Forging Fury Podcast

Today we interview Reilly's dad. What more is there to say? We both know you're gonna listen. Enjoy!

In this episode we interview the co-owners of Octane CrossFit, Regan Doele and Andrew Bowden. After years of making a name for themselves in the Phoenix CrossFit scene, Andrew and Regan gained some national attention because of a bold message on their marquee sign: "We Cure Type 2 Diabetes". We discuss the implications of their bold claim, and how both the local and the corporate CrossFit community is working every day to make that claim an irrefutable reality. Definitely a thought-provoking episode.

From testing theoretical nuclear yields for the government to caring for premature babies in hospitals as a neonatologist, Dr. Jordan Leonard has a LOT of knowledge about all things science. He even skipped his own prom to take part in a science fair. Thankfully, he got it together in time to meet his wife. People, this episode is DEEP. We often talk about the importance of nutrition in each individual, but Dr. Leonard lays us flat by pointing out that the need for good nutrition has much deeper implications. Like, intergenerational implications. We also get into the controversial topic of why modern-day medical practitioners seem to prefer prescribing pills instead of actually making people well. Why is this happening? Who is truly in charge of a patient’s health? If you care about real health and wellness, this is the episode for you.

This week’s episode features our friend Megan Leskody. Megan is a nutrition coach, an employee with Lululemon, and an avid “retired” exercise racer. Megan goes into detail about her nutrition journey from anorexia/bulimia to viewing eating as a source of fuel for optimal physical performance. She also talk candidly about the unsettling effects that high levels of performance can have on a body. This one is a must listen.

Sure it's the longest name you've ever heard, but if you follow CrossFit in the Phoenix area you most likely *have* heard of him -- you just probably know him simply as "Banks". In our first drop-in podcast at Octane CrossFit in Phoenix, we talk with Banks about all the things. Specifically, we dive into what it takes to become an effective influencer in your community, and how to craft a personal or business brand that has major staying power. Banks is high-energy inside and outside the gym. Buckle up!

We know it's not the 4th of July, but we've still got quite a firecracker on the show today: Olivia Michie. Olivia is one of our youngest Fury members and just loves coming to Student Athlete each week. But she's not only coming for fun, she has bigger aspirations -- to one day join the ranks of the fittest women in the sport of CrossFit. Just listen and you'll know what we mean.

This episode is a short promo for the 9/11 Tower Challenge presented by the 100 Club of Arizona and The Fighter Country Partnership. If you're in the Phoenix, Tucson, or Flagstaff areas, we hope you consider signing up. For those of you oustide of Arizona, these events are taking place all over the country -- find one near you and show your support!

This episode features Fury's wisest member, Michael Pekar. Mike just turned 80 years old this year and celebrated with a special birthday WOD he programmed himself. Mike is not only a CrossFit veteran, but he's a Navy veteran as well. He tells us about what life was like on a Vietnam-era aircraft carrier and all the things he has done since. We aren't even going to try to list the things Mike has done in his life, you're just going to have to listen to find out. Did we mention that he also has a tattoo of the Fury F-bomb logo? Yeah, you're going to love this episode!

On this week's episode we celebrate 10,000 downloads by answering questions from YOU! We talked about our favorite hotdog toppings, our why’s, who we would want on our team for a zombie apocalypse, obviously more FOOD, and introduced our 3rd amigo! Big thanks to everyone who has supported us thus far! We can’t thank you all enough for listening to our episodes and sharing The Forging Fury Podcast! We loved having our listeners involved, and look forward to more episodes like this one! So here’s to 10K more! Special shout-out to everyone who submitted questions and tuned in for our Instagram Live show!

Today's episode features F-35 fighter pilot Jared "Smoke" McAulay, a key member of the tip of the spear for the United States Air Force. We dig deep into what it takes to become an elite figter pilot, how to develop skills that give you the confidence to be a leader of leaders, and what the military is doing to promote better fitness and nutrition in its personnel.

This week we meet Coach Reilly’s *real* best friend, Joey Pellegrino (sorry, Michael). Joey has been in the coaching industry for 10+ years, and has played a key role in Reilly’s development as an athlete and coach! We talk values, nutrition, and taking ownership of the things you struggle with. This episode is sure to initiate some deep internal dialogue!

Booty, booty, booty rockin’ everywhere...or not. Things get *weird* this week as Michael and Reilly discuss 2010 CrossFit Games Champion Graham Holberg’s controversial decision on banning “booty” shorts and shirtless exercising at his Ohio CrossFit affiliate. As you can imagine two dudes discussing booty shorts can get awkwardly funny, so be sure click the link in our bio to listen. What are your thoughts on this new dress code? Let us know in the comments!

Legal weed. That's right, we tackled the issue. This segment stems from the original interview we did with Lisa Brockman. The topic of legalizing marijuana came up and we thought it deserved its own episode, so we made it into an 8-Minute AMRAP. What say you?

Today we interview Lisa Brockman, long-time Fury member and Phoenix PD detective. We talk about what it's like going through the Academy, what life is like on the beat, in SWAT, and we even get into her past as a [ahem] prostitute. In addition to the interesting stories of her life on the police force, Lisa also shares her journey of returning to CrossFit after a long break and explains what it takes to get back into the groove after being away so long. Since returning to the box, Lisa has shed about 80 lbs of weight and is now in the best shape of her life.

We’re on the road again! This week we dropped back into CrossFit Incendia to talk with Amanda Walker, a woman on mission to help women FEEL amazing naked. She talks about getting out of your own way, reconnecting with your body, and rewiring your brain to push negative thoughts out. A fellow CrossFit coach and host of the Feel Amazing Naked Podcast, Amanda, Reilly, and Michael discuss how finding value in yourself doesn’t lie with your physical attributes, but what’s on this inside.

We're rolling out our very first "Drop-in Podcast" episode by interviewing one of Arizona's most loved news anchors, Andrea Robinson! If you've lived in Phoenix for any amount of time and had to be concerned about traffic on the way in to work, you most likely got the lowdown from Andrea. As a former morning show host and traffic maven, you know she's helped hundreds of thousands of people navigate the Arizona roadways. What you may not know is that about a year ago Andrea left her 14-year high-profile career in news to pursue some bigger plans. In this episode, we dive into that transition, what motivated it, and the choices she made years earlier in order to even make it possible for that to happen. Oh, and she's also a CrossFitter (how else do you think she grew those on-air guns?). Enjoy!

A little twist to our regular format today: Reilly and Michael get into a little debate about something we all encounter on a daily basis: combating a negative body image. This discussion was sparked by a recent Instagram post Michael put up where he was outwardly critical about an aspect of his physique that has been struggling with since college. Take a listen and let us know which side of the the debate you fall on.

At long last, Fury owner Peter Egyed joins us on the 'cast! This episode gets into the grass roots of CrossFit Fury and the process and experiences Peter went through to get this ball rolling. We also discuss the two new additions to the Egyed family and what it's like to face uncertainty and a sense of helplessness when medical complications strike. Finally, we look forward to what the next decade holds for CrossFit Fury and discuss its place in the development of the City of Goodyear's Wellspring Park project.

Today on the Forging Fury Podcast, we are joined by Fury member Dominick DeRaimo. Dom is a very familiar face at Fury not only because he works out regularly, but because he also spends a lot of time after classes and on weekends doing a wide variety of handyman and repair projects around the gym. Dom's CrossFit story not only involves a weight loss turnaround of nearly 80 lbs., but he also dives into how CrossFit helped him kick (and continually helps him kick) a very serious drug addiction. Dom's raw, open honesty provides a clear insight to what it's like dealing with addiction and how refocussing your mind and body toward better things can bring about healing.

University of Georgia Hall of Fame volleyball player Priscilla Tallman (Pacheco) joins us on the show today. She tells us what life was like being recruited for and playing D1 volleyball (and beyond) and what it takes to be successful at such an elite level. Priscilla also gets into her love for sports psychology and how we can intentionally instill healthy mindsets in our kids as they develop their athletic sides. With Reilly being a big Florida Gators fan, you can imagine that this interview will have a few friendly pot-shots. Go Dawgs!