Scott DeLuzio:    00:00:00    Thanks for tuning in to a Drive On Podcast where we’re focused on giving hope and strength to the entire military community, whether you’re a Veteran, Active Duty, Guard, Reserve, or a family member, this podcast we’ll share inspirational stories and resources that are useful to you. I’m your host, Scott DeLuzio and now let’s get on with the show . 

Scott DeLuzio:    00:00:22    Hi everybody today my guest is Christian Lopez. Christian served in the 3rd Ranger Battalion and had his own eventful transition out of the military, which between his time in the military and his transition out, has led him to where he is now with his company, American Savage and his mission to serve Veterans. So welcome to the show Christian, why don’t you tell us a little bit more about yourself and your background?  

Christian Lopez:    00:00:48    Hey Scott, thanks for having me.  So, my name is Christian. I was in the 3rd Ranger Battalion from 2007 to 2011.  What prompted me to basically join the military, I didn’t have a military background per se, as far as my family goes or anything of that nature. I lost a scholarship to play football, so I got an injury, tried to bounce back from the injury.  I wanted to  continue on that path where I felt like I was doing something or I felt good about myself,  and a team oriented environment. And that’s what led me to the military.  I had a rough start from the beginning. I grew up in Southern California. So, being in Georgia, Fort Benning, I wasn’t acclimated to the heat down there.  

Christian Lopez:    00:01:45    And in July of 2007, I had a heat stroke. My temperature was almost 108 degrees and my liver, kidney failure, and was hospitalized for a couple of day,s the whole bit and then I was supposed to be getting out of the military from that. So I basically fought to stay in, when that happened. I was just dead set that I’d already lost a scholarship to play football. And I was like, I’m not losing this. I’m going to be a Ranger. I’m going to be a Ranger. And I pretty much begged to stay in. And at the time it was the Ranger indoctrination program, which we called RIP and they let me come back. So I went back again, this happened in July, 2007. I came back in October, I passed it and then I went on to serve the remainder of my enlisted contract, my four and a half years, with the Ranger Battalion. 

Scott DeLuzio:    00:02:44    Yeah. Awesome. And so that process that you went through the Ranger indoctrination program, it was basically like your way of getting into the Rangers at some point, is that right? 

Christian Lopez: Yeah. 

Scott DeLuzio: So, that had to be mentally challenging overcoming that setback with the heat stroke, and then trying to get back into that and doing that where your doubting yourself, like maybe I’m not cut out for this thing through your mind, of course.  

Christian Lopez:    00:03:23    Up until that injury, I had been playing football, I’d never really experienced failure, that was on me, that was me. Right.  I remember that first initial feeling where it was like, oh, I felt weak, you know?  I might not be as good as I think I am, or I didn’t know what to think. Really. It was just my first, I couldn’t bounce back from it. And then when that happened I didn’t even see it coming. It wasn’t anything that I probably could have prevented but I remember feeling really weak at the time again. And I felt like I’m not accepting this failure or I took it as a failure and I did feel weak from it.