The O2X Podcast

-Arno Ilgner is an O2X Resilience Specialist with expertise in stress management, resiliency, and all things mental training for tactical athletes & first responders. -He distinguished himself as a pioneering rock climber in the 1970s and ‘80s, when the top climbs were bold and dangerous first ascents. These personal exploits are the foundation for his unique physical and mental training progr...

-Ashley Ripke has spent the past 7 years training and supporting thousands of soldiers, both in the Big Army and Special Forces, on psychological skills that enhance resilience and performance. -Her career began with the Ready and Resilient (R2) Program and is currently the Cognitive Performance Specialist with 3rd Special Forces Group. -The role psychological and physiological factors play in hig...

-Aaron Lohman is a 14 year veteran of NYPD. He is currently assigned to the Health and Wellness Section, dedicated to helping LEO's with their physical, mental, financial, and spiritual health -After a life changing nightmare in 2016, he made the goal to live every day to the fullest and become a better and healthier person  -Since that time he’s lost 170 pounds, became a certified personal t...

-Dave Nelson is an O2X Resilience Specialist. survivor of a near-death experience, and former Silicon Valley sales director -From 2006-2016, he worked with companies like EMC, Dell, Nimble Storage, and Rubrik to help them build successful sales teams and expand into new markets for their products.  -He studied Sociology and Anthropology at Lafayette College, where he served as the Co-Captain of th...

-Emily Cook is a 3x Olympian, 3x World Cup Champion, and 6x National Champion for the U.S. Ariel Ski Team -After retiring from Olympic competition, she joined the audio brand Skullcandy to design the 'Skullcandy Human Potential Lab'. It was here where she spent time with some of the world's top athletes investigating the science between music and human performance.  -She recently en...

- Gianna Roma is an O2X Nutrition Specialist who facilitates the EAT portion of our curriculum at the Massachusetts National Guard. -She’s been a Registered Dietitian for over four years and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Connecticut, where she played Division I soccer for the Huskies. -She went on to complete her Masters degree and Dietetic internship in New York City and...

-Zach Weatherford recently completed a three-year term as the Director of Human Performance with NBA team the Brooklyn Nets  -Prior to this, he spent 6 years as a civilian Human Performance Manager at the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command and held multiple roles with the U.S. Olympic Committee to include Sports Physiologist and Strength & Conditioning Coordinator -It was here where he led a m...

-Dave Terry is the former Director of Sports Performance at Georgetown University. During his tenure, he trained all 29 sports teams, was a two-time finalist for Strength Coach of the year, and mentored dozens of coaches that went on to pursue careers in collegiate, professional and tactical strength and conditioning worlds -He created Georgetown’s nationally renowned and accredited Sport Performa...

- Brian Kitching is an active duty Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army who’s currently serving in a fellowship at the White House. - He has served in key roles within Special Operations and Infantry units, including assignments to the 75th Ranger Regiment, 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions, and 3rd Infantry Division. - LTC Kitching has deployed on 10 separate occasions and spent over 50 m...

-Jess Harmon is a Doctor of Psychology, U.S. Army Major, and O2X Mental Performance/Resilience Specialist. -She works as an operational Psychologist in the United States Army and specializes in personnel selection, advanced behavioral consultation, resilience, and mental performance training for Special Operation forces.  -Jess has provided individual and organizational consultation for military p...

-Matt Cady is an O2X Strength & Conditioning Specialist who is certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, USA Weightlifting, Precision Nutrition and Functional Movement Screen. -He was a 4-year college hockey player at Miami University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Coaching. Upon graduating, he entered into an 8 year career...

-Kayla Schmit is an O2X On-Site Specialist for Frederick County, MD Fire & Rescue Department.  -She graduated from Winona State University in 2016 with a B.S. in Exercise Science and a minor in Nutrition. She then continued her education and graduated with a Masters of Science in Kinesiology and Outdoor Recreation: Sports Performance & Conditioning from Southern Utah University. -While com...

-Hunter Barnhill is an O2X Resilience Specialist and a former U.S. Air Force Bomber Pilot -He’s logged over 700 hours in the B-52H Stratofortress and over 600 hours in the T-6A Texan II -As a B-52H pilot, Hunter led his crew in accomplishing a variety of missions including nuclear deterrence, close air support, air-to-ground, direct attack, and counter-drug. -In 2015, he volunteered to be an Instr...

O2X Cofounder Adam La Reau and host Joe McCullough review milestones from 2020 and the road ahead in 2021. Download the O2X Tactical Performance App: app.o2x.com Let us know what you think: Website: http://o2x.com IG: https://instagram.com/o2xhumanperformance?igshid=1kicimx55xt4f

-Jason Mitchler is an O2X Injury Prevention Specialist who recently retired from active duty after 23 years in U.S. Army -His enlisted career began as an infantryman and later as a Special Forces Medic with the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) where he completed two tours to Afghanistan.  -He then received his commission after graduating from the Army-Baylor program with a Doctorate in Physical...

-Annie Okerlin is an O2X Yoga Specialist who presents yoga, sleep, resiliency & iRest Yoga Nidra to tactical athletes, first responders, and veterans nationwide.  -Her passion for helping the wounded warriors of today’s wars led her to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in 2006 where she worked with the traumatically injured to include: amputees, burn victims, those with orthopedic p...

-Mike Sanders is an O2X Strength & Conditioning Specialist. He received his master’s in Exercise Science in 1999 from the University of Nebraska-Kearney and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist from the National Strength and Conditioning Association -As a Strength and Conditioning Coach, he was part of back-to-back NCAA National Championships with the University of Denver’s D-I...

-Scott Ziegler is an O2X Assistant Instructor, meaning he facilitates our program at in-person events with tactical athletes from around country.  -At 35 years old, he has been a Firefighter/EMT for 16 years. Before becoming a career firefighter he was volunteer, worked on an ambulance, and in an Emergency Room as a tech.  -He was hired into the City of Highland Park's Fire Department in 2009...

-Josh Stuart Shor commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant after graduating from Norwich University in 2007. -His career in the Army began in the Infantry as a Platoon Leader in the 82nd Airborne Division.  -In 2010, after his promotion to Captain, He attended the Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) course at Fort Bragg, NC.  -After selection and eighteen months of specialized training, Josh ea...

-Gabriel Gomez is a 1987 graduate of the United States Naval Academy.  -He completed U.S. Navy Flight School and flew operationally for two years as an aircraft carrier pilot. -He then requested and received an opportunity to attend the U.S. Navy's Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/s) and completed training as Class Leader. Making him only the second person in the U.S. Navy histo...

- Allison Brager is the Director of Human Performance Operations and Outreach Education for the U.S. Army E-Sports and Warrior Fitness Teams of the United States Army Recruiting Command.  - She sits on the Federal Fatigue Management Working Group for the Office of the Army Surgeon General, Special Forces, and NATO and assists with their performance-related publications. - Previously, at the Walter...

-Nick Barringer served in the 75th Ranger Regiment as a member of the Ranger Athlete Warrior (RAW) program where he oversaw nutrition and physical training of U.S. Army Rangers. -After leaving the 75th, he was a researcher in the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine where he studied 'Warfighter Nutrition in Differing Environments'. -He taught Performance Nutrit...

- Matias Ferreira served in the United States Marine Corps as a Machine Gunner with 1st Battalion 8th Marines 2nd Marine Division, stationed in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.  - In his first combat tour to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2010, he stepped on an IED causing him to lose both legs below the knees, amongst other injuries. - During his year and a half of rehabilitation at Walter Reed Ar...

-James Geering is a former Universal Studios stuntman from the United Kingdom  -After immigrating to the United States, he spent 14 years in the Fire Service. Serving in departments on both the East and West coast - He currently hosts the very successful podcast ‘Behind the Shield’, which aims to bring the greatest minds in physical and mental wellness to the first responders and military of the w...

- Dan Cnossen is a 2002 graduate of the United States Naval Academy -After graduating the Academy, he became a Navy SEAL in 2003 and deployed numerous times in support of global special operations.  -In 2009, while deployed to Afghanistan, he was severely injured after stepping on an IED. This resulted in the amputation of both his legs above the knees. -Turning to sport for recovery, Cnossen even...