Chris & Friends Chris Fluck

In this episode I sit down with a former coach of mine and someone I consider to be a friend and mentor Ben Chunko. Ben is the owner and head coach at Grit Mat Club located in Bethlehem, PA.
We touched on so many great topics and I think it is an episode all parents of athletes should listen to. One of my big takeaways was the importance of showing kids how to act. It is not "do as I say" but rather "watch what I do". If you can show the kids how to win, how to lose, how to train, how to learn, how to have discipline, they will then pick up on that and it will become a part of their lifestyle and help pave the way for success on and off the mat.
Ben has been walking the walk in this area for a long time and he greatly influenced me as an athlete and a coach. I am more than happy to see the success his program is having. He is a great asset to the community he serves and the sport of wrestling in general.
I hope you enjoy this one!

In this episode, Marisa and myself tackle many subjects over the course of this 75 minute episode.
We break down what exactly Marisa’s credentials, you get a glimpse of my “skill” in avoiding uncomfortable topics, parenting, getting berated by a coach, and so much more! 
I hope you enjoy!

Hello everyone, welcome to the 12th episode of the Chris & Friends podcast!
In this episode, I share about my experience of getting shingles, break down the highlights from the past five guests, and share a story about the American Civil War that asks the question: Can we have peace without forgiveness?
I hope you all enjoy this episode!

One of the perks of doing this podcast is taking 75 minutes to sit down with a friend and just explore a variety of conversations. Molly and I live in the same neck of the woods but often times when we see each other, it is usually in passing or the conversations are rushed as we are doing something else. But not this time!
A recurring theme is in this conversation is that life has many stages. For Molly, she was a Division 1 runner who nearly ran the Olympic qualifying time for the marathon, then an educator, then a parent, and now she is finding time to pursue what she is truly passionate about: a career in fitness and coaching endurance to accomplish whatever it is they are pursuing.
I had a few favorite moments during this talk. The first part revolved around being a parent and navigating things like creating healthy habits, being careful using the word "should", coaching your children, and encouraging them to be on a constant quest to explore the many different things life has to offer.
The second part which happened to be my favorite was comparing life with being a house with many rooms. What this means is that you should not let one thing (or room) define who you are because what if that is taken away from you one day? This is a topic that can be applied to athletics, teaching, parenting, coaching, and even just being a lifelong pursuer of learning and experimenting with things.

In this episode, I meet with the man who gave me my first job in the world of Strength & Conditioning, Jason Brader. His resume is very impressive. He was one of the first guys in the area who really focused on building high level athletes and over the course of his career, has worked with thousands of high school, college and professional athletes.
If you can sum up Jason's life in one way it is facing and overcoming hardship. From working a newspaper route 7 days a week as a teen, to losing both parents as a high school student, to becoming a record setting running and All-American to adulthood where drinking and gambling really started to impact his life in a terrible way, Jason has been tested time and time again.
Some of my favorite parts of this episode is our discussion on manufactured hardship versus authentic hardship, moving through life with no safety nets, and filling the void within with the external (which doesn't serve you), rather than focusing inward.

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to meet Haley at one of our wonderful barn events. As the day was coming to a close, a few people stuck around to chat and this is where the conversations started to get a little more interesting. It is also where I got to know Haley. To say this women is multifaceted would be an understatement. She is a kindergarten teacher, a bodybuilder, a personal trainer and most recently, she added holistic health practitioner to her resume with a focus on breath work.
We covered a lot of topics over the course of 70 minutes but I will do my best to summarize. At one time in her life, Haley felt that she was not being heard. She was experiencing things that were not normal and felt stuck in life. She had a choice to make: accept my current lot or look for ways to change. She chose change and that decision led her on her ever evolving current path.
One thing that came perfectly clear over this episode is that Haley has a primal drive to serve others and is a seeker of knowledge. It was a fun chat, one in which I hope you all enjoy!