Monster Mike Schultz - Part Two

The conclusion of our two-part Mike Schultz series! Mike is a 2x Paralympic Medalist in Snowboard who also created his own brand of prosthetic sporting equipment called BioDapt. Competitors on the biggest world stages use Mike's BioDapt equipment to perform at the highest levels. Listen to the final episode of Mike's conversation with us!

Connect with Mike Schultz:
Website
Facebook
Instagram

Want to be a guest on our show?  Connect with us at:
Website
Facebook
LinkedIn
X
Instagram

Transcript

Intro: 0:00

Welcome back to Disability Talks, a podcast produced by Abilities in Motion, a Center for Independent Living located in Reading, Pennsylvania. I'm your host, Ed Granger, and today is part two of our podcast with the remarkable Mike Schultz, who shares more of his journey from professional snowmobile racer to amputee to gold medal winning Paralympian.

Ed: 0:19

I think, I think you said in 2014 in Sochi, in your book, there were no other, or there were no US team members that were actually using, uh, the equipment that you designed. I think you had some clients, but they were there for, you know, competing for other nations. And then that starts to change over the year. So as that's changing, you know, you are, what you're able to contribute is actually becoming part of someone else's dream. So, you know, as competitive as you are, you're contributing to them getting to pursue their dreams and goals. And how important is that to you?

Mike: 0:48

Uh, it's so big. Winning medals is, it feels good, but when you can really make a positive impact on somebody else that goes, that goes deeper at a different level. And when I go to the races, and, and so in 2018 in Pyeongchang, when I won a gold and silver, I think there was 11 or 12 athletes or so using equipment, maybe it was a little bit higher than that. And then now here in Beijing 2022, there was 26 athletes from 11 countries. And so basically everybody I was personally racing against that was an amputee, was wearing equipment I built in my shop and the majority of all the other classes as well. And so it, it's, it's so much fun to be able to walk around the staging area and chat with all these athletes and give'em high fives. You know, I gotta wear two hats. I have my, my monster Mike hat, the competitor, and then I've got my BioDapt business hat on. So, you know, it's always like, I wanna try and separate those two because, uh, you know, if it was, if it was full monster Mike, I wouldn't, you know, like, heck no, I'm not gonna help my competitors get faster than I am. Um, so it's a fine line then I, I continually balance, but I, and I, I wouldn't give it up for anything. It's, uh, it's very rewarding at multiple levels.

Ed: 2:07

And, and you did actually, uh, point to your knee after you, uh, after your, your silver medal. So was that a monster or was that marketing Mike, at that point? Were you looking after your business interest? What was your decision making along, along those lines? You know, being the, the only athlete there where your prosthesis was visible?

Mike: 2:24

Yeah, that, so that there's, there's a couple reasons for that. You know, the, the other guys that I was raised for, like Ty Turner, he was on our equipment, you know, he just uses the feet. Um, so that's obviously not gonna be visible. Yeah. Who, uh, yeah, Ty Turner and, uh, Woo. Yeah, he was ak, but you know, he didn't show up. But for me personally, like I, I like showing my equipment because it, it shows the viewers what they're, what they're watching, you know, if they can see that I have a prosthetic leg, you know, from my knee down, it, it changes their, their thought processors or their perspective of what they're watching if they, you know, they see a guy who is fully covered, they like, don't know what his disability is. So when they watch me, they can see, yeah, I'm, I'm an above knee amputee, and wow, look at him, fly over those jumps and those rollers and flying down the course. So it just helps our sport in my mind. Uh, it helps the audience understand what they're watching. And then of course, you know, me being the designer and builder of this equipment, I'm like, yeah, I wanna, I wanna show it off. It's, it's cool stuff.<laugh>.

Ed: 3:30

Absolutely. So, you know, we, you sort of already, you know, mentioned that, uh, Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics, but you know, you, you, you decided you're gonna pursue this dream, but then you hit 2015, you hit a little bit of a bump in the road. So, you know, I, I think you wrote that you were kind of had to make a decision, am I really committed to going for the higher Olympic dream or, or not. So can you talk a little bit about kind of how that went and the setback and how you once again, you know, got your dreams back on track?

Mike: 3:57

Yeah. 2015, I was, uh, racing border cross at the Winter X Games, and I ended up coming up short on a big 50 some foot double. And I, I landed on the deck of the landing and shattered my heel, my calcaneus into a, a 15 pieces or so. And, um, I had surgery on it and they tried to put it back together. I had the best foot surgeon in the world in my mind, trying to put me back together. And he's like, it's gonna be a long road, but we're gonna do everything we can to keep you going. And, and I was in so much pain from that injury. I, I, every step I took for the, basically the entire year after that, it, it was painful. And so it took the fun right out of it. I was barely able to snowboard. I could get up on it a little bit. I continued with the race team, but I was not sure if, if it was worth the effort cuz it was so uncomfortable. I ended up getting another surgery the following spring, which, which helped out the range of motion I had, and it relieved a lot of the pain. And so then I decided, well, I could still do it. So this is, you know, the injury was 15 and then, so we're going into the 16, 17 year and like, I don't know, this is, you know, there, there's no money to be made in Paralympic snowboarding, not at the beginning anyways. And it's like an enormous amount of time and effort time away from my family. I'm like, I just, I didn't know if it was worth it, but man, I am glad that, uh, Sarah and I decided, you know, going into the 17, 18 season that, yep, we're, we're on board. We gotta make the most of it. I had an amazing season that year going into the Pyeongchang games. I went undefeated in border cross and then, uh, was one of the top in, in banks slalom. And I, I won the, the two overall globes for border cross and Bank slalom. So going into Pyeongchang was, uh, I had a lot of momentum and I was smiling and it was an incredible experience. I, um, at that time it was head-to-head racing for our class. It was only two at a time. I faced off against Netherlands, Chris Voss. And, uh, yeah, he made a small mistake in the, the, the first stretch. And I was able to take the lead and, uh, came home with a gold. And I, I tell you what, crossing that finish line was, wow, that was a powerful moment. It, it didn't have as much to do with the sport of snowboarding as it did about the entire big picture and the journey that I went through to get to that moment. And then being able to perform my best when the pressure of the world was on in that moment. And yeah, it was, it was really incredible.

Ed: 6:31

And, and you obviously to that point, you've been part of a lot of kind of big experience. You've been a professional athlete in motor sports, you'd been to Winter X Games, you've been to Summer X Games. So at that point you've had all these big experience. How, how did, how was the Paralympics just different from those other experience? Or was it?

Mike: 6:47

Uh, it was, it was incredibly different. You know, the, the mindset, the competitive mindset was very similar. You know, I'm there to perform a specific task, you know, snowboarding at my best, so I have my routine, but the scope of it, you know, representing the red, white and blue, Team USA in front of the world, that was so much bigger than than anything else. Uh, I mean, the X Games are huge, don't get me wrong. That is a huge event. But when you bring the entire world together to compete against each other, there's so much more weight involved with it. And just being at the venue, at the games, the money and the effort spent by everybody to get there. And we only got a shot at it once in four years. So that buildup puts it in an incredible amount of, of weight to it. You know, you're training for one, one specific event, one outta four years. And so<laugh> it's like, you got one shot, you gotta make it happen, or it's a long wait for the next one.

Ed: 7:48

Well, and it's especially, you know, I, for a lot of Olympic athletes who are in sports that aren't on TV every day, that's the one time everybody else is watching and that's what they're gonna remember. They're not gonna remember the World Cup victories and some of these other things. Everybody's focused on the Olympics. So it is one of those things where, you know, you know, your country's watching you, whereas they may not be at other times, you know, and, and sort of connected to that, when did you find out that you were in consideration for being the Team USA flag bearer at those games?

Mike: 8:16

<laugh>? Yeah, that was, that was, uh, another, uh, surprise, an unbelievable experience. So yeah, they, uh, basically the, the nations choose their, their flag bearers for opening ceremony, you know, like the week ahead of time. Uh, I think it was about a week before. And so each one of the sports from the teams chooses one person to represent'em, and then they vote, then the entire group votes on who they think best fits it. And<laugh>, there's a funny story about it. So I, you know, I was one of the nominees, I knew that for, you know, a few days. And so I was supposed to prepare, you know, kind of a, a resume for it, why, why I should be, be chosen as, you know, the flag bearer. And so I was supposed to discuss this with my teammate, who's our team representative, Mike Shaa. And, uh, you know, I got, I got tied up doing all this. I totally forgot about it. And I knew he was having a meeting and then all of a sudden my teammate Keith Gable comes in and uh, he's like, yeah, I was just at the, the nation's meeting for the flag bearers. And, um, well, I don't think it went well cuz, you know, I was discussing him about me being a nominee and, and then I'm like, oh crap, I was supposed to get all this information to Mike. And, uh, so I just felt deflated. I felt like I totally dropped the ball. And then he is like, well, Mike's over in the room, across the, across the hall, let's go talk to'em, see how it went. So I went in there, opened the door up, and our entire snowboard team was in there and they all announced that I was, I was, uh, named flag bearer for Team USA and<laugh>. My jaw just fell to the floor and I, I just felt so grateful. And yeah, it was, because it's such a big deal to represent your team. It it, it shows that they look at you as, as a leader, as someone they want to represent the rest of the team. And so, I mean, it has an enormous weight behind it. And, you know, for me, I'm very patriotic. I look at our, our red, white and blue and I love what it stands for. You know, so many times I look at the flag and I think about all the veterans that I've helped a along the way with my company BioDapt and the troop tours that I went on and visiting our troops around the world at different military bases. And, you know, that's, that's what I think about when I, when I look at the flag. And to be able to carry it through in front of the world was, uh, that was a very powerful thing to be able to be part of.

Ed: 10:37

So you mentioned that, you know, one of the, the cool things about that games was you were able to go into that games feeling like you're kind of on top of your game and, and then compete your best, you know, under that, under that kind of pressure. So take us through that snowboard cross event and, and kind of how that went. Is it one of those things where you kind of remember every tiny detail or is it kind of a blur when when you look back?

Mike: 10:58

It was, it was a bit of a blur. I mean, it was such cutthroat competition cause it was bracket racing and I had to line up against all my teammates and end up winning and knocking him out. Basically. My teammate Noah, he was probably my biggest threat. Um, I ended up passing him and bumped him down into the small final and then the gold medal run with me and Voss was, uh, exciting, but, you know, it wasn't a close race cause he made a mistake going down the first stretch. So basically I just had to stay up<laugh> and make it to the finish line. And, and man, that was the most difficult run I've ever had to make down the course. And I was, you know, I, I had, uh, a really big lead after he fell and<laugh>, I was like, just make it down. Don't miss any gates. Don't crash. Just make it across the line. Yeah. And you know, it, it was kind of a blur, but there's a couple things that stand out. We had, uh, you know, we were about three quarters of the way through the qualifying and there was a, a start gate malfunction that basically paused our entire event for like two hours. And it's like, oh man. And me being the Mr. Fixit so to speak, I'm, I'm watching him, you know, work on this gate and I'm like, I just let me gimme some tools. I can fix this. Let's keep this, let's keep this race going. But they ended up, you know, changing the way they used the start, they used bungee cord start, which was a little janky, but you know, it got the job done. And I preferred doing that over like canceling the race or whatever they were talking about doing. Cuz it was like, they were actually talking about taking qualifying times as our finish. And that would've been horrible for me because I, I made a mistake in my qualifying run. But anyways, it all worked out. There was, you know, there was lots of drama throughout the day with the start gate malfunction and, you know, just the head-to-head competition. But, uh, overall, you know, looking back at 2018, it was like, it couldn't have went any better. I took Silver in Banks Slalom. Uh, it took silver behind my teammate Noah, who was wearing my moto knee, which was a really special moment for me and my company. You know, him being able to be on top with me standing next to him was, uh, it was great. I, you know, I could have easily been content and rode away into the sunset and hung up my race board, you know, cause at that time I was 36 years old. Like, yeah, I, you know, I've competed for 20 years already, or nearly 20 years. I'm, this would be a great way to, to put an ending to my competitive career.

Ed: 13:23

So you, uh, I believe 2018 was when you won the ESPY award. When did you find out about that? How did that whole process come about?

Mike: 13:30

Yeah, I got, I got an email in say it was June, you know, it was about a month before the sbs. I, I was, I'm definitely aware of the sbs. I watched'em occasionally. And so yeah, I got an email from my publicist and I found out about a month ahead of time that I was a nominee. And they're like, how'd you like to come join us down at the ESPYs in in LA? I'm like, yeah, yeah, absolutely. So my wife and I, we ended up going there and what a great experience. I mean, they had the red carpet and all the best of the best athletes from the US. Uh, I mean, we're talking all sports, we're talking big hitters and you know, baseball and football and basketball and you know, all the mainstream sports and so many other famous people that, uh, and their entourages that come there and, you know, they get all dolled up and, you know, they're fine suits. And it was just a, a really neat thing to be part of, aside from the fact that that I, I ended up winning. But you know, just being, to be there and experience it with that level of athletes and people was, uh, that was a wow moment<laugh>.

Ed: 14:36

So that that could have been your, your career capper right there. If you, if you let it, you could have just announced your retirement and taken your ESPY and<laugh> gone off into the sunset. And that's of course not what happened. So talk about the decision to come back in 2022 and how that came about.

Mike: 14:50

I, you know, the, that summer I was like, this, this has been so great. I don't want to diminish what I just did by hanging out and continuing and, and not have the performance, you know, ending on a high note is worth a lot, but then I'm a competitor. Like I've got, I've got a few boxes that I have to check in order to pursue, you know, whatever I'm looking at, whether it's business or or sport competition. It's like, I've gotta be having fun. I've gotta be competitive and it's gotta be financially worthwhile. And I am like, it's still checking these boxes. I'm still competitive, you know, at this time I'm, I've got some momentum so I might as well take advantage of it as far as the the sponsorship side and you know, the financial side of it, you know, after I did well at the games. And so I'm like, let's just keep riding it. And I went full bore for the next four years and uh, you know, I took a little bit of time off to get some things sorted after, you know, the crazy year of travel going into the games. But the longer I, I'm an athlete, the more I appreciate what I'm able to do and if I'm still enjoying myself. It's such an amazing lifestyle to, to continue with and I'm like, let's, let's do it. And<laugh>, I'm so thankful once again that I did it over the next four years. The level of competitiveness and all the athletes just grew exponentially. We ended up racing four wide instead of head to head like we did in 2018. And there was a few more athletes in all the classes and you know, everybody just raised the bar so much. So it was more difficult to be consistent and competitive. So yeah, we get to Beijing and it was like, I know I'm competitive, but it's like instead of, you know, the differences being a half a second or a second, like the last games, like we're we're competing for tenths or hundredths of seconds in every race. So it's so close and exciting. And Beijing, you know, getting there and seeing the competition venues, they were incredible. They were fun to ride and it was game on. It was, uh,<laugh>. Yeah, it was an incredible experience.

Ed: 17:00

So, uh, I think at your first games in 2018, I think your daughter would've been maybe five or six. So this time she was a little bit older. How much did her being able to see you compete in the Paralympics with, you know, maybe a little bit better chance of actually having memories of that, uh, you know, how much was that a part of your decision or your enjoyment of that experience?

Mike: 17:21

Well that was one of the motivators for me to continue was because, yeah, she was four years old in 2018, so she's eight this year. And, you know, I wanted her to be able to come to China and, you know, be with Sarah and cheer me on and get to experience it in person, cuz yeah, she would definitely remember it. And her being a little gymnast right now, she, you know, she's such a big fan of all the Team USA gymnasts and so she has that personal connection in her own eyes beyond me. And so I, I was looking so forward to having them there with me. Uh, but obviously with, with Covid restrictions, you know, nobody was able to to be a, a spectator there other than the Chinese people. So that was a major bummer. But another, nevertheless, like she got to experience some really cool things back here with watch parties here at the house with friends and family. And then they ended up going to Utah for the Team USA watch party where a bunch of the other athletes families were hanging out and watching. So they definitely got to experience it and she's, she's a little Team USA super fan and I think she will be for life after growing up, you know, around this. So that's one of the very proud things that I get to share with her, um, that she, you know, will, will, uh, impact her for the rest of her life.

Ed: 18:39

That's amazing. That's, that's great that she's kind of inherited some of that same, you know, drive and, and competitive nature and maybe, you know, balanced out with a little bit of mom's more cautious approach to things as a center for independent living, what Abilities in Motion. One of the things we do is help people find what their dream is and what their vision is for themselves. And then set goals, find a plan to make those goals a reality and, and follow that plan and find the support to do it. So I, I think maybe our listeners would be interested in hearing a little bit about kind of what is your process for doing that? You've done that over and over and over again where you've had a dream, an idea, a glimmer spark, and you've managed to turn that into the reality in an, in an amazing competitive career and amazing experiences. So can you share a little bit about what your process is? Do you, are you one of those people who sits down and writes your goals down and puts'em on the wall, you know, kind of what is your process?

Mike: 19:28

Yeah, it's definitely process. Um,<laugh> it is much more now than it was in my previous professional career. You know, I look at it, I, I try and simplify things as simple as I can from the beginning. You know, I, I establish what my goal is, which isn't always crystal clear, you know, depending on what you're trying to accomplish. You know, you really have to figure out exactly what you wanna accomplish short-term and long-term. And then I figure out the steps required in order to achieve that. For example, you know, my goal was Summer X Game super cost. Well, what did I have to do? I had to get my equipment set up right so I could, you know, actually ride the bike and figure out the steps of qualifying and practice and training. You know, like just you kind of, you start at your goal and then you, you work backward from there and the steps. And then, you know, the third step is creating a plan of action to accomplish those steps needed. And then the fourth piece is just to do it, put the work in and be relentless with, uh, you know, your pursuit of that goal and, and know that no, it, it's not always gonna work out perfectly. And the thing is, is when you fail, there's, there's lots to be learned from it from that, those failures or those, those hiccups or those, uh, moments that send you backward again, it's like you can't get upset with it. You have to process it and figure out what you did wrong or what you needed to do different or in addition to, and then start over. And so once you go through that process a few times, you start to get the hang of it and you, it, it starts to change your perspective in how you approach a challenge in front of you. And you know, when you put that amount of work and effort into it trying to achieve something, and then you finally achieve it, that's a moment you'll never forget. And I tell you what, the harder you work for something, the more impressive it is and the better the feeling when you finally get there.

Ed: 21:28

Yeah. I, I feel like sometimes the, the things that come with the problems that you have to overcome, when you are able to overcome them, it feels even better. And sometimes it's hard to appreciate those problems when they, when they crop up until you've done it a few times and you're like, okay, I, I know what's going on here. I've been down this road before.

Mike: 21:43

Yeah, absolutely. And, and it's the, I probably the biggest thing out of, you know, that whole process is paying attention to the details, whether they're positive or negative, pay attention to'em and just learn what you can from'em. And, um, and there it is. That's, that's the<laugh>, that's the secret sauce<laugh>.

Ed: 22:02

So if people wanna learn more about the secret sauce, they can open the pages of your, of your book, which came out right before the Olympics. So you did one of those things where you left some chapters out that you were able to experience and live and add to the book for later. So we'll have to wait for like the sequel or the second volume. But the book is Driven to Ride, the full title is Driven to Ride: The True Story of an Elite Athlete Who Rebuilt His Leg, His Life and His Career. So that came out, you know, right before the Beijing, Beijing Olympics. And so how was it, you know, having all that going on as you're trying to prepare for, to compete at a top level in the Olympic Games?

Mike: 22:36

Oh, that was a whirlwind. Lemme tell you,<laugh>, there was so many things happening in that moment, and it's, uh, I had a, a window of launching the book with my publishing company. I knew I wanted to do it sometime between the Olympics and Paralympics. And, uh, it ended up, you know, being that we had to do it in late January, right in my prime competitive timeframe. And so I was actually in, uh, what was it, Norway, when the book launched. And, uh, it was pretty fun. I got to do a morning show to announce it and share it with the, you know, on national tv. So that was, uh, that was a lot of fun. But it, yeah, it, I mean since then it's been such a whirlwind with the games and, you know, post games, different media ops and sponsor obligations and the book side of things. So it's just, uh, you know, we didn't hit it as hard as I, I would've liked to as far as marketing the book and getting it out to people. But, you know, it's, uh, not enough time in the day, but we're gonna, we we're continually trying to push it out and, uh, you know, getting some great feedback from everybody who's been reading it and, you know, I'm obviously biased, but, uh, you know, it's, it's a, it's an adventure. It's a true page turner, and it was, uh, you know, one of the highlights of of mine to be able to accomplish that book and share my story with everybody. So I, I really appreciate you guys checking it out. You can go to Amazon and get it off there, or Barnes and Noble Target, and then there's, there's a few bookstores scattered around the country that has it. But, uh, online's your best bet.

Ed: 24:09

I I, I'd love to tell you that I'm an unbiased, uh, reviewer who will tell you it, it's a terrific read and I highly recommend it. And I did read it. I'm not quite done with it yet, but I'm most of the way through and looking forward to reading the rest and also looking forward to reading the next chapters that are coming ahead. So do you have any idea yet what those, what those additional chapters that eventually you're gonna have to write and add to the book might be, and, and how does kind of, um, monster Mike the competitor figure into that?

Mike: 24:34

Well, the door has been left open once again, I just, uh, signed with the US Para Snowboard team for another season. So, um, not hanging up the, the race boots yet beyond this year, you know, who knows. But, uh, you know, I, I've, I've taken this summer some extra time to, to myself and with my family this summer to, uh, you know, catch up on a lot of lot of things like that, you know, um, at home here with the horses. And we're gonna continue to push with BioDapt. We've got a lot of stuff on the drawing board for the future components and, and projects and, uh, yeah, we'll, we'll see. I'll definitely be at, on the World Cup tour at some level this year with Team USA on my snowboard. So, um, yeah, if you wanna tag along, check out my, uh, social media sites monster, Mike Schultz on Instagram and Facebook, and you can keep up on the, you know, where I'm at in the world.

Ed: 25:28

Please check out Mike's story and, and have a look at his book. It's, it's fantastic. Mike Schultz, is there anything else you'd like people to know before we wrap this up?

Mike: 25:37

Yeah, I, I just appreciate the opportunity to get here and chat with you guys and hopefully, you know, uh, shared some insight on some, some storyline stuff and motivation and yeah, it's, uh, just wishing you all the best and be go getters out there. Challenge yourself to something new and, uh, if you enjoy doing it, it's worth doing. So, um, yeah, thanks again, Ed and Abilities in Motion appreciate what you guys are doing and, and helping other people with disabilities to, to get out and about and experience more and better things. And yeah, it's an awesome program that you guys have and I appreciate being part of it today.

Ed: 26:11

Thanks, Mike. I, I feel like we're the, the fortunate ones to get to talk to you and, and share your story with our listeners, so wish you the, the best at with whatever the next thing is and look forward to, to hearing or reading about it down the road.

Mike: 26:23

Alright. Thanks a lot guys. Have a good day.

Ed: 26:25

Take care.

Outro: 26:49

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Disability Talks. Want to be a part of the ongoing conversation? Visit our website at abilitiesinmotion.org or connect with us on social media.