Born in February 1975, David Goggins was an unlucky child from an unlucky family. He and his mother were beaten by his father, a sadistic psychopath. David reports being dragged upstairs to be whipped with a leather belt—sometimes on his arms and legs. He was forced to cover his wounds with his uniform before going to school, which caused indescribable pain from the contact between the fabric and his injuries. Once, his father dragged Goggins' mother up the stairs by her hair, a traumatic scene that caused David to develop a stutter and severe anxiety. In school, David was almost illiterate and cheated on tests just to pass. David Goggins' life was a living hell.
One day, his mother decided to escape with him and his brother to Brazil, Indiana, looking for a dignified life far from his father. They went to live with his grandparents, who, despite taking them in, didn't demonstrate any empathy or compassion regarding the years of abuse. David’s grandfather was a man of strict discipline with a rigorous daily routine of chores. At school, David suffered from racism and was even called racial slurs by his own grandmother. Brazil, Indiana, had a strong presence of the Ku Klux Klan, leaving Goggins with chronic fear and insecurity, as he was physically threatened and systemically oppressed.
Later in life, the outlook was bleak. He was 24 years old with no future prospects, weighing 135 kg and working in night-shift pest control. One night, while eating chocolate and watching a documentary on the Discovery Channel about Navy SEAL training, Goggins decided he would become one. When he called recruiters, everyone laughed at his weight, except for one recruiter who told him he had three months to lose 48 kg.
After months of titanic work—running and swimming excessively every day—he achieved his goal. David Goggins completed three "Hell Weeks" in a single year and became a Navy SEAL. He completed the military's most elite courses and became an honored Chief Petty Officer, being the first human to complete both Navy SEAL and Army Ranger training. Goggins has completed countless ultramarathons, including the Badwater 135 (135 miles) and the Moab 240 (240 miles), and once broke the world record for pull-ups. Today, David is the author of two best-sellers and a motivational speaker.
"I am not a product of my environment. I am a product of my choices." — David Goggins