217: The Excuse Destroyer | Jonathan Lopez

An adaptive professional athlete, veteran,and Adaptive Athletes Liaison for Operation Enduring Warrior he has been “Lopezing” friends, comrades and racers sparking their passion and fortitude to conquer the obstacles of life and on the course - over walls, up the ropes and on extended endurance challenges, all with one arm and a ceaseless smile on his face. The excuse destroyer knows you can do more than you think you can! In this interview Lopez gets honest about the difficulties he faced, even considering suicide at one point, and how he found the passion to get others moving.

Lessons:
• You decide how you define yourself

• It’s important to clearly define your mission  

• No matter what, just keep walking 

• Make someone’s day better, be a “spark” in their life

• Always put things in perspective 

• Learn what hard work actually means 

• Love the fear of a new direction 

• Use what bothers you as fuel 

• Your story is not who you were, but who you are and want to BECOME 

• Be better today then you were yesterday 

• Don’t be afraid of the “hurt”


LINKS:
Spartan Elite Para Heat https://www.spartan.com/en/race/detail/4011/overview?filter=para
Operation Enduring Warrior https://www.enduringwarrior.org/
Jonathan Lopez https://www.instagram.com/lopez.oew/
Spartan Agoge https://www.spartan.com/en/race/endurance-events/endurance-events-overview?article=29031

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 host intro
0:33 Athletic Greens special offer
1:00 interview begins
1:40 does injury define you?
3:00 don’t take no for an answer
4:00 what is your mission?
6:00 inspiring strangers
7:40 athletic greens break
11:50 Elite Spartan Para Race info
12:27 interview continues
13:55 turning what bothers you into fuel
14:14 attempted suicide
15:00 you story as who you want to become
16:00 Spartan’s contribution to the adapted athlete community
17:45 Obstacle course racing as confidence building courses
19:00 Sefra, Angle, Johnny & Joe discuss the interview
24:15 Athletic Greens close

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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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