people in the family are just like, oh my god, this person is so annoying. I cannot

stand talking to them. But you still love them. You'll still do whatever you need for them if they act. And that's what it's like, um, when you develop such a bottom with them, is that when you're overseas, that's really who you care about is the people to your leptons. You're right, you know, that's family. And then after that, it's just all about getting everyone back home. You know, you don't even work, you care about the mission, but

those are your those are your mission. That's your main mission, is the do what you can to make sure they're safe. They keep you safe when we get back him safe. So as team leader, you're very concerned about your your brothers and now you're a half a world away. M hm. Did they come through it? Okay? Did you get any other news that that that anyone else had been affected in that? And that's a period of time. Um, yeah, Actually, uh, when I was injured, there was no one else that

was injured around me at that time. So but as I was still actually at but as the hospital, we had what was it, three of my marines that I was with actually come in. One was I think one was hit by an I D. So he was peppered all over the side of his body. Um. One guy was shot in the neck and it missed the artery or maybe it was some Yeah, I think he was. Yeah, he was shot in the neck and he wasn't he came,

I believe so. And then I had another friend who I was with as well, and he stepped on an I D that half discharged so and I think it uh broke his calcaneers are his heel bone. Um. And so he ended up getting that his leg amputea uh

leg amputated as well. Um. And so I was actually with him, but he was injured in different you know, weeks after I was you know, when I sat started seeing them come in into the hospital, I was just like, well, you know, I talked to him, they're doing okay, um, and you know, it was just it was good to see them, you know, it was good to see them alive and well and okay. So that was that to me made me happy. UM. And I didn't worry too much about what if I could or couldn't do anything.

It was simply well, it's nothing for me to do at this point except recovery. So now you're back in California, you're beginning to recovery, beginning the journey that's gonna take you to the top of mountains. But there's so many steps along the way. Where was your head? What were the days like? As it becomes a progression of appointments and patiently, methodically, slowly getting better, Um, it was, I

can admit to myself now, it was rough. Um, you know, being in a wheelchair, not being able to get up and walk, Um, go to my appointments was a task in itself, and then sleeping was a whole another issue. But even as time progressed and I did get my prosthetic, I was able to walk to my appointments. I was always in pain. Um, you know, your your limb is just you know, adapting to the external device that you're

using now. And but what really guides me was like my mentality in my headspace, Like I was just in a really dark place. I always described when I was recovering. I always wore a mask, like most people would know me being very I wouldn't say a beat but happy. You know, for the most part, you wouldn't see me sad, or depressed or kind of uh that I don't think I looked bothered some but when I'm back in my room, I was depressed. I questioned life, I questioned God, I

question my own existence. Um, what do I do next? Where do I go from here? Because I wasn't planning to be injured? And I feel like I was in a whole new world that I needed to sort out from my own existence and where do I go? And why am I? You know, and and all these questions, um, which flood my mind throughout the night, And you know, it just I started to abuse my own pain medication and it just got to a very point. And it got to a point where I was just like, this

isn't me. This isn't the road that I want to go down on. Um. I can easily go down that road, but that's not that's not me, that's not who I am. To get to that point, to you, when you to get to the point where you decide it's it's not you that you had that conversation in the mirror. What what did you see in the mirror that led you to deliver that harse message to yourself and try to change the course. Right then, oh, I saw a weakness.

I just saw all. I saw a weaker version of who I was, But it wasn't who I know I could be. UM. I would even probably just described wounded as well, like a wounded animal who was just trying to survive. But if I allowed myself to continue licking my wounds, I wouldn't get anywhere, you know, sitting in my room warring, questioning, I was just like, I need to be I need to start acting and not thinking

or worrying. I need to do something. And after I you know, quit my payments called Turkey, I actually I went and sought out how to travel UM and I found the Parallelmpic Sports and that's what got me into track UM and I was able to do that with them probably about a month that I was. I was happy that I made that decision because I don't know what we're actually where I would be if I didn't

actually make that decision UM. But being there at that Parallempic event months later was just like I was like, this is this is where I need to be, this is what I wanted to do, and I just kept kind of going after it. After that, the decision to first of all recognized the weakness, name it, confront it, and then go off for medications cold turkey. You say that like it's just a decision that you make and it's easily accomplished. Man, that had to be incredibly difficult.

These are these are powerful medications that are dealing with pain and also perhaps psychological issues that you just said enough for that, I'm not going to take them? Yeah, I mean, how what would that? What was that like? Um? I mean I didn't even know the definition of addiction, so I probably I probably went through those moments of whatever someone who is addicted to something goes through. Um, I could be wrong. I really can't recall that that phase.

I just knew. I just know that it was inhibiting my way of thinking. And that's why I used them. That's why I kept taking them because I didn't want to think. I didn't want to feel, and that's what those did, a numbine further than what I was already numb too. And once I quit, it was able. I was able to confront my own demons, confront my arms, my own situation, and look at life. It's like I'm in charge of my own life. I need to make

these decisions and truly view them as they are. You know, it's not gonna just up and disappear and go away. And I'm not going to be in a situation anymore if I you know, I'm I'm choosing to be here, and so I need to make a different choice, to go a different direction. So you find yourself a Paralympic camp. We talked before. You were not exactly a a track star before serving in the rings. You were not exactly a well run an athlete, were not captain of three

different teams in high school? How how did you connect with this group of Paralympic athletes and sports in general as terms? This is going to be a really crucial part of my journey backs where I want to be. What was that like lightbulb moment when you realize this is something for me, This could be something even though I'm not returning to the past. This is a whole new page for me. Yeah. Um, it's funny because yeah, I didn't. I didn't grow up as an athlete by

any means. I didn't play any high school sports. I played basketball with friends, played football with friends. But this is all out of part. You know, I wasn't really part of a team until the Marine Corps, but getting into the Paralympic sports, it reminded me of that camaraderie that I had with my Marines, of your your training and you're working to accomplish the same goal, but individually,

you know, and so that competition, that edge. I still wanted to compete against other people, and I found myself by chance and track. And so when I do this, when I did this Paralympic event, I was running if I did my first this is my first hundred uh sprint I've ever done, and I'm running on in normal you know, my normal walking, like I didn't have a

sprinting leg yet. And I do the event and I think I get like a fifteen something whatever hundred meters and I'm just like or maybe sixteen something hundred meters and I was just like, oh god, that's so slow. That's so sad. You know. I'm I'm hard on myself. And then you know, you get a medal and they're just like, oh, good job, you made number one or whatever, and I'm like, as you know, I'm just gonna throw this in the trash anyways, Like I don't want this medal.

Um I don't feel like I really was fast enough. But I was recognized by one of the Paralympic head coaches at that event and they're like do you And she approached me and she said do you have a sprinting leg? And I was like no, not. Yeah. She's like, you should get one and you should look into it. You have a lot of potential. And I was just like what, you know, I'm kind of dumbfounded. And she's like, yeah, you know, her name was Kathy uh. Her last name

is Cathy Sellers. But I couldn't grow but I remember her name of being Cafe and you know, but for someone to approach me and say, you have potential to be good in this sport kind of baped me because I didn't feel like I was good in that sport at all, Like that wasn't something I was even I really wanted to be a snowboarder, believe it or not. But you know, to have someone when you're going, when you're just really getting into something, say you have potential

to be great at this. It really I really took it and ran with it, literally, and you know, I talked to my physical therapist, I talked to my process processes. I happened to find it, have a coach like right next to me at the hospital, and pursued track UM for four years, five years trying to make the Paralympics, and every year I made it to Nashals. But I never made it to the Paralympics UM, which was very, very,

very sad because I really worked hard. But at the same time I realized, and this is little bit in hindsight, is that I also wanted to do other different things. I was happy to be able to be as active as I was, so I didn't just run track. I did marathons, climbing, all other things. So it wasn't it was it was it was an outlet. It was a way to have a more complete life. This was not an obsession. You were not concerned about the results. You're

not concerned about the medals at the top of the podium. Yeah, not compared to other athletes that I was next to. What which That's where their mind was. Their mind was

metal podium. I was just happy to be there. I was happy to train and you know, compete against and with the greatest you know, Paralympic athletes, uh up to date, you know, so to So to me, I accomplished a lot, and I was just like, oh, you know, like you know, all of them would talk about oh, you know, you know or you know, twenty twelve Paralympics, and I was just like, oh, okay, that's cool, there's there. They were super excited about it. But I had never and again

this is in hindst. I I never really was just like, oh my god, I'm gonna met I'm gonna podium. It was just like, no, I'm just happy training. I'm I'm happy seeing myself progress, you know, because I would have never pictured myself as a runner or sprinter or any of the things I've been done up to this point. By it means because I've never done any of them. So it's it. It. It really made me ambitious to see what else I can do, so I couldn't just

sit on one thing as some other athletes could. I know you've run marathon's your method of training was slightly unconventional, and that you would you would launch into a marathon. No one who's gonna be a test or will no one you're gonna have to gut it out, no one who's gonna suck along the way. At certain points, but also knowing you'd never run twenties six miles before in training. Man, some people will say, what are you doing out there?

Are the competitive marathon bect you'd never run actually close to that? Ahad you. So I was there with friends. We've flown out there with I believe it his teams to provide actually, and we're there to run just tin k. And then I get there and I've done this before. I've ran that one before. And I'm talking to a friend and I'm asking him, man, I really want to do the Marine Corps marathon, Like that's the only one I want to do, you know, Like, and I'm here,

like why not I just do it? And he's like, well you should do it. And I was like, no, no, I'm not. I'm not trained for that. I'm not prepared for any of that. He walks away from the conversation. I'm thinking the conversation the dumb idea. He comes back to me and he's like, I got you signed up for the marathon. And I was just like, what what do you mean? You came be signed up for the He's like, I got you signed up for the marathon.

He's like, I I talked to them. They put your name, like, so, I guess you can go up, but you can't go down. So you can go from ten to marathon, but you can't go from the marathon to the tent h And so I didn't question it because I think I truly wanted to run this marathon. But at the same time, I was not trained for even a ten k let alone a marathon. But it was a challenge that I was just like, I want to know what's gonna happen.

I want to what's that conversation in your head when you reach mile ten and mile thirteen and mile tesd. I mean, even experience marathoners who know what the jury is like still suffer at those moments. This is all new for you. What are you telling yourself to get to the tape? Well, you know, when I first start out, you know, I'm like, oh, this isn't so bad. You know, three miles in, you know, five miles and I was like, this isn't so bad. I was. I was just like,

I'm gonna do really well. And then mile ten of this marathon it catches up to me because I don't know how to properly. I don't know anything about nutrition and running distance. And so even though I'm drinking cups along the way, it's not enough. My body starts to lock up, it starts to uh, practically cease um. And so I was super dehydrated, and this is at my old ten. I was just like, I don't think I'm gonna make it, Like that was my first thought. I

was like, I don't. I don't think I can. I can I can't even get up and walk without cramping. So I was like, I don't, I don't think I'm gonna make this. And then I think about the time much time I have, and I'm like, I can walk this. I can walk, I can do this. But even walking was it was a difficult task because everything kept cramping, and so I started to doubt myself and I started

to lose faith that I will actually compete complete this marathon. Um. And I kept telling myself was just like, you know what, then I would just have to die. I will have to keep going until I no longer have the ability to say I can't anymore. And that's usually while I'm not dying a little extreme, but probably you know, passing out no longer coherent. Something bad has really really happened. And I have everyone running past me, they're giving me

their goose and what happened. And I'm just like, I'm gonna get up and I'm gonna walk this off. I'm gonna get through this, and I do it every mile, you know, I get to mile leven, I get to mile twelve, and I'm just thinking about, like the maraines that I served with, because this is the biggest thing to me. The Marine Corps marathon was like, there is no I can't in this, in this, in this race for me, um, which really wasn't a race, more of a challenge. UM. But there is no I can't. There

is get up, do it until you can't. And that's how I remember that training, you know, as we would always train be you know you there is no I can't. There is I will. I'll do until you can't, until you physically no longer have that option of you're just not president, you're not coherent anymore. UM. And I made. I made my first marathon. I ran until I couldn't, and then I walked, and then after a while I

can kind of walk and trot. But I completed my first marathon with really no training but it was to me the marathon was all mental, but it it It opened a lot of doors mentally that made me realize I can I can really push myself. The body can take a lot, but it's the mind. If the mind breaks, if the mind gives up, if the mind stops, you know, in the body follows. And so I always had to kind of keep my head in the right space um that entire thing, because my body was just in a

lot of pain. But during it was just like, okay, I can do this. So you get through it and you are strong grabbing me through it. You've learned some things about yourself. Besides running marathons. Another thing you hadn't done before is climb mountains. So for those listening who are not geeks about mountains, is both of us are Vincent Massive is an Antarctica, so the coldest placed on Earth.

It's sixteen thousand feet. It's rarely climbed because it's so hard to get to and so damn cold, and not many people even ponder the idea of doing So you find yourself on Mount Vincent, someone who does m like the cold period. Now you're an Antarctica and it's basically

it's like a pyramid of ice. Basically, it's basically solid ice and you are going through this process again Kiante that she also went through in a marathon, right, I mean described the mental challenges you have to overcome, because this is demons saying what are you doing here? You're not gonna make this. You're out of your mind, right, so you're you're fighting that battle all over again near

the South Pole. Yeah, and that this is I would say this mountain is the highlight to my entire athletic career um because doing this climb. I was climbing with the Hero's Project and I saw one of the the athletes and they did kill him in Jaro and Mark example that's the name. I mean, he was in the hospital with me. He's a bilateral ak actually, and I saw him climbed Malcolm and John. I'm like, oh man, that's so cool to see an amphathy do such a thing

like that. Like I would have never thought that was possible for an ampt and so it happened. I'm walking past Mark one time and he's like, yo, bro, like you're always trading, Like are you interested in climbing mountains? And I was like after seeing him climbing, I was just like, yeah, I'm interested in climbing mountains, but I want to I want to experience that. But I know nothing about mountains. I have no background. I have no

history with climbing mountains whatsoever. I have history of Marine Corps hiking and that's just carry heavy pack and told what direction to go. I have no experience. But it was a new challenge and I really wanted to experience that. And so you know, he connects me with um tim Medved's of the Heroes project and we start talking like, well, the next one I have set up is Antarctica, and

you know, are you are you ready for that? He's like, you know, like, this is not this is this is something that's going to test you um to your fullest. This is not something that's just you know, a walk in the park. This is not like climbing Cow's Mount here in San Diego or your local you know hike. This is this is this is the life or death in some situations. And I'm like, oh, yeah, yeah, totally. Just saying yes to to do it just that's all

I That's really how I was. I said yes, just to do it, but realizing I don't really know where an Artica was. Had to google that because you know, I don't know why geography alluded me for so long, but yeah, I have to look at I was like, oh, that's where that is. It's one of the continents, um. But it was. But at the same time, I we started training, and that's kind of where I found myself at peace with Bink spirits of climbing mountaineering, Like we we had to truly trained for this, and I knew.

I honestly I went in thinking like, oh, this is a walk in the park. This can't be that hard. It's just one ft in front of the other. But the amount of train that we did, like we went to, um, what's the mountain and uh, Washington, Um, Mount Rainier. That's that's Washington, right. Yeah, So so we had to do crevash trading um and Mount Rainier UM and ice as

cramp ons. You got to do all that. I'm like, what didn't I really just sign myself up to do right now, Like, as we're going through this and we even do you know, hiking through the Sierra's you know where we can call the snowstorm one time, and I'm like what what did that? What am I signing up to do right now? I really, I really didn't think

too heavily about this decision. Better to ask those questions there then for the first time on Mount Vincent, I'm like, yeah, I mean, that is an extreme situation where you know, when you're climbing on ice, you're using ice tools, you're rope together, I assume, and and all all the things that the exhibition climbing on on that ice surface leads to. So it's a damn good thing. You had some training and Mount or and here in other places before you

set up down there. But when you get to Vincent, and in any clime, there's a crux, there's a part where the challenge is great, present and direct, and you have to overcome the mental obstacles at that point. So when you're there, what, what's that like? At what point the marathon you mentioned said ten miles, that's less than halfway there and you still get it out the last sixteen miles on Vincent? Where was the part where the voices come into your head that you don't want to hear.

They trying to trying to push out the I can't voices, um and I was just about to get in that too. Um. And that came around when we're on mountain bits and that came around right before the summit, right before the summer, as we're growing up. UM. I believe it's called the ice wall. Um. It's a pretty steep incline, like you couldn't walk up and you actually actually have to use

you know, your ice acts crampons. Uh. All that training kicked into which was good because it was I I enjoy that for some reason, being on ice is a lot of fun than just walking. Um. But it was a loud far. It was a often but I got really tired and I started to doubt my abilities because it became harder and harder, like as we're getting to the base of the summit, um, or right before the last push for the summer. So we had to rest camp and then wake up early that morning and pushed

for the summit. But that was where it kind of kicked in for me where I was just like, you know, is can I do this? And it was kind of a moment for me where I looked at it. I was just just like, hey, I made it this far. I'm proud of myself, Like I'm I'm I'm really proud of myself making this far. I never thought i'd make it this far in a mountain. This is kind of cool. Um Like, if I couldn't go any further, I'm still happy that I did this. But I don't ever half

assid anything. And so it was just like, no, I can't set up for that. We're it into the summit and it got to a point where there was a section of it where I was just like, I I really don't know, like kind of like that marathon field too, where I was like, I don't know if I can do this, Like I truly don't know, because if I get to a certain point, we have to get back down. You know, there's no vehicle coming to get me. There's no helicopter that's going to airlift me down. There's that's

just not an option here at all. So I kept telling myself, I was like, what do you what do we do? And I'm like, well, we don't quit. So we're getting to the summit and the only thing I can do is try to find motivation. And I always go back to this because it makes me laugh. But I always thought of my marines, because I had the marine Corps flag in my backpack, and that's what that was another motivation of mine was getting that to the summit.

But I always thought of my my marines, how they would laugh at because I don't like the cold, and being an African American, like on the coldest mountain on the in the coldest place on Earth. It was just like, oh,

there's so many jokes, so many jokes. I just kind of laughed at my own head at and just kind of took those names and the people that I remember who did pass away and even to you know, the names of my friends that they're still alive, um, and kind of just envisioned them like walking next to me or hiking with me and we're just kind of like laughing, um. And it it gave me that feeling of being back during those hard times where like I would even question in the Marine Corps like can I do this? And

I find my way to push through? And that was my motivation was doing it for them, doing it for me. But then also the other piece of that puzzle that clicked as I was walking up there was like, I'm doing this for other veterans who are wounded as well, who are in the hospital who didn't think that, you know who who don't know what's beyond or what's etiscope with their limit. Like when I saw Marks one, I didn't think that was an option for me, you know. So to me that was motivation. I want to be

that motivation for other Marines, other people. And so I was just like, no, this is this I want to this is going to be something bigger than me, UM, but this is it's still a challenge for me. UM. And so as I'm going up to the summit, UM, I. You know, it's funny because actually Tim, he kind of hit it for me for a while. He didn't want to tell me what the summer was, even though it's like you're running out of space ward to go U. But we get to the summit and I just break.

I am truly in all and just just it was a surreal experience that I actually did it UM with all the doubt that kind of came in my mind and all the questions that I had. I was actually on top of Mount Vincent and the icing on the cake. And this is kind of another great story, is that I got to actually call my mom on that mountain. The biggest, the biggest accomplishment I feel I've ever done was being on that mountain, and I got to call

the biggest inspiration, my biggest motivation. Um, you know, as soon as I got so. To me it was like the highlight of all my athletic feats. So that to me was a great feeling. That's a great summit story. To have the presence to let it all go, the emotion, to be able to represent your marine brothers with a flag, to be able to call your mom. I mean, that's that. That's a great summit experience. That doesn't always happen to the top of mountains. If you're authentic kind of let

in whatever whatever comes. And the fact that you were able to experience that, that's tremendous vincent. By the way, I don't know, this was discovered by the U. S Military, whose Navy Navy aviators that flew over at first first realized there was this big mountain, So there's a kind of a closing loop there being able to take the marine flag up there. Yeah, that's that's pretty cool. I didn't know that actually. So so you're on the top of this mountain and the voices of the guys you

had served with I know helped you get there. You said humor was even a part of it. So you were thinking about what they would say to you, you know, and you're in this place, what they would say to you. Knowing you were thinking about maybe I'm not gonna make it. It's it's funny what we draw upon. I can't relate to tow uh most of what you've gone through, but it's amazing what pops into your head, and are times of dress that somehow helps you push the right button.

M And that's why for me, it's always been like it's always been a mental battle. Like even like comparing the marathon to Mount Vincent, to other athletic feats that I've done or commitions that I've even done for myself, is that it's always been mental like as soon as you get to that point of that that breaking point, you don't know what happens after that, because after that it's uncomfortable. It's all new. And I can say that I enjoyed this. I ran another marathon, by the way,

because I was curious about that idea too. Um is like what happens, like what is once you get past the threshold and you're just uncomfortable, you don't know what you're gonna do. And I found that interesting because we're always in a comfortable and environment, you know, when we're

hiking it for training for something, we're comfortable. We push ourselves to be slightly uncomfortable, but never to a point that we can't just dial it back down and we're comfortable again and we can kind of just you know, get back to where we need to go. But on that mountain or even in that in the marathon, I pushed myself to be so uncomfortable that I didn't know what was gonna like what was gonna happen for me

physically and physiology as well as mentally. And and it was kind of interesting that I always drew the strength from my past appearance being with strong men and women and marines and the people I trained with and all the train that I've done. That was something I always drew upon, and I always found that interesting, like that's when I get to that point, that's where I go,

That's that's where I find more strength. And everything that I've done now past that I don't know, because there has been one point where I got to els is like I got nothing. I just got to grind this out. And that's more so looking at the situation of well, I still got to get back down or I get to wherever I'm going, But this is going to truly suck.

I've never heard you and your your description of climbs, whether it's Vincent or Killia or the marathon, I've actually never heard you make mention of pain, discomfort even inconvenience of running on a prosthetic leg. And is it such a part of you now that it's doesn't even factor into the equation, because that's obviously the question we we're gonna have. This is hard enough to climb um without a prosthetic leg. How the hell did you do it? And how is that not a factor or not a hindrance?

I think because and why it's not. It is a hindrance. It is. It's a big hindrance because every time I've done any of these, you know, running, climbing, what what have you I've done, I've always had to take a moment adjust my prosthetic, make sure I'm not getting a blister, because if I get a blister, then I'm I'm done for uh. And so, but I don't mention them because I don't know where. I guess I don't mention them

because it simply doesn't apply to everyone else. I I tell that experience of that the mental testics you need to have to push through situations. Not everyone has a prosthetic, so I going through myself. You know, it is a very big hindrance, is it. You could really be the reason why you don't accomplish something based on a small, little, you know, blister that prevents you from using your prosthetic.

You no longer can walk, you no longer can move forward. Um. But I always share the story of more so trying to make it encompassing to everyone. And I think that's that might be able to answer that question of why I don't care you know, mention it as much about my prosthetic. But I'm in a lot of pain and all the things that I do UM a lot a lot of pain a lot of the time. But you know, I think it's just in my situation. That's that's just the nature of the beast for me, is that I

pushed through a lot of pain. But if you had all your limbs, it's one less thing that you might have not have to worry about. Obviously, these are difficult things. I mean, every day could be difficult, and I know you still struggles as so many do. But if someone says you can't you you can't do this, I don't think you're up to this playing a dangerous game there to tell me that I can't do something as a

very dangerous game. Um, which has happened, actually not not in a cool or uh Like me and my friends were just joke around, but they were just like, oh, you can't do something, and it was like I went full ahead, trying to make sure I can prove them wrong. And that's where my mentality wise is if you tell me that I can't do something and I actually do want to accomplish it, I will find a way to

accomplish it just to prove you wrong. But that's also again where it's just like, yeah, if I told myself I can't do something, that's a totally different situation, you know. Um. But I never say I can't do something, you know. I look at myself as like, oh, I'm struggling. I might have a moment where I'm like, oh man, I don't think I can do this. Maybe I can't do this, but I'll never stop moving forward to accomplish it. Um, and those because those happened in every one of my

adventures of I can running, Oh man, I can't. I might not be able to do this, but I still kept moving forward. I never stopped. And that's the difference. It's like if you if you tell yourself you can't and you stop, then you now have a decision to make of do I want to try and push myself forward or do I just turn around, take these way and go back. And most people will take the path at least resistance. And I want to know what's beyond those barriers. I want I truly myself personally. I liked

those challenges. I think it showed and told me a lot more about myself than I would have learned any other way. Com Peter reflect back now more than a decade that that September morning, when part of your right leg was taken from you, how would you say that incident made you grow as a person? What did you gain from that experience from having part of your like taken away? Oh? Um, I'd have to say I gained a lot um because without being injured, I don't know

where my life would have gone. And I don't think it would have been this direction that it is now by any by any stress of imagination, because I wasn't an athlete before then, so I wouldn't see why I would go and be an athlete after the fact. Um, but being injured showed me and opened my eyes to what's out there in the world. Um, I got to travel, I got to compete, I got to challenge myself, and for me it opened Being injured is honestly one of

the best things that's ever happened to me. I have to be honest with that, because I've done so much. I've done so much in my life that I would have never thought was possible, and finding myself through these challenges because of my injury, just to me, has made me a better person. Like if I had to say, well, if you were to ask me and then I wasn't injured at all, what would I be. I probably stay back home in Stockton where I was, you know, my hometown,

might be in school, might not be in school. You know, I might you know, I might have like ten kids right now. I don't know. You know, I couldn't. I couldn't truly answer that because I truly I didn't live the best life like being injured. At this point, I've lived a lot of my best life that I would have never dreamt possible, and so my injury has really

pushed me. But it also want made me want to push myself to be better and help others, because I feel like everyone should experience living life and not and not being stuck in place like you can be when you get injured. You can get stuck in place and think, oh, life's over, life's not great anymore. You know, you could be depressed. You really spiral downwards. But I really continue to do these things to show other people their challenges for me, but to show other people that you can

do it. Whether you're missing limb or not. We all, we're all human. We all go through something mentally, you know, we all have a brain as far as I'm gonna wear, but we so we all go through something. You know upstairs, you know, maybe it's a hard day, maybe you're going through a tough time. I I want to show that you you know, even when times get hard, you can get through it. You just you just really got to

keep moving forward. But if I were to ever stop at any one of those points, that I did, I wouldn't have accomplished anything. I really wouldn't acomplished anything. Um, but that that would go. I want to tie this back for just a little bit too. But even when I was injured, even when I was injured, like laying there bleeding, I told myself, I can't fall asleep. I can't fall asleep because if I go to sleep, no

longer do I have a choice. If I remain awake, and I kind of keep myself wake, and I remember talking to the guys saying left, right, left, whither carrying me on a litter or stretcher. Um to stay awake. I stay away as long as I could, because that gave me the option to keep moving forward. But if I were to go to sleep, like as much as I really wanted to do UM, if I went to sleep, then I no longer have a choice. I don't. I would have to play it out and see where it goes.

But I don't have a choice. And so that's I'm tying this in with everything because we have a choice in the matter of how we go about situations in our lives, how we you know, choose to make a plan, take action, or not do something. It's all a choice. But that's that's really the reality of you being in charge of your own life is that you have a choice. Even if you feel like someone else is dictating it,

you have your own You have a choice. You know, you have a choice of how you go about handling it. Really powerful message the invisible Wounds of war and talked about the anxiety and the depression. What to people who have not gone through that, who not have the life experiences that led up to that, need to know about the struggle of keeping it at bay um That's exactly

what it is. It's keeping it at Bay like. And I'll speak for only myself in this, but I do know others who do have depression anxiety UM PTSD what happened you? But my experiences is that if you let yourself sink too far into that depression, it'll it will consume your world. It will you truly consume your world. And the Mountains keeps a lot of that, and being active, for me, keeps a lot of that. At Bay. It means I am taking control, I'm doing something that makes

me happy. But if I didn't do anything, fell into a dark depression, choose to stay inside all the time, sleep, not hang out with friends anymore. It'll just keep pulling you down. And I've been there. I've been to that bottom place where I was just like, I don't know if I'm going to get out of this. I don't know how to get out of this. But I will say,

if you are in that place, definitely talk to someone. UM. If you if you ever feel like you're too low, you don't know what to do, definitely talk to someone. For me, my outlets has always been being active. So even now, like I still I invested in a home gym during quarantine so I can work out. Um, because they keep showing down all the tracks around here, so I'm not too not too happy about that that I can't really run track like I want to. But um even made of prosthetics so I can run up the

hills so I can run and gravel and stuff like that. UM. But for me, being active is what keeps my depression at bay because it's if to me, it just feels like I'm I'm training to you know a bit that from happening again, you know that this is what's working for me. Difficult question, but you've lived an intensity of experiences.

It must seem like a few different lifetimes. But if you were to sit there right today and tell yourself at a much younger age, the kid who was been a fighter really since your first breath, and you're born two weeks premature. I don't know your parents foster care. You talked about being kind of a shy, bullied kid in middle school trying to find himself. Eventually he fled

to the Marines. If you could deliver a message about the twists and terms of life and the lessons, and then talk to your young self back then, what would you say? Buckle up? Um? As much as I would probably I've probably say something smartly alecky, but I would if I had to give myself a real message, I'd probably just say it gets better, um, Because as a team in my youth, I I felt like life was

very unfair. Um um. But to this point I can look back and say, you know, like like it gets better, It gets better over time, and you have a you have a choice to make, um, and that's what that That would probably be my my short message. I can probably make a very long mention, but that would be my short sweet message of you know, it gets better and you have a choice because if I didn't join

the Marine Corps. I I joined the Marine Corps because I was afraid of getting involved in gangs, sting and stuff, you know, my hometown. So I did make choices to get me out of those bad scenarios that could have been worse if I didn't make a decision. So I did what I can to get out of that. You know what, You could talk for hours, but sometimes times the most powerful messages can be delivered very sixcinctly seven words. It gets better. You have a choice, and that's something

that resonates with a lot of people. I think that as dark as things are, if you remember those seven words, they can be very very powerful. We could go on forever. Um. I thank you for the generosity of your time and sharing this story. Not all this stuff is easy, but I think that anybody listening there are such universal themes. Maybe the certain circumtances aren't exactly what you went through, but your reaction to them and the message you deliver,

I think is really powerful and really useful. So I wish you continued strength. Yante Oh, thank you. These days Kiante as a full time college student in California, closing in on a degree in kinnesiology, which he expects to turn into a career in physical therapy, one of his true passions. As for mountains, he and I are making plans to rendezvous and Colorado whenever we can to come a couple fourteen thousand foot peaks in that beautiful state.

Kiante supports these Emperify and America's Fund. Invite you to learn more about that and Range of Motion project, which provides access to prosthetic care around the world. His motto of staying active and moving forward is also shared by the guest in the companion episode in this podcast. That's ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff had the great pleasure of co hosting the Invictus Games of Bob a few years ago, learned a lot from him. He was a correspondent who

covered conflict around the world for about a decade. You might recall he was named co anchor of ABC World News Tonight December of oh five, and the next month well embedded with the military and Iraq was nearly killed by a roadside mom. They'll talk about that about his recovery, but more importantly about his new path since then, which led to the creation of the Bob Woodruff Foundation along

with his wife Lee and members of his family. That's done tremendous work donating tens of millions of dollars to veterans causes. That's coming out this week. Invite you to look for it. My thanks to co executive producer Jennifer Dempster and producer Jason Whelp. Thank you for listening. Invite you to subscribe, rate and review that really helps us. Any feedback please even my Instagram at Chris Power. Thanks, talk to you soon.