Breathwork, Breakthroughs, & Belonging: Inside the Adaptive Training Foundation's Powerful Mission

A human baby. If it's not held, it'll die. Like, we're built for interpersonal relationship and connection. And football was my God. I went to church growing up and had faith, but I said I had a savior. But football was the Lord of my life. And when that came crashing down from a devastating shoulder injury, I started coping with first prescriptions. And then I was out buying. Right. And I was trying to hide it and doing it. I went through a terrible detox, lost 34 pounds, multiple seizures. But true. Bottom. As I got out of that, the gym was always this ecosystem where I could get out what I didn't know how to say. It was like therapy. My whole question to God as I cried out in this dark moment was, where do my gifts that he's given me benefit other people?

I have been so emotional just being here. The gift that you give so many is community.

Every time that they do something that the doctors said they would never. They meet a goal, they go over and ring the bell, and the whole place goes nuts. Think about that. Like, how many places in your life do you have the camaraderie and the. I mean, come on. Like, we played it. Come on, Magic.

Hey, thank you for tuning in to the Amberly Lago Show. I have a special episode. I have traveled out to Carrollton, Texas. Dallas, people. Dallas, Texas, with my friend David Vibero. And I am here at his facility, the Adaptive Training foundation here. And I have just experienced. Okay. So first of all, I came in with pages of questions and I. Yeah. Throwing out there. Yeah. Because. So you're an entrepreneur. Y' all may know him as a former NFL player, but I came in here, and you invited me to do the breath work that you have for your clients. And outside people are ringing the bell.

Yeah, it's. You're going to hear a lot of jamming out here. Gym noise, things banging against racks in here. So we've got. Right on time. You hear that? Yeah, we've got all of our. We've got 12 adaptive athletes. So people that have experienced trauma, limb loss, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, all the different things, and they. We bring them in from all over the nation. We house them, we feed them, we train them, and there's nine weeks of. Of mind, body, spirit training. They think they're coming for the physical. That's like market entry in the door. But as you know, with everything you've been through, it's this piece. Right. And so for them to have a new tribe, community, people that get them that have been through Things similar. And then, you know, their new habits and new tools that they learn about how they can move their body and empowerment through that. It's like church out there.

Oh, yeah, you can hear the weights, but it is like church. But I have been so emotional just being here from so many different people that I have even met and their stories of all they have overcome. And I would love for you just to share and we'll get into more of how this got started and everything. But right before we push record, you told me you got to hug one of your friends for the first time upright in how many years?

Seven years.

Seven years.

Seven years since he got hurt. Navy SEAL Dan Licardo. I'm gonna be emotional. It's like my brother that I. That I never had, and, man, we've been through a lot together. He's been through so much, and I can't tell you how many late night calls and moments where if it wasn't for his son, he probably would have taken his own life. And, you know, we've had a lot of those hard conversations. So he just got new prosthetics. He's lost 85 pounds in the last four months. He's crushing it. And to be able to give a. A big vertical hug out there was made my whole week. Yeah.

I mean, from so many stories. There was a lady in the breath work class, so we. And. And by the way, y', all, breath

work is no joke.

Huh? I didn't quite know what I was getting myself into.

Yeah. I do that on purpose.

Yeah.

You're like, yeah, throw it in the lords.

Yeah. Just join us for this breath work thing. And I mean, I've done some breath work before, but this was like, oh, gosh, what have I gotten myself into?

Yeah.

But there was something. Yes. How it transformed the way that I felt. But I think the gift that you give so many is community.

Yeah. Yeah.

And in that room here I was with these people for the first time, and they made me feel loved and accepted. Supported and accepted. And that's what you provide here. It's not. It's not just a gym. It's not just a place to come work out. It's community. And you can feel that from. I've been. Got here early and been looking, just watching and glad you did. People that I've met in the girls bathroom versus the locker room, versus in the breathwork close class out on the floor, how everybody. There's this camaraderie, like this support.

Yeah.

And I think that that is what we Need.

That's it. That's the core.

Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, again, is like, I mean, a human baby. If it's not held, it'll die. Like, we're built for interpersonal relationship and connection. And for me, I built this because I needed it. You know, I mean, we'll probably go into my story more, but the Cliff Notes, like, football was my God. It was. You know, I always, I went to church growing up and had faith, but I said I had, I, I had a savior. But football was the Lord of my life. And when that came crashing down from a, A devastating shoulder injury, I started coping with first prescriptions. And then I was out buying. Right. And I was trying to hide it and doing it. I went through a terrible detox, lost 34 pounds, multiple seizures. Was true. Bottom right. And then when I. My whole question to God as I cried out in this dark moment was, where do my gifts that he's given me benefit other people? Cause before, it was just whether or not it moved the needle for football. And it wasn't that I was an asshole or a bad person to people, but it was like just clear blinders that if it didn't positively impact my football career, it wasn't for me. And lots of times those weren't the healthiest decisions. And so as I got out of that, the gym was always this ecosystem where I, I could get out what I didn't know how to say. It was like therapy. And so to use that same type of arena like the gym, but build it out for people that kind of were marginalized, left on the sideline, you know, the medical process ceases and you know, the doctors say you're never going to lift more than a ten pound weight again.

Yeah.

And, you know, that's why you hear the bell out here every time that they do something that the doctor said they would never. They meet a goal, they go over and ring the bell and the whole place goes nuts. And again, think about that. Like, how many places in your life do you have the camaraderie and the. I mean, come on, like, we played with him. Come on it.

Like, I am dying. I want to know who ranked it.

I know, right? And what they did and what it means.

And like, it's just, I, I'm dying right now. Who ranked?

We'll run out and find out. I promise. We'll see what the roster said at the end of the day. But that's really it. It's like I needed a locker room again. I needed the weight room to be A place where I could bring people that were kind of underdogs, like I was in football, you know, people that, that, you know, were told and that it only get as good as this. And I'm like, yeah, but who says, you know, and that's a cool environment to be in.

Yeah. Oh, that's, that's beautiful.

Yeah. I'm glad you felt that energy and, and, and could tell that. I mean, there's just a lot of people that love each other. It's a chosen family. It's a tribe.

Yeah. Oh, no. I have been so emotional, so, so emotional since walking in here. It's just, you can feel the love and the camaraderie here from the minute you walk in the door. And I do think that that is needed to have that connection and that community, because I know when I was going through a hard time, I started isolating.

It's very easy to isolate.

Yeah, yeah. So I want to go back to your. Like, how must that have been for you when your whole life you had prepared for being in the NFL, like your dreams came true, you were playing in the NFL. And what a slippery slope that was for that to just go away.

Well, it's crazy. I say this now and, you know, the audience hopefully can feel the authenticity in it, but it's not in spite of that, that identity crisis and that rock bottom. It's because of it that God was equipping me to be able to again, many of this, especially the servicemen and women out here, they were abused as a kid. That's something in my past. And I think that, you know, you stuff it down, you look to achieve outwardly where people will compliment you for those things so they don't ask you what heck is really going on, you know, and for me, that I can tell you, it's weird to say that I'm grateful for, but I'm so grateful for where I could find common ground again. Had I not had that opiate addiction, I wouldn't be able to relate to many of these that are handed a tennis ball sleeve full of Vicodin or whatever. Right. And then told to go to the go, go lay on the couch. You know, thank you for your service. But, you know, they just need an opportunity to belong somewhere and have an opportunity to lead again, because that's what I needed as well. You know, you can take those destructive habits and you can start to put constructive ones in. But the big shift for me was realizing, like, oh, God was using me. Right. That thing that was super painful. You preach from that, you know, that's the message. That's where. That's where it comes. And that's all I've done is said, man, I'm going to use what worked for me from church, from 12 step, from football, from Boy Scouts, from, you know, throw it all in there and let's decide what works for these guys.

Yeah. I mean, and I think that. And look, I wish that everybody could do a 12 step program, because I think the world would be a better place.

It's a spiritual program. Right. At the end of the day, that's, you know, in this organization, I think that's the. That's the secret sauce is the athletes that have gone through this coming back as trainers is amazing. But the nature of when people find this higher power and they can come to grips with. With maybe not why it happened, but seeing the purpose and the pain that when that shift happens, I mean, again, you look at our social media, and everyone's like, I want to work there. It's a. And it's an amazing place. But like Dan, seven years, right. To get to the prosthetics place, there's. There's countless hours of work that went in for him to have that breakthrough and many breakdowns along the way. And I think people are the first sign of a breakdown. If you are isolated, if you are alone, you're going to recognize that you don't have people to lean into. And this place is full of people that get it.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think about when you and I first met. So we played as the celebrity softball tournament. Yeah, I think. Was that in 2021? I think it was 2021.

Yeah. Yeah.

And anyway, I was asked to play in that tournament, and I said yes. And I told my husband, hey, I'm playing in the celebrity softball tournament. He was like, what? He was like, you don't know how to play softball. And I was like, I know, but I'm gonna learn.

That's awesome.

And I was like, I am gonna learn. I'm gonna figure this out. And I went and bought a bat and a baseball glove, and my husband was like, you are gonna break your note the minute that ball comes at you. And lo and behold, the first time my daughter threw the ball, it came right into my nose. And I got bloody nose. Yep.

That was sting.

And I was like, oh, yeah, okay. But it was incredible fun. But out of that tournament, I think the biggest blessing in that for me was meeting you. That's sweet. And, like, getting to meet you. And we. I don't know, there was just something about you. I was like, I don't know why I need to know this man, but I need to know this man. And after getting to be here at your place and interview on your podcast, I was like, oh, let's.

We're like, let's run it back.

You're.

Yeah, let's do it again.

Yeah. Yeah. You are my brother from another mother. Like, I was like, I know now, like, get getting to talk to you. Why? I was like, yeah, why? It clicked when you were in because I know there are a lot of people out there that might even be living a double life. They. On the outside, it looks like everything is okay, but they're living in hell with. In hell with a dirty secret. When you were at your lowest point. Point. And you realized, oh, crap, this opioid addiction has got me.

Yeah.

How am I this. Like, I don't know. For. For me, like, because I'm. I'm recovering, a recovering alcoholic. I remember thinking, I have overcome so much. I have. I have the mindset of an athlete. How can I not drink? Why does this have me licked?

Got its claws in you.

Yeah. Was there a moment where you felt that way? Okay, this is big, y'. All.

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Yeah, definitely. I think. Well, I'll tell you the moment when I knew that I had no choice but to ask for help. Right? Because you're right. You. You. You hide it. You think you're hiding it. You're probably not hiding as good as you think you are, right? But those closest to you, like my wife of 13 years now, but we were dating at the time, was playing for the Seahawks. I was on injured reserve because of the shoulder injury. I woke up one morning with my Just in a drugged out stupor with my face smushed into the couch cushion and I was desperately thirsty. I opened my eyes and I saw a yellow Gatorade bottle sitting on the coffee table in front of me and I grabbed it and I was two swigs in before I realized that I was drinking my own urine. I was so high the night before that I'd peed in that bottle, capped it and set it down. And I didn't remember. So disgusted with myself and ashamed, I began the long walk from our three story townhouse up to the main level. And as I walked onto the main level, my girlfriend Sarah was there now, wife. But I looked at her and she said, merry Christmas. I forgot it was Christmas. I was so high and so drugged out, I did not remember it was Christmas morning. And I tried to play it off. Oh yeah, Merry Christmas, you know. Hey, I'm going to hop in the shower real quick because I realized I didn't get her a Christmas present. So I went out, turned on the shower, I got on my computer, booked a flight to Hawaii, booked a hotel. Hawaii, right. I'm going to way, way overdo it. I'm going to way, way show her like, oh no. I had this plan the whole time as president, I did. It was a few days later, season ended, we were not going to the playoffs. We got on the plane to go to Hawaii and as we took off, I turned and looked at her and I said, when we get home, you have to take me straight to the hospital. I'm severely addicted to these pills and I need help, right? And it's funny because like, like, like I would, it'd be as we're taking off where she can't get off the plane, there's no, you know, she was trapped, she would not have left anyway. But when we got to Hawaii, like an addict would, I used more than I had planned, so I ran out. So I went into drug withdrawal and it was.

What does that even look like?

It looks like tremors, like seizures where you're sweating and it feels like bugs are calling, you're throwing up and it just again, every cell in your body only wants the drug. That's all it seeks. And you'd be willing to do just about anything to get it right. It's a scary place when you now are truly powerless at that level. Right? Well, it was mid that part during that trip. We are the 27th floor of this hotel and I was going through withdrawal so bad I climbed out on the balcony in the night and Was ready to jump off or ready to let go, I should say, because I was holding the bars of the floor above me. And all of a sudden I felt her arms wrap around me and she pulled me down and we took a red eye out and I went straight into a drug detox facility. Like I said, it was a very gnarly wake up call, but one that was a really. I talk about it like the catapult being pulled back. It wasn't the bottom, but I wasn't meant to stay there. It was guiding me to new levels of growth so that that catapult could be sprung forward. Right. In such a better way. In a way that was again, God, how can you use me? Right. I think that alone is just a question. It's like, I'll tell you this. I believe wholeheartedly that the scars from all of that experience are what have increased my capacity to love. And when you look at it like that, you can actually find gratitude. And when you find gratitude for the difficulties, it's amazing how quickly those difficulties shift. And you don't stay in that place as long.

Oh, she is an angel.

She's a special one. Yep. When. When I. Yeah. I mean, I can't tell you what I put that poor woman through, man. And the things that she's stood by my side and loved me through. And it's just a perfect picture of why. Why it takes an amazing partner.

Yeah. And I love the teamwork that you have here is too. Like when I first met you here, you're like, yeah, this, you. You gave her so much credit. I love that. That you were like, yeah, this is. I get to do these fun things, but it's really my wife who.

What's the analogy of the swan? You know, the like up top person looks all comic. Like down below, it's paddling its ass off, you know?

Yeah.

I'm the one up here like, hey, everybody. You know, and then she's just making it happen, man.

Yeah, I love that.

And mom of three. Like, I don't know how she does it.

How old are your kids?

12, 10 and 5. So two little girls. And then we had a surprise and got little man on the third try.

Oh.

Which is her best friend and you know, best buddy. Right. Like, yeah, but he's my little mini me. Like, he literally looks exactly like I did as a kid. And really all the same mannerisms, all. It's scary. Do you ever see that in your kids? Like, we were like, whoa, that was me.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's scares me Is that my youngest daughter is a mini me.

And how old is she?

She's 17, I was gonna say.

Yeah, she's right. In teenage years, huh?

Yeah, she's a, she's a good girl though. She's a good girl. And I think it's so funny because she was born and raised in la, but that Texas blood runs.

Yeah.

Thick because we moved out here and she drives her F150 has a big. Yeah, yeah.

Love it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what is next for you and what you're doing with your center here?

Yeah. So, you know, this has been an official 501c3 non profit since 2014. So 11 years actually. October, this is, we're right at the 11 year mark. And you know, I, I, has it been 11 years? It's crazy. I don't know if I've done anything for more than a few years of my life, like, you know, to think about, wow, this, this has really been sort of my life's work and, and we, we live it. You know, there's a vet out there right now that when one of our mutual friends who also came through this program when he took his own life January 3, 2018, his first call I had to make was to his, his other service member. They were in the same Humvee when they were blown up. And Derek is this guy's name. He drove straight to my house from San Antonio and he lived with us for nine months with no questions asked. Just changed the theater into a bedroom and I watched my kids and my dog just love him back to full. And I got to marry him and one of our athletes on my birthday a few years ago, which is amazing. I mean, that's the real cool piece is the amount of weddings I've been in or been able to officiate for our community. We've hosted funeral services here in this space. We just had a baptism two weeks ago right here in the middle of the turf in a, in a horse trough, you know. So to me, this ministry or this mission is beyond these walls, right? Like this is a container that we've been able to host people and develop a community otherwise. But even if this building wasn't the place this movement would continue. And that's why I'm really excited. We're building a $20 million campus about 30 minutes west of here in Argyle, Texas. I've raised just about, about nine and a half million, almost 10 million toward that. So the goal is to break ground in early next year. That would probably be a two year construction Project. So new campus and then I'm a storyteller at heart. Right. I think the quickest way between two people's a story. That's why. So good to have you on my podcast, the life after podcast. So good to have this conversation too. To me, that's the. Again, back to connecting with people. There's more similarities than differences. It doesn't matter what your bank account says, what your skin color is, what your beliefs. Life will happen. You know, and when that happens, like I. My hope is that the message that I stand for is believing in people until they can believe in themselves. And I try to do that no matter what I'm doing, where I'm living, you know, challenging anybody that I can to just, you know, find the best version of themselves.

Oh my gosh, you are just doing amazing work and you are such a blessing in this world and leaving such. Living a legacy for sure. How can people.

Yeah.

Help. Totally help you with this Brown breaking

like your new campus.

Yeah. How can people. Because I find that people. It makes people feel good to be able to help out. So how can people get on board and be support for a good cause?

Yeah, I mean, the first thing is I'd say follow adaptive training foundation on online, on social network, you know, on Instagram or whatever. Even buying a T shirt off the website. All that goes into general fundraising for the support to keep all this cost free. Was our bell again. Maybe right on. We're gonna have to go out there.

I know.

I'm like, I'd say this. The. The invitation into the story is if you feel, you know, on your heart that you want to give in whatever way that that is online or by check or otherwise. I mean, this new campus, you can sponsor a foundation brick for 500 bucks and you can put it in memory of somebody, or you can put your family's name or you can leave it anonymous. But that's another great way where we want as many of our supporters to be reflected in this project and have their names on things and naming rights to each of the main parts of the center. So, yeah, if you're inspired by this gym, this message, I'd say follow us and an invitation to give if it so calls to your heart. But just. Just watching the social media is going to change your day. Like, there's a young lady, I'll tell a last story here. Mikayla Noble, who's the prosper world champion cheerleader who four years ago before a homecoming game, in a backyard cheer accident, she flipped and didn't make it around, landed directly on her neck, broke her neck, became a quadriplegic. There's a video on our social media at the top. I think it's pinned. But her goal was to crawl the length of the turf to the bell to ring it.

I saw that.

You want to talk about the, you know, Texas dust kicking up in here? It took her more than 25 minutes, and it was one of the grittiest feats. I mean, her elbows were bloody. And just again, it's like, if I, you know, I doubt that. The analogy I use is if I tied, you know, two cinder blocks off your legs and only let you army crawl, you know, how far could you make it? Because she was dragging her body behind her that can't move. And she did the whole thing and ring the bell, and again, the whole tribe around her going nuts. Like that community is just. It's wild. So that's. That's the cool thing that, you know, we get to do that constantly in here and if people can, you know, get a little dose of inspiration and convert it into aspiration by watching those videos, and that's awesome.

Oh, it's beautiful. So tell people the best place for them to connect with you and find out more about how they can follow your mission and be. And be of support.

Yeah, I mean, you can go to the website adaptive trainingfoundation.org you know, maybe you know, somebody that has had a tragic injury or some type of a trauma and share. Share our information to them. You can find me Dave Vabora on Instagram, on Facebook, on all the, you know, Twitter X, I guess. Right. These days, as they call it. But yeah, if you.

If.

If this message has touched you or you got any questions or anything like that, give me a shout. Try to get to as much messages as I can. You know, it's. It's hard sometimes, but I'm guessing you're one as well. That, like, takes great pride in getting back and connecting with people.

I do. It might take me longer sometimes, but it's me checking those messages.

Yes. Yeah, it's really me. I mean, my wife does a great job helping with the podcast stuff, but it's pretty much just me.

Yeah. Well, you're amazing. And you know what? We will have all these links in the show notes, so if you're listening or whatever, don't worry, the links are in the show notes. Thank you so much for being on the show. Oh, my goodness. Thank you for having us. Thank you for the breath work class beforehand. And I was saying out there to some of your friends, I was like, I don't want to leave. I just want to stay. And they're like, I know, right?

You're welcome anytime. And if there is anybody watching, that's in the Dallas Fort Worth community, and everyone wants to come for a visit and see this place live, firing. It is spiritual. It's next level.

It is. It's next level. I can't. I can't say, let's go out there

and see what them bells ringing for.

Yeah. I want to say that. Thank you for tuning in.

Beautiful.