The Jedburgh Podcast Fran Racioppi

Sometimes it doesn’t go according to the plan. Roman Khrennikov came to CrossFit Games 2023 with one goal in mind…to win at all costs. He led the field in nearly every event for three days opening a commanding lead. Until he scaled a log on the first event of the final day…

In this precursor episode from day two of the games, Fran Racioppi and Jessie Graff sit down with Roman from the US Army Fitness Truck in Madison, WI to dive deep into his journey of drive, dedication, determination, resilience and pursuit of excellence. Roman shares how he overcame visa challenges to even compete in the games, forcing him to leave his wife and unborn son in Russia. He shares his decision to change coaches in the lead up to the games, his training mindset, his focus on competing in the moment instead of comparing himself to the past, and how dancing helped him become a better athlete. Roman also explains his thoughts on injury and how to deal with the adversity of not achieving your goals.  

Roman earned the bronze medal and is the recipient of the coveted Spirit of the Games award after a historic performance demonstrating his mindset to compete to win no matter the challenge; which for Roman in these games included competing in the final two events with a broken foot and torn ligament. He’s a true champion on and off the competition floor inspiring others through his incredible story of triumph and perseverance in the world of elite fitness.
 
Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.
 
Highlights:
0:00 Welcome to CrossFit Games 2023 Opening Ceremonies1:48 Roman’s mindset coming into the games as a favorite3:26 From dancing to CrossFit6:52 Roman can’t get his visa to come to America9:51 Why Roman left Russia and his family to train in the US13:14 Roman’s training mindset to prepare for the games16:27 Managing training to avoid injury18:10 Roman’s plan to win the games
Quotes: 
“Be kind. Help Others.It really, really makes my soul happy.” (9:34) “Don’t cheat yourself. Work really hard. Put 100% in.” (15:54) “Sometimes you can win. Sometimes you can lose. Sometimes you can get injured. It’s a part of the sport.” (16:13) “When I go to competitions I’m going to win.” (19:36) “I think about the competition as of today. I don’t compare myself to the past.” (20:03)
This episode is brought to you by US Army, Wodify, Hero Coffee, GORUCK, Yeti &  Compass Workforce Solutions.

Win the fight on the front lines of our inner cities. That’s the mission of the Green Beret Project. In every corner of the world America’s Green Berets win the fight on the front lines of battle, but what if we deployed that same power that builds and empowers foreign armies to empower, mentor, transform and grow leaders in our inner city youth. 

Fran Racioppi kicks off The Jedburgh Podcast coverage of the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games from the US Army Fitness Truck in Madison, WI with Adam Kramer, Jaylen Powell and Kaseem Cotton of the Green Beret Project. Adam serves as the executive director responsible for turning boys like Jaylen and Kaseem into responsible adults who understand the value of community, hard work and responsibility. 

Adam shares how his journey from a federal penitentiary has provided the credibility and experience needed to identify with underserved youth. Jaylen and Kaseem discuss how the program has kept them off the streets and provided an alternative option to crime, drugs and gangs as they prepare for college this fall. 

Learn more about Green Beret Project and empower the next generation of leaders. 
 
Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.
 

Highlights:
0:00 Welcome toCrossFit Games 2023 and Be All You Be3:45 Green Beret Project’s Programs5:09 Getting kids off the streets10:29 Growing up and learning from the streets, selling drugs and prison15:29 Bringing inner city kids together with law enforcement 17:30 Learning life skills and growing through CrossFit22:50 College football and carpentry31:04 How to support the Green Beret Project 34:21 Adam, Jalyen and Kaseem’s three daily foundations to success 

Quotes: 
“The mission: identifying young males that need strong men in their life.” (2:48)“I don’t want to be that. I have a job now…this is gonna get me off the streets.” (6:25) “It made me become a man. It made me have a bigger mentality than what I had before.” (8:21)“Working with the local [police department] is helping break down barriers in the community.” (16:21) “What drives me to be better is knowing that you’re better than me.”  (23:24) “I want to be on his level or stronger. I don’t want him to keep saying he’s stronger than me.” (28:17) “A lot of kids in my school, their main goal is to be a pro athlete or a gang banger.”(29:31)
This episode is brought to you by US Army, Wodify, Hero Coffee, GORUCK, Yeti &  Compass Workforce Solutions.

What happens to the children of our service members when they make the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom and American way of life? Who makes sure they’re taken care of, have a bright future and are afforded every opportunity to be successful in life? 

In this episode, Fran Racioppi dives into the incredible work of Children of Fallen Patriots, an organization dedicated to providing educational support to the children of fallen service members. Fran is joined by Fallen Patriots’ Development Officer, Colonel Jeanette McMahon from Pepisco Headquarters to celebrate the 2023 culmination of Rolling Remembrance, Pepsico’s cross-country journey to honor the American Flag, the heroes who defend it, and the children who are left behind.  

Jeanette and her children are themselves the Gold Star Family of LTC Michael McMahon. She shares with Fran their “growth of grief” as the emotional toll of loss changes as children grow up.  Jeanette was a West Point graduate and one of the first women in US Army Aviation. Today, she works to ensure every child of our fallen has access to an education. 

Learn more about Fallen Patriots and get involved in the education of our next generation of leaders. 
 
Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.
 

Highlights:
0:00 Welcome to Rolling Remembrance and Pepsi Headquarters 1:31 Losing a parent in the line of duty4:10 America’s future relies on the education of our youth 9:21 COL Jeanette McMahon leads women in Army Aviation12:12 Remembering LTC Michael McMahon14:43 How children grieve at every milestone of life19:04 Rolling Remembrance results in over $2M in Pepsico support23:05 Get involved to support the children of our fallen
 

Quotes: 
“Children of Fallen Patriots provides that debt free college education for those students who have lost a parent in the line of duty.” (2:20)“Our future of our country relies on our youth.” (7:15)“I think you just kind of go into automatic survival mode; especially a mom with kids. You have to get them through it.” (14:13)“It’s a growth of grief…children go through those stages but their brain actually develops and is now able to understand it at a different level. “ (14:55)“It stops at 60 places across the country. It just literally drives from state to state.” (21:05)“All the folks that we hire as scholarship administrators are Gold Star Kids themselves and have received scholarships.” (22:27)“We have 12,000 kids in our system. We know there’s 25,000 out there.” (23:45
This episode is brought to you by Compass Workforce Solutions.

Nobody cares what you can do fresh. The GORUCK Games takes grit, endurance and a willingness to run with a mouthful of water.  Anything Special Forces are on the table. 

To close out the 2nd Annual Sandlot Jax and GORUCK Games, Fran Racioppi and Jessie Graff dive into this two-part episode explaining all things GORUCK Games with the GORUCK founders that created them and the 2023 Champions who tackled the event head on. 

GORUCK Founders Jason and Emily McCarthy, as well as Sandlot Technology Founder B.J. Naedele share the theory behind the games, the savage thought-process they took to design the events and why camaraderie is fostered through military-inspired training and a few fist bumps. 

In the second part, 2023 Champions Carly Wopat and Matt Kempson shut down the games as they recap their personal journeys that included a 100 lb ruck run, false finishes, knot tying, hand-to-hand combat, and moving 3000 lbs of sandbags.  Carly shares her career as a professional beach volleyball player and a firefighter, while Matt explains how building the foundation to his house was the key to winning the final event. 

Learn more about Carly Wopat, Matt Kempson and the GORUCK Games.
 
Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.
 

Highlights:
0:00 Welcome to the 2023 GORUCK Games Finals2:01 All Special Forces training is fair game5:38 Making the GORUCK Games grittier while welcoming the masses8:46 The Sandlot App and the dehumanization of social media 15:33 Defining the “Fist Bump”21:42 The hidden gem of the FitTalks 29:34 What to expect at the GORUCK Games Finals34:15 Who is Carly Wopat? Volleyball player, firefighter, athlete40:21 Matt Kempson leaves a legacy with knots45:38 GORUCK Games events explained56:57 Can you run with a mouthful of water, fight and hold sandbags?1:12:04 Coming back next year? 

Quotes: 
“Anything that they would train us to do in Special Forces is fair game.” (2:24) “What’s a fist bump worth? That’s what you do with your friends.“ (11:09) “Everyone was probably like ok this volleyball girl is gonna tap out on the first endurance race.” (35:36) “There’s a big difference between 3rd and 1st…I was on a mission.” (42:17) “I can’t not do my best.” (49:44) “I can't control how he’s gonna do. I can only control how I’m gonna do.  I’m just gonna go until I die.” (1:00:00)
This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, Compass Workforce Solutions and GORUCK.

Water is the great equalizer. For most, it’s where our true limits are found, tested and overcome. Where failure becomes the stepping stone to greatness. 

In this episode, PJ Nestler, the Director of Performance at XPT: Extreme Performance Training, joined Fran Racioppi and Jessie Graff on the final day of the 2023 Sandlot Jax and GORUCK Games to share how the highest achievers embrace discomfort to win no matter the challenge. 

PJ coaches athletes in the NFL, NHL, MLB and UFC and reveals the secrets behind XPT's unique training philosophy including their Performance Model of Breath, Move, Recover, Fuel & Connect. Founded by elite athletes Laird Hamilton and Gabby Reese, XPT puts water at the center of their training model, forcing athletes to face their fears early and often to build a foundation of hard work and resilience aimed at dealing with everyday life.

PJ also illustrates how making gains requires a deliberate process, variation in our training and a focus on building connections with ourselves, others and purpose beyond our own goals. We can be great at one thing, but versatility across many things is the key to longevity and overall health.

Learn more about XPT and  PJ Nestler on the web or follow them on social media. 
 
Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version of our conversation on YouTube.
 

Highlights:
0:00 Welcome to The Jedburgh Podcast and the ice bath2:42 Laird Hamilton & Gabby Reese found XPT Fitness6:15 Why breathwork is the foundation of performance 11:47 How variable fitness improves health 15:00 Doing fitness vs having a plan20:02 The benefits of the ice bath23:09 How connection increases performance28:46 How to translate training discomfort to life 
 
Quotes: 
“How can we be better parents? How can we be better business people?” (3:05)“Your breathing can either be a weakness or a weapon.” (6:54) “Movement should be variable. Let’s look at the things you’re not developing.” (12:37)“Just doing a bunch of fitness is like driving randomly and hoping you’re going to get to a destination.” (15:05)“All these people are probably the weirdos in their neighborhood.” (25:10)“We will find your failure limit very quickly.” (29:47)

PJ’s Three Pillars of Connection
Connection to self Connection to othersConnecting to something outside themself
This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, Compass Workforce Solutions and GORUCK.

Getting fit doesn’t require tons of time and equipment. It takes consistency and the commitment to just do something. Fitness knows no boundaries. 

Miranda Alcaraz, the Founder and CEO of Street Parking, joined Fran Racioppi and Jessie Graff on the final day of 2023 Sandlot Jax and GORUCK Games to explain how to find a workout out in any location or circumstance. Miranda shared the philosophy behind Street Parking and her vision after years of competing in CrossFit. 

She emphasized the need to embrace real-life challenges and adapt workouts to fit our changing lifestyles; which often includes our children in our fitness routines and challenges the notion that interruptions should hinder progress. With Street Parking, there are no excuses, no limitations, and no compromises on their drive to create a supportive and inclusive community that values every member's unique journey. 

Learn more about Miranda Alcaraz and Street Parking on the web or follow them on social media. 
 
Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights:
0:00 Welcome to The Jedburgh Podcast 4:21 Getting great results with minimal time and equipment7:31 Stop putting workouts on the pedestal12:18 Tailoring workouts and removing the leaderboard 14:44 Redefining virtual training and the Street Parking App19:38 The explosive growth of Street Parking25:18 Street Parking In The Wild Tour27:18 Three Daily Foundations to Success 
Quotes: 
“I knew that with very simple workouts, you get really great results with minimal time and equipment.” (4:28)“What I truly believe is missing for most people is just consistency.” (6:21)“Don’t mistake duration for effort.” (9:43)“We got rid of our leaderboard completely.” (13:33)“On the app today there’s three versions of the daily workout…based on the equipment that you have.” (17:48)“When the pandemic happened we didn’t have to change anything.” (22:07)
Miranda Alcaraz’s Three Daily Foundations to Success
MoveSpend focused, quality time with familyWrite down something positive 
This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, Compass Workforce Solutions and GORUCK.