In this episode we hit an emotional topic: How to get over the loss of a coworker, especially as a first responder. James talks about his experience being a firefighter and EMT in both Florida and California, his childhood, and how a doctor in England told him he was he was color blind, but when he came to the states he found out other wise. James is an awesome and inspiring individual, inside and out with a TON of life experience and wisdom. It was a huge honor to have him on our show. Check out Jame's podcast “Behind The Shield!”
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@reps_for_responders
@therealjumpmanjay
@behindtheshield911 Repsforresponders.org
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"James was born in England and spent almost thirty years there before emigrating to the U.S. In James's early years he was in a spectrum of jobs from lifeguard to stuntman. James had always dreamed of becoming a Firefighter but was told as a child that his poor color vision would disqualify him from the process. It wasn't until James moved to America that he realized that the vision deficit was mild and was a poor excuse for not following his dream. James promptly enrolled in the Fire Academy and the rest is history. James has been a Firefighter/Paramedic for fifteen years now and still loves it as much as his first day on the job. James is also a Crossfit coach and a graduate from the University of Florida with a Bachelor's in Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology. At the start of his firefighting career he felt invincible and thought that the only danger to his health would be in a building collapse or burn over. As the years have progressed, he began to notice a trend of ill health in his profession. Retirees would pass away soon after they left. Young firemen got fatal illnesses and depression claimed the lives of many of his brothers and sisters. James incurred several injuries on the job despite being a lifelong athlete, realizing that his training was creating some glaring weaknesses. James started on a path of self reflection and ultimately healing, which took him to some of the greatest minds in the wellness world. Through questioning everything James had been taught, he began to deconstruct the entire fitness community and rebuild from the ground up. He realized that there was a giant void in the area of First Responder wellness. The advice and literature that was out there seemed outdated and disconnected from the rigors of shift life. There was only one solution; fill that void with the amazing knowledge he encountered along my his own journey of self healing and repair."
