Decimating the Odds Through Resiliency with Mike McKnight

A few weeks back I spoke at an event called True Transformation in New Jersey and met Mike McKnight. I got to spend time with him and listening to his story was something that I felt totally inspired by because if you look at Mike’s life on paper and what he is doing today, he should not be doing anything he is today. It ‘s remarkable. 

As men, husbands and fathers, we are faced with adversity and obstacles around every turn. Sometimes we feel like we are faced with adversity and obstacles around every turn, and sometimes we feel like we get hit by them over and over again, like a machine gun and then some is firing at us. We just don’t know exactly what to do.

Mike McKnight is a professional ultra marathoner. He is a coach and lives in the mountains of Northern Utah.  He is the father of two children. He also states that he is the husband to the best wife in the world. 

In 2012, he had a skiing accident where he shattered his L one vertebrae and had two rods and nine screws surgically inserted into his spine. It was because of this experience that Mike found a love for pushing his limits and running very long distances.

He has won and set records at multiple ultra marathons. In 2019, he became the first person to win all three 200 mile races and set course records at each race. That same year Mike went out and ran and set a speed record for the 500 mile Colorado trail.This year Mike will be heading out to try to set a new speed record on the Arizona trail, which is an 800 mile trail.

Fatherhood comes with adversity and I just know this interview will shed some light on how to pursue the life you deserve for you and your family.

What You’ll Learn

8:19 Interview Begins

Interview Begins

10:35 Growing up on a Farm

Mike begins by talking about him growing up on a farm and seeing his father work from 2 a.m. to 10 p.m. The impact from seeing that hard work impacted him and taught him the quality of putting your head down doing what you need to.

He talks about the huge gap between him and his siblings, so he suspects he was an accident, but regardless he has the best siblings one could have.

16:36 Being bullied as a child

Mike talks about his coping mechanisms as he grew up being bullied due to his overweight as a child. 

Larry talks about a story during his time in 7th grade when he got invited to play soccer but that turned into being bullied and being so ashamed that he came home and was unable to share that experience with his mom. 

23:17 Body image issues

Mike shares how bullying impacts you much longer than expected and how even today he is triggered with body image issues. Even though he lost weight as a sophomore, it is something that he struggles with.

Larry also shares this feeling on how subconsciously it is something in the back of his mind. 

27:20 Mike’s Skiing Accident

Mike describes in detail his skiing accident and why he is lucky to have been able to still walk. His doctor suggested he drop out of college to recover. It was his first year of college and it was hard for him to have to drop all of it.

37:16 Back to Walking… Running

Mike talks about him getting back on his feet. He first started walking a dirt road outside of his parents house using his grandmother’s walker and it took him an hour and a half to walk 2 miles. He progressed from using the walker to using a cane, and then no cane. That walk turned into a bit of running. 

In that moment, he realized he had a different mindset. 10 weeks post surgery he ran a 10K with his “clam shell”.

48:53 From Broken Back to Ultra Marathoner

Mike shares how a year and 3 months after breaking his back he did his first ultra marathon. He did not know what it was, but when he got invited to trail running, he knew there was something different about it.

52:07 From 100 to 200 miles

Mike McKnight talks about his journey of going from 100 miles to 200 miles and the pain he had to endure, but most importantly, the resiliency it took to overcome the phisical obstacles to continue and even run three 200 mile rances.