1. Matt Long was hit by a 20-ton bus

All The Wiser

Kimi Culp

Society & Culture, Education, Health & Fitness, Self-improvement

4.9 • 652 Ratings

🗓️ 3 April 2019

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Matt Long’s extraordinary life story is a lesson in the power of perseverance. The best selling author, motivational speaker and former New York City firefighter has been to the brink and back. TWICE! Matt survived 9/11 and eventually found himself depressed, overweight and turning to booze to heal his emotional wounds. He rebuilt his life and body when he decided to turn things around and become an elite athlete and Iron Man.

Four years later, Matt was hit by a 40,000 Ib. bus on an early morning bike ride to work. His body was nearly severed in half and Long was given a 5% chance to live. Three years and 43 surgeries later, he fought his way back to the finish line of the New York City Marathon and completed another Ironman. Long was named as one of the top 25 fittest men in the the world by Men's Fitness.

Matt shares why he would not take the day of his accident back, the power of mindset and why waking up with intention and the words "I WILL" is the only way to start your day.

In Matt's honor, we are donating $2000 to the I WILL Foundation.

IN TODAY’S EPISODE

What it was like to be a fireman on September 11 (14:00)
Matt is hit by a 20 ton bus on an early morning bike ride (22:45)
Finding the will to go on - one small step at a time (34:45)
His wisdom and new perspective on life after surviving and thriving after two unthinkable experiences (46:15)

WISE WORDS

I just, as a fireman, I always pride myself on being so happy to go to work. There’s not many people in this world that love going to work. Firemen love going to work and weeks, months after 9/11, I didn’t love going to work anymore, and I couldn’t go to work if I wasn’t sipping a beer. My whole outlook on life had changed. (23:14)
And the worse damage was, like you said, I was basically cut in half. My right leg they described to me as no longer functionally attached to my body. (37:00)
The depression I was having wasn’t a full out pity party, wasn’t a “Why me?” specifically. “Why did I get hit by this bus?” It was more of, “Why did I live?” (39:30)

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Tired of the price of everything going up these days, groceries, rent, you name it, it's all going up.
0:05.8	But not at Metro, they've got your back.
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0:14.3	One line? Now 20% lower. Family plans? Also lowered. Oh, and you also get a free 5G phone, all with no ID required and no
0:23.1	activation fees. Stop by your neighborhood Metro store, visit Metro byteamobile.com, or call to
0:29.0	find out about their amazing offers. Bring your number, not available if currently at
0:32.9	T-Mobile or with Metro in the past 180 days. Guarantee covers monthly price of on-network talk
0:37.4	text and 5G data for customers activating on an eligible plan.
0:40.5	Exclusions apply.
0:41.3	Details at Metro byteamobile.com.
0:47.2	Welcome to Aldeweiser.
0:49.0	I'm Kimmy Kulp.
0:50.8	All the Wiser is a one-for-one podcast.
0:53.7	For every inspiring interview you hear, we donate $2,000 to charities around the world.
1:00.1	I believe in the power of storytelling to inspire us all to think differently about the world
1:05.2	around us.
1:06.2	So I have combed the country for some of the most jaw-dropping stories you have ever heard.
1:12.3	People who have been to the brink and back, stories of survival against all odds,
1:17.2	and whose lives have been changed in unthinkable ways.
1:21.0	For our very first interview, I sat down with best-selling author, motivational speaker,
1:26.7	and former New York City firefighter Matt Long.
1:30.5	Matt not only survived the terrorist attacks on 9-11, but he goes on to be hit by a 20-ton
	...

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