I believe my story is much like most men. I grew up with dreams of doing exciting, unique and meaningful things with my life. I was successful in high school, attended colleges with strong reputations realizing undergrad and graduate degrees and have been climbing the corporate ladder for about 25 years. I married my college girlfriend and am a father of two (a daughter and a son almost fully out in the real world, almost!). During much of their youth, I didn't have much time to focus on me, my health or my personal achievements.  My achievements were family and work.

 

Then like most men do, I woke up one day realized I was in my 40's and I had been not been living life to the fullest, I did not have any significant "personal" achievement to my name.  That "oh shit" moment just happened to coincide with health scare that was Covid, and that combination is what really woke me up and kicked me into gear. During that period, I started working out regularly, lost weight and signed up for one of those extreme obstacle course races in Canada (par for the course for a mid-life moment). But then I started doing more and more (surfing, skiing, scuba, traveling) but realized that doing those at my current level were not worthy of being called life achievements and that they did not fulfill all aspects of my being as a man.

 

Therefore, I had the idea to create series of trials for myself across a variety of disciplines that could only be completed with substantial effort, discipline and mastery and that in aggregate would create an undeniably awesome life resume. That idea became the foundation of The Armored 8, which I believe can lead to the renaissance of men in a similar situation.