John O'Leary - Author/Speaker

06/27/20 • 28 min

BONUS EPISODE

John O'Leary is a walking miracle. In 1987, John O’Leary was a die-hard St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan. He was also a curious nine-year-old boy. Playing with fire and gasoline, John created a massive explosion in his home and was burned on 100% of his body.

He was given a 1% chance to live.

And live he did.

With the help of a St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame broadcaster, and his love for baseball, John was able to survive and even more than that thrive in life.

John is now a motivational speaker and author, sharing his incredible story. His new book, “ON FIRE: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life” was an instant #1 National Bestseller selling 30,000 copies in the first 3 weeks. In May of 2020, John released his second book "In Awe: Rediscovering Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning and Joy."

On today's podcast, we talk to John about his new book, why that childlike wonder is something we all should look to rediscover, his love for baseball and how he's found joy amidst the global pandemic.

Follow John on Instagram: @JohnOLeary.Inspires

Follow Sports Spectrum on Instagram: @Sports_Spectrum

BONUS EPISODE

He was given a 1% chance to live.

And live he did.

With the help of a St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame broadcaster, and his love for baseball, John was able to survive and even more than that thrive in life.

Follow John on Instagram: @JohnOLeary.Inspires

Follow Sports Spectrum on Instagram: @Sports_Spectrum

Previous Episode

Christian Taylor - USA Olympic Gold Medal Winning Sprinter

Episode 512

Christian Taylor is a U.S. track and field athlete. He is the two-time reigning Olympic champion in the triple jump, winning gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2016 Rio Olympics. He is also the current world champion in the event, taking gold at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

At the age of 17, Taylor became the triple jump champion and long jump bronze medalist at the 2007 World Youth Championships, and then established himself as a top-level triple jumper at the University of Florida. He won back-to-back NCAA indoor titles and consecutive NCAA outdoor championships in 2010 and 2011.

On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Taylor about the 2020 Summer Olympics being postponed, what training looks like during a pandemic, and why it was important for him to walk the walk and not just talk the talk when it came to being a follower of Christ.

Follow Christian on Instagram: @Taylored2Jump

Follow Sports Spectrum on Instagram: @Sports_Spectrum

Next Episode

Patrick Fraher - NBA Referee

Episode 513

Patrick Fraher has been an NBA referee since 2001. He has officiated over 1,100 regular season games and over 50 playoff games in his 19 NBA seasons. In 2015, he officiated the NBA All-Star Game in New York City.

Prior to joining the NBA, Fraher officiated for seven years in the CBA where he worked the Finals and All-Star Game and also spent four years in the WNBA.

He attended the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded the Evans Scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.

On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Patrick about being scheduled to referee the Utah vs Oklahoma City game in March that was suspended and led to the postponement of the NBA season. We also hear how he became an NBA referee, his favorite Michael Jordan story, and his incredible story of coming to faith in Christ at age 43.

For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com

Follow us on Instagram: @Sports_Spectrum