“When you guide somebody, there is a bond that’s formed that undeniable to know that they couldn’t have done it without you and also that you’re doing it because of them as well.”

Dr. Joe Park is a good friend of mine and some of you might know of him from his time on Tayshia Adams’ season of The Bachelorette or his brief stint on the latest season of Bachelor In Paradise. But he’s more than just a reality TV show contestant. He’s a full-time anesthesiologist and interventional pain specialist in New York City. He’s one of the nicest guys out there and you’ll hear a couple of stories of why that’s the case. He and I will be running the NYC Marathon together next weekend and hoping to run under 3 hours and 30 minutes. He is fundraising for Achilles International, whose mission is to transform the lives of people with disabilities through athletic programs and social connections. There are 28 chapters in 19 states. Joe has been a guide for the New York City chapter before and in this episode, you’ll learn a lot about the power a guide can have on an athlete living with a disability.

Click here to contribute to Dr. Joe’s fundraiser.

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Photo by Johnny Zhang/@jzsnapz

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THANK YOU TRACKSMITH

Tracksmith is a Boston-based running brand, who crafts performance apparel for training, racing and rest days. With fall races quickly approaching they know race day is as much about reaching the finish line as it is about the consistency and determination it takes to get to the start. Gear up for going far with their Marathon Collection full of running essentials and check out the Tracksmith Journal for some marathon tips from the Tracksmith team. Listeners get 15% off their purchase using code CITIUS15 at checkout. Visit Tracksmith.com today.

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NOTABLE QUOTES AND NOTES

– “It is a light in New York City. In this rough, fast-paced, sometimes-angry, gritty place, there is a lot of kindness, compassion and giving. Just to be surrounded by those people is an amazing feeling. You get to run and take care of your physical activity for the day. I’ve loved guiding and going to practices.”

– “It makes me feel good to be able to see other people do well, especially if it’s because of you. There is a selfish selflessness…The athletes that I’ve worked with are really grateful that guides will take the time to train with them and race with them but it is reciprocated too. You feel honored that they would trust you to guide them through this. If you’ve ever walked a block, sometimes for fun I’ll walk with my eyes closed, it’s scary. To know that you can run with somebody while surrounded by a ton of people for however long it is a 5K, 10K or half marathon, it takes a lot of trust and that should be earned.”