028 - Dave Castro - Former SEAL and BUD/S Instructor, Current Director of the CrossFit Games

Explicit content warning

10/05/20 • 75 min

Dave Castro rarely speaks of his service at the tip of the spear but the imprint of those years of training to excellence is apparent in everything he does -- especially at the CrossFit Games.

“The past that I speak so little of is so foundational for who I am.”

In Episode 028, with Jason and Rich, Dave discloses a few of the missing pieces of his winding journey starting with “The Rock” and leading to leadership in the Navy as well as CrossFit International.

Dave grew up on “The Ranch” in California and while he was involved in athletics and martial arts he never excelled. Always a “self-directed” researcher he stumbled onto the challenge of becoming a Navy SEAL and he dropped out of college (against his parents’ wishes) and chased the goal with single minded focus wondering “do I have what it takes?”

With self knowledge and the reflection born of being both recruit and trainer, Dave talks about the mindset and mentality of getting through BUD/S and other challenges. Dave made the deliberate choice to not put his SEAL experiences up front in the early days of working for CrossFit while still active duty as a BUD/S instructor -- a decision which makes some still surprised to learn he was a SEAL. He served 12 years as a SEAL yet the quiet professional ethos is so ingrained, details are not forthcoming about his service through multiple deployments on elite Special Operations Teams. The lessons and values Dave holds from his years of service, however, are clear: holding yourself to a high standard; constantly training and pushing; walking the walk; and being willing to be humble, start over and work your way up.

He attributes his success out of the military to his mindset of “not ‘be impressed by what I’ve done,’ but ‘let me impress you by what I can do.’”

Dave lays out his narrative about the source of the edginess he brings to CrossFit as a sport -- especially at the Games -- and the crossovers between Teams and CrossFit: teamwork, community, discipline and always training/honing your craft with care.

Links:

Dave Castro rarely speaks of his service at the tip of the spear but the imprint of those years of training to excellence is apparent in everything he does -- especially at the CrossFit Games.

“The past that I speak so little of is so foundational for who I am.”

He attributes his success out of the military to his mindset of “not ‘be impressed by what I’ve done,’ but ‘let me impress you by what I can do.’”

Links:

Previous Episode

027 - Team Roundup with Jason, Emily and Rich

Jason, Emily and Rich do a team check-in of sorts for Episode 027. They discuss COVID and learning from history about “unusual times” particularly with regards to schooling; adaptation and sacrifice; the tensions of community and personal responsibility; having self-discipline; and lessons of leadership. The team also gives a peek behind the curtain of the state of GORUCK with an overview of current status and a preview of upcoming rollouts and initiatives with a constant eye on being active and building strong communities.

Links:

NY Times Article “Schools Beat Earlier Plagues with Outdoor Classes”
“On Living in an Atomic Age” by C.S. Lewis
“Polder Model” (Public Debate in the Netherlands)
Sandbag and Ruck Training and hear more from Cadre DS in Episode 017 (Bio) and Episode 018 (Training)
GORUCK Clubs
“How Not to Start a Backpack Company” by Jason McCarthy
Glorious Professionals podcast website

Next Episode

029 - State of GORUCK 2020: Chaos is Opportunity

History is happening all around us, and it’s going to be OK.

In the spirit of leading with transparency, since 2013 Jason has published a “State of GORUCK” blogpost for the community. He turns 2020’s post into Episode 029. You can read the full post, comment and ask questions HERE.

The episode covers GORUCK’s evolution from 2019 to 2020 through COVID to the present with an eye toward the future including: revenue and net income year over year; contraction in Events but growth in community and Ruck Clubs; growth in the training side of the business with Sandbag and Ruck training and accompanying gear (like ruck plates); GORUCK Foundation (Java Forever) donations; and the launch of GORUCK Media including this podcast, “The Standard” a feature documentary on GORUCK Selection, and book launch (with more to come).

Jason also walks through the business of manufacturing and distribution — in the USA and overseas — and the decision to bring GR1, GR2 and GR3 production back to be built exclusively in the US beginning in 2021. There are other technological, tactical, training, event and gear announcements for 2021 and beyond.

“I choose this way of life, and I choose to fight for the values I hold dear regardless of outcomes. I do it because it’s a rewarding and fulfilling way to live this one and only life I have, and because my greatest fear growing up was a boring life. And this is definitely not boring, come what may. This journey would not be possible without your support, and I’m grateful to you all in this year 2020 and for all the years of my life. Thank you from sunny Jacksonville Beach, Florida.” — Jason McCarthy

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