Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 946 | Jase Roots for Crocodiles in Men’s Gymnastics & How an Olympic Family Withstood Tragedy

Episode Date: August 26, 2024

Jase comes up with his own idea to take the Olympics up a notch, and the guys welcome Olympic medalist Brody Malone and his dad, J.D., also known as the “gospel hat guy” at the 2024 Olympics. Phil admires how the Malone family has grown in their faith in Jesus through the passing of their beloved wife and mother, being a single-parent family with four children, and a serious injury for Brody the year before he graced the biggest stage of his career. Brody and J.D. recall the God-given peace they felt during the hardest times of their lives and their motivation to spread the gospel. -- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? Welcome back to Unashamed. We've got some guests coming on with her. We're super excited about. We've had some, we have been blessed with some guests. Yeah, I've noticed it. Well, you notice that? I mean, it's just been, and we, I don't know that we're necessarily looking. It's just like people we've run into in life and stuff has happened. I've noticed God is real good. We've needed it because Zach has just AWOL. Yeah. God's real good. at orchestrating meetings, people.

Divine appointments. The older I get, the less I believe, an accident. I agree 100%. Yeah, we've lost that. I'm not sure. Well, he says he's doing a funeral today, so that's why he can't be with us. So I guess he's doing a funeral for somebody in Georgia.

So we'll have to hear about it next time we have him on. So I preached yesterday, Jay's. Yeah. By sermon, but I told the story at the beginning of the sermon, a couple of weeks ago, or a month ago, the last time I preached, Pearl, who's my little six-year-old granddaughter, she comes down and sits on my lap. You know, and this is kind of good because you're tired.

You just preach, you know, and they were doing responses. And so I just kind of sitting there. She sat up my lap. Post sermon. Post sermon. And she looked up at the scream and it said, Jesus is greater, dot, dot, dot, and then whatever. Our whole series in Hebrews, which you started.

And you even said when you started, you know, it's hard to find a word when you're talking about Jesus that really fits, you know, nothing seems like it's big enough. You said that when we were doing it. Like the NIV translation all those times says better. Better, right. But, you know, the more I read, the more you study deeper, you're like, I think we're having trouble finding an English word to describe how better or greater. And in fact, I think we started calling it better. made that comment we changed it to greater anyway she's sitting there she's six but she's very

spiritually in tune and she looked up at the screen she said pap why does that say jesus is greater shouldn't it say jesus is greatest yeah and i was like you know you know what's that out's a good point i had the same thought so when when you and six year olds are tracking it'd be really good or really bad it says a lot about your mindset but now you'll like this one jose jesus is greater dot dot dot forever that was the name of my sermon yesterday because it was Hebrews 1218 which starts the section about the kingdom you know that picture of the kingdom you've come to Mount Zion you've come to heavenly in Jerusalem thousands of angels and joyful assembly I think that's the theme of the whole it is and so I started with your favorite verse the one you sign all

your stuff with Hebrews 13 8 love it Jesus and this is the last verse but I did it first Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. And so I even named the sermon for next week, even though I'm not preaching it. If I was, my last sermon would be Jesus is greater for everyone. Because you know, in verse, right after verse 80, he goes into that, him going outside the camp and the idea that it was outside of the system to be able to be available for all men. I thought, man, Jesus is greatest for everyone, which was the way I would do. You look carefully.

We've been studying Ephesians. The Apostle Paul talked about some of his problems, you know, as a prisoner of the Lord. They've got him, got him in jail. I urge you live alive worthy of the calling you've received. Be completely humble and gentle. Be patient, bearing with one another in love. That is what Jesus was all about. make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace

one body one spirit if you just want to just get it down just as you will call the one hope and you will call one lord one faith one baptism one god and father of whose overall and through all and to all that's a pretty good condensed version of what the apostle paul wanted yep us to know yeah absolutely so i went over to dad's class yesterday since I was there and I was preaching because I want to meet, you know, people that they come from all over the dad's class, the other sham Bible study. And they were

here from several different states. And then about what, maybe four of them got baptized yesterday. Four, I think five, baby. Four or five, yeah, which is always great because this is how we start, you know, now with dad and Joe. And anybody wants to come and be baptized. We're like, yeah, come on. You know, that's how we like to start things off on Sunday. So it was exciting yesterday. Well, it made me think your sermon, you should have had that song by Chris Tomlin, that Holy Forever, I think, come out a couple years ago. That was a good one. But that, when you talk about it being greater, we actually listened online.

First, I heard a sermon. It was on the resurrection, by the way, which made me think when Sid Zack was doing a funeral. Because the guy I was listening to, he was basically talking about his life. and he took his kids because he was from Australia, he took his kids like on a little nostalgia, go back in time, let me show you how I was raised, and it culminated with showing, you know, his grandparents at a cemetery,

and they didn't have like a normal capstone. It was a cross. And at the bottom of it, it said, Thy will be done. And so he spent a lot of time talking about what that meant. but in the process it made me think you know when you think there's 8 billion people here or a little bit over 8 billion

but when you think of all the people that have been here and I looked it up they claim there's been over 100 billion people yeah on the earth which is kind of sobering because if you do the math we're only the people are alive or representing 8% of the people

that have ever been. That's why when you say, well, Zach's doing a funeral today, that's going to keep happening. You can do one every day. Yeah, the preacher said that his daughter, when they were looking, they were kind of making a few funnies,

you know, at the cemetery, but his daughter said, yeah, I mean, this, I mean, look, because it was just as far as you could see. And his daughter said, yeah, dad, people are dying to get here. You know. Yeah, you know how we use that phrase, you know.

But it's kind of sobering when I kind of thought about that. I mean, you get one life. And when we talk about Jesus is greater and the same yesterday, today, forever, I mean, what are your other options here? Yeah. I mean, you have one life and it's actually moving a lot faster. For some reason, the older you get it, seems like somebody pushed a fast forward button. Hell it.

Do you relate to that, yeah? Oh, I woke up one morning, I said, I'm crowding 80. I said, Ms. Kay. And it was today. Keep the face because we're on the last leg of this thing. Yeah. But it sure is a fine, natural reality when you get right down to it. Life's short and full of trouble.

Well, you read that verse in James. it says it's a whisper, you know, it's a vapor. Oh, yeah. That makes a lot of sense when you look at it in terms of that. You bet it does. Yeah, but I mean, when you talk about Jesus is great. I mean, you think about what he does for our past. I mean, you know, he shows his love in Jesus and just takes away our path.

I mean, that verse in Hebrews where it says that y'all had done before, where he remembers our sins no more. I mean, it's like done, over. Yeah. And then when you think about the present, well, he's got a purpose for us. And you look around on the planet to the small percentage that's alive compared to the dead. And we're like, hey, there's a way off the planet. There's a way to live forever.

You know, there's a way to have purpose. And then when you think about our future, well, I'm saying, whether you believe in God or not, the future must be addressed at some point. Exactly. So my three points, days were a new unshakable kingdom because you think about how shaken that's in that text.

Everything else is shaky in the world. Kingdom, no. A new unashamed lifestyle, which was 13-1-6. It has a little practical run about. You give them a little plug for the podcast there? Oh, yeah, yeah, always. And then the third one was a new unflappable leadership

because we put in new elders yesterday and it was that text where it's about the leadership and imitate their way of life. That was the three points. I watched that age group, played a little ball. Yeah. Out of there waiting on the school bus. I know it.

You know, Jeff was with him. It's pretty neat. It's the first time, Dad, in our era of this whole thing, leadership that we actually saw a kid that grew up that now has joined the ranks of a shepherd. It seems so quick. It was a neat Sunday. We had everybody in one room yesterday, which made it exciting.

I was so proud of mom because when the elders and their wives got up on stage. She got up there. She tracked her way up on stage and made it, which was really good. She had to have a little help, but she made it. So I was proud of it.

You read Hebrews 12, 22 through, what? Yeah, started in 18. Oh, you did the whole section? I did the whole section. 18, all the way through 13, 8. That was the section. It was a lot of text. But I'll read that 22 through 24.

I really think it's everything culminating. It's so good. It says you have. come to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God, you've come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn whose names are written in heaven. You've come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus, the mediator of a new and better covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

That's it. And then at the end of that, it says that you have now received an unshakable kingdom. It's just so powerful that the picture of it, the language, and course we taught so much about it on the podcast and the power of it. So somebody said, man, y'all did such a good job with that text. I said, that text did a good job on

its own. I just needed to stay out of the way. But you know, it took me years even following Jesus to realize that when I saw a kingdom and church that it wasn't talking about a building. And that's the common theme to what we've been talking about in Ephesians, that Ephesians 2, 20 and 21, we rise, people rise up as the temple of God, the kingdom of God.

And it's a place where he dwells through His Holy Spirit. But it did, the writer did such a good job of, this is why I include that first section of showing Mount Sinai and the gloom and the doom and the fear that comes from law in trying to accomplish it on your own versus what the kingdom does. So at the beginning of the sermon, I told a story because we had some guests there that are also here today. So we're about to have them on that were in the audience. And so I said, you know, I saw a great example of kingdom lifestyle in the Olympics of all

places. And I told the story. So they're here today. So I'm going to save that from when we have a moment. So we're going to take a break. And we come back. We got some very special guests that have made their way all the way to Louisiana. and we'll tell you more about it when they get here.

Welcome back. We have the Malones here. J.D., welcome to Unashame. Thank you for having us. And Brody, welcome to Unashame. Thank you. So I told your story as it happened on the podcast, whenever it happened, I guess two weeks ago.

And I was watching the Olympics. And so we got into it because Jay says, oh, the Olympics, you know, had the opening a ceremony, which a lot of people, unfortunately, were like that. because it was so off-putting that they didn't even give the Olympics a chance. Luckily for me, I didn't see the opening ceremony, but I watched the Olympics because I love it. And so I was watching one night, it was the men's gymnastics, which Brody is a member of that team. And so like everything else, I'm getting excited, you know, because y'all are just doing it, you know,

and you're nailing everything, and we're all into it. And then they pan up and show JD. And he's wearing this hat. he's got on here. So I start, my phone starts blowing up. They're like, have you seen this guy at the Paris Olympics?

He's wearing the gospel symbols. And I had not seen you at that point. And about that time, I look up and it shows you on camera. And I was like, man, these people are our people. The gospel message is being shown right now.

And the men's gym and accident team is doing great. So it was super exciting. And I was like, how long ago was this happening for you? This was two weeks. Is it three weeks? Yeah, we're kind of like y'all. Two or three weeks ago.

I had this experience this morning because I'm watching the Olympics. The Chast ever watch the Olympics. Backwards. Right. Like, I let it all happen. And now I'm going back and watch it. I knew you were going to be on today. So I was like, check this out, you know.

And so. Were you getting fired up when you're watching? Well, when my wife got, because I get up early. And when she came out, I was like, we just wanted. the bronze medal. It was awesome. But they kept showing you so much also. I mean, you were getting so much airtime because I realized in that moment, it's one thing

to be up on these, whoever, whatever devious mind constructed these things that you are supposed to get on and do trick. Just think about it. Have you ever thought about that? Somebody was sitting in a room and thought, okay, we don't want them to, you know, to die. But let's just, how close can we get it? How close can we get there? Yeah.

So, but, and then, so then I can't imagine if I was a parent, because, I mean, I had the same somewhat lesser experience in like Little League Baseball, you know, when your son is up and there's two outs and we need the hit. All of a sudden, I'm like, my kids are playing baseball. We're going to have fun. But I realize everybody's looking at me now saying, well, I hope he don't. blow it here. You know, I mean, there's something about that feeling that creates drama, and I think

that's what they... Well, and part of it had been, and I want you speak to this, Brody, is that in qualifying, you guys had not, you just barely got in or I guess, or how does that work? We qualified in fifth place, and they take eight to the final, so, I mean, we... So you were well within the structure, because I didn't see any of the early stuff. Yeah, but then they kept mentioning you in particular, they were like, he struggled in the preliminaries, but he's nailing it today, you know. And I had not seen the earlier stuff, so I didn't know.

So was it, did you have a struggle bus? Yeah, don't go back and watch the first day. That was one of the worst meets of my life for sure. What were you thinking, Jenny, when you were watching that, were you just. Man, I mean, you. Because you were in tears, like they kept showing a clip of you once the night. He's just, Brody's nailing everything. Yeah.

And it showed you, and you were crying, I could tell. You were. There was some tears of joy, you know. When you, you know, I've got four kids and they're just, I think they're exceptional. But at this level, you see your kid and you've spent so many hours going back and forth to the gym and sitting and waiting and the whole family's sacrifice for this and to see it. Actually, I mean, the goal this year was for the team to meddle because we've not meddled. 16 years.

Yeah. Oh, wow. So that was the goal that the team had. had set and, you know, to see your son, you know, with a team work so hard and, and achieve a goal. I mean, it doesn't matter what kind of goal. You know, when you're a parent, you get excited to see your kids achieve something. But, yeah, they were tears of joy.

The first day was... Tears of sadness. I didn't cry. I was like everybody else what's up with Brody. because that's not his norm. You're a three-time national champion? I believe so. I think so here.

So, I mean, you're a very accomplished job. Yeah, I saw a lot of achievements. Yeah, so you're obviously been great. And you went to Stanford, which you and I had fun with that yesterday. You know, Georgia, this is a country boy, Jay. This guy likes to hunt. As soon as we introduced ourselves to each other, I was like, he's from the country. Yep.

And his brothers are even more. More redneck than him. They're here today, too. So you're a little more accomplished, I think, because you've been out there in the world a while. But what was it like being in Palo Alto, California, for Georgia? Was that a shock to your system? Oh, my God. Yeah, that was a shock. It's a different world out there than what I grew up with. I remember the first summer I went out there.

I was talking to one of my professors. I kept saying, yes, sir, no, sir. And then finally, we were just having a conversation. He stopped me in the middle of it. He goes, Brody, you do not have to call me, sir. This is California. I was like, what? Like that would change for you, right?

Yeah, I mean, I can't do it. It's habit now. That's exactly right. Or the lady that basically blessed you out for holding the door open for. Oh, yeah. And he calls me, he's like, what do I do? Keep holding the door open. Yeah, I held the door to going into one of the cafeterias,

and this lady with three little kids. I held it for all three of them. And then she just walked in, didn't even look at me. And I was like, whoa. Yeah. Wait a second. That's weird. And you know, it's so funny because women in the South are or men, everybody's so appreciative

when you take a second and do that. You know, they're just like, thank you for that. You know, I do it all the time. Well, every time I go to New York, I'm reminded they don't like it when you hold the door. Yeah. And they're actually offended, which I'm really not sure why. That makes sense. But you're right. You just got to keep doing it. So, yeah, so it's super exciting.

The, the, the, when you're watching it, as I was watching it that night, you could tell it was building to you guys meddling. And, of course, you know, you never know where you're going to be. The other guys were the Japanese and the Chinese were so good. You know, it was like, then it kind of came down to us, the U.S. and Great Britain, as to who was going to snag that last medal. Yes, sir. But man, just the excitement building. And it built in you, because you, because you're, You were kind of stoic at first, then you're just going nuts by the time you get to the last two things. Yeah, I let it go a little bit there. I'm usually not one to do that. I'm pretty straight-faced.

But the audience, everybody was into you guys. Yeah, that was the most fun competition I've ever been in because everyone in the audience, I mean, between every rotation, I don't know if they showed any of that on TV or not, but everyone was chanting for us. Yeah. No, USA, USA. Oh, yeah, I could hear. It was awesome. I've never been in a competition.

like that. Yeah, you can, and you, you could definitely tell watching that the audience, everybody was building for you guys. Yeah. And to have that in a foreign country. Yeah. That was, that was pretty incredible. It was pretty exciting.

I was wondering how you, I mean, you're from Georgia, right? Originally, y'all were in Tennessee originally. My two older ones were born in Tennessee. I'm from northeast Tennessee up around Elizabeth in Tennessee, home with Jason Whitten. Oh, yeah. But his granddad was actually my football. coach in high school. Oh, wow.

Yeah, pretty neat, pretty neat. But we moved to Georgia, I guess when you were in kindergarten, right? I was five or six. Yeah. My wife's family was from Marietta, Georgia. So we wanted to be close, but not too close. So I found a little double wide in the spot of land. And we lived there for a couple years and built the house right in front of the double wide.

Okay. Well, I was just wondering how this gets started because usually, you know, guys from the south, I mean, you think they get into football or baseball? I mean... Well, he was. Yeah, I did all sports when I was growing up. Baseball was my big one. I played, I mean, when did you make me?

12 years old after that. We made it to the World Series, Dizzy Dean World Series twice. And the last one, the parents, man, it was just, if they would high fence outside and put razor wire at the top and make a parents watch from the parking lot, it would be okay. You know, that is weird. I've done multiple stories and episodes on this podcast about that, you know, which is why I became a coach in my son's last year because I thought,

I'm going to give him one year where it should be done right. And I stopped my life to do it for that year. Yeah, well, you do, yeah. Yeah. And I was like, the parents were, I said, you don't get involved. And so I've told this story many times, but you'll find it funny. I made the parents sign an agreement that I had the power to throw them out of the game if I deemed they were doing something that wasn't helping their kid.

And of course, you think that's never going to happen. Five seconds into the first game, I called a timeout, pulled our starting pitcher, and threw his mom out of the rent. And the umpires, like, what are you doing? I was like, I'm throwing this parent out of the game. I'm doing your job. You should have done that. So, but it had a happy ending because we all came back together.

We provided a happy place for those kids. They got better. Our coaching staff was a guru filled with baseball minds that weren't affiliated with the kids. They just loved the Lord, love kids, and love baseball. And we just combined that. Yeah, we never argued any kind of controversial call or never. It was all positive. And we had a great year, won the league.

So I sympathized with you on that. But it's very difficult even in that experience. I saw with the parents. It was multiple conversations and tears. But then fortunately, we got into people's lives, and then Jesus kind of entered the arena. And we actually brought several people to the Lord during that one year. It was awesome.

So I was thinking about yesterday, So I announced, yesterday when I said in the sermon, they were here, and then I had them stand up. I mean, it was a thunderous applause in our church yesterday, which made me proud of our church. Because, you know, everybody, everybody, where they was already aware of not only just the Olympics, but also you wearing this hat. Yeah. And so here's the question I got. And I don't know the answer. So who took, because I know it saw a lot of people over there meeting y'all, and y'all were taking some pictures yesterday.

who took more pictures, you at the hat or Brody the Olympian? I think it was him. And I knew, I thought you would say it because, you know, these were originated here. Oh, yeah. And so, in fact, I saw Kim Stevens there, which is her dad was Bill Smith. That was the highlight to me. I mean, so what Pastor Bill done was something so simple right there. Yeah.

Yeah. Bill converted me. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And so that message right there, that's what when I found out, because I can't remember which one it was, I think it was the trials I was at, they kept, people kept asking me what my hat meant. Well, it was a salt lake cattle company, a friend of ours got a cattle company, and I had it on. So when we went to the Olympics, I was like, you know what, I'm going to give them something to look at. If they're looking at my hat.

And they're asking questions. Yeah, let's give them something. The greatest question ever is. What, what is that? What does that mean? Oh, man, you wouldn't believe the people that would, you know, not text, but message you on social media. You know, what, what you had mean? I see the cross, but it was, it's just so simple. Yeah. And it is the entire message of the gospels.

I put it out when I talked to one. Donald J. Trump. Donald J. Trump. Yeah. That's what he used with Trump. I figured I set him up by showing him on a piece of. paper, I just wrote it down what's on your hat. Yeah.

And he looked at it and he said, what is that? I said, I'm glad you asked. And Phil, that's amazing because you'd think, you know, Trump has the persona of knowing everything. So when he's asking you, what is that? He actually didn't know what I was talking. He did not know that. And I turned to walk away after I went through the gospel with him and showed him each air of what it stood for. I said, whatever happens, I'll vote for you.

whatever happens, don't forget that. So I started walking away and he said, hey, I said, yeah. He said, can I have that? I said, sure. So from there, you know. Yeah, he gave him what he shared. I kind of hijacked the first question, but I was wondering how you got into gymnastics. I mean, what?

Oh, yeah, that was a question, wasn't it? Yeah, we never answered that question. You were three, right? I was three. He could probably tell the story a little bit about it. You were three years old? I was three, yes, sir. And you said, gymnastics.

No, no. I mean, look at me, Jay. I was kidding. 90% of what I'm going to say. They have a horse far, Jay. So some friends of one of the guys I rope with, a good friend of mine, his wife and my wife were good friends. Well, he played football in college with a guy that opened a gym in Johnson City, Tennessee. So the wife's got together, decided to sign the boys up for gymnastics.

and I was like, whoa. Because, you know, as a guy growing up, I mean, I was a three-sporter up until high school and then played football and baseball. One of those sports was not gymnastics. It was not gymnastics. I mean, I'm kind of like everybody else. The only time you see it's during the Olympics. But, yeah.

Man, we signed him up. And he had broke his arm, jumped out of the crib and broke his arm. And Tracy was like, got to do something. Well, that's where it really started. Honest and true. He was in the kind of last. That double back from him out of the crib. It broke his out.

So there you were in the crib. And you said, I think I can stick this land. Oh, yeah. That's what I was going for. Yeah. Isn't that amazing, though? I think that is a tree side. They were telling me yesterday, because Doc, one of my grandsons,

he has a proclivity to, I think he would be a good gymnast. And, man, after he spent 10 minutes with Brody, he was doing things he's never done before. So we were all remarking about that. But I said, how many times did Brody climb the walls and wind up at the top of the seat? Because that's what Doc does all the time. I look over and he's up in the corner of the house, you know, because any kind of door frame, it was big enough for any of the kids really to get their feet on. They were, you know, you'd look up, you'd hear something, you'd look.

You'd have to look up because they was in the doorframe, you know, way up in there. You would climb like Spider-Man? Yeah, Spider-Man. Oh, wow. See, I was curious. I was wondering if that was a story. I think jumping out of the crib, because we have a little one that we keep now.

And, of course, he'll bang on the wall very loudly. It's like, come get me, I'm awake, you know. Yeah. But Missy, she said, I need to get him a regular bed. And I was like, well, I don't want him to jump out of it. And I actually said, well, who would jump out of that? One right there, I'm right here. Brody Malone.

I'm going to go straight home and say, buy the bed. You better get a little bit of a thing over the top where you can't get in there. Well, I was wondering that because, I mean, you know, we were talking about before we got started, I guess I didn't really appreciate gymnastics until I saw these apparatuses and I did an event somewhere. I was telling you about it. And they had the balance beam, which I know y'all don't do that, but the women do. but I'm going to be honest Now this is a few years ago

When I was in a lot better shape and younger I couldn't get on it And I was gonna try to get on it And just go I got on it That you know how you at the end To-da Yeah I stuck the

No And so I realized man That was some devious minds Coming up Oh yeah With these Yeah the beam is four inches wide Yeah

That's pretty crazy higher up there than you think. Oh, yeah. And I don't know. So I got a lot of appreciation because it's one thing to get on it, but you do all these, you know, you're doing all the tricks and the drama because deep down you have a possibility of danger. I mean, how many injuries have you had during your career?

Yeah, so I've had one major injury. And that was just, which is pretty incredible that it's just one. Yeah. So I was very blessed to not. deal with a lot of major injuries but last year I was a in Germany competing and I had a it was like a it was a fluke I was doing a high bar routine and on my dismount my hand peeled off the bar and I did like a weird double back with a half turn and then I landed on my right leg and dislocated my knee fractured my

tibial plateau tore my meniscus LCL posterior lateral corner which is like back your hamstring. Those words, I don't ever hear those words. No. You never even knew you had that. When you start hearing those words, that means it's not good. That means a blowout. You blew it out.

Oh, yeah. It was blown out for sure. And they actually mentioned it when you were doing the high bar the last night. They mentioned the guy, the little guy is so excited. He said, this is where he blew his leg out last year. Like, we were all anticipating. I said, man, I hope he nails it because you were making me nervous. So weird you're bringing that guy up because I thought, man, this guy.

He was into it. Yeah, the guy calling all this. It's not, I mean, we get it, this drama field. But then he. He was taking it to another level of drama. I need to watch it. I haven't watched it. I think you'll like it, you know.

Oh, I think it was Justin Spring. And he's a. You can actually tell he's rooting for America. Oh, yeah. He loves the U.S. He just can't help it. The only thing you share with the women is the floor routine, right? Floor and vault.

Oh, that's right. That's right. And then the pommel horse is kind of like their beam. Yes, sir. And then you've got the one bar for y'all and the two for them. Yes, sir. And then we also have parallel bars and rings. They've got, oh, yeah, rings.

So we have six events total. Yeah, the rings look extremely difficult. Yeah, rings is hard. What's the hardest one out of the six? Uh, for you. The hardest one for me is definitely Palm a horse. So I don't have a very good body type for Palm Horse. I mean, if you look at, have you all seen?

The little Clark Kent guy. Yeah. So that's all he did, right? Yeah. So if you look at me and him, I'm a lot bigger than him. He's kind of skinny and lanky. That's kind of the body type you want for Palmer Horse. That's why he's a specialist.

Right. Um, but yeah, that's the hard one for me. Yeah. And he's gotten a lot of attention for it because he did the one thing. Oh, he did the last one that kind of sealed. the deal right yeah yeah yeah he blew up that was that was kind of crazy i don't think anyone was what's he like is he i was curious because he looks like nerdy is he like that or is that yes he's very nerdy okay good with the glass who's sitting a gymnast with glasses on it just didn't look quite right

yeah no he's he the one that would kind of sit by himself over there yeah yeah yeah because he just had the one thing jays that he did he's a special no but he and then like i noticed then they were like carried him off and it was such a cool thing because it was like the little nerdy kid that always gets picked out and here he is like the there was one scene where i think it was after one of your when y'all were trying to win the bronze and everybody would yeah let's go yeah but he was just sitting there but then he looked at the camera and yeah it was pretty it was pretty funny i like that was right after i was wondering what the camaraderie was among the team and how all that works you know yeah um Because this big ball over the country.

Yeah, so men's gymnastics is kind of a small sport. So we've, most of us on national team, have grown up together since we were little. Oh, so you've been knowing all these guys for years. Yes. And y'all have competed at a ton of stuff because people don't realize, because you only watch the Olympics every four years. It's like, hey, they all got together for the Olympics. But you guys have been doing this every year. Every year, yeah.

I always like it. I didn't know that. And it's actually a lot of it, like world championships and all that. They'll televise it. It'll be on. But just people don't watch as much because it's not the Olympics. Yeah, exactly. And we haven't won a whole lot.

Yeah. And we haven't won a whole lot. The girls, the women have been very successful most of the times. And the U.S., they're a lot more popular. Oh, yeah. A lot more publicity and stuff. I mean, rightfully so. They do their job and they win.

So how much do you try, how much training goes on this? on a yearly basis. I mean, the last four years of your life. I mean, you don't take time off, really. It's year-round. It's year-round. It's like seven, eight hours a day? I mean, I'll train anywhere from like three to six hours a day.

That's not including the extra stuff that I'll do, like getting treatment on all my body parts that hurt. Physical therapy's been a big one for me this year with my knee injury. I mean, I would spend, you know, four or five hours at practice and then do PT for another hour and a half. So when you were first coming out of that, were you having to wear a brace and stuff like that when you were. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I was, I mean, I'll just give you all the rundown of it.

So when I got injured, I had a surgery in Germany to put an external fixator in my legs. I had this giant hunk of metal sticking out of my leg to basically lock it in place. and I flew all the way back to Stanford, where I got my second surgery, where they fixed. I've got nine screws and two plates in the side of my knee, where they fixed the fracture, and then they also fixed my meniscus,

and then they did a, they called a micro fracture procedure to repair some of the cartilage. And I was on crutches for six weeks then. And so, I mean, the first couple of weeks, I couldn't even hardly get out of the bed. It was pretty bad, once I was able to get a little bit more mobile,

I was kind of back in the gym doing, you know, strength and conditioning and doing pretty much whatever I could. And then a couple months after that, I had my third surgery where they fixed my LCL and the back of my hamstring. And I was on crutches again for four weeks. So I basically had to relearn how to walk twice. Wow.

Yeah, it was pretty amazing. A year later, you're out there competing for the Olympics. They didn't even think he was going to be doing gymnastics. When we were out there at Stanford, the doc, I heard him, and man, they had just some outstanding surgeons and doctors. But, uh, so I heard him out in the hall talking to, I think it was coach Tom. His, his collegiate coach was with him over there at Worlds. And he was just tore, you know, tore out of frame. And the, the doctor's like, look, he, he.

He probably won't do gymnastics ever again. He's going to be lucky to walk normal. And I got the doctor out in the hall. Well, he was out there and I went out there. I don't think you heard that. I didn't hear that. But, like, I told him, I was like, look, you don't understand my son and you don't understand what God's doing right here.

So that's not going to be mentioned back in this room. Have you talked to him since? Uh-uh. No. Well, tell him right now, uh, Hey, Doc. Yeah. Remember that conversation we had about what the...

Well, that kind of stuff, you know, your life... It was funny because I was at a volleyball. My daughter plays travel ball. She plays travel volleyball. So I was watching on my phone, and I couldn't, like, you know, when I seen it happen, I mean, I like to think that all my kids have a pretty high pain tolerance. And they're tough. I mean, I've seen...

I mean, Cooper tore his ACL bulldog and won the bulldog and then... limped out of the arena, you know, finished team roping that night. Tyler's, you know, I mean, you want to think, yeah. Old Fields, like, who's a man? So they got a little bit of that growing up. Put a butterfly on it. Yeah, yeah.

So tell the truth, when you were training him as a little kid, when he had to stick the landing, you would put all these stakes around. Yeah. And it's like, you got one spot. Fall down. Take them. Yeah. Hey, that would be pretty good motivation there to stick to landing.

I thought that it would make it more interesting. You were running and you jump on the board if they just had a big tub of crocodiles and alligators. They wouldn't nobody step out of bands or fall off the mats then. I mean, y'all being from the south, this is my kind of gym national. If you want to get it to catch on. Look at all this redneck gym. There's always got to be a death element involved. You know, when he did that, and I'm watching, as a parent, that's a pretty helpless feeling.

Because I'm watching him in pain, and I saw what happened, so I knew it was bad that he didn't get up. So I'm texting the coaches, texting the coaches, trying to get a hold of somebody. And so I get out of the bleachers. I'm going down praying, of course, and all of a sudden, it was like a piece just hit me. And it was, God just, it was like, look, I'm doing something here. Just, just, I got him. Yeah. And I think we've talked about it before, but I think you had that same feeling.

I did, yeah, laying on the, on the mat. Yeah. So, I mean, all this leading up to the, you know, it's what we call an Olympic year. And, you know, that's the goal that you want to see. And then all of a sudden, wow, here comes this. trial. But, you know, the, the parent in me, the flesh side of it was like, I was wanting to get to my kid to see what was wrong. And then that peace, man, I mean, I can't, I'm sure y'all've had it. That's how I know, usually it's God speaking to me. Is that just that calm peace, you know.

But then when I talked to him, he actually called me in the ambulance ride and it said, you know, those weird sirens over there. And I was like, buddy, you're all right? He's like, It hurts, Dad. It hurts. But I could tell just by talking to him, it wasn't. He wasn't panicked. Yeah, yeah. No, not at all.

And then he, you know. That's pretty amazing for a young guy, though, you know? Yeah. I mean, I don't know. I don't think anybody would have thought. Any less of you. Yeah. You're like, well, that's a career in an injury.

What did you, like, did you have the same thoughts as dad did? Yeah. I remember, like, as soon as it happened, I mean, I, and my knee dislocated. I remember I grabbed it like this because I was like, ow, that hurt. And then like all the, I like wave for the medical to come over and they finally come over and they had to straighten my knee back out. And they had to like put a wrap on it to stabilize it and then, you know,

getting on the gurney and everything. Like just going through that whole process, I was like, it just went through my mind. I was like, why did this happen? Because it was a fluke accident. Yeah. Like, it's something that doesn't happen often. And one of the best highball routines he's ever done. Yeah, it was a pretty good routine.

Yeah. Another gold medal. When you landed, you just went down. It just collapsed. Yeah, so I, I mean, it collapsed and the video is pretty gross. I mean, I was laying there and, you know, all these doctors and everybody's trying to get me to get on this ambulance. And I was just thinking, why?

Like, why did this happen? Like, and then I just, I was like, you know what? God, I know this sucks in the moment, but I know you've got a plan for me, and I'm just going to trust you. And then immediately I just felt at peace about it. That's so good. Wow. And that is so kingdom mindset living because he did have a plan.

Yeah. And I think just like even in the Olympics, when you're talking about having a bad night and then coming back and having an amazing night when it really counted, you know, it's just, I mean, God did that. And then that led to, you know, people seeing. I mean, it's just, you see how it's all happened, you know, for the reason. Oh, you've single-handedly brought me back to the Olympics. Well, you know.

Because Jay's not going about it because he was like, I didn't even march it after the thing. I said, Chase, these, these, and this is before I even knew y'all, but I was like, these kids, they're American kids, they're competing. Who cares what the stupid French do with the-I. I mean, Al, you were right, and I like a lot of people in the world, you know, underestimated spirit-filled people out there. doing this for the Lord, you know, and the fact that y'all are, you know, duck hunters and what I would deem as ordinary people.

Sure, yeah. I realize, you're our people. Globally, we're all known as weirdos, I guess, at this point of our lives, but that's okay, you know. But because, wow, what a heart. I mean, to me, I just immediately think, you know, the fruit of the spirit is joy and love and peace. And these are the kind of things. And we know that we were talking before about how much there is about suffering and struggling.

I mean, I never says you're not going to struggle and you're not going to suffer. Yes, we will. My favorite verse that kind of kept me going, I've got it pulled up right here, is James. Yeah. James 1, 2 through 4. It's considered a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance and let endurance have its full effect that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

It's weird to think about things like that. Trials, I mean, especially, like, in my situation, what I was going through, it's hard to turn that into joy. Yeah. Like, consider it a joy that this happened to you, that my leg is broken and I'm not going to be able to walk for, you know, a month and a half. So it was, like, this verse really helped me reframe what I was going through. And even though I felt a piece about what had happened, that didn't.

It didn't mean that, you know, I wasn't still frustrated. Oh, yeah. You know, I mean, because going through this process, I'm a pretty active guy, and I was bedridden for about a month after my second surgery. Had to pee in a bottle. I had to pee in a bottle. To get up to pee was a stroke. Like, I couldn't do it.

Oh, wow. So I wanted to mention that. We only got a couple of minutes left, but because you guys have been through a lot anyway. You lost your wife to cancer. Yes, sir. 12 years ago. So you were just 12? Yes, sir.

So obviously, and I mean, now I've gotten to meet with three of your boys and met your daughter, but obviously you did an amazing job as well as she did before she crossed over. But I think for people that hear that and then see the kind of kids you have and especially, Brody more in the spotlight, I mean, it just says what God can do because you did it too. I mean, you were having to be both and you're having to, you know, do what you did. And I think you see the results. You see the fruit of what happens when something gets. Oh, absolutely.

Which has to make it feel good. Yeah. You can't. So I was talking to Lisa, I don't know how people get through stuff in life without having God to rely on. I mean, I just don't. I mean, you know, I can remember, you know, when a lost trace when she passed away, I can remember, you know, there's certain things that you just, it's painted in your, in your, mind and I can remember trying to figure out how I was going to tell these boys, you know, that

what are we going to do, you know, just trying to think how I was going to do it. I walked them down to the chapel there and the, man, I was praying the whole time just walking my three boys down there. And Brody was 12. Cooper was 10 and Ty, I don't even remember six, seven years old. And, you know, my daughter was so small. Yeah, she's little. Yeah, she wasn't understanding what, you know, mom was sick.

Yeah. Trace had been sick her entire, you know, entire, Briley's entire life. But I remember going down there and the only thing, the only place I could think of was the little chapel in the hospital and having to tell them that, you know, look, you're going to, you know, this is it. You need to say you buys to your mom that she's not going to be here. So I'm telling them that and trying to muster up that strength to do it. And, you know, in my mind, I'm just talking to God the entire time. And so I tell them and, you know, I think it sinks in with them, you know, but they're still young. But they go up and, you know, they, we've made pallets in the floor with, and the kids slept, you know, in the floor.

And they'd be really good at the hospital. But from that point on, You know, my life was kind of, it's funny how during the trials, he brings you closer to him. Yeah. And then after the trial, your flesh side kind of get you, you know what I mean? Yep. So our, my walk has been, it's been up and down. Yep.

And way smoother when, when I've put God first in it. But there's no way we could have got through that without, without. What a story. It made me think of this. verse, because we started this podcast before y'all came, talking about why Jesus is better, why he's greater. This is Proverbs 21, 30, and 31. And there's a little part for you I have in here. It's kind of funny, but I want to read 30 that says there is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord. The horse,

is made ready for the day of battle. But victory rests with the Lord. I like it. So next time you see that pommel horse, you think of Proverbs 21. Well, I wanted to hear what's next before we end. Well, we're getting married and next mate. And your fiancé was next to your dad,

and she got some airtime as well. Is it Serena? Serena. Yes, sir. So you got a lot of good things ahead. Yes, sir. Yeah, which is going to be great. And at this point, you can just show up and wave.

I mean, I'm telling you. Before we leave there, show your medal. You got your metal in your pocket. We forgot to show that earlier. Oh, wow. It's a lot bigger than I thought. It's a lot heavier it is. Oh, my goodness.

All right. So there it is. Unashamed Nation. We are first and probably last Olympic medalist on the Unashamed podcast. There you go, Dad. Check it out. Yeah. The bronze medal.

But anyway, thanks so much for y'all coming on, for your witness, for willing to put our gospel symbols out there for the world to see. What a blessing. And Brody, just for being who you are. Thank you very much. So we're going to have y'all back in Duck Hunt this year. So we're talking about we're working on a trip. Because they're into duck hunting two days. They love to shoot the duck.

Wouldn't that be something if we, I mean, who needs a dog with him around? He could do a double back flip over the top of the blind stick to back. Brody is the retriever. Brody is now the retriever. You are right. Your brothers are high-fiving back there. You want to see a retrieve? Watch this.

Just out of the blind. All right. So we love meeting them alone. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by rating us on iTunes. And don't miss an episode by subscribing on YouTube and be sure to click that little bell to get notified about new episodes. And for even more content that you won't get anywhere else, subscribe to Blay, TV at blazed tv.com slash unashamed.