Behind The Shield

Mat McLaughlin is a firefighter and Army veteran from Perth, Western Australia. Mat underwent MDMA-assisted therapy, an experience he credits not only with saving his career, but possibly his life. We discuss his journey into the fire service, military service, East Timor, natural disasters, losing his father, the healing power of MDMA and so much more. With over 20 years of service, he has worked primarily at metropolitan fire stations and as a rescue instructor. Mat is a member of the WA USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) Taskforce and has deployed across the state in response to major fires, cyclones, and floods, serving in both team member and team leader roles. Deeply committed to firefighter mental health and wellbeing, Mat is a peer support officer, Mental Health First Aid instructor, and is currently in the final part of his psychology studies with plans to transition into his department’s wellness section. After years of struggling with PTSD and exhausting traditional treatments, Mat underwent MDMA-assisted therapy, an experience he credits not only with saving his career, but possibly his life.Mat's Cauliflower Ear Product: https://caulicooler.com/

Jared Reston is a law enforcement veteran and the founder of Reston Group Critical Solutions. We discuss his journey into policing, fitness standards, the importance of realism in training, surviving a murder attempt, weapon design, the Charlie Kirk assassination and much more. Jared retired from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office after 20 years of service. 17 of those years were on their Full-Time SWAT team. Jared was also assigned as a Detective in the Department of Homeland Security/Gang Investigations Unit, and he was the assistant team leader and lead firearms instructor for the SWAT team. Jared has been involved in the successful resolution of over one thousand S.W.A.T. missions, including several lethal force incidents.For his actions in a January 2008 shooting, he was awarded The President of the United States “Medal of Valor”, American Police and Hall of Fame’s "National Police Officer of the Year", Fraternal Order of Police’s "Florida Police Officer of the Year", and the State of Florida’s "Law Enforcement Officer of the Year."Jared has had the opportunity to train with, and be trained by, some of the finest firearms and tactics instructors in the country. His goal is to use his training and experience to give Armed Professionals the tools to successfully resolve their own critical incidents.After retirement, Jared went to work at Safariland as the N. Florida/ S. Georgia account manager. Jared truly enjoys his continuing service to law enforcement by bringing them the very best equipment through his position at Safariland.

Rob Bilott is a veteran Environmental Litigator and the lawyer portrayed by Mark Ruffalo in the movie Dark Waters. We discuss his journey into law, navigating environmental law, how a farmer's dying cattle burst open the unethical practices of Du Pont, the diseases and deaths attributed to "Forever Chemicals" and so much more.A seasoned and internationally-recognized litigator, advocate, and author, Rob represents a diverse range of clients on a wide variety of matters involving federal, state, and local environmental laws. For more than 30 years, he has handled environmental issues of regulatory compliance, permitting, and corporate/real estate transactions, as well as all aspects of litigation arising from such issues, from administrative hearings to multi-party, complex multi-district litigation, mass torts, and class actions.Rob has gained international prominence in connection with uncovering and disclosing the world-wide impact of environmental contamination by the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances), particularly PFOA and PFOS. To date Rob has secured benefits in excess of $1 billion for a wide array of firm clients adversely impacted by PFAS contamination, including through key leadership positions in the nation’s first class action, personal injury, medical monitoring, and multi-district litigations, and jury trials involving PFAS.Because of this experience and knowledge on PFAS issues, Rob is frequently invited to provide keynote lectures and talks at law schools, universities, colleges, communities, and other organizations all over the world, including testimony before federal and state Congressional subcommittees, parliaments of the European Union, individual member states, and the United Kingdom, and committees of the United Nations.In 2017, Rob received the International Right Livelihood Award (also known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize”) for his decades of work on PFAS “forever chemicals,” and was the 2020 recipient of Taft’s “Legacy Award,” which is bestowed upon a Taft attorney who has made a significant and lasting contribution to the firm, resulting in an overall positive impact on the legacy of Taft. Rob’s story is chronicled in his book, “Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer’s Twenty-Year Battle against DuPont,” and is the inspiration for the feature film, “Dark Waters” and documentary, “The Devil We Know.”https://www.taftlaw.com/people/robert-a-bilott/

Daragh Fleming is an early career writer from Ireland who uses wit and an introspective lens to delve into the subleties of the human experience. He is an author, writer, poet, performer and award-winning mental health blogger from Cork, Ireland. He holds an MA in Linguistics, a BA in Applied Psychology, and a passion for mental health.Daragh’s debut in non-fiction – Lonely Boy – a collection of essays on mental health arrived on November 24th 2022 and has been well-received. Daragh hit the ground running with two collections of short stories published by Riversong Books back to back in 2019 and 2020. He has also been published in a number of literary journals, such as Southword, Stand, Crannóg, Paris Lit Up, Atrium, Eat The Storms, Beir Bua, The Ogham Stone, Gutter Magazine, An Áituil, Cork Words 3, and many more.Daragh’s second poetry chapbook arrived in July of 2022 with Dark Thirty Poetry. Entitled: Poems That Were Written On Trains But Weren’t Written About Trains. His debut collection, Enigmatic, was published Octover of 2023 with Sunday Morning at the River.In 2021, Daragh won the Cork Arts ‘From The Well’ Short Story Competition with this story, Evening Walk, due to be published as part of an anthology in the autumn. He has been Highly Commended for both the Patrick Kavanagh Award and the Fool For Poetry Prize. He was also shortlisted for the Alpine Fellowship Poetry Prize. He won the Duncairn Flash Competition in 2024.Daragh works as the Communications Lead for A Lust For Life, an Irish mental health charity. He is an ambassador for See Change Ireland, a charity that works to break down mental health stigma. He is also an ambassador from Movember Ireland.Daragh also does a lot of public speaking across Ireland at festivals, schools, universities and workplaces. He has given a TEDx Talk on how we can use creativity to nourish our mental health. He has spoken at UCC, Amazon, Healthy Ireland, the West Cork Literary Festival, Kaleidoscope Festival and many more. His Tedx Talk was nominated and shortlisted for two Mental Health Media Awards in 2024.Thoughts Too Big has been nominated for several awards, including two nominations in the Mental Health Blog Awards. Thoughts Too Big won the award for Blogger of the Year in the Mental Health Blog Awards 2022. Daragh’s latest book, a collection of essays called A BRIEF INHALATION was released this year through Broken Sleep Books.Daragh has a passion for normalising the chat around mental health, and it the owner and founder of Thoughts Too Big, a blog and enterprise that focuses on overcoming daily mental health issues.

Trevor Millar is a social-entrepreneur with over a decade of experience providing ibogaine therapy and is the co-founder of Ambio. We discuss his own healing journey with psychedelics, the healing power of Ibogaine, addiction, traumatic brain injury, success stories from Navy SEALs, the formation of VETS, how the 343 fund is helping first responders, the feilure of drug prohibition and so much more. Trevor is responsible for various aspects of Ambio’s operations and communications. He previously served as a board member and co-founder of the Canadian Psychedelic Association and from 2018 to 2021 was on the board of directors for the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Canada, where he acted as Chair of the Board for over two years. Trevor was featured in the award-winning documentary about using magic mushrooms and Iboga to treat addiction, anxiety and depression called DOSED, which was released in 2019.

Joe Malone's journey to becoming a renowned leader in safety and resilience is as inspiring as it is transformative. His early years were marked by challenges, including a period of childhood drug use, which tested his resolve and direction. However, rather than allowing those struggles to define him, Joe chose to rewrite his story.Fueled by an unwavering determination to turn his life around, Joe found purpose and discipline in the Marine Corps. Thirteen years of service, much of it under the elite Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC Raiders), became a proving ground for his resilience. He emerged from these experiences not only as a decorated veteran but as a testament to the power of transformation.Today, Joe uses his life’s journey—both the struggles and the triumphs—to inspire others. At the helm of JM Training, he channels his hard-earned wisdom into equipping individuals and communities with the tools they need to stay safe and thrive. His story is a powerful reminder that no matter where you start, with courage and commitment, you can achieve greatness.

Dr Michael Gervais is a Sport Psychologist, author and Podcaster who has worked with some of the world's top athletes. We talk about mastery, the psychology of fear, self talk, tribalism and much more.Gervais is a high performance psychologist working in the trenches of high-stakes environments with some of the best in the world, training the mindset skills and practices essential to pursuing and revealing one’s potential. His clients include world record holders, Olympians, internationally acclaimed artists and musicians, MVPs from every major sport and Fortune 100 CEOs.A published, peer-reviewed author and recognized speaker on optimal human performance, Dr. Gervais has been featured by NBC, ABC, FOX, CNN, ESPN, NFL Network, Red Bull TV, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Outside Magazine, WIRED, ESPN Magazine and others.He is the co-founder of Compete to Create, a digital platform business helping people become their best through mindset training. The firm works with a limited portfolio of Fortune 500 companies and leaders to switch on culture and individuals through high performance mindset training and coaching. Clients include Microsoft, Boeing and Zynga.He is also the host of Finding Mastery, a podcast that takes you inside the rugged and high-stakes environments of those on the path of mastery to explore how they train minds to be at their very best. Gervais unpacks and decodes each guest’s journey, psychological framework and mindset skills and practices. Past guests include Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton, Thrive Global CEO Arianna Huffington, FUBU Founder Daymond John, Mercedes Benz Formula 1 Owner Toto Wolff, Microsoft’s CFO Amy Hood, ultra marathoner David Goggins, two-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion Carli Lloyd, CEO of Amusement Park Entertainment Jimmy Smith, Pixar’s CFO Lawrence Levy, Seattle Seahawks Head Coach, Pete Carroll, big wave surfer Ian Walsh, among many others.Dr. Gervais received his undergraduate degree from Loyola Marymount University. He completed his PhD while studying under the father of American applied sport psychology, Dr. Bruce Ogilvie, at San Diego University, Integrative Studies.https://findingmastery.net

Jennifer Hunt Murty is the founder and publisher of the Ocala Gazette, an independently owned newspaper recognized as the area’s leading source of investigative reporting. We discuss her career in the legal field, what drove her into journalism, exposing failures in local first responder agencies, recidivism, the mental health crisis and so much more.Jennifer launched the Gazette in 2020 to provide trustworthy, in-depth local journalism at a time when misinformation was on the rise and credible community news was in short supply. Murty came to journalism as a second career, guided by the belief—echoing Justice Hugo Black—that “the press was to serve the governed, not the governors.” That principle shapes her work daily.Like many small newspaper owners, she juggles multiple roles—but reporting remains her greatest passion. In just five years, she has built a reputation for dogged persistence in overcoming public records exemptions and reporting roadblocks to uncover stories that hold the powerful to account.The Gazette's Reports on the Deaths in Marion County's Jail: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=802963525588067&rdid=V5YEfyFQ3hNr7zdHhttps://www.facebook.com/ocalagazette/videos/1417700989526937/?rdid=XN01wNdSvqiK4hBv#

Charly Crawford is a ten time NFR team roper, trainer and the founder of the Liberty and Loyalty Foundation. We discuss his childhood around horsemen, the world of team roping, catharsis through equine therapy, identity, the importance of purpose, fundraising for veterans and first responders and much more.Born and raised in Canby, Oregon, Charly Crawford grew up with his dad who was a bareback rider and the self-proclaimed biggest team roping fan on earth. Charly’s father, Chuck always had good horses and was one of the reasons the crossfire rule was implemented. Growing up in the Northwest, the summers were always fun because guys like Mike Beers, Allan Back, Jake Barnes, Clay Cooper, and Leo Camarillo would come rope at their house.Due to the average rainfall being so significant, they could only rope about 4 months of the year outdoors. Chuck had a roping club where there were weekly practices and monthly jackpots. Charly always got to rope with guys that gave him no choice but to rope the best he could. He made the amateur finals before he made the high school finals. He and his dad would jackpot together, and Charly even did his first roping school at the age of 12.It took winning for Charly to take roping seriously and once he was accustomed to winning, he never looked back. “I paid my fees for the Dummy Ropings by picking up beer cans around the arena” Before moving to Arizona to attend college at Central Arizona in Casa Grande, Charly took home a state championship and made the National High School Rodeo finals three times.Charly qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 10 times in the heading and accrued over $1.4M in ProRodeo earnings. He now resides in Stephenville, TX with his wife Jackie and their three children. His passion for team roping and the western world is unwavering as he continues to train horses, instruct over 40 roping clinics yearly across the United States and abroad, hosts his own podcast, and pours his heart and soul into the Loyalty and Liberty Foundation.https://libertyandloyaltyfoundation.com/

David is a 39-year fire service veteran retired from the Atlanta, Georgia Fire Department. He currently works for Clarion Events as the Vice President of Education for Clarion Fire Rescue Brands, editor in chief for FireEngineering magazine and the educational director for the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC). In this second coversation, we discuss the importance of real world leadership, some innovations coming to FDIC, the impact of orgaizational betrayal, the firefighter workweek, PFAS, special operations training and much more.He is a Chief Elder for the Georgia Smoke Diver Program, a served on the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) Executive Advisory Board, was the Hands-on-Training Coordinator for the FDIC conference, and author for Fire Engineering Magazine, and Fire Apparatus and Equipment Magazine, authored the Hump Day SOS column for Fire Rescue, served as an adjunct instructor for the Georgia Fire Academy, and is an Advisory Board Member Emeritus for Underwriters Laboratory Firefighter Safety Research Institute and current Board Member of the Firefighter Air Coalition. He served as an Incident Commander for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency – Type III All Hazards Incident Management Team was a Task Force Leader for the Georgia Search and Rescue Team.

Erik Stolhanske is an actor, producer and member of the Broken Lizard Comedy Troupe. We discuss his childhood amputation, overcoming adversity, the speeding ticket that spawned Super Troopers, P90X, fostering and so much more.Erik Stolhanske (born August 23, 1968) is an American actor, writer, and producer, and one of the members of the Broken Lizard comedy group. He is best known as “Officer Rabbit” from the 2001 cult-classic comedy Super Troopers and the 2018 sequel Super Troopers 2.As one of the five principal members of the famed sketch comedy troupe, he has starred in all of the Broken Lizard films including Quasi (2021), Beerfest (2006), The Slammin’ Salmon (2009), Club Dread (2004), and Puddle Cruiser, as well as performed in The Sweetest Thing (2002) and The Onion Movie (2008). On television, he can be seen on the HBO critically acclaimed series Curb Your Enthusiasm and Six Feet Under, as well as the Comedy Central special Broken Lizard Stands Up.Erik has a uniquely motivating and inspiring message having been born without a fibula. Despite his disability, he has overcome the challenges to become a popular actor in Hollywood. He has even been featured on the popular P90X training videos in an inspirationally motivating workout series on Plyometrics, alongside Tony Horton, trainer to rock stars such as Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks, and Bruce Springsteen.He is currently in development on two projects with the Broken Lizard Group, Quasi and Super Troopers 3.Early LifeBorn August 23, 1968 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Erik is Swedish, Norwegian and Native American in descent.Captain of the baseball team in high school, he has always been athletic by nature and driven to persevere, despite the obstacles.Stolhanske was born without a fibula and wears a prosthetic below the knee on his right leg. He uses his poignant and often humorous story speaking to audiences across the country of the importance of perseverance, even when the odds are stacked against you.He married his wife Barbara Slade on December 5, 2008. Erik is a Virgo.EducationErik graduated from Breck School, followed by Colgate University with a BA in English. He is a member of Beta Theta Pi at Colgate University.After graduating, he moved to New York City where he attended the William Esper Studio for two years, receiving formal training in acting and theater arts. He then spent a year training with Wynn Handman, director and acting teacher responsible for shaping the careers of Dustin Hoffman, Faya Dunaway, Richard Gere and other stars at the influential American Place Theater in Manhattan.While in New York, Stolhanske and fellow college friends Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, and Paul Soter formed the American comedy troupe Broken Lizard.CareerErik has written, produced and starred in all the Broken Lizard comedies, including Super Troopers 3 (in the works). Together, they collaborate on the screen-writing, acting and productions of all their films.He has worked alongside a number of Academy Award-winning actors and nominees from Cloris Leachman to Donald Sutherland and Michael Clarke Duncan. He acted alongside Golden Globe winner Brian Cox in Super Troopers and Super Troopers 2. He also starred opposite Rob Lowe in Super Troopers 2 and Bill Paxton in Club Dread.He is amongst Hollywood’s top comedic actors, known to have worked with Jim Gaffigan, Will Forte, and Johnny Knoxville. Stolhanske has co-written various screenplays, including one with NFL star Jared Allen of the Minnesota Vikings.

Russell Foster is Professor of Circadian Neuroscience, Director of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute (SCNi) and Head of the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology at the University of Oxford. He is also a Fellow at Brasenose College.Russell’s research spans the neurosciences but his research is focused upon two questions: (i) How is environmental light detected and processed by vertebrate photoreceptors for the regulation of circadian rhythms? One of his key findings was the discovery of another class of photoreceptor within the vertebrate eye based upon a small number of photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (pRGCs). These pRGCs not only regulate circadian rhythms, but also sleep & arousal states, heart-rate and pupil constriction; (ii) How are circadian rhythms generated and what happens when these systems break-down in disease and under abnormal environmental conditions?Russell Chairs the Royal Society Public Engagement Committee, The Cheltenham Science Festival and is a Trustee of the Science Museum Group. He contributes to radio, television and writes newspaper articles. He has co-written three popular science books, and is working on his fourth.

Alexey Molchanov is a world champion free diver, holding records in numerous disciplines. Sonya McVay is the founder of The Six and a previous guest. They have combined forces to bring the incredible physical and mental training principles of freediving to the fire service. Alexey Molchanov has loved freediving since he was five, exploring the sea and discovering the magic of holding his breath underwater. Since 2004, he has set 40 World Records—10 of them in 2023 alone—and won more than 20 gold medals, mastering not just depth but the art of breath control. His current records include 136m in monofin, 126m in bifins, and 156m in variable weight, all on a single breath. For Alexey, breathwork has always been at the heart of his training—expanding lung capacity, mastering stress, and finding calm in every dive. Beyond the ocean, Alexey is the CEO & Founder of Molchanovs, a global freediving and breathwork community spanning 40+ countries, with over 2,000 instructors and 100,000 members. As a Global Breathwork Coach, he leads more than 100,000 active participants through programs designed to enhance performance, resilience, and wellness. His expertise has also made him a sought-after Keynote Speaker, delivering sessions for leading corporations in business and media—such as Everest and Picturestart—on resilience, stress mastery, leadership, and peak performance. Alexey’s story and philosophy have reached global audiences through appearances in Paramount’s Freediver (2024), Netflix’s Religion of Sports (2018), and features in the New York Times, GQ, and other international lifestyle and performance media. Redefining what it means to be human at the edge of performance, Alexey brings his philosophy of mastery, resilience, and calm not only to freediving but to everyday wellness, sport, and style.Sonya McVay-Straub, MP, is a certified ART (Active Release Techniques), NKT (NeuroKinetic Therapy), AiM (Anatomy in Motion), PMT (Performance Movement Taping by RockTape), KABUKI integrated Power Lifting, and ICT (Integrated Cranial Therapy) provider. She is also a certified master Pilates Instructor and a PMA (Pilates Method Alliance) and NKT credentialing author and continuing education provider. ART is a clinical soft tissue therapy system used to treat pathologies and/or movement restriction with muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves.Alongside manual therapy, she specializes in Neuro-Gate, functional/movement assessment, sports injuries, spinal pathologies, "special-populations" and post-treatment exercise. Her practice combines multiple methods and provides incredible results.Her clients include internationally competitive athletes (Ferrari's Racing team), professional baseball players, both pro golfers and tennis players, triathletes, cyclists, PTSD patients, competitive marathoners, UFC fighters, IronMan/ToughMudder and Spartan athletes, avid and competitive CrossFitters, Olympic lifters, business executives, chronic pain patients, senior citizens, and youth. Sonya has personally treated hundreds of First Responders and Military Personnel over the last ten years. It is her life’s mission to demand NFL quality health care to these populations.

Sam began his career as a paramedic in 1982. In 1985 he joined the Fort Worth Fire department as a firefighter where he worked his way up through the ranks to assistant chief of operations. He retired after 30 years of service. In June 2015, after an extensive nationwide search, Sam was selected as the Fire Chief for the City of Plano a position he held for more than six years.We discuss his journey into the fire service, the increasing call volume, firefighter health, why they opposed the 48/96, how humility and communication forged a successful push for a 24/72 (42 hour) shift schedule, the potential financial savings, their four year implementation plan and so much more. Sam has served on numerous boards and committees at the state and national levels. He is currently the Chairman of the International CAD Consortium, Chairman of the Terrorism and Homeland Security Committee for the International Association of Fire Chiefs and is a past chairman of the Medical City Plano Board of Trustees. In addition, he served eight years on the Tarrant County 911 Board of Managers. Sam is a graduate of Leadership Plano's Class 35 and is a member of the Plano Rotary Club. He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Bethany Hamilton is one of the world's most elite surfers, despite losing an arm at age 13. She is an author and the subject of her new documentary "Unstoppable". We discuss discovering her passion, overcoming physical and mental trauma, pregnancy, motherhood, chasing excellence and much more.Bethany Hamilton has become a source of inspiration to millions through her story of determination, faith, and hope. At the age of 13, Bethany lost her left arm to a 14-foot tiger shark, which seemed to end her career as a rising surf star. One month after the attack, Bethany returned to the water and within two years had won her first national title.In 2007, she realized her dream of surfing professionally and since then, her story has been told in a New York Times best selling autobiography and in the 2011 film, Soul Surfer. Bethany is involved in numerous charitable efforts, including her own foundation, Friends of Bethany, which reaches out to amputees and youth, encouraging and offering hope to overcome through Jesus Christ. Using her platform as a professional athlete to promote living a fit and healthy lifestyle, she authored the book Body and Soul in 2014.Bethany’s latest project, Unstoppable, a surf documentary which showcases her as one of the best women surfers in the world, released theatrically in the USA on July 12, 2019, accompanied by a photo book and a children’s book.Passionate about helping young women be unstoppable in life and faith, Bethany has launched a new website and online course for sharing content and facilitating connection. Her greatest joy is being a wife and mother, and she continues to touch and inspire lives globally as a professional surfer and motivational speaker.https://bethanyhamilton.com/

Tom Hewitt MBE, is founder and CEO of Surfers Not Street Children. He has worked in the field with street children in Africa for over 28 years. In 1998 he founded the Durban Street Team which went on to be renamed Surfers Not Street Children in 2012. Tom was awarded and MBE by HRH Queen Elizabeth II in 2011 for his work with street children in Africa.Tom is perhaps most well known for his successful advocacy campaign to end the forced removals of street children in Durban, South Africa. These round-ups used to take place to “clean” the streets ahead of international conferences and events. He called for compassionate responses to street children based on psychosocial care. Tom is also well known for his model of fusing surfing with mentorship to empower street children in Durban. He assisted the national Department of Social Development in South Africa with its development of new policies around working with street children there. Tom has visited and often assisted street children projects in many different parts fo the world.https://www.surfnotstreets.org/

Dr Ben Sessa is a psychiatrist, author and one of the world’s leading researchers into the potential benefits of psychedelic drugs in a clinical or therapeutic setting. In this second conversation, we discuss the success of MDMA assisted psychotherapy, the psychedelic renaissance, British knife crime, the fiscal benefits of preventative healthcare and so much more.As a medical doctor, Dr Sessa provides psychiatric consultation through Bristol-based Mandala Therapy Limited, while his research focuses on psychopharmacology research with psychedelic medicines and MDMA therapy for mental disorders.Dr Sessa is also a co-founder and chair of the influential Breaking Convention conference, held annually in London. He has published widely in medical and academic journals, presents regularly on multimedia platforms, facilitates workshops and is a published author of fiction. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bristol and Imperial College London.His books include The Psychedelic Renaissance, Advances in Psychedelic Medicine, Psychedelic Drug Treatments and his latest book, The Psychedelic Renaissance.

Aaron Heller began his fire service career in 1984. He recently retired as a Deputy Chief in the Hamilton NJ Fire Department assigned to oversee the Training Division. He previously served as the Fire Chief for the Hamilton Township Fire District #9. Deputy Chief Heller is a NJ Level 2 instructor and NJ fire official. He is a past chief of the New Egypt Volunteer Fire Company, where he currently serves s a fireman. He is a past chairman of the Plumsted Township Board of Fire Commissioners. Heller is a senior instructor with the Mercer County Fire Academy. He instructs and has been a presenter at several national, regional, and local training events throughout the United States and abroad. He has been published in Fire Engineering Magazine, Fire & Rescue Magazine, The Fire Department Training Network, and several local publications. He is a former co-host of Fire Engineering’s Humpday Hangout on Training. Aaron is a founding member of the Jersey F.O.O.L.S chapter of the Fraternal Order Of Leatherhead Society. Heller holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Science from Columbia Southern University. He is the owner of On Scene Training Associates, LLC.https://onscenetraining.com/index.php

Nimsdai is a former Ghurka, member of the British SBS, record breaking mountaineer and author. We discuss his powerful journey into the special forces, Project Possible, mountain rescues, his new book "Beyond Possible",, environmentalism, forging an indomitable spirit and so much more.Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja MBEBorn in Nepal, Nims had a distinguished 16-year military career, of which he spent 6 years as a Ghurka and 10 years with the UK Special Forces (SBS). He has since become a truly historic mountaineer, accumulating an ever-growing list of record-breaking summits alongside many high-altitude rescue missions.Humble beginningsAstonishingly, Nims didn’t grow up in the shadow of the Himalayas, in fact he was born in the Dhaulagiri region of Nepal and raised in Chitwan, in the country’s flatlands. He performed well at school, but at that time there was no yearning to climb mountains instead he had another focus, to become a Gurkha in the British military like his father and brothers before him. In 2003 that dream became a reality when he joined the Gurkhas in 2003, at the age of eighteen.Never shy of pushing himself to another level #alwaysalittlehigher, six years later in 2009 he became the first ever Gurkha to join the UK Special Boat Service (SBS). The unit is predominantly made up of Royal Marines Commandos, and specialises in classified undercover raids. Along with the SAS, the SBS is regarded as the most elite unit in the British military.During this time, he developed an interest in mountaineering that quickly turned into a passion. It all began in December 2012, when on leave from his Special Forces duties, he set out on a trek to Everest Base Camp. This experience fired his passion and ambition for the mountains immediately, and not content with simply returning to Kathmandu, he managed to convince his guide to teach him how to climb ‘for real’ and he successfully summited the 6119-metre Lobuche East with his guide shortly after. It was his first peak.His primary focus and loyalty remained with his unit carrying out many tours and operations eventually leading to a role where he was subject matter expert for extreme cold-weather warfare within the mountain cell of the SBS. It was throughout this military chapter of his life where he developed the skills to quickly evaluate situations, then act to ensure the welfare of others balanced with delivering on the ultimate objective. An invaluable skillset that would transfer directly across to his climbing career.https://www.nimsdai.com/

Dr. John P. Sullivan is a Clinical Sport Psychologist and Sport Scientist who currently serves as the Head of Psychology at High Performance Sport New Zealand. With over 30 years of clinical, academic, and applied experience, he is internationally recognized for his contributions to the integration of psychology, neuroscience, and human performance. From 2000 to 2016, Dr. Sullivan served as Director of Sports Science and Clinical Care with the New England Patriots (NFL), playing a key role during one of the most successful periods in the team’s history. His expertise has also been sought by a range of elite organizations, including the English Premier League, The Football Association, Premier Rugby League, Australian Football League, and numerous Olympic National Teams. Across his career, he has supported athletes and professionals across 43 different sports—spanning individual, team, combat, and motorsport disciplines. In addition to his work in sport, Dr. Sullivan has served as a subject matter expert for highperformance environments in the military and aerospace sectors. He has advised U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on critical topics including neurological resilience, decision-making, concussion, and human performance under pressure. A committed contributor to the scientific community, Dr. Sullivan has authored peer-reviewed articles and has been featured in leading media outlets such as The Atlantic, The Guardian, The New York Times, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated. He is the co-author of The Brain Always Wins, with a second edition The Brain Always Wins 2 released in 2025. He is also currently working on two forthcoming books — one exploring human factors in sport, and the other examining the fundamentals of science and their critical relevance in today’s post-truth era. Dr. Sullivan maintains academic appointments as a Visiting Scholar at Queensland University of Technology and has previously served on faculty at Brown University Medical School and the University of Rhode Island Psychology and Neuroscience departments. Originally from the United States, Dr. Sullivan previously practiced and taught in Washington, D.C., and Newport, Rhode Island, before relocating to New Zealand to continue his work in supporting athletes, coaches, and systems through a brain-first approach to performance and wellbeing.https://thebrainalwayswins.carrd.co/