You Don’t Have to Be the Best, Just Do The Best You Can, with “Air Force Ken” Corigliano

“Air Force Ken” Corigliano joins the show today to share his incredible journey from a terrible brain-damaging accident to qualifying for the Olympics, becoming a Major in the Air Force, and, oh, did we mention he served in Iraq and won a medal for heroism?

You really don’t want to miss this talk about how to set goals, achieve them, and overcome incredible odds in your journey towards optimal performance.

Introduction quote

“I believe that athletics is a fantastic way and training and working out is a great way to systematically and precisely exercise the stress response in a controlled format for a beneficial outcome versus a destructive outcome or an uncontrolled outcome.” — Ken Corigliano

Guest bio

Ken lives a life of service to others and has over 20 years of wearing the service member’s uniform, loving nearly every minute of it. He brings the joy of being alive and being human to the people of the world. Ken has generated and influenced many things you enjoy today, without expectation of return. Many companies and organizations seek out his advice. He has owned trademarks, copyrights, and patents many times while knowing that Ideas are never original and are always a result of life influences.

To find out more about Ken Corigliano, visit his website.

Key Takeaways

[1:00] David welcomes Ken Corigliano and asks him to share the journey that took him to where he is today — a Major in the Air Force — by way of a disadvantaged childhood, a troubled academic journey, and a terrible accident that left him with some spinal cord and brain damage. Enter NuCalm!

[6:00] Ken has synesthesia, he shares what exactly he can see, taste and smell, and it’s really weird.

[7:00] A few weeks before deploying, Ken was in a horrible car accident. He opens up about finding out the extent of the damage while in a war zone.

[9:45] From injury to superpowers, Ken shares when he figured out what his synesthesia could help him do — and the overwhelming aspects of it.

[12:33] From failing the Air Force fitness test — an embarrassing moment — Ken shares his process for achieving his goal of having a shot at the Olympics.

[14:57] On winning a medal for heroism.

[18:45] Academic excellence requires work; Ken shares the dedication he applied to both his studies and triathlon competitions. His TBI interrupted his Ph.D., he couldn’t read anymore.

[20:18] Ken shares how he integrates NuCalm and Ignite, as well as why training your stress response is the key to optimal fitness.

[27:05] Ken did some outrageous tests with NuCalm! He shares some of the protocols he ran (ice baths? Yup).

[32:25] A week in the life of Ken’s training regimen is both fascinating and a little scary! He also touches on what he does to prepare for competition; it is a handful, take out your pens!

[40:13] Travelling with NuCalm is something that Ken calls the most amazing unsung benefit. He also touches on his diet both personal and professional, and while competing.

[44:45] Any R&R? Ken shares his downtime and takes a moment to highlight his awesome wife’s accomplishments! He also touches on how NuCalm has helped his three-year-old son maximize his potential.

[50:45] David asks Ken what his next big accomplishment is going to be and thanks him for sharing all of his experience before signing off until the next episode.

Continue on your journey and until next time, breathe deep, relax, and keep looking forward.

Mentioned in this episode

NuCalm

Air Force Ken

More about your host

Connect with David Poole — Chief Business Officer at NuCalm on LinkedIn

More about NuCalm and the podcast

This is NuCalm, the show for those looking to improve sleep quality, manage stress, and boost recovery. Brought to you by Solace Lifesciences, the makers of NuCalm, the world’s only patented and proven neuroscience technology that works within minutes, without drugs, every time! In over one million medical sessions, NuCalm has helped men and women around the world.

NuCalm: stress relief for the way we live today, technology to help you disconnect.

Pull quotes

“I have synesthesia in a way that allows me to see and taste cause and effect relationships, I can see and taste and smell data, which is really weird.” — Ken Corigliano

“If I have to lead troops, I have to learn to love things that I hate.” — Ken Corigliano

“I was tired of being dumb, you know?” — Ken Corigliano

“If you’ve never been at the top of any game, you have no idea what it takes and you have no idea what you’re capable of.” — Ken Corigliano

Tweet #1

Your body has to undergo some amount of stress to grow and perform. This is NuCalm Episode 9 guest, “Air Force Ken” Corigliano shares how stress response needs to be trained for peak performance.

Tweet #2

If you’ve never been at the top of any game, you have no idea what it takes and you have no idea what you’re capable of. This is NuCalm Episode 9 guest, “Air Force Ken” Corigliano shares his regimen for winning.