John Wayne Walding spent seven years in 3rd Special Forces Group. On April 6, 2008 in Shok Valley, Afghanistan, a sniper shot took the lower half of his right leg. He tied it to his thigh and kept fighting. This episode is about April 7th—the hospital bed, the word “can’t,” and the battles that don’t come with a medal. John talks about being raised by his grandparents after both parents went to jail, becoming the first amputee to graduate Special Forces sniper school, choosing pain over pills, quitting drinking after Chris Kyle’s death, 15 years of sobriety, and why every man needs mat carriers who will drag him to Jesus instead of the bar.
Join Dustin Diefenderfer, Founder of MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab and creator of the MTNTOUGH+ Fitness App in the top podcast for Mental Toughness and Mindset. (P.S. 🐏 Get Your First Month of MTNTOUGH Free Use Code "MTNPOD" @ https://mtntough.com/.) On this show, we delve into guests' purpose, mentality, and mental toughness so you can learn from the best of the best. Whether you're a seasoned backcountry hunter, an outdoorsman, or simply someone who wants to level up your mindset, this is your go-to source for inspiration, expert insights, campfire tales, entrepreneurship, and stories of perseverance and triumph.
Presented by Sig Sauer.
V I D E O S TO W A T C H N E X T
🎙️ More MTNTOUGH Podcast Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdAelJZ1bZWr5v6K_-IPix0tq8b7xH1ms
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W H A T I S M T N T O U G H F I T N E S S?
MTNTOUGH is The #1 Fitness App Trusted By The DedicatedOur premier functional fitness programming is conveniently packaged for hunters, first responders, military, and mountain athletes. Train at home, at the gym, or on the go.
Since 2016, MTNTOUGH has been dedicated to helping individuals achieve their personal goals by creating a foundation for physical and mental toughness. The brand’s best-in-class programs are developed, tested, and proven by former Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, and renowned physical trainers. MTNTOUGH+ programs are used by elite groups and operators, including special ops forces, wildland firefighters, backcountry hunters, professional mountain athletes, and more. The MTNTOUGH fitness lab is headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, surrounded by some of the world’s top mountain athletes.
00:00:00 – The battle after the medal
00:01:17 – Intro: Shok Valley, Silver Star, first amputee sniper
00:06:41 – Parents in jail, raised by Sam and Grace
00:16:45 – April 7th and the word “can’t”
00:19:23 – Faith: God is real and you’re not Him
00:51:46 – Pills or pain
00:55:30 – Chris Kyle’s death and quitting drinking
00:59:35 – 15 years sober
01:03:42 – Mat carriers and the social pillar
01:11:43 – Closing: trust Him and you’ll know your way
