216: Locked and Loaded 24 Hours in a Box - Brian “Tosh” Chontosh

Imagine 24 hours locked in isolation in a completely dark shipping container competing to see who can run the furthest on a TrueForm treadmill.  Retired United States Marine, Major Brian Chontosh (aka “Tosh”) and three others (John Witzing, Josh Chessman, and Isaiah Vidal ) accepted this challenge to raise awareness around mental health with the Whiteboard Project’s LL24h ( https://www.thewhiteboardproject.com/24-hours-of-isolation ). The recipient of one of the highest military honors: the Naval Cross- Tosh, has shown unmatched fortitude in combat and combating the stigmas around post traumatic stress. Jump in the shipping container with us as we learn how to “suck a little less each day.”

 

In this episode, Joe Desena interviews Tosh before he enters the shipping container, and then all 4 athletes the moment the box is unsealed.

 

Lessons:

• You are what you advertise
• Do a lot with very little
• Surround yourself with great people
• Want “in” on the hardest things
• Do things you don’t want to do
• Identify your limits and expand your horizons
• Prove things to yourself, know your limits & strive beyond them
• Measure your effort, but against the right things
• Always do the BEST that you can in EVERY moment
• PTS vs PTSD: traumatic stress as a normal reaction vs a disorder
• Don’t believe your own bullsh*t
• Walk humbly, absorb, think, question..
• it's not about having the right answers - it's about having the right questions
• Take ownership - kill the excuses !
• Rationalizations are just excuses in a fancy package
• Break down big problems to small problems & utilize small solutions
• Stay process oriented
• Focus on the task at hand and that will lead you to the target
• JUST BE HAPPY WITH YOU
• Suck less today then you did yesterday :)

LINKS:

LL24h ( https://www.thewhiteboardproject.com/24-hours-of-isolation

 

On Instagram

The Whiteboard Project https://www.instagram.com/the_whiteboard_project/

John Witzing https://www.instagram.com/johnwitzing/

Josh Chessman https://www.instagram.com/joshchessman/

Isaiah Vidal https://www.instagram.com/isaiahvidal/

Brian Chontosh https://www.instagram.com/tosh.crookedbutterfly/

The Reveille Project https://www.instagram.com/thereveilleproject/

Wound Warriors Canada https://www.instagram.com/woundedwarriorscanada/

 

This episode of “Spartan Up!”  is sponsored by Athletic Greens.  Get 20 travel packs free when you order at https://athleticgreens.com/spartan

 

Time Stamps:

0:00 intro to episode

1:18 Athletic Greens

1:48 Interview begins

2:00 Marine background

3:00 The Navy Cross

3:40 shipping container challenge | Whiteboard Project

4:45 What is a strong mind

5:40 The need to do things you don’t want to

6:00 Dr. L’s advice

7:10 The burden of command

8:30 Truth of looking yourself in the mirror

9:15 Competitions in life

11:00 Mental Health Awareness

12:00 PTS as normal & natural - not a disorder

12:40 Athletic Greens break

16:27 Interview continues

16:45 barriers of knowing & bullsh*t

17:30 Not about answers- It’s about questions

20:00 Rationalizations are just excuses in a fancy package

24:00 Reductionism: breaking big problems down to have small solutions

26:00 How to suck a little less

28:00 Keep your eye on the task at hand

29:18 The panel gets ready to break them out of the shipping containers

29:35 Shipping containers opens   

29:50 Tosh’s reaction to 24 hrs in darkness

32:00 The four Whiteboard Challenge participants men’s reaction

41:00 Sefra, Angle, Johnny & Joe discuss the interview

47:30 AthleticGreens.com/Spartan  

 

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CREDITS:

Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.

Hosts: Joe De Sena with Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, and Col. Tim Nye.

Synopsis – Sefra Alexandra

Production Assistant - Andrea Hagarty

 

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