May 2, 2025 • 49 mins
What happens when life's unexpected disasters become the very training ground that prepares you for championship glory? Nate Burkhalter's remarkable journey reveals exactly that transformative possibility.
One moment, Nate was a college student with athletic dreams; the next, he was plunging into a concealed pit of boiling water, suffering second and third-degree burns from his thighs to his toes. This catastrophic accident could have defined his story as one of limitation and loss. Instead, it became the first testing ground for a resilience that would later propel him to extraordinary heights.
After rebuilding his life and finding success as an engineer, Nate faced a profound realization: material achievement without purpose had left him spiritually atrophied. The sudden death of a newly-retired colleague delivered a wake-up call that changed everything. "I'm procrastinating living for a purpose," Nate realized. This epiphany launched him toward risks most would avoid.
Pursuing American Ninja Warrior tested not just his physical abilities but his relationship with failure itself. After years of rejection, injuries, and setbacks, Nate's persistence led to his legendary "Run of the Year" while battling severe food poisoning. This determination caught the attention of producers from Exatlon, a grueling six-month competition in Latin America, where despite rupturing discs in his neck and breaking his ankle, Nate persevered to emerge as champion.
Throughout this conversation, Nate shares profound wisdom gained through adversity: "The riskiest thing you can do in life is play it safe" and "Failure is weighed in ounces, but regret is weighed in tons." His story reminds us that our greatest obstacles might actually be preparing us for our greatest victories—if we have the courage to keep climbing.
Follow Nate's continuing adventures @NoLimitsNate on Instagram and watch for his upcoming book, which promises to deliver more of the wisdom and inspiration that have made him not just a physical champion, but a champion of the human spirit. Whatever challenge you're facing today, let Nate's journey remind you: don't give up. Your setback might be setting you up for something extraordinary.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Adrian Branch , former pro-athlete turned
motivational speaker andcertified life coach, and
welcome to the Climb, a showwhere we celebrate the stories
of resilient people sharing howthey turned adversity into
success, From the businesssector to athletes and beyond.
Be inspired and learn what ittakes to climb.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Hello everybody, I'm Adrian Branch and welcome to the
Climb.
Just like you heard in the open, this show is about encouraging
people and their climb.
You're going to hear people andthe resilience of what they
took to overcome, and my guesttoday is exactly that.
I'm looking forward to you guyshearing about.
His story is exactly that.
(00:46):
I'm looking forward to you guyshearing about his story.
This young man is fascinating.
He might be the world's mostinteresting person because he's
an adventurer, he's a missionaryworker, he's an encourager, and
I think there's going to be somany touch points in his story
that you'll identify with.
So, without any further ado,welcome Nate Burkhalter.
Hello Nate.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Hey B brother, and great to be with you.
I'm excited for this, excitedfor your new show.
You got a lot of wisdom toshare with people and I'm
honored to be a part of this.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Well, nate, it's fascinating.
Congratulations.
I hear you're a newlywed toMiss Emily and a baby on the way
.
So you know, uncle, a hopes,after the baby is healthy, that
it's a left-hander that shootsall the time.
So I hope you have aleft-hander.
We can only pray you have somany touch points.
(01:42):
Again, this show is aboutresilience, overcoming what's
the climb, what's it take toclimb, and I think you're
perfect to tell your story.
So take us back to I guess itwas Louisiana Tech, and you're
walking through campus andliterally fell in a ditch.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Yeah, I grew up in Louisiana, and Louisiana Tech
University is where I got theprivilege of going to school.
Now, shout out to Carl Malonemailman.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
My year, yes, 1985.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Right, he's one of our lone celebrities from that
university.
But one of my passions being anathlete like yourself and it's
a lens that I see through andhave a lot of experience in I
grew up in high school kind of aquig of an athlete, pretty
small kid, and by the time Igraduated high school I was 130
(02:33):
pounds, six feet tall.
Couldn't play football like Iwanted so I got into tennis just
because no one played tennis inSouth Indiana.
But being a solo sport, kind oflike a kicker in football,
you've got to develop the mentalaspect of being an athlete.
So it gave me a foundation.
But to tie that into college Iwent to Louisiana Tech
(02:53):
University, not on a footballscholarship but on an academic
scholarship partially as afinancial aid and I was going to
become an engineer and as Istarted in that process I really
got into the discipline ofweightlifting and really loved
football in high school butagain didn't get the opportunity
to play.
Long story short, by mysophomore year I put on 65
(03:14):
pounds of muscle through a lotof training and discipline,
found out through some flagfootball that I was a really
good athlete, especially infootball and wide receiver.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
And I played on the football team.
So they started saying man,you're as good as us, you could
come do this.
And I was like, well, that'salways been a dream, but I never
really believed it was possible.
So I took my first attempt atreally going for a goal, and a
dream that I had and, long storyshort, went into the process of
walking on the football team.
(03:43):
And as I'm doing that mysophomore year, spring 2007, I'm
walking across campus from mydormitory to a practice field
where I went multiple times aweek, usually once a day after
classes, and I'd go train.
Well, I'm walking there thisone day in the same path, a
little bit in the grass, alittle worn dirt pathway.
I'm walking and suddenly I sinkinto the ground.
(04:06):
The ground splits open like achicken pot pie.
Whoa, If you're from the Southyou know about chicken pot pie.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Yeah, yeah, uh-huh.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
What wasn't Grandma's delightful experience in this
case?
As I sink in and go about thighdeep.
I instinctively reach behind meand catch what's left of firm
ground, and I do like a reversedip.
I push myself back out of thisnow pit in the ground and I see
steam and boiling water.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Oh, my goodness Wow.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
So for a split second it was a fall, a reaction,
climbing back out a second ortwo later and then I feel what I
describe as a thousand hornetsstinging me or a severe burn
like acid.
Wow.
My mind's trying to processwhat's happening.
But as I see bubbling water andsteam and all of a sudden I
feel the searing pain on my legs.
(05:01):
I realize I'm in a boiling pitof water.
The searing pain on my legs, Irealized I'm in a boiling pit of
water.
So I instinctively startsprinting towards the dorm and I
barrage through my four friendsthat were behind me and my
teammates and I get inside thedorm, into the shower and begin
rinsing cold water off on mylegs, oh wow.
Well, excruciating pain.
For those of you that heardabout burns, second degree is
the most painful you can havebecause it kind of frays your
(05:22):
nerve endings so you're verysensitive.
Excruciating pain.
For those of you that heardabout burns, second degree is
the most painful you can havebecause it kind of frays your
nerve endings so you're verysensitive.
Third degree is more permanentand damaging but it's less
painful because it's burned thenerve endings off so your body
can't really feel anymore.
But that's a much longerrecovery, skin grafts and things
of that nature.
Long story short, I find myselfin the LSU burn center for a
(05:45):
month, recovering from a severesecond and third degree burn
from my upper thighs down to mytoes.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Began the journey of one seeing my hope and dream as
an athlete deteriorate.
Yeah, I lost 20 pounds in thehospital.
I was in a wheelchair for abouta month after that, so I lost
the ability to do anythingathletic, and there's a few
things that happened there Foranyone listening.
While this was a freak accident, I'm sure all of us have
(06:16):
experienced some pain andfrustration, some unexpected
circumstances that lead us to dothe old, that lead us to do the
old.
Why God?
Why me?
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Yeah, Not fair.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Maybe you've been there before.
So I'm laying in this hospitalbed, crying, complaining, in a
lot of pain, unable to sleep.
My legs are very porous becauseof the skin that's been burned
off, so I'm leeching waterconstantly.
I've got IVs in me.
How?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
old are you?
18, 19 at the time?
How old?
21 at this point, gotcha.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Okay To make some takeaways from the story.
Well, it was very frustratingand painful in the moment and
I'm having all these.
Why me, god?
This isn't fair.
But in that process I learned afew things that have really
helped me in life and now I canlook back and say I'm grateful
for this situation, although itfelt like a big setback in life
(07:10):
and a big frustration.
One of the things that happenedis I got a good perspective
change.
There were some funny momentsin there.
One when I'm on the surgerytable getting prepped to have my
skin dead skin cut off and thesurgeon tells me hey, this isn't
the overall perspective change,but this is funny.
The surgeon's like we're aboutto doach you up with some strong
(07:32):
medication.
It's going to knock you out.
When you come to, you're goingto be bandaged up and we'll have
cut off all the dead skin.
I'm like cool, I was drugged uppretty good at that point.
Well, I come out of surgery, Icome back awake and I look
around and I've got my bestfriend, jeff, sitting over here
and my sister, lydia, on theother side, and Lydia, who's
(07:52):
straight laced.
She's a year younger than me,but she was the one that had it
all together.
I was a little bit wild.
It's like Nathan, I can'tbelieve all those things you
said.
It's like Nathan, I can'tbelieve all those things you
said.
Why would you say that that washorrible?
Speaker 2 (08:11):
You were cussing at the doctor and the surgeon.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
They said when they gave me this medicine, they had
me strapped down to the table.
It still keeps your consciousmind active, but you just don't
remember it.
So I was screaming a lot ofthings to this doctor, like if
you don't stop this, you'regoing to find me wrong.
I'm going to swear so hard, I'mgoing to do it, I'm threatening
this life the way I can't.
And it really embarrassed mysister.
(08:33):
I think I dropped some veryexplicit words.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
I didn't see that one coming.
Nate, I'm blushing, I amblushing for you.
Out this one.
Okay, that's pretty good, thatis funny.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Surgery comes in I apologize he's like nah, that
was a great reaction man.
I get the best stories fromthese kinds of surgeries, so he
was cool with it.
But that was at the beginningof my journey.
I thought this would be a quickyou know a couple of day
recovery.
Come to find out this is goingto be many months of intense
recovery.
So, as I got wheeled every daydown to the station where they
(09:05):
would change out the bandagesand basically rip them off of me
, when.
I would get wheeled back.
I would see these differentrooms with people that were
suffering from some kind of burninjury.
This was the Louisiana StateUniversity Burn Center.
So people burn head to toe indifferent parts of their body.
One room I noticed on day fouror five it was empty and there
(09:26):
had been someone in there beforeand I said, hey, nurse, what
happened to that guy?
She said, oh, he died lastnight.
Oh, wow, and I remember thatbeing one of the biggest slaps
in my face of one me having thispoor attitude and of course it
was painful.
But I realized there, eventhough it wasn't that close to
(09:47):
God at the time, I realized, man, I'm still alive, there's still
a lungs, I'm not horriblydisfigured, I'll recover.
It'll be painful, I'll havesome, some limitations from this
that I'll have to work through,but, wow, still got breath in
my lungs.
And that that became a slap inthe face of you, in the face of
don't be a complainer here, lookfor a way that you can
persevere.
And that came into play laterin life.
(10:09):
The other thing I learned fromthat is I had some lawyers come
up to me and they said, hey,we've got a pretty good case
here.
You can make some good moneyout of this.
You do say these words, buthere's what I heard.
They said you're going to haveto play the victim.
I'm going to need you to backaway from your pursuit in the
engineering career.
I'm going to need you to not goto that internship that you've
(10:30):
secured and let's just let thenegative effects of this play
out.
And so we can gain a lot frompaying suffering.
We can gain a lot from loss offuture revenue.
As an engineer, we can hit theareas and I thought about that
for a minute and I thought aboutcases where people have made a
(10:52):
lot of money from situationsthat have happened to them that
weren't their fault.
But I remember one thing Ilearned from my grandfather.
He was a World War II vet andwhen he came home from having a
crash landing as a pilot over inthe Asia Pacific campaign, he
declined a lot of medicalbenefits that the government was
trying to give.
They had a limited budget forpeople and because he already
had a job secured, he's like Ican pay for these things out of
(11:12):
my job.
So I don't have to pay forpeople who have that work and
pay for it.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Wow, granddad Nice Wow.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Don't be a victim here.
Now, that was just a childhoodlesson he gave me that I think
God brought back to theforefront of my mind.
So, long story short, I chosehow do I be an overcomer in this
situation?
And man, it was the spirit ofGod prompted me in that.
I can't say that at 21,.
I was that wise.
But I did get out of pursuingthe big lawsuit, fat check.
(11:45):
While that would have been ablessing at the time because I
didn't have any money, I thinkin the long term it would have
crippled me.
It would have killed my desireand my ability to slowly grow,
step by step.
And that's what God has for usis a place of stewardship.
You grow and you increase.
You grow and you increase.
When you get too much from thebeginning, it can cripple you,
Just as we see people who winthe lottery.
Rarely is it a benefit in theirlife.
(12:06):
So long story short, there Ilearned to really change my
perspective and realize I'vestill got breath in my lungs.
Keep fighting and then twodon't be a victim.
And these situations can workout.
There's a scripture I live by.
Romans 8, 28 says God will workall things for the good of
those who love him and arecalled according to his purpose.
So it's for my good and God'sglory if I can learn to choose
(12:28):
and frame this in the rightthing.
So from there, I didn't getback into football.
I didn't have a redemptionstory.
I chose to pursue theengineering world.
I worked hard for that Graduatemove to Houston, texas, get a
job with a oil and gasengineering firm.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Let me ask you this real quick before we move on
with that, because, nate, you'vesaid so many things and you
just mentioned there's somelisteners out there that's
dealing with some heartbreak andif they had a slight of hand
they could have turned thispuppy around as well in their
situation and say I can makemillions, I could have a wing on
(13:04):
Louisiana Tech named after me,like yourself, but you chose the
high road.
I want to ask this one, as youare showing yourself as an
overcomer what was it like whennobody was around before you
finished and that talk of goodand evil, that talk of the four
walls in your mind Because Ireally believe a lot of the four
(13:25):
walls in your mind, because Ireally believe a lot of the
battle?
Is that self-talk Out of theabundance of the heart?
The mouth speaks as a man?
Think.
If so, he is.
What was that self-talk likewhen you're going through the
anger and the shock of themisdream right there?
Take us through that how youwere feeling as a 21-year-old
stud that picked up 65 poundsand ready to play a high-level
(13:48):
football.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
You know, one of the big things that helped me later
in life, as I did become aprofessional athlete, was I
looked back at that time and Ireally lived by my perception of
success versus failure and inthat season of really beginning
to go for it in the footballworld and trying to get on that
team and seeing potential thereto be a good player starter.
(14:14):
I don't know if I had NFLpotential.
Regardless of that, what I sawthere is there's a piece of me
that had a bit of regret.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Wow, that's good.
That's good.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
I hadn't fully laid it on the line yet I hadn't gone
.
All in this comes into playlater in my story.
So I felt like you know what, Iwasn't sure if I was going to
fully make it, which means to meit would have been a failure.
This is the football attemptand if I had failed, that feels
like it would have defined me,because I hadn't learned to
operate from an identity of whoI am as a son of God, meant to
(14:46):
take risks and move forward.
I had only known if I think Ican do it, then I'm going to go
for it because it's going togive me success.
But if there's a chance thatI'm going to fail which every
important thing we'll do in lifehas a risk and an element of
failure involved If I think it'sgoing to lead to failure, I'm
not going to do it.
Yes, it's going to lead tofailure.
(15:07):
So you know, while I was inthis, this burn disaster- I'm
really thinking about kind ofthis.
I hadn't fully laid it on theline and decided to go all in in
the football path and a littlebit of relief hit me where I
don't have to find out if I'mgoing to fail on that.
Oh, okay, wow, Then I'mwrestling with the other side of
(15:28):
what you're talking about.
What's the inner game?
Am I going to play the victimhere?
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
And I did decide to myself and say am I living by
what I preach?
Now I preach and encourageothers.
Hey, don't be a victim here.
I came from not greatcircumstances and I've
encouraged other people.
Don't be a victim from yourcircumstances, regardless of
what they are and regardless ofthe truth and reality.
Don't let it become youridentity.
(15:52):
Find a way through and thepeople that are seeking to grow
forward.
Man, I see that God tends toput his hand on those people and
encourage them and give themthe path forward.
But I saw if I stayed in thatmentality it's going to trap me.
So I was wrestling with some ofthose demons, some of those
thoughts and temptations of lifecould be easier.
Right now I play the victim,the man I want to be, and that's
(16:15):
not going to help my future,although I didn't really know
what was to come in the future.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Were there any books that you were reading at the
time?
Because I'm parking here for asecond again, nate, because a
lot of people may not have thatNate Burkhalter in their ear.
They say, man, attaboy, you cando it, keep going in their ear.
They say, man, attaboy, you cando it, keep going.
Another question, just whilewe're here, is what were the
books that you may have beenreading or what were your
closest friends saying to you tohelp keep your compass pointed
(16:43):
north at that time?
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Well, I am a very avid reader.
Right now.
I just set up shop in my newhouse.
I got 3% of the books I ownbehind me.
I've got a lot of books andmany of them have been
incredibly helpful, because Ican't get around these authors,
but I can learn from theirwisdom and their life.
At the time, I was not an avidreader of anything but my
engineering textbooks.
(17:09):
I have the benefit of a good,godly pastor who was also a
businessman, and I had a coupleof friends that helped remind me
of the values that I'd beenraised in.
So I have to attribute a lot ofthis mindset to my parents.
Even though my dad and Iweren't in a great spot at that
time, he was a hard worker.
He was a good man that remindedme of some of these principles,
(17:31):
and so, with just having themin my ear and one random person
that reached out to me and saidGod told me to pray for you,
it's going to be okay, keepgoing forward and it just gave
me a glimmer of hope in myspirit that I can fight forward
through this.
I don't have to sit back andjust take it.
So I ended up getting out ofthat hospital a month early, got
back in and finished my myfinals exams for the spring
(17:53):
semester, went to Arkansas, gotmy first internship.
I got my wheelchair in the backof my truck.
Whoa One leg better than theother.
It was my left leg, so I coulddrive with my left leg.
Yeah, to the side of my throat,my wheelchair out, roll around.
I could also do some coolwillies on that wheelchair, oh
okay, adventurer, the adventurer.
(18:13):
Carried me forwardno-transcript of years into a
(18:37):
career, started doing well,started climbing the corporate
ladder.
Financially I'm doing wellrelative to where I came from,
in a double-wide mobile home.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Wow, wow.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
From that point I've started asking deeper questions.
I'm seeing people climb thiscorporate career path.
They're doing well, but whilethey have a lot of money and
they have some success, theystill don't seem very content.
And I'm seeing people with poormarriages.
I'm seeing people with poorhealth.
I'm seeing people one thatretire and some of them would
die.
(19:07):
They're healthy, they havemoney, they get to go do the
things they want to do.
And I had a coworker.
He was older than me, we wereworking a big project down in
the Gulf of Mexico and when wewere finishing up this project
he said I'm about to retire andnow I've got all the time in the
world to go do the things thatI've wanted to, because the past
30 years, 35 years, I've paidmy price so that I can now live
(19:31):
and pursue things that areimpactful, important, purposeful
, yes, and so I remember okay, Iguess that's what you're
supposed to do in this world.
You kind of work through theyears and then you go pursue
something that's morepurpose-oriented.
So, I wrote that down as aphilosophy for life.
All right, put my head down,grind here, and then I'll move
on to being able to do somethingmore impactful Maybe what God's
(19:53):
made me to do.
He retired soon after.
I'll move on to being able todo something more impactful,
maybe what God's made me to do.
Yes, he retired soon after, anda month later I got a notice in
our company email that this manhad passed away in his sleep.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Nothing, no tragic accident.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
And it slapped me in the face so hard because I
realized I'm not guaranteedtomorrow.
And then I thought you knowwhat I'm'm?
I'm procrastinating, living fora purpose and it's just kind of
about me and accumulating somesafety and security and and
hoping that I'm going to get tolive my best life, while really
I'm I'm growing atroph.
(20:27):
I'm atrophying in my spirit.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Oh wow, say that one again, nate.
Say that one again.
So you're producing in the inthe world standard of making
money.
But holistically, in yourspirit there was an atrophy,
there was a dehydration in yourinner man.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
That's a great way to describe it.
Now, that's not the case witheveryone, yes, but this is where
I realized I'm not playing itsafe in this place because it's
one of security for me.
I'm now playing it safe in thisplace because it's one of
security for me, and this isn'twhat I'm called to do Now.
Not every job is a calling perse.
There's value in working andthings that we do with our
(21:04):
adding value to society, but Ijust sensed in my spirit
something needed to change, andso the process I went through in
that was you know what I'mliving life on my terms for me,
god, if you put me here, youknow what I'm living life on my
terms for me, god, if you put mehere, why and what do I need to
do about it?
And in there I got animpression.
Maybe it was from being raisedas a preacher's kid.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
And.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
I realized I never fully said God, this is my life.
You've given it to me and Iwant you to tell me what to do
with it.
I'd always said how do I enjoyit the most, within some moral
boundaries.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Wow, okay, okay.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
Shift that happened where I said all right, god, I'm
all in for whatever you call meto do.
If it's being a missionary in amud hut, which didn't sound fun
, or something else, I'll do it.
The shift that happened thereis, as God began to work, some
incredible things in my life.
My perspective changed, myidentity changed and now I begin
to see myself no longer from mypotential success or the risk
(22:02):
of a failure.
I saw myself as a child of Godthat had the ability to take
risks and try things and go fora dream or a desire in my heart.
Shortly after that, someone sentme a YouTube video and said
Nate, I know you've always beenan athlete, but you've never
really gotten to do anythingwith that.
Have you heard of this TV showcalled American Ninja Warrior?
Whether or not, you have, watchthis video.
(22:25):
So I watch a Cambodianimmigrant get on American Ninja
Warrior he was in Houston, texasat the time Go through the
course, have an injury and stillfind his way to finish the
course and beat it.
And then it inspired somethingin my spirit.
I was so invigorated I'm like Igot to find out what this thing
(22:46):
is, and it began a journey ofme trying out for NBC's American
Ninja Warrior, which laterbecame a pretty big hit TV show
featuring former, currentathletes of all different walks
of life.
So that began my journey ofpursuing American Ninja Warrior.
Now, when I saw that, I knewthis is public, there's a big
(23:07):
risk here, I don't know if it'llwork out.
And I looked back to my time asa college athlete and I said
man, the regret I have.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Yes, I'm not going for it there.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Yes, and I out because of that college burn.
But I knew I didn't lay it allon the line and it haunted me.
I did not want to live the restof my life in places of looking
back with regret.
I'd rather go for something.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
And whether or not it works out the way I'm hoping.
I know that I laid it all onthe line.
You know what, nate?
I'm going to jump in with youbecause I identify fully with
what you're saying.
So you're getting ready totransition.
You were making money andsuccess as an engineer and then
we're starting to transitioninto the Ninja Warrior, and you
had names like Ninja Nate thatstill holds, and what is it?
No Limit Nate, which is amazing.
But where you just said this, Iidentify with you fully, with
(24:01):
me at the University of Maryland.
I tried out for the 1984.
It was in 83, one year ahead oftime 1983 Olympic team.
So this was where, eventually,the same guys would make it in
84 in Los Angeles Michael Jordan, patrick Ewan, chris Mullen
these were those stars of thatera.
(24:21):
I tried out in college, but Ihad the same mindset.
To be honest, nate, I said youknow what?
At 20 years old, I'm trying outfor this Olympic team, and
that's where I first saw CharlesBarkley and Karl Malone as well
.
I said I'm gonna go out thereand I'm not gonna do my best
because if they cut me, I've gotan excuse.
(24:42):
Well man, well man, never, ever, be afraid of failure and never
ever be afraid of success.
Don't be afraid.
I said I'm not gonna do my best.
I'm gonna try out.
So if they cut me, which theydid, at least I can make the
excuse.
I didn't do my best, man, breakthat down for us, nate.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
I'm glad that's a universal principle.
That is exactly what was goingon with me.
If I gave something my 75%, 80%, I was talented in some ways,
people would think that I gaveit my own.
If it didn't work out, I knew Icould say well, I didn't fully
try anyway, so it doesn't matter, it's a fear mindset.
(25:27):
It's a fear mindset.
It's a limited mindset and youwalk through it yourself.
That's where I was, and so thechange I had was what you're
talking about.
I didn't want to play ahalf-heartedly try something and
then decide.
If it works out, great, if itdidn't, I have an excuse.
So as I saw this American NinjaWarrior opportunity, I made up
(25:50):
in my mind I'm going to lay itall on the line and if it works
out good, if it doesn't, so beit.
And that began a three-yearjourney of trying out
auditioning, getting rejected.
The next year trying outauditioning, getting rejected,
and it really I think god testedme in this to see how to really
change that identity and thatmindset.
(26:11):
So it wasn't until my thirdyear of of auditioning because
it's it's reality tv as far asthe audition process, because
they're looking for story,personality yeah, athletic, and
then when you get on it's it'sall athletics gotcha, but
finally had the breakthrough andit really forced me to become a
communicator, because as anathlete, I'd rather just do the
(26:31):
thing and not have tocommunicate.
I think God tricked me with thelittle carrot.
He was sitting in front of melike come after this athletic
opportunity, and it really mademe grow as a speaker and as a
communicator, which I'm gratefulfor, because now I get to share
and impact other people.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Doing a wonderful job , yes.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
communicator which I'm grateful for, because now I
get to share and impact otherpeople with Doing a wonderful
job.
Yes, so long story short, Ifinally get on my third year.
I do well.
I make it to the nationalfinals in Las Vegas.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
I'm looking at the chance to win a million dollar
prize and I break my ankle, oh,right before I.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
Of course.
So for those athletes out therethat have had a season ending
injury, oh my goodness.
And the consensus I got fromthat was just being reminded
that God can work out all thingsfor your good If you don't,
don't give up.
And so I continued to press inthe next year and missed the
(27:35):
national finals by one spot.
Next year after that, which isyear five of pursuing this
injury journey, missed thenational finals by one spot.
Year six I'd overcome ashoulder separation and tear
from injuries, broken anotherankle throughout the process,
but finally, year six, I get thechance.
(27:55):
I make it back to the nationalfinals.
I was living over in Africa andin Norway at the time and I
finally got the chance to beback on that course.
So I'm like, oh, it's been sixyears, this is redemption moment
.
Well, I come down with severefood poisoning.
We thought it was malaria, itended up being food poisoning.
Oh wow, I had to smug in thetoilet.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
And teachers were telling me hey, you know,
someone gave us the update.
You're in no shape to be ableto compete.
We're going to pull you fromthe competition.
No-transcript, I'm going togive it everything I've got,
(28:49):
even if it means I stumble atthe starting line.
And on Ninja Warrior.
If you don't make it to anobstacle, you fall in the water
red lights go off they throw afoul on you.
Your season's over and thathappens to everyone.
But I was going to say I'mgiving it my all, regardless of
how this looks.
Well, I ended up having abuzzer beater and beat the last
obstacle and hit the buzzer withone second left and it ended up
(29:13):
being an incredible story.
I went on to the final roundand lose, don't win, the million
dollars.
But a producer saw that fromanother TV show and he said Nate
you're an overcomer man, you'vetraveled the world, you've done
(29:37):
a story.
I got a TV show called Exit LawnRight over your shoulder.
Yes, it's a story, but he saidI got a TV show in Latin America
.
It's former and current proathletes, soccer, olympians, nfl
, and they all compete on thisreality tv show up to six months
and then there's one championthat's crowned at the end of it.
So I had unbeknownst to thatproducer.
(29:59):
I had quit my job a few monthsbefore my engineering career
because I felt like god told meit's time to walk away, don't
play anymore.
So, without knowing about afuture opportunity, I walk away
from my career.
My manager tells me I'm nuts.
He's like what are you doing?
You're walking away from theincredible.
My dog is attacking somethingover here.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
He's getting you ready for the course, exactly.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
He's building up some energy.
He said you're walking awayfrom an incredible career
opportunity.
What are you thinking?
And I was like, well, it's kindof a God thing and he's like
man, you religious people whatis wrong with y'all oh?
Speaker 2 (30:38):
okay so.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
I laughed and said hey, I've learned enough at this
point in my life, life where Ihave to move forward, even if
it's towards the risk, insteadof playing it safe.
Well, so I walk away from thejob.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
This new TV show pops up.
They end up paying me as muchas my engineering salary had
paid me.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
Wow, wow, it's a contestant, not the grand
partners.
So I get on this show and I endup enduring for six months
daily competition.
They take your cell phone dayone and you are off the grid.
There is no communication,there is no family.
We're sleeping in a shack inthe woods like Survivor.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
And we compete every day on different sports.
They have basketball, baseball,football it's a lot of throws
and obstacle course racing.
It's all in Spanish.
I'm the one gringo and anantics.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
I didn't speak Spanish, but I got the
opportunity.
That's how I frame it.
I got the opportunity to learn.
So, I grew in Spanish.
I went through three differentsignificant injuries.
The last one, well, the firstone was I thought I broke my
neck, ended up rupturing twodiscs in my neck.
Oh, and I was eliminated fromthe competition and, by a
(31:56):
miracle, I recovered faster thanexpected.
We had a pause because of COVID, which had, you know, broken
out the world in 2020.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (32:07):
The pause in our production for a couple of weeks
gave me the chance to not geteliminated but recover.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
In the same year, in the same season that you hurt
your neck.
Wow, okay, okay.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
So, instead of my season being over, and because
I've learned to not go into thevery dark place, that can happen
when you get an injury Fromyour past experiences.
I said, you know what, when ithappened, once I found out it
wasn't broken and I had a coupleof months recovery predicted, I
was like, well, let me just doeverything I can right now to do
my best to recover.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Got it.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
And I accelerated recovery and then we had a
little bit of a pause on theshow which kept me from getting
eliminated.
And then I came back in,competed more, made it to the
right before the final week andI was doing well in the
competition.
I was at the top of theleaderboard.
So I'm getting the predictions.
This guy's gonna make it to thefinals.
He's got a chance to win.
Now I end up breaking my ankleon a course, went to the er
(33:05):
there in the kind of a fieldhospital we're filming down in
the dominican republic in thejungle, and in that er they show
me the, the scan.
Your ankle's broken, we'regoing to put you in a cast.
And and that.
I remember one, this song thatI learned in spanish.
It was a, it was a english workworship song called way maker
oh, yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
(33:26):
And it's fairly well known inthat circle, but there's a
Spanish version called Abra'sCamino, and so I'd learned that
before I went on the show,because I'd heard I had three
weeks before I knew what I wasgoing on this, so I'd memorized
that song.
So I remember being in thehospital.
I've made it five months, I hada good chance to win, and now
I've broken my ankle and itlooks like it's all over.
(33:47):
And this is where I say thisscripture I talked about earlier
God works all things togetherfor our good If you're willing
to stay faithful to the callinghe has for you.
So, I'm crying, as I just kindof know my season's over.
This is like past seasons whereI've had an injury and it all
ended.
I'll probably never get thisopportunity again, and I pull
(34:09):
out this piece of paper that Ihad illegally.
We couldn't have paper and penright.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
A pen from a nurse and I had some pieces of paper
that I'd collected out in thejungle, that were on the ground,
and I had written.
I was writing at that time,writing this verse to that song
that I heard, and there's a partof it that says even when you
don't see it and when you don'tfeel it, god is still working.
So I'm writing that and I'mcrying.
(34:36):
I'm literally crying.
This is my whole life, righthere.
And as I'm crying, I hear thatsong start playing in Spanish,
and I hadn't heard music formonths.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
And.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
I go over and, sliding open this, it looks like
a shower curtain, separatestalls in this emergency room,
and there's a lady there and herphone's ringing and she's like,
oh, it's me telephono.
And I'm like, oh, how couldthis sign from God come out of
nowhere?
My doctor walks back in and hesaid we're going to put you in a
(35:05):
cast.
And I was like no, no cast, Iwant a walking boot.
And so I fought with him for awhile and he finally said some
cuss words and then oh, he'sdoing the cussing.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Usually it's you, an anesthesiologist that's cussing,
but go ahead.
Speaker 3 (35:23):
So from there yeah, from there I head back in.
I rest for 10 days.
They're about to eliminate meand in the elimination ceremony
I stand up on the platform, Itake off my walking boot and I
tell them hey, I'm not done here, I'm still going for it.
(35:43):
I get back in the competitionand I end up winning every
battle that week eliminationround in the finals.
And so, after winning all therounds and beating out all the
competitors, I end up being thelast man standing and hoisting
the trophy and getting to walkaway with the grand prize.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Wow, wow, nate, I've got to ask you right here.
Let me stop you for a second.
I want to go back.
One year earlier you had foodpoisoning in the championship
rounds and that turned out, whenyou hit that buzzer, to be the
Ninja Warrior Run of the Year.
So that's one year earlier.
(36:25):
You had the Run of the Year.
Then, a year later, you wentthrough what was potentially a
broken neck and then a brokenankle.
You refused that.
If I'm hearing it right, youstood on Romans 8, 28,.
All things work out for thegood of those who love the Lord
and call it according to hispurpose and the song Waymaker.
(36:46):
He makes a way where there isno way and you win it.
What does that do to your faith?
And then let me add this onebefore I give this back to you
You're not afraid anymore, likeme in college and you in college
, you're not afraid to fail orsucceed.
You're on top.
You've accomplished an amazinggoal.
(37:08):
What did that do to your faith?
What did that do to your innerman?
What did that do to your?
Speaker 3 (37:18):
confidence and your competence on who you were Great
question.
Well, the main takeaway I hadfrom that is this phrase.
The phrase is the riskiestthing you can do in life is play
it safe.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Wow, wow.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
Wow.
So I got out of that show and Iended up calling the manager at
ExxonMobil is the company thatI worked at.
And that manager said Nate, Ihadn't heard from you in I don't
know nine months now.
What in the world have you beendoing?
And I said you'll never believewhat happened.
I ended up getting on a TV showand I won it and I made twice
(37:54):
as much money and half the time.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
Whoa Wow.
Speaker 3 (37:58):
Our company and he said you'll never believe what
happened.
The world went into apandemonium.
We we let go of 90% of ourstaff here.
You were a high performer but Icouldn't have saved your job.
If you had stayed in thiscompany hoping to save your job,
you would have lost it.
But you end up quitting thiscompany at a great time in the
(38:19):
year and you go off to some TVshow you've never heard of and
you won the whole thing.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
Okay, maybe there is something to this God thing
you're talking about.
Whoa, a mind was blown.
But to more specifically answeryour question, it just reminded
me through all the hardshipsand challenges that we all go
through, man.
Every one of those things Iwent through in that TV show I
(38:48):
had experienced in life already.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
I've been here before .
Speaker 2 (38:54):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (38:54):
It's prepared me.
So all those things wouldprepare me, because my
competitors were experiencingthe same thing and they were
quitting from it.
Their season ended.
We all had problems, we all hadinjuries, but because I'd been
prepared, it gave me a differentperspective, because I saw that
God was still working in faith.
I kept going and I left it allon the line.
I couldn't define the results.
(39:16):
I let God do that.
I just defined that I'm goingto show up every day, give my
best, be all in, and I won't winat all costs.
So to be clear, I did not win atall costs.
I gave it my best.
I honored my competitors, mytools my.
God behind the scenes, and thenhe was the one that chose to
(39:40):
present me with a trophy.
I can't control those things,so it just gave me confidence to
continue to live in the waythat.
It doesn't always seem likeit's going to work out how I
hope, but I've got faith that ifI do it God's way, I'll get
promoted in the right places atthe right time.
But I don't need to fightthings.
I got to trust the process andkeep doing it the right way, and
(40:04):
that will bring its blessing,although we're all guaranteed
suffering and hardships in life.
So how do you deal with thosethings?
I choose to say this is, for myfuture, good, so God, help me
to persevere now.
Now I can say I'm a champion.
Just like it starts here, yes,and then it translates to
external things.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
Let me ask you a few questions as we're getting ready
to wind this down in a bit.
This has been so amazing.
I hope for our listeners outthere.
You're hearing a guy that couldhave had all the excuses
falling in a ditch and havingdegree second degree burns very,
very painful and didn't make anexcuse out of that, and then
also getting his degree andmaking six figures high.
(40:48):
Six figures having theirAmerican dream three hots in a
cot.
But he still had an insatiableappetite to answer that gnawing
and he wasn't afraid anymore andhe went out there.
American Ninja Warrior one ofthe most popular shows ever.
I still love it, me and myfamily and had the run of the
(41:09):
year in 2019, overcominghardships.
And then Exactalon, which islike a survivor and an American
Ninja Warrior show combined, andthen Nate miraculously wins
that whole puppy.
My question to you, nate?
I want to ask a few questionshere because, man, you've done
(41:29):
it all You've been I wrote downsomebody's notes.
You've been an adventurer, aspeaker, real estate developer,
engineer, mission worker and nownewlywed we got to get Emily a
shout out.
So, listen, I've been with mywife next month going to be 40
years, so need to know.
Listen, if mama ain't happy,nobody's happy.
That's all you need to know.
That's the Dr Phil right there.
(41:50):
And if mama ain't happy,nobody's happy.
That's all you need to know.
That's the Dr Phil right there.
Brag on the message real quick.
Speaker 3 (41:57):
Who in the world is this precious Emily that's won
your heart?
Yeah, I'm blessed to be anewlywed.
I met Emily about 18 months agothrough a mutual friend and
I've been searching for a goodwoman, a wife, for a long time
and just trusting God in thatprocess, but I saw that she had
endured some hardship.
She had gone through things thatwere tough and I love the way
that she responded.
(42:18):
You see people that go throughhardship and some of them are
kind of broken and bitter, andothers they let that shape them
in a way that they see lifethrough a new lens.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
Wow and trust got even deeper.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
They see life through a new lens and they're grateful
for what they have, and trustgot even deeper, and so that was
one of the traits that reallydrew me to her, her mindset and
her love for others.
So, long story short, I got anamazing and beautiful wife.
It was a woman that said yes tome as well, and we jumped into
marriage.
We ended up deciding we'regoing to have a faster
engagement, so we were engagedfor two weeks.
(42:51):
We went to Italy, had a littleceremony there on our own,
eloped came back, and now we gota honeymoon baby on the way.
All right being a single guy toengage to married to.
Now a kid on the way.
Speaker 2 (43:04):
I'm ready to be an uncle.
Let's go.
I'm going to give a candy,healthy candy.
I'm going to give a healthycandy.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
Help me, uncle.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
PPO.
Speaker 3 (43:15):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Wow, well, nate, listen, it's been so rich.
I want you before we let you go.
How can you encourage someonethat's listening to keep
climbing?
Talk to that audience out thereand that person.
How you can encourage someoneout there to keep climbing and
(43:37):
keep saying attaboy, what wouldyou say to them?
Speaker 3 (43:40):
That's good.
I would give you a littlephrase that failure is weighed
in ounces, but regret is weighedin tons.
Whoa.
Speaker 2 (43:54):
I'm going to drop this mic right here.
You got to say that one again.
That was impressive.
Say that one again.
Speaker 3 (44:00):
We feel we definitely fear failure, but failure it
only weighs ounces.
You can get through failurerelatively quickly, especially
if you have the mindset that Ican do that again.
It could be a rejection, itcould be a business mess up.
Whatever it is, it may feelpermanent.
Failure is not permanent, butregret, regret, is permanent.
You can never go back in time,and so in that weight of regret,
(44:23):
I've felt that it's weighed medown so much.
So here's the takeaway for youwherever you are in your life
right now whatever you'repursuing or, more importantly,
the things you're not pursuingthat you feel you have a
conviction towards but you'reafraid of, let regret fuel your
resolve.
Drink then your resolve.
Don't give up.
(44:45):
There's so many promises meantfor you in your life if you do
not give up.
So I continued to look towardspeople that encouraged and
inspired me, not only with theirwords towards me, but just by
their example.
That's why I've got these books, that's why I'm reading, that's
why I'm reading the Word.
I believe the Bible is a bookof examples, not a book of
(45:05):
exemptions.
It's real people, real hardship, that have overcome unique
situations and they've used theSpirit of God in their life, the
encouragement that God giveseach one of us to move forward.
So I'd say, wherever yoursituation, is, your frustration,
decide that this is going to besomething now that's going to
be a great thing for your future, and that's hard to say in
(45:26):
really bad situations.
So I say that with all respecttowards people that are going
through incredibly hard things,but there's going to be someone
that you'll look at in thefuture that say they're in a
worse situation than I am andthey're choosing to have an even
better attitude.
How can I go around the worldseeing incredible hardship and
poverty and yet see people thathave even more joy than we in
(45:48):
America have?
So joy is possible despitecircumstance.
Choose to live in a place whereyou're going to apply your
present challenge to get moreresolve to persevere and push
through, because there's aharvest, there's a benefit,
there's a blessing on the otherside of this thing.
Whatever you're fighting, don'tgive up.
Speaker 1 (46:07):
It took me as an athlete.
Speaker 3 (46:09):
I was 30 years old before I first got a real
opportunity and most people aredone as an athlete by their
mid-20s.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (46:17):
And I got a championship at 34, and I'm
still at 38, still competing ata relatively high level.
So my window was moved way back.
I thought it was way past timefor me.
So, whatever the thing is thatyou feel maybe it's athletics,
maybe it's business, maybe it'sa relationship, like me getting
married at 38 years old, or ifyou're further along and you're
(46:39):
picking up the pieces, it's okay.
Pick it up, rebuild, don't giveup.
Speaker 2 (46:45):
Wow, Beautiful Nice Nate.
Nice man, where can we find you?
For those listeners out therethat want to hear more of Nate
Burkhalter, where can they findyou, Nate?
Speaker 3 (46:56):
Yeah, I go by no Limits, nate.
It's a nickname we got from oneof the hosts on American Ninja
Warrior.
But you can find me on socialmedia at no Limits Nate, I'm
most active on Instagram, butI'm on Facebook and TikTok.
And then I'm about to launch abook and it's a similar recap of
(47:17):
my life story, with a lot oftakeaways, mostly funny stories
and mixed in with some adventureand excitement.
But that's going to be the waythat I'm able to encourage
people in the deeper sides ofthe story that God's given me.
Wow, I'm active on social media, so you can come find me.
Speaker 2 (47:31):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (47:33):
Send me a message.
I love talking to people that Ihear from mutual friends like
AB.
I call AB Coach.
Speaker 2 (47:41):
This was my rookie.
I'm so, so proud.
Nate, you touched my hearttoday.
Thank you so much for coming inhere.
You have been amazing.
Keep rocking folks.
He puts it faith in action.
When you see Nate, he's a trueeliminate.
Well done, nate.
Thanks for joining the showtoday and for our listeners out
(48:02):
there, I want you to wow.
That was really full.
Take time out and digest whathe said.
This was a young man that hadto endure second degree burns,
had to endure self-confidenceand thinking if he can, if he
can't.
And then we're seeing him nowin a 38, an athlete, a champion,
(48:22):
a newlywed and a father.
Amazing things can happen whenyou don't cancel yourself out.
Whoa, that was good.
Well, if you liked today's show, come on over and check us out
at adrienbranchespeakscom.
Also, if you want to see us on,adrienne Branch Speaks on the
social media and then with thispodcast, the Climb, go to the
(48:47):
Climb and check out podcastswherever they're available To my
climbers out there.
Thank you for joining us today.
We're going to have some moreguests coming up and remember,
remember.
Remember, like Nate said, giveyourself a chance.
But for my climbers, beencouraged and keep climbing.
Thanks everybody, thank you.
Hi, I'm Adrian Branch , former pro-athlete turned
motivational speaker andcertified life coach, and
welcome to the Climb, a showwhere we celebrate the stories
of resilient people sharing howthey turned adversity into
success, From the businesssector to athletes and beyond.
Be inspired and learn what ittakes to climb.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Hello everybody, I'm Adrian Branch and welcome to the
Climb.
Just like you heard in the open, this show is about encouraging
people and their climb.
You're going to hear people andthe resilience of what they
took to overcome, and my guesttoday is exactly that.
I'm looking forward to you guyshearing about.
His story is exactly that.
(00:46):
I'm looking forward to you guyshearing about his story.
This young man is fascinating.
He might be the world's mostinteresting person because he's
an adventurer, he's a missionaryworker, he's an encourager, and
I think there's going to be somany touch points in his story
that you'll identify with.
So, without any further ado,welcome Nate Burkhalter.
Hello Nate.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Hey B brother, and great to be with you.
I'm excited for this, excitedfor your new show.
You got a lot of wisdom toshare with people and I'm
honored to be a part of this.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Well, nate, it's fascinating.
Congratulations.
I hear you're a newlywed toMiss Emily and a baby on the way
.
So you know, uncle, a hopes,after the baby is healthy, that
it's a left-hander that shootsall the time.
So I hope you have aleft-hander.
We can only pray you have somany touch points.
(01:42):
Again, this show is aboutresilience, overcoming what's
the climb, what's it take toclimb, and I think you're
perfect to tell your story.
So take us back to I guess itwas Louisiana Tech, and you're
walking through campus andliterally fell in a ditch.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Yeah, I grew up in Louisiana, and Louisiana Tech
University is where I got theprivilege of going to school.
Now, shout out to Carl Malonemailman.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
My year, yes, 1985.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Right, he's one of our lone celebrities from that
university.
But one of my passions being anathlete like yourself and it's
a lens that I see through andhave a lot of experience in I
grew up in high school kind of aquig of an athlete, pretty
small kid, and by the time Igraduated high school I was 130
(02:33):
pounds, six feet tall.
Couldn't play football like Iwanted so I got into tennis just
because no one played tennis inSouth Indiana.
But being a solo sport, kind oflike a kicker in football,
you've got to develop the mentalaspect of being an athlete.
So it gave me a foundation.
But to tie that into college Iwent to Louisiana Tech
(02:53):
University, not on a footballscholarship but on an academic
scholarship partially as afinancial aid and I was going to
become an engineer and as Istarted in that process I really
got into the discipline ofweightlifting and really loved
football in high school butagain didn't get the opportunity
to play.
Long story short, by mysophomore year I put on 65
(03:14):
pounds of muscle through a lotof training and discipline,
found out through some flagfootball that I was a really
good athlete, especially infootball and wide receiver.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
And I played on the football team.
So they started saying man,you're as good as us, you could
come do this.
And I was like, well, that'salways been a dream, but I never
really believed it was possible.
So I took my first attempt atreally going for a goal, and a
dream that I had and, long storyshort, went into the process of
walking on the football team.
(03:43):
And as I'm doing that mysophomore year, spring 2007, I'm
walking across campus from mydormitory to a practice field
where I went multiple times aweek, usually once a day after
classes, and I'd go train.
Well, I'm walking there thisone day in the same path, a
little bit in the grass, alittle worn dirt pathway.
I'm walking and suddenly I sinkinto the ground.
(04:06):
The ground splits open like achicken pot pie.
Whoa, If you're from the Southyou know about chicken pot pie.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Yeah, yeah, uh-huh.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
What wasn't Grandma's delightful experience in this
case?
As I sink in and go about thighdeep.
I instinctively reach behind meand catch what's left of firm
ground, and I do like a reversedip.
I push myself back out of thisnow pit in the ground and I see
steam and boiling water.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Oh, my goodness Wow.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
So for a split second it was a fall, a reaction,
climbing back out a second ortwo later and then I feel what I
describe as a thousand hornetsstinging me or a severe burn
like acid.
Wow.
My mind's trying to processwhat's happening.
But as I see bubbling water andsteam and all of a sudden I
feel the searing pain on my legs.
(05:01):
I realize I'm in a boiling pitof water.
The searing pain on my legs, Irealized I'm in a boiling pit of
water.
So I instinctively startsprinting towards the dorm and I
barrage through my four friendsthat were behind me and my
teammates and I get inside thedorm, into the shower and begin
rinsing cold water off on mylegs, oh wow.
Well, excruciating pain.
For those of you that heardabout burns, second degree is
the most painful you can havebecause it kind of frays your
(05:22):
nerve endings so you're verysensitive.
Excruciating pain.
For those of you that heardabout burns, second degree is
the most painful you can havebecause it kind of frays your
nerve endings so you're verysensitive.
Third degree is more permanentand damaging but it's less
painful because it's burned thenerve endings off so your body
can't really feel anymore.
But that's a much longerrecovery, skin grafts and things
of that nature.
Long story short, I find myselfin the LSU burn center for a
(05:45):
month, recovering from a severesecond and third degree burn
from my upper thighs down to mytoes.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Began the journey of one seeing my hope and dream as
an athlete deteriorate.
Yeah, I lost 20 pounds in thehospital.
I was in a wheelchair for abouta month after that, so I lost
the ability to do anythingathletic, and there's a few
things that happened there Foranyone listening.
While this was a freak accident, I'm sure all of us have
(06:16):
experienced some pain andfrustration, some unexpected
circumstances that lead us to dothe old, that lead us to do the
old.
Why God?
Why me?
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Yeah, Not fair.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Maybe you've been there before.
So I'm laying in this hospitalbed, crying, complaining, in a
lot of pain, unable to sleep.
My legs are very porous becauseof the skin that's been burned
off, so I'm leeching waterconstantly.
I've got IVs in me.
How?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
old are you?
18, 19 at the time?
How old?
21 at this point, gotcha.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Okay To make some takeaways from the story.
Well, it was very frustratingand painful in the moment and
I'm having all these.
Why me, god?
This isn't fair.
But in that process I learned afew things that have really
helped me in life and now I canlook back and say I'm grateful
for this situation, although itfelt like a big setback in life
(07:10):
and a big frustration.
One of the things that happenedis I got a good perspective
change.
There were some funny momentsin there.
One when I'm on the surgerytable getting prepped to have my
skin dead skin cut off and thesurgeon tells me hey, this isn't
the overall perspective change,but this is funny.
The surgeon's like we're aboutto doach you up with some strong
(07:32):
medication.
It's going to knock you out.
When you come to, you're goingto be bandaged up and we'll have
cut off all the dead skin.
I'm like cool, I was drugged uppretty good at that point.
Well, I come out of surgery, Icome back awake and I look
around and I've got my bestfriend, jeff, sitting over here
and my sister, lydia, on theother side, and Lydia, who's
(07:52):
straight laced.
She's a year younger than me,but she was the one that had it
all together.
I was a little bit wild.
It's like Nathan, I can'tbelieve all those things you
said.
It's like Nathan, I can'tbelieve all those things you
said.
Why would you say that that washorrible?
Speaker 2 (08:11):
You were cussing at the doctor and the surgeon.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
They said when they gave me this medicine, they had
me strapped down to the table.
It still keeps your consciousmind active, but you just don't
remember it.
So I was screaming a lot ofthings to this doctor, like if
you don't stop this, you'regoing to find me wrong.
I'm going to swear so hard, I'mgoing to do it, I'm threatening
this life the way I can't.
And it really embarrassed mysister.
(08:33):
I think I dropped some veryexplicit words.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
I didn't see that one coming.
Nate, I'm blushing, I amblushing for you.
Out this one.
Okay, that's pretty good, thatis funny.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Surgery comes in I apologize he's like nah, that
was a great reaction man.
I get the best stories fromthese kinds of surgeries, so he
was cool with it.
But that was at the beginningof my journey.
I thought this would be a quickyou know a couple of day
recovery.
Come to find out this is goingto be many months of intense
recovery.
So, as I got wheeled every daydown to the station where they
(09:05):
would change out the bandagesand basically rip them off of me
, when.
I would get wheeled back.
I would see these differentrooms with people that were
suffering from some kind of burninjury.
This was the Louisiana StateUniversity Burn Center.
So people burn head to toe indifferent parts of their body.
One room I noticed on day fouror five it was empty and there
(09:26):
had been someone in there beforeand I said, hey, nurse, what
happened to that guy?
She said, oh, he died lastnight.
Oh, wow, and I remember thatbeing one of the biggest slaps
in my face of one me having thispoor attitude and of course it
was painful.
But I realized there, eventhough it wasn't that close to
(09:47):
God at the time, I realized, man, I'm still alive, there's still
a lungs, I'm not horriblydisfigured, I'll recover.
It'll be painful, I'll havesome, some limitations from this
that I'll have to work through,but, wow, still got breath in
my lungs.
And that that became a slap inthe face of you, in the face of
don't be a complainer here, lookfor a way that you can
persevere.
And that came into play laterin life.
(10:09):
The other thing I learned fromthat is I had some lawyers come
up to me and they said, hey,we've got a pretty good case
here.
You can make some good moneyout of this.
You do say these words, buthere's what I heard.
They said you're going to haveto play the victim.
I'm going to need you to backaway from your pursuit in the
engineering career.
I'm going to need you to not goto that internship that you've
(10:30):
secured and let's just let thenegative effects of this play
out.
And so we can gain a lot frompaying suffering.
We can gain a lot from loss offuture revenue.
As an engineer, we can hit theareas and I thought about that
for a minute and I thought aboutcases where people have made a
(10:52):
lot of money from situationsthat have happened to them that
weren't their fault.
But I remember one thing Ilearned from my grandfather.
He was a World War II vet andwhen he came home from having a
crash landing as a pilot over inthe Asia Pacific campaign, he
declined a lot of medicalbenefits that the government was
trying to give.
They had a limited budget forpeople and because he already
had a job secured, he's like Ican pay for these things out of
(11:12):
my job.
So I don't have to pay forpeople who have that work and
pay for it.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Wow, granddad Nice Wow.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Don't be a victim here.
Now, that was just a childhoodlesson he gave me that I think
God brought back to theforefront of my mind.
So, long story short, I chosehow do I be an overcomer in this
situation?
And man, it was the spirit ofGod prompted me in that.
I can't say that at 21,.
I was that wise.
But I did get out of pursuingthe big lawsuit, fat check.
(11:45):
While that would have been ablessing at the time because I
didn't have any money, I thinkin the long term it would have
crippled me.
It would have killed my desireand my ability to slowly grow,
step by step.
And that's what God has for usis a place of stewardship.
You grow and you increase.
You grow and you increase.
When you get too much from thebeginning, it can cripple you,
Just as we see people who winthe lottery.
Rarely is it a benefit in theirlife.
(12:06):
So long story short, there Ilearned to really change my
perspective and realize I'vestill got breath in my lungs.
Keep fighting and then twodon't be a victim.
And these situations can workout.
There's a scripture I live by.
Romans 8, 28 says God will workall things for the good of
those who love him and arecalled according to his purpose.
So it's for my good and God'sglory if I can learn to choose
(12:28):
and frame this in the rightthing.
So from there, I didn't getback into football.
I didn't have a redemptionstory.
I chose to pursue theengineering world.
I worked hard for that Graduatemove to Houston, texas, get a
job with a oil and gasengineering firm.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Let me ask you this real quick before we move on
with that, because, nate, you'vesaid so many things and you
just mentioned there's somelisteners out there that's
dealing with some heartbreak andif they had a slight of hand
they could have turned thispuppy around as well in their
situation and say I can makemillions, I could have a wing on
(13:04):
Louisiana Tech named after me,like yourself, but you chose the
high road.
I want to ask this one, as youare showing yourself as an
overcomer what was it like whennobody was around before you
finished and that talk of goodand evil, that talk of the four
walls in your mind Because Ireally believe a lot of the four
(13:25):
walls in your mind, because Ireally believe a lot of the
battle?
Is that self-talk Out of theabundance of the heart?
The mouth speaks as a man?
Think.
If so, he is.
What was that self-talk likewhen you're going through the
anger and the shock of themisdream right there?
Take us through that how youwere feeling as a 21-year-old
stud that picked up 65 poundsand ready to play a high-level
(13:48):
football.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
You know, one of the big things that helped me later
in life, as I did become aprofessional athlete, was I
looked back at that time and Ireally lived by my perception of
success versus failure and inthat season of really beginning
to go for it in the footballworld and trying to get on that
team and seeing potential thereto be a good player starter.
(14:14):
I don't know if I had NFLpotential.
Regardless of that, what I sawthere is there's a piece of me
that had a bit of regret.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Wow, that's good.
That's good.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
I hadn't fully laid it on the line yet I hadn't gone
.
All in this comes into playlater in my story.
So I felt like you know what, Iwasn't sure if I was going to
fully make it, which means to meit would have been a failure.
This is the football attemptand if I had failed, that feels
like it would have defined me,because I hadn't learned to
operate from an identity of whoI am as a son of God, meant to
(14:46):
take risks and move forward.
I had only known if I think Ican do it, then I'm going to go
for it because it's going togive me success.
But if there's a chance thatI'm going to fail which every
important thing we'll do in lifehas a risk and an element of
failure involved If I think it'sgoing to lead to failure, I'm
not going to do it.
Yes, it's going to lead tofailure.
(15:07):
So you know, while I was inthis, this burn disaster- I'm
really thinking about kind ofthis.
I hadn't fully laid it on theline and decided to go all in in
the football path and a littlebit of relief hit me where I
don't have to find out if I'mgoing to fail on that.
Oh, okay, wow, Then I'mwrestling with the other side of
(15:28):
what you're talking about.
What's the inner game?
Am I going to play the victimhere?
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
And I did decide to myself and say am I living by
what I preach?
Now I preach and encourageothers.
Hey, don't be a victim here.
I came from not greatcircumstances and I've
encouraged other people.
Don't be a victim from yourcircumstances, regardless of
what they are and regardless ofthe truth and reality.
Don't let it become youridentity.
(15:52):
Find a way through and thepeople that are seeking to grow
forward.
Man, I see that God tends toput his hand on those people and
encourage them and give themthe path forward.
But I saw if I stayed in thatmentality it's going to trap me.
So I was wrestling with some ofthose demons, some of those
thoughts and temptations of lifecould be easier.
Right now I play the victim,the man I want to be, and that's
(16:15):
not going to help my future,although I didn't really know
what was to come in the future.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Were there any books that you were reading at the
time?
Because I'm parking here for asecond again, nate, because a
lot of people may not have thatNate Burkhalter in their ear.
They say, man, attaboy, you cando it, keep going in their ear.
They say, man, attaboy, you cando it, keep going.
Another question, just whilewe're here, is what were the
books that you may have beenreading or what were your
closest friends saying to you tohelp keep your compass pointed
(16:43):
north at that time?
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Well, I am a very avid reader.
Right now.
I just set up shop in my newhouse.
I got 3% of the books I ownbehind me.
I've got a lot of books andmany of them have been
incredibly helpful, because Ican't get around these authors,
but I can learn from theirwisdom and their life.
At the time, I was not an avidreader of anything but my
engineering textbooks.
(17:09):
I have the benefit of a good,godly pastor who was also a
businessman, and I had a coupleof friends that helped remind me
of the values that I'd beenraised in.
So I have to attribute a lot ofthis mindset to my parents.
Even though my dad and Iweren't in a great spot at that
time, he was a hard worker.
He was a good man that remindedme of some of these principles,
(17:31):
and so, with just having themin my ear and one random person
that reached out to me and saidGod told me to pray for you,
it's going to be okay, keepgoing forward and it just gave
me a glimmer of hope in myspirit that I can fight forward
through this.
I don't have to sit back andjust take it.
So I ended up getting out ofthat hospital a month early, got
back in and finished my myfinals exams for the spring
(17:53):
semester, went to Arkansas, gotmy first internship.
I got my wheelchair in the backof my truck.
Whoa One leg better than theother.
It was my left leg, so I coulddrive with my left leg.
Yeah, to the side of my throat,my wheelchair out, roll around.
I could also do some coolwillies on that wheelchair, oh
okay, adventurer, the adventurer.
(18:13):
Carried me forwardno-transcript of years into a
(18:37):
career, started doing well,started climbing the corporate
ladder.
Financially I'm doing wellrelative to where I came from,
in a double-wide mobile home.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Wow, wow.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
From that point I've started asking deeper questions.
I'm seeing people climb thiscorporate career path.
They're doing well, but whilethey have a lot of money and
they have some success, theystill don't seem very content.
And I'm seeing people with poormarriages.
I'm seeing people with poorhealth.
I'm seeing people one thatretire and some of them would
die.
(19:07):
They're healthy, they havemoney, they get to go do the
things they want to do.
And I had a coworker.
He was older than me, we wereworking a big project down in
the Gulf of Mexico and when wewere finishing up this project
he said I'm about to retire andnow I've got all the time in the
world to go do the things thatI've wanted to, because the past
30 years, 35 years, I've paidmy price so that I can now live
(19:31):
and pursue things that areimpactful, important, purposeful
, yes, and so I remember okay, Iguess that's what you're
supposed to do in this world.
You kind of work through theyears and then you go pursue
something that's morepurpose-oriented.
So, I wrote that down as aphilosophy for life.
All right, put my head down,grind here, and then I'll move
on to being able to do somethingmore impactful Maybe what God's
(19:53):
made me to do.
He retired soon after.
I'll move on to being able todo something more impactful,
maybe what God's made me to do.
Yes, he retired soon after, anda month later I got a notice in
our company email that this manhad passed away in his sleep.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Nothing, no tragic accident.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
And it slapped me in the face so hard because I
realized I'm not guaranteedtomorrow.
And then I thought you knowwhat I'm'm?
I'm procrastinating, living fora purpose and it's just kind of
about me and accumulating somesafety and security and and
hoping that I'm going to get tolive my best life, while really
I'm I'm growing atroph.
(20:27):
I'm atrophying in my spirit.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Oh wow, say that one again, nate.
Say that one again.
So you're producing in the inthe world standard of making
money.
But holistically, in yourspirit there was an atrophy,
there was a dehydration in yourinner man.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
That's a great way to describe it.
Now, that's not the case witheveryone, yes, but this is where
I realized I'm not playing itsafe in this place because it's
one of security for me.
I'm now playing it safe in thisplace because it's one of
security for me, and this isn'twhat I'm called to do Now.
Not every job is a calling perse.
There's value in working andthings that we do with our
(21:04):
adding value to society, but Ijust sensed in my spirit
something needed to change, andso the process I went through in
that was you know what I'mliving life on my terms for me,
god, if you put me here, youknow what I'm living life on my
terms for me, god, if you put mehere, why and what do I need to
do about it?
And in there I got animpression.
Maybe it was from being raisedas a preacher's kid.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
And.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
I realized I never fully said God, this is my life.
You've given it to me and Iwant you to tell me what to do
with it.
I'd always said how do I enjoyit the most, within some moral
boundaries.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Wow, okay, okay.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
Shift that happened where I said all right, god, I'm
all in for whatever you call meto do.
If it's being a missionary in amud hut, which didn't sound fun
, or something else, I'll do it.
The shift that happened thereis, as God began to work, some
incredible things in my life.
My perspective changed, myidentity changed and now I begin
to see myself no longer from mypotential success or the risk
(22:02):
of a failure.
I saw myself as a child of Godthat had the ability to take
risks and try things and go fora dream or a desire in my heart.
Shortly after that, someone sentme a YouTube video and said
Nate, I know you've always beenan athlete, but you've never
really gotten to do anythingwith that.
Have you heard of this TV showcalled American Ninja Warrior?
Whether or not, you have, watchthis video.
(22:25):
So I watch a Cambodianimmigrant get on American Ninja
Warrior he was in Houston, texasat the time Go through the
course, have an injury and stillfind his way to finish the
course and beat it.
And then it inspired somethingin my spirit.
I was so invigorated I'm like Igot to find out what this thing
(22:46):
is, and it began a journey ofme trying out for NBC's American
Ninja Warrior, which laterbecame a pretty big hit TV show
featuring former, currentathletes of all different walks
of life.
So that began my journey ofpursuing American Ninja Warrior.
Now, when I saw that, I knewthis is public, there's a big
(23:07):
risk here, I don't know if it'llwork out.
And I looked back to my time asa college athlete and I said
man, the regret I have.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Yes, I'm not going for it there.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Yes, and I out because of that college burn.
But I knew I didn't lay it allon the line and it haunted me.
I did not want to live the restof my life in places of looking
back with regret.
I'd rather go for something.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
And whether or not it works out the way I'm hoping.
I know that I laid it all onthe line.
You know what, nate?
I'm going to jump in with youbecause I identify fully with
what you're saying.
So you're getting ready totransition.
You were making money andsuccess as an engineer and then
we're starting to transitioninto the Ninja Warrior, and you
had names like Ninja Nate thatstill holds, and what is it?
No Limit Nate, which is amazing.
But where you just said this, Iidentify with you fully, with
(24:01):
me at the University of Maryland.
I tried out for the 1984.
It was in 83, one year ahead oftime 1983 Olympic team.
So this was where, eventually,the same guys would make it in
84 in Los Angeles Michael Jordan, patrick Ewan, chris Mullen
these were those stars of thatera.
(24:21):
I tried out in college, but Ihad the same mindset.
To be honest, nate, I said youknow what?
At 20 years old, I'm trying outfor this Olympic team, and
that's where I first saw CharlesBarkley and Karl Malone as well
.
I said I'm gonna go out thereand I'm not gonna do my best
because if they cut me, I've gotan excuse.
(24:42):
Well man, well man, never, ever, be afraid of failure and never
ever be afraid of success.
Don't be afraid.
I said I'm not gonna do my best.
I'm gonna try out.
So if they cut me, which theydid, at least I can make the
excuse.
I didn't do my best, man, breakthat down for us, nate.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
I'm glad that's a universal principle.
That is exactly what was goingon with me.
If I gave something my 75%, 80%, I was talented in some ways,
people would think that I gaveit my own.
If it didn't work out, I knew Icould say well, I didn't fully
try anyway, so it doesn't matter, it's a fear mindset.
(25:27):
It's a fear mindset.
It's a limited mindset and youwalk through it yourself.
That's where I was, and so thechange I had was what you're
talking about.
I didn't want to play ahalf-heartedly try something and
then decide.
If it works out, great, if itdidn't, I have an excuse.
So as I saw this American NinjaWarrior opportunity, I made up
(25:50):
in my mind I'm going to lay itall on the line and if it works
out good, if it doesn't, so beit.
And that began a three-yearjourney of trying out
auditioning, getting rejected.
The next year trying outauditioning, getting rejected,
and it really I think god testedme in this to see how to really
change that identity and thatmindset.
(26:11):
So it wasn't until my thirdyear of of auditioning because
it's it's reality tv as far asthe audition process, because
they're looking for story,personality yeah, athletic, and
then when you get on it's it'sall athletics gotcha, but
finally had the breakthrough andit really forced me to become a
communicator, because as anathlete, I'd rather just do the
(26:31):
thing and not have tocommunicate.
I think God tricked me with thelittle carrot.
He was sitting in front of melike come after this athletic
opportunity, and it really mademe grow as a speaker and as a
communicator, which I'm gratefulfor, because now I get to share
and impact other people.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Doing a wonderful job , yes.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
communicator which I'm grateful for, because now I
get to share and impact otherpeople with Doing a wonderful
job.
Yes, so long story short, Ifinally get on my third year.
I do well.
I make it to the nationalfinals in Las Vegas.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
I'm looking at the chance to win a million dollar
prize and I break my ankle, oh,right before I.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
Of course.
So for those athletes out therethat have had a season ending
injury, oh my goodness.
And the consensus I got fromthat was just being reminded
that God can work out all thingsfor your good If you don't,
don't give up.
And so I continued to press inthe next year and missed the
(27:35):
national finals by one spot.
Next year after that, which isyear five of pursuing this
injury journey, missed thenational finals by one spot.
Year six I'd overcome ashoulder separation and tear
from injuries, broken anotherankle throughout the process,
but finally, year six, I get thechance.
(27:55):
I make it back to the nationalfinals.
I was living over in Africa andin Norway at the time and I
finally got the chance to beback on that course.
So I'm like, oh, it's been sixyears, this is redemption moment
.
Well, I come down with severefood poisoning.
We thought it was malaria, itended up being food poisoning.
Oh wow, I had to smug in thetoilet.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
And teachers were telling me hey, you know,
someone gave us the update.
You're in no shape to be ableto compete.
We're going to pull you fromthe competition.
No-transcript, I'm going togive it everything I've got,
(28:49):
even if it means I stumble atthe starting line.
And on Ninja Warrior.
If you don't make it to anobstacle, you fall in the water
red lights go off they throw afoul on you.
Your season's over and thathappens to everyone.
But I was going to say I'mgiving it my all, regardless of
how this looks.
Well, I ended up having abuzzer beater and beat the last
obstacle and hit the buzzer withone second left and it ended up
(29:13):
being an incredible story.
I went on to the final roundand lose, don't win, the million
dollars.
But a producer saw that fromanother TV show and he said Nate
you're an overcomer man, you'vetraveled the world, you've done
(29:37):
a story.
I got a TV show called Exit LawnRight over your shoulder.
Yes, it's a story, but he saidI got a TV show in Latin America
.
It's former and current proathletes, soccer, olympians, nfl
, and they all compete on thisreality tv show up to six months
and then there's one championthat's crowned at the end of it.
So I had unbeknownst to thatproducer.
(29:59):
I had quit my job a few monthsbefore my engineering career
because I felt like god told meit's time to walk away, don't
play anymore.
So, without knowing about afuture opportunity, I walk away
from my career.
My manager tells me I'm nuts.
He's like what are you doing?
You're walking away from theincredible.
My dog is attacking somethingover here.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
He's getting you ready for the course, exactly.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
He's building up some energy.
He said you're walking awayfrom an incredible career
opportunity.
What are you thinking?
And I was like, well, it's kindof a God thing and he's like
man, you religious people whatis wrong with y'all oh?
Speaker 2 (30:38):
okay so.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
I laughed and said hey, I've learned enough at this
point in my life, life where Ihave to move forward, even if
it's towards the risk, insteadof playing it safe.
Well, so I walk away from thejob.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
This new TV show pops up.
They end up paying me as muchas my engineering salary had
paid me.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
Wow, wow, it's a contestant, not the grand
partners.
So I get on this show and I endup enduring for six months
daily competition.
They take your cell phone dayone and you are off the grid.
There is no communication,there is no family.
We're sleeping in a shack inthe woods like Survivor.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
And we compete every day on different sports.
They have basketball, baseball,football it's a lot of throws
and obstacle course racing.
It's all in Spanish.
I'm the one gringo and anantics.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
I didn't speak Spanish, but I got the
opportunity.
That's how I frame it.
I got the opportunity to learn.
So, I grew in Spanish.
I went through three differentsignificant injuries.
The last one, well, the firstone was I thought I broke my
neck, ended up rupturing twodiscs in my neck.
Oh, and I was eliminated fromthe competition and, by a
(31:56):
miracle, I recovered faster thanexpected.
We had a pause because of COVID, which had, you know, broken
out the world in 2020.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (32:07):
The pause in our production for a couple of weeks
gave me the chance to not geteliminated but recover.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
In the same year, in the same season that you hurt
your neck.
Wow, okay, okay.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
So, instead of my season being over, and because
I've learned to not go into thevery dark place, that can happen
when you get an injury Fromyour past experiences.
I said, you know what, when ithappened, once I found out it
wasn't broken and I had a coupleof months recovery predicted, I
was like, well, let me just doeverything I can right now to do
my best to recover.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Got it.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
And I accelerated recovery and then we had a
little bit of a pause on theshow which kept me from getting
eliminated.
And then I came back in,competed more, made it to the
right before the final week andI was doing well in the
competition.
I was at the top of theleaderboard.
So I'm getting the predictions.
This guy's gonna make it to thefinals.
He's got a chance to win.
Now I end up breaking my ankleon a course, went to the er
(33:05):
there in the kind of a fieldhospital we're filming down in
the dominican republic in thejungle, and in that er they show
me the, the scan.
Your ankle's broken, we'regoing to put you in a cast.
And and that.
I remember one, this song thatI learned in spanish.
It was a, it was a english workworship song called way maker
oh, yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
(33:26):
And it's fairly well known inthat circle, but there's a
Spanish version called Abra'sCamino, and so I'd learned that
before I went on the show,because I'd heard I had three
weeks before I knew what I wasgoing on this, so I'd memorized
that song.
So I remember being in thehospital.
I've made it five months, I hada good chance to win, and now
I've broken my ankle and itlooks like it's all over.
(33:47):
And this is where I say thisscripture I talked about earlier
God works all things togetherfor our good If you're willing
to stay faithful to the callinghe has for you.
So, I'm crying, as I just kindof know my season's over.
This is like past seasons whereI've had an injury and it all
ended.
I'll probably never get thisopportunity again, and I pull
(34:09):
out this piece of paper that Ihad illegally.
We couldn't have paper and penright.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
A pen from a nurse and I had some pieces of paper
that I'd collected out in thejungle, that were on the ground,
and I had written.
I was writing at that time,writing this verse to that song
that I heard, and there's a partof it that says even when you
don't see it and when you don'tfeel it, god is still working.
So I'm writing that and I'mcrying.
(34:36):
I'm literally crying.
This is my whole life, righthere.
And as I'm crying, I hear thatsong start playing in Spanish,
and I hadn't heard music formonths.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
And.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
I go over and, sliding open this, it looks like
a shower curtain, separatestalls in this emergency room,
and there's a lady there and herphone's ringing and she's like,
oh, it's me telephono.
And I'm like, oh, how couldthis sign from God come out of
nowhere?
My doctor walks back in and hesaid we're going to put you in a
(35:05):
cast.
And I was like no, no cast, Iwant a walking boot.
And so I fought with him for awhile and he finally said some
cuss words and then oh, he'sdoing the cussing.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Usually it's you, an anesthesiologist that's cussing,
but go ahead.
Speaker 3 (35:23):
So from there yeah, from there I head back in.
I rest for 10 days.
They're about to eliminate meand in the elimination ceremony
I stand up on the platform, Itake off my walking boot and I
tell them hey, I'm not done here, I'm still going for it.
(35:43):
I get back in the competitionand I end up winning every
battle that week eliminationround in the finals.
And so, after winning all therounds and beating out all the
competitors, I end up being thelast man standing and hoisting
the trophy and getting to walkaway with the grand prize.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Wow, wow, nate, I've got to ask you right here.
Let me stop you for a second.
I want to go back.
One year earlier you had foodpoisoning in the championship
rounds and that turned out, whenyou hit that buzzer, to be the
Ninja Warrior Run of the Year.
So that's one year earlier.
(36:25):
You had the Run of the Year.
Then, a year later, you wentthrough what was potentially a
broken neck and then a brokenankle.
You refused that.
If I'm hearing it right, youstood on Romans 8, 28,.
All things work out for thegood of those who love the Lord
and call it according to hispurpose and the song Waymaker.
(36:46):
He makes a way where there isno way and you win it.
What does that do to your faith?
And then let me add this onebefore I give this back to you
You're not afraid anymore, likeme in college and you in college
, you're not afraid to fail orsucceed.
You're on top.
You've accomplished an amazinggoal.
(37:08):
What did that do to your faith?
What did that do to your innerman?
What did that do to your?
Speaker 3 (37:18):
confidence and your competence on who you were Great
question.
Well, the main takeaway I hadfrom that is this phrase.
The phrase is the riskiestthing you can do in life is play
it safe.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Wow, wow.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
Wow.
So I got out of that show and Iended up calling the manager at
ExxonMobil is the company thatI worked at.
And that manager said Nate, Ihadn't heard from you in I don't
know nine months now.
What in the world have you beendoing?
And I said you'll never believewhat happened.
I ended up getting on a TV showand I won it and I made twice
(37:54):
as much money and half the time.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
Whoa Wow.
Speaker 3 (37:58):
Our company and he said you'll never believe what
happened.
The world went into apandemonium.
We we let go of 90% of ourstaff here.
You were a high performer but Icouldn't have saved your job.
If you had stayed in thiscompany hoping to save your job,
you would have lost it.
But you end up quitting thiscompany at a great time in the
(38:19):
year and you go off to some TVshow you've never heard of and
you won the whole thing.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
Okay, maybe there is something to this God thing
you're talking about.
Whoa, a mind was blown.
But to more specifically answeryour question, it just reminded
me through all the hardshipsand challenges that we all go
through, man.
Every one of those things Iwent through in that TV show I
(38:48):
had experienced in life already.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
I've been here before .
Speaker 2 (38:54):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (38:54):
It's prepared me.
So all those things wouldprepare me, because my
competitors were experiencingthe same thing and they were
quitting from it.
Their season ended.
We all had problems, we all hadinjuries, but because I'd been
prepared, it gave me a differentperspective, because I saw that
God was still working in faith.
I kept going and I left it allon the line.
I couldn't define the results.
(39:16):
I let God do that.
I just defined that I'm goingto show up every day, give my
best, be all in, and I won't winat all costs.
So to be clear, I did not win atall costs.
I gave it my best.
I honored my competitors, mytools my.
God behind the scenes, and thenhe was the one that chose to
(39:40):
present me with a trophy.
I can't control those things,so it just gave me confidence to
continue to live in the waythat.
It doesn't always seem likeit's going to work out how I
hope, but I've got faith that ifI do it God's way, I'll get
promoted in the right places atthe right time.
But I don't need to fightthings.
I got to trust the process andkeep doing it the right way, and
(40:04):
that will bring its blessing,although we're all guaranteed
suffering and hardships in life.
So how do you deal with thosethings?
I choose to say this is, for myfuture, good, so God, help me
to persevere now.
Now I can say I'm a champion.
Just like it starts here, yes,and then it translates to
external things.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
Let me ask you a few questions as we're getting ready
to wind this down in a bit.
This has been so amazing.
I hope for our listeners outthere.
You're hearing a guy that couldhave had all the excuses
falling in a ditch and havingdegree second degree burns very,
very painful and didn't make anexcuse out of that, and then
also getting his degree andmaking six figures high.
(40:48):
Six figures having theirAmerican dream three hots in a
cot.
But he still had an insatiableappetite to answer that gnawing
and he wasn't afraid anymore andhe went out there.
American Ninja Warrior one ofthe most popular shows ever.
I still love it, me and myfamily and had the run of the
(41:09):
year in 2019, overcominghardships.
And then Exactalon, which islike a survivor and an American
Ninja Warrior show combined, andthen Nate miraculously wins
that whole puppy.
My question to you, nate?
I want to ask a few questionshere because, man, you've done
(41:29):
it all You've been I wrote downsomebody's notes.
You've been an adventurer, aspeaker, real estate developer,
engineer, mission worker and nownewlywed we got to get Emily a
shout out.
So, listen, I've been with mywife next month going to be 40
years, so need to know.
Listen, if mama ain't happy,nobody's happy.
That's all you need to know.
That's the Dr Phil right there.
(41:50):
And if mama ain't happy,nobody's happy.
That's all you need to know.
That's the Dr Phil right there.
Brag on the message real quick.
Speaker 3 (41:57):
Who in the world is this precious Emily that's won
your heart?
Yeah, I'm blessed to be anewlywed.
I met Emily about 18 months agothrough a mutual friend and
I've been searching for a goodwoman, a wife, for a long time
and just trusting God in thatprocess, but I saw that she had
endured some hardship.
She had gone through things thatwere tough and I love the way
that she responded.
(42:18):
You see people that go throughhardship and some of them are
kind of broken and bitter, andothers they let that shape them
in a way that they see lifethrough a new lens.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
Wow and trust got even deeper.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
They see life through a new lens and they're grateful
for what they have, and trustgot even deeper, and so that was
one of the traits that reallydrew me to her, her mindset and
her love for others.
So, long story short, I got anamazing and beautiful wife.
It was a woman that said yes tome as well, and we jumped into
marriage.
We ended up deciding we'regoing to have a faster
engagement, so we were engagedfor two weeks.
(42:51):
We went to Italy, had a littleceremony there on our own,
eloped came back, and now we gota honeymoon baby on the way.
All right being a single guy toengage to married to.
Now a kid on the way.
Speaker 2 (43:04):
I'm ready to be an uncle.
Let's go.
I'm going to give a candy,healthy candy.
I'm going to give a healthycandy.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
Help me, uncle.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
PPO.
Speaker 3 (43:15):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Wow, well, nate, listen, it's been so rich.
I want you before we let you go.
How can you encourage someonethat's listening to keep
climbing?
Talk to that audience out thereand that person.
How you can encourage someoneout there to keep climbing and
(43:37):
keep saying attaboy, what wouldyou say to them?
Speaker 3 (43:40):
That's good.
I would give you a littlephrase that failure is weighed
in ounces, but regret is weighedin tons.
Whoa.
Speaker 2 (43:54):
I'm going to drop this mic right here.
You got to say that one again.
That was impressive.
Say that one again.
Speaker 3 (44:00):
We feel we definitely fear failure, but failure it
only weighs ounces.
You can get through failurerelatively quickly, especially
if you have the mindset that Ican do that again.
It could be a rejection, itcould be a business mess up.
Whatever it is, it may feelpermanent.
Failure is not permanent, butregret, regret, is permanent.
You can never go back in time,and so in that weight of regret,
(44:23):
I've felt that it's weighed medown so much.
So here's the takeaway for youwherever you are in your life
right now whatever you'repursuing or, more importantly,
the things you're not pursuingthat you feel you have a
conviction towards but you'reafraid of, let regret fuel your
resolve.
Drink then your resolve.
Don't give up.
(44:45):
There's so many promises meantfor you in your life if you do
not give up.
So I continued to look towardspeople that encouraged and
inspired me, not only with theirwords towards me, but just by
their example.
That's why I've got these books, that's why I'm reading, that's
why I'm reading the Word.
I believe the Bible is a bookof examples, not a book of
(45:05):
exemptions.
It's real people, real hardship, that have overcome unique
situations and they've used theSpirit of God in their life, the
encouragement that God giveseach one of us to move forward.
So I'd say, wherever yoursituation, is, your frustration,
decide that this is going to besomething now that's going to
be a great thing for your future, and that's hard to say in
(45:26):
really bad situations.
So I say that with all respecttowards people that are going
through incredibly hard things,but there's going to be someone
that you'll look at in thefuture that say they're in a
worse situation than I am andthey're choosing to have an even
better attitude.
How can I go around the worldseeing incredible hardship and
poverty and yet see people thathave even more joy than we in
(45:48):
America have?
So joy is possible despitecircumstance.
Choose to live in a place whereyou're going to apply your
present challenge to get moreresolve to persevere and push
through, because there's aharvest, there's a benefit,
there's a blessing on the otherside of this thing.
Whatever you're fighting, don'tgive up.
Speaker 1 (46:07):
It took me as an athlete.
Speaker 3 (46:09):
I was 30 years old before I first got a real
opportunity and most people aredone as an athlete by their
mid-20s.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (46:17):
And I got a championship at 34, and I'm
still at 38, still competing ata relatively high level.
So my window was moved way back.
I thought it was way past timefor me.
So, whatever the thing is thatyou feel maybe it's athletics,
maybe it's business, maybe it'sa relationship, like me getting
married at 38 years old, or ifyou're further along and you're
(46:39):
picking up the pieces, it's okay.
Pick it up, rebuild, don't giveup.
Speaker 2 (46:45):
Wow, Beautiful Nice Nate.
Nice man, where can we find you?
For those listeners out therethat want to hear more of Nate
Burkhalter, where can they findyou, Nate?
Speaker 3 (46:56):
Yeah, I go by no Limits, nate.
It's a nickname we got from oneof the hosts on American Ninja
Warrior.
But you can find me on socialmedia at no Limits Nate, I'm
most active on Instagram, butI'm on Facebook and TikTok.
And then I'm about to launch abook and it's a similar recap of
(47:17):
my life story, with a lot oftakeaways, mostly funny stories
and mixed in with some adventureand excitement.
But that's going to be the waythat I'm able to encourage
people in the deeper sides ofthe story that God's given me.
Wow, I'm active on social media, so you can come find me.
Speaker 2 (47:31):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (47:33):
Send me a message.
I love talking to people that Ihear from mutual friends like
AB.
I call AB Coach.
Speaker 2 (47:41):
This was my rookie.
I'm so, so proud.
Nate, you touched my hearttoday.
Thank you so much for coming inhere.
You have been amazing.
Keep rocking folks.
He puts it faith in action.
When you see Nate, he's a trueeliminate.
Well done, nate.
Thanks for joining the showtoday and for our listeners out
(48:02):
there, I want you to wow.
That was really full.
Take time out and digest whathe said.
This was a young man that hadto endure second degree burns,
had to endure self-confidenceand thinking if he can, if he
can't.
And then we're seeing him nowin a 38, an athlete, a champion,
(48:22):
a newlywed and a father.
Amazing things can happen whenyou don't cancel yourself out.
Whoa, that was good.
Well, if you liked today's show, come on over and check us out
at adrienbranchespeakscom.
Also, if you want to see us on,adrienne Branch Speaks on the
social media and then with thispodcast, the Climb, go to the
(48:47):
Climb and check out podcastswherever they're available To my
climbers out there.
Thank you for joining us today.
We're going to have some moreguests coming up and remember,
remember.
Remember, like Nate said, giveyourself a chance.
But for my climbers, beencouraged and keep climbing.
Thanks everybody, thank you.
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