As a football player, he barely received playing time in high school, got laughed at for it, and still kept showing up. Greg Harrell joins us on The Klimb to tell the full story of how a kid from rural North Carolina went from the “number one benchwarmer” to junior college standout, Maryland Terrapin, NFL player, and ultimately an Olympic bobsled athlete.

We talk honestly about the parts people skip: waiting while others shine, fighting comparison, and building confidence before you have proof. Greg opens up about a devastating ACL injury at Maryland and the mindset that carried him through rehab, including late-night stadium steps and a commitment to being comfortable being uncomfortable. If you’re navigating injury recovery, a career setback, or a season that feels unfair, his lessons on patience, perseverance, and faith land with real weight.

During his journey, Greg also shares his experience as an armored truck driver, where he was recognized for his professionalism, and keeps training because he believes another door will open. It does, through mentorship and a bobsled tryout that puts him alongside world-class athletes, plus a high-stakes arbitration fight just to compete. We close with a speed round on success, failure, family, and how to keep climbing when life hits speed bumps.

If this conversation helps you, share it with someone who needs fuel, subscribe to The Klimb, and leave a review so more climbers can find these stories.

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Contact Greg here: gregharrellinc@gmail.com

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A childhood tragedy can echo for decades, even when someone looks “fine” on the outside. Our guest, Phil Coles, is the kind of man people naturally root for, but he shares a truth that stunned us: at six years old, he witnessed his father drown, and the trauma shaped his identity, relationships, and choices in ways he didn’t fully understand until much later. We talk openly about grief, blocked memories, and what it means to function with a mask while still showing up as the “good guy” everyone expects.

You’ll also hear about Phil's internal struggles with addiction despite being a stand-out basketball player at Robert Morris University. Phil connects the dots between unresolved pain and substance abuse, explains why addiction is often about the wound beneath the habit, and shares how serious medical crises, including silent heart attacks and a life-altering battle with West Nile virus, forced him to rebuild from the inside out.

We go deep on faith-based recovery, resilience, self-care, and the practical values Phil now calls non-negotiables: integrity, transparency, and letting your word be your bond. He also breaks down the heart behind his books Bruised But Not Forsaken By God and I Got Next, written to help people navigate pain and life transitions with hope and direction.

If you’ve been carrying something quietly or you love someone who is, press play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more climbers can find stories like Phil’s. What part of his climb connects most with yours?

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Interested in Phil's books? Contact him here @ phillipc842@gmail.com

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A football scholarship was on the table, then one reckless moment flipped everything. Jeffrey Garza Walker survived a horrific rollover that fractured his skull, kept him in the hospital for a month, and ended his athletic future overnight. What happens next is the kind of story you do not forget: on the morning he was scheduled for a life-altering surgery, he says he woke up healed.

Adrian Branch and Jeffrey walk through the real work that followed the miracle. We talk about growing up working class in Billings, Montana, being raised by a single mom and grandparents, and learning to dream bigger than your environment. Jeffrey shares how bodybuilding gave him a new target after the crash, how the YMCA shaped his commitment to service, and how living overseas in Mexico and Spain widened his view of leadership, culture, and purpose (including an unforgettable 1992 Barcelona Olympics moment).

Then we get into the business side of resilience. Jeffrey describes the rise and fall of real estate during the 2008 recession, the emotional cost of chasing success alone, and why building teams and mentoring others matters in an industry where commercial real estate is still overwhelmingly dominated by white males. He also breaks down his daily discipline routine: 3:30 a.m. prayer and meditation, 4:00 a.m. gym, and a mindset built around “faith, family, community.”

If you care about mindset, leadership, faith, discipline, and overcoming adversity, this conversation will meet you where you are and challenge you to keep climbing. Subscribe to The Klimb, share this with a friend who needs a second wind, and leave a review with the habit you are committing to next.

Keep Klimbing!

Follow Jeffrey here: https://www.instagram.com/jgwsomo

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