Faces of Veterans - Episode 4: Justin Hall

In this episode, our hosts Mike Nelson and Steve Willet interview Justin Hall, an Army veteran with some stories of courage and hope to tell! They discuss his post-military health problems, his wonderful service dog Rosa, his non-profit Jiu Jitsu organization, and more in this inspiring episode!

A GLENS FALLS TODAY PRODUCTION

NOTE: The opinions reflected in this podcast are not indicative of the views of Saratoga Business Report, SaratogaBride.com LLC, Saratoga TODAY, Glens Falls TODAY, or Spa City Digital.

00:06 - Introduction: Welcome Back, Steve!

00:31 - A Brief Introduction to Justin Hall

01:51 - Justin’s Injuries: Started With Side Effects From an Anthrax Vaccine!

05:30 - Steve’s Vaccination Tale: Deployment Can Entail Dozens of Shots - With Plenty of Side Effects!

07:35 - The BioThrax Tragedy

08:51 - Refusing Shots: Not an Option in the Military! Vaccination or Discharge!

09:55 - Multiple Sclerosis in Veterans is Becoming Unfortunately Common…

10:58 - Justin’s Jiu Jitsu Training!

12:58 - Rosa the Service Dog: The Best Friend a Guy Could Have!

14:02 - Mike Cannot Guess Weight

14:12 - How Rosa Can Detect and Help Justin with his PTSD Episodes: Wonder Dog!

15:43 - One Size Does Not Necessarily Fit All: Service Dogs are VERY Specifically Trained!

16:24 - Rosa the Key: Opening Justin’s Doors!

18:15 - How Medical Conditions Can Make You Feel Like a Prisoner…

19:01 - … But Your Emotions are the Cage!

19:57 - How Justin Gained the Power to Break That Cage…

20:59 - … With His Passion for Jiu Jitsu, and a Dedicated Team Who Shared That Passion!

22:59 - Starting at White Belt and Working Your Way Up: A Rewarding Journey!

24:48 - Jiu Jitsu Scholarships - Available, Particularly to Veterans!

25:06 - A Visit From Nicholas Rahn of Warrior’s Next Adventure!

26:51 - Camaraderie: Easy to Find in the Military, Precious on the Outside!

27:47 - If You Don’t Do It… Who Will?

28:03 - Justin’s Non-Profit Venture: Hosting Jiu Jitsu Competitions to Raise Veteran Suicide Awareness!

29:01 - Use the Bait to Better Spread the Message: Awareness is Awareness However it’s Gained!

30:47 - Rolling With Strangers: A Scary Challenge With Growth Potential Abound!

32:20 - Bad Eggs Don’t Spoil the Bunch: Very Good Sportsmanship on Average in Jiu Jitsu!

33:45 - 22 Tournaments: Operation “Rolling for Resilience”

35:45 - From Tournament Series to Non-Profit Organization: Amazing Progress!

37:03 - One Key Piece of Advice: You’re Not Alone! Reach Out and Get Help!

39:00 - Making the Connection: When it Was Time to Meet Rosa

41:38 - How Physical Fitness Can Help Improve Your Mental Health, Too!

42:35 - Improving Mental Health is Not “A Moment” - It’s Conscious, Consistent Effort Over Whatever Period is Necessary!

43:42 - Don’t Give Up! Tomorrow is Another Day, and An Hour From Now is Another Hour!

45:03 - Fatherhood: Worth All the Effort!

45:45 - Closing Remarks: How to Get in Touch