Episode 14 with Stew Smith (Stewsmithfitness.com and former Navy Seal)

1) Tell me a little about yourself and how long have you or served
behind the front line for? In What capacity? I graduated from the
US Naval Academy in 1991, went to SEAL training. Graduated SEAL
training in 1992 and was active in the SEAL Teams until 1999. I
drove mini-subs at first then went back to the Naval Academy as a
pre-SEAL training instructor until 1999. It was a different world
in the 90s that after 9-11. Got married, started having kids in
1999 and resigned from the Navy. Mainly me leaving was a
combination of my personal commitment to the job and injuries
(shoulder, lower back, ankle, knee). See -
http://www.military.com/military-fitness/navy-special-operations/20-years-of-periodization-training
2)What was the hardest time of your life? What tools did you use to
get through it? I have had challenges in both college and Navy
life, but nothing as difficult as having four close family members
suffer from cancer in 3 years. Mom, sister, father in law, brother
in law were all fighting cancer at the same time. My sister was the
only one to make it out alive. Not an easy time as my young kids
had to see this as well. But with faith, family, fitness
(*de-stressing) and time you get through things like this.  
3) What are your greatest successes? Several. I can look back and
see that getting accepted and graduating from the Naval Academy and
then SEAL Training has made me who I am to some degree. I also was
able to take a hobby and make it a profession. Being able to do
something I love to do for the past 20 years has been a blessing
and a great success for my family and me. I truly workout and write
about it for a living. Books, eBooks, Articles, APPs, as well as
speaking engagements and a Podcast – Tactical Fitness Report - have
turned my writing into speaking and sharing it a wide variety of
methods. 4)Now that you have experienced life a little, what would
you tell your 20-year- old self? Well, I met my wife 30 years ago.
I would definitely say to my 19-year-old self – “don’t let this one
go.” Being a writer, I always have written down everything I have
ever done (workouts/fitness.) I would also tell myself to continue
that these “writings/notes” will become a database that has turned
into ten published books and over 40 self-published books on
fitness training for military, police, and fire fighter training
programs. Also – invest in APPLE and AMAZON. 5)Who is your greatest
role model and why? Teddy Roosevelt – A scholar-athlete who set the
standard in all he did. President, environmentalist, warrior, Medal
of Honor, Nobel Peace Prize, and creator of one of my favorite
quotes: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points
out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could
have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is
actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and
blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and
again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;
but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great
enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy
cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high
achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails
while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those
cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” 6)Any
particular stories that stand out from your days serving? How has
fitness played a role in it? Nothing specific: In the Navy SEAL
profession, fitness is part of the job regardless of what you do.
Getting to areas of operation requires stamina and endurance as the
transits can take not just hours but days. Your ability to handle
these stresses are directly tied to your fitness and abilities. But
in any tactical profession, as you know, the difference between
life and death, saving someone or not are directly related to one’s
fitness abilities. Strength, power, endurance, stamina, speed,
agility, mob