Amy Vorpahl is a Jock - Athletics Check Episode 1

Amy Vorpahl, famed for her roles on Critical Role and Dropout, joins Johnny to share her tale of shattering stereotypes and uniting the worlds of fitness and nerd culture. Together, Johnny and Amy peel back the layers of identity, challenging the notion that we must fit into neatly defined boxes. 

Amy Vorpahl:
www.amyvorpahl.com
TikTok - @vorpahlsword
Instagram - @vorpahlsword
Twitter - @vorpahlsword
Youtube - thenobleamy

Johnny Stanton IV
StantonIV.com
TikTok - @johnnystantoniv
Instagram - @johnnystantoniv
Twitter - @johnnystantoniv
Youtube - johnnystantoniv

Athletics Check Pod
www.athleticscheckpod.com
TikTok: @athleticscheckpod
Instagram: @AthleticsCheckPod

Check out our Patreon for bonus content and extra one-shot TTRPG adventures with every podcast guest: https://www.patreon.com/AthleticsCheckPod



#dimension20 #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #nerd #jocks #muaythai

Johnny Stanton IV:
https://www.stantoniv.com/
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@johnnystantoniv
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnnystantoniv
Twitter - https://x.com/johnnystantoniv

Athletics Check Pod
https://www.athleticscheckpod.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@athleticscheckpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athleticscheckpod/

Check out our Patreon for bonus content and extra one-shot TTRPG adventures with every podcast guest: https://www.patreon.com/AthleticsCheckPod

Transcript

Identities in Athletics and Nerd Culture

Speaker 1 0:00

You did have your piece de resistance in a practice.

Speaker 2 0:04

one day Is that right, that might have been only told to you, johnny. I don't think it was.

Speaker 1 0:08

Really, I got this from a secret source.

Speaker 2 0:11

Oh, that could have been my family. Maybe, what, maybe who the hell is talking about? Which family, what?

Speaker 1 0:22

I don't reveal my sources, amy, about which fan what I don't? I don't reveal my sources, amy hi, welcome to the athletics check podcast, oh my god, you too welcome thank you. I am being welcomed into my own home at this point, because I just bought it.

Speaker 1 0:38

This is this is episode one. Um, this is the athletics check podcast. This is my uh mission, yeah, is to unveil the the multifaceted nature of everybody. Um, as an athlete, I know that I am kind of pigeonholed into being the athlete and that's why I kind of broke out of that and became the dnd guy. So now I'm two things.

Speaker 2 0:58

It's amazing and that's it actually. That's just it. You're only.

Speaker 1 1:00

You're actually two facets, yeah, um, but as as well as people in the nerd world, you, I think you might get typecast a little bit as like the nerd or the girl who laughs a lot on Dropout and that's it.

Speaker 2 1:11

Those are the only two things I am.

Speaker 1 1:14

I mean, you're an athlete in your own right, isn't that right?

Speaker 2 1:18

I will say yes. It feels weird to say that.

Speaker 1 1:22

Sure and yet yes that's actually true and you can own that.

Speaker 2 1:26

I can own that, and the main reason I can own it is because of the verb of it, like doing athletics.

Speaker 1 1:32

Athletics, athletics, athletics, yeah.

Speaker 2 1:34

Feels. If someone was like oh, you do sports, you do a sport, I would be like oh, yeah, yeah, If they say you are an athlete. That's where the noun gets me in trouble. Then I was like, oh my god, and that's the whole thing is. Labels is like you know it's it's hard.

Speaker 1 1:45

You get labeled or you attach to a label. Uh, yeah, it was funny. I I was telling you before we recorded about. I took my first improv class last week and the teacher said this great thing, which I think is probably his go-to lines like you, you just took an improv class. You are now an improviser, you are now an improv. I don't know if improv comedian feels like another step, but you're an improviser.

Speaker 1 2:05

Well, first off, you know her from Critical Role. You know her as an actor, a songwriter, a dungeon master, a writer. You know her from Critical Role and Dropout. This is Amy Vorpahl. Hello, yeah, first thing I'm going to ask you to do is give me your ratio of jock to nerd. What percentage of you, would you say, is labeled as jock? What percentage is labeled as nerd? And this is the false binary of the jock nerd. I love that we're not in the 80s comedies or anything like that, where you get typecast, but what would you say is your ratio?

Speaker 2 2:40

As far as spending my time and regularity, I would say it's really. I would say it's like 60% jock.

Speaker 1 2:49

Hell yeah.

Speaker 2 2:49

And 40% nerd.

Speaker 1 2:50

Amazing.

Speaker 2 2:51

And this is just based on time spent right. I feel like every day I can point to something I've done in the jock realm or like health and fitness.

Speaker 1 2:59

Yeah.

Speaker 2 2:59

And that includes diet and nutrition and stuff. That's kind of an everyday thing.

Speaker 1 3:03

Absolutely.

Speaker 2 3:03

And then as far as nerdy stuff, uh, just by nature of the hobby it's not every day, so it's like less consistent, and my love of them is pretty equivalent, like the passion for it or, you know, my commitment to them. I would say I'm actually more committed to to like health and fitness and and like athletics.

Speaker 1 3:19

Yeah, yeah. No, I love that. I mean, I I wouldn't have like expected. You know, when you go into the episode you're Amy Vorpahl is on the nerd side and we're going to be having athletes and the nerds but being being able to, you know, see yourself not only be so close. I didn't know. I was going to answer that too. I was like, oh wow.

Speaker 2 3:38

I guess that is true, cause I'm like, I mean, I know time spent and where my brain, brain space is. It's like your body doesn't actually turn off.

Speaker 1 3:48

Yeah.

Speaker 2 3:49

But the nerddom stuff can turn off so geez, yeah, that's, cool.

Speaker 1 3:54

I didn't think I was going to say that either. I didn't even know this was a question.

Nebraska Football and Athletic Stories

Speaker 2 3:57

So yeah, raw, you got me raw, oh yeah, I also want to say my friend recently, the other day he was like you should do more social posting about fitness because a lot of people think, oh, you're just a fit person or you're just charismatic, or you're like you have a good looking body. And it's like, but it couldn't be. Yeah, like you know, it is work, it's boring. It's like repetitive and boring and dumb and banal.

Speaker 1 4:28

But the more you can love that boring you know like, but it's a choice.

Speaker 2 4:31

It's definitely like a choice to do it and it's like oh, I'm not just a fit person.

Speaker 1 4:36

I'm a person who chooses to be fit, and it takes a lot of time to be able to like dedicate yourself to that. So yeah, be able to like dedicate yourself to that. So yeah, in commitment and like waking up every day going, dang it. Yeah, exactly again, a lot of like 24 hours.

Speaker 2 5:01

Yeah, yeah, um. So one of the things that I uh prepped with was um, what's your, what's your uh connection with nebraska football? Oh, my god, uh so what?

Speaker 1 5:07

Oh, I know why you're asking me this. Okay, not the victory, but the action, not the goal, but the game. In the deed, the glory.

Speaker 2 5:14

Okay, so actually I got that from someone else. Okay, so someone else had that. As it is the sign off on my email emails, it's on your email it's on your website and I love that you kind of attach yourself to email emails.

Speaker 1 5:29

It's on your email, it's on your website and I love that you kind of attach yourself to that quote. It's awesome.

Speaker 2 5:34

That is so cool, you know it's so part of me. Like you even saw it. I was like Nebraska football, nothing I have no connection to.

Speaker 1 5:42

Nebraska football but well, I wouldn't say that because I went to Nebraska, and so now, I have a connection.

Speaker 2 5:47

You have a connection to Nebraska football. You have a connection to Nebraska football.

Speaker 1 5:49

Twice I was there from 2013 to 2015.

Speaker 2 5:51

So this was a trick question, this was a trick question?

Speaker 1 5:54

Yes, no, but I knew like I didn't. I was wondering if you knew where that quote was from.

Speaker 2 5:58

Yes, I did know, but obviously it's like buried in the back of my dads, had it on his email and the and he just kept being on emails and I was like I'm taking yeah, like that's amazing, and only after the fact, after I had, uh, read the quote and internalized it, then I was like that's also my quote yeah and um, and then I looked it up I was like oh, it came from sports. Who? Would have thunk um specifically nebraska football. Uh, a coach right probably tom osborne.

Speaker 2 6:25

I mean he's the, he is nebraska football right and so uh, but but my connection to the quote and and to nebraska is is that is, that's the gig, man that's that's the life, so yeah uh, you hear it. You hear phrased different ways, like it's not about the product, it's about the process or whatever like it's not about the end result.

Speaker 1 6:42

It's not about the end result, which um is a mind fuck oh yeah, I mean especially for, like, the athletes, because you know so many people that I introduced to the game are all and you know they can be an athlete, they can be outside math, like well, how do you win? It's like, who wins? It's like, well, that's not the point, it's about the actual, it's the journey not the destination, like you said, it's about. You know. It's about taking your time and having this experience, not about the end of of story.

Speaker 2 7:09

And it is a tricky little meatball because it's like not the glory right. But it's like but glory is so nice and it's so celebrated and it's so recognizable and we love glory, but it's not about it and you just want to be like, ah yeah, but it's a good reminder and I just have had that on my email. Sign off for God 20 years.

Speaker 1 7:31

I actually had to remind myself that it wasn't a Friday night lights quote, that I was from Right. Wait, didn't, didn't the rock.

Speaker 2 7:37

Say that at some point. You know.

Speaker 1 7:40

Um, well, what is your, uh, what is your background with sports, with athletics? Um, I do know um a few things, but let's hear what you know. Yes, no, I, I did, I did my research um, you, uh, you, I believe you have a story that you like to tell from growing up playing basketball um yeah, where you, you didn't spend a lot of time on the court. Uh, if I'm, if I'm, if I'm not mistaken, but you did have your piece de resistance in a practice one day Is that right.

Speaker 2 8:13

That might have been only told to you, Johnny. I don't think it was.

Speaker 1 8:16

Really, I got this from a secret source.

Speaker 2 8:20

Oh, that could have been my family. Maybe, what, maybe? Who the hell is talking about which family? What I don't reveal my sources so should I tell the story please okay, so the the story is my twin sister, which is who I'm thinking you're talking to. But I have a twin sister and she and I were, uh, not athletic, like, let's just be honest like I did soccer, and the the, the let's not forget about track oh, yeah, god, yes, I did track.

Speaker 2 8:53

We were on the long distance running team um, still run these days and, uh, she and I did soccer and it was, or did we both do? I definitely did soccer and she did something else, I don't know but. But the rule of the game was do not pass the ball to amy, but my main job was to get the ball from the other team so the long distance running came into play like I. They called me the mosquito because I was just annoying and like flying around the field.

Speaker 2 9:18

If the other team had the ball no, they didn't for very long yeah.

Speaker 1 9:21

However, that's how I was in the basketball court, because I'm just there for rebounds and defense. Yeah, I'm not. They don't put the ball in my hands to score.

Speaker 2 9:27

It was like if I held onto the ball for a long time. No, I didn't. But, I could get the ball from the other team and then get it out of my foot zone. Obviously, I played soccer because of my technical lingo. But then she and I both were on the basketball team and we did it because our friends were doing it, but we were trainers which meant that we were in charge of doing the players' laundry.

Speaker 2 9:51

How old were you? We were in middle school, yeah, so not. And like when you think, when I think back to, I'm like god, the amount of self-confidence we just didn't have that we were like here, friend, here I've got your water bottle filled up.

Speaker 1 10:04

More important player on the team than me? Yeah, oh my god, and my mom had to call the athletics department.

Speaker 2 10:09

Be like you're. You're counting this as PE, but they're doing laundry Like they need some physical. So we did start actually uh, not playing, but we got to practice more. However, no, not many times on the court. So the first time I was on the court and the only time they put me in a game I didn't know the rules, cause I had never played.

Speaker 1 10:27

So no one had told me, you hadn't, you know, taken, taken any in by?

Speaker 2 10:30

osmosis, nothing, and so they hand me the ball. They're like you're gonna pass it, so I'm gonna pass it to whoever's open. Well, no one. You know from my you know very naive mind. No one ever got open. So I held on to a tweet like you can't hold the ball to pass for a certain amount of time.

Speaker 2 10:45

I still don't know the amount of seconds five seconds and so I never passed it. And then, and then they were like okay, the other team has the ball and that's on you, and I was like got it, so not not athletic.

Speaker 1 10:56

However, that I think that's more about knowledge than anything else.

Speaker 2 11:00

That's coaching, yeah, yeah whatever I it's so in hindsight, but but yes, my piece was your dad the coach.

Speaker 2 11:07

No, he was not, okay, uh we did do a team, a team thing, where like a like outside of school thing and he, he coached us, but that was really early on in like fourth grade or fifth grade or something like that, but, uh, in middle school, nah, and then, and then in eighth grade I decided or maybe of seventh grade, I decided to go full theater, nerd, and I was like I'm gonna do theater and not basketball. That so my final practice practice. We did a drill where it was just three-pointers and I sunk 100% of the three-pointer shots and everyone knew that Amy's not going to do basketball anymore and everyone was like, well, yeah, why would she? She's like barely playing.

Speaker 2 11:41

I mean, it wasn't mean Like, everyone was like, but you know they had their thing and I was choosing a different thing. And choosing a different thing. And um, and I sunk every three-pointer and everyone was like where was this? Yeah, where, who are you? Even it was like the coaches were laughing. The rest of the they just let me keep going because, they were like well, how long is this going to go?

Speaker 1 11:59

on and it was weird, there was giggles.

Speaker 2 12:00

They were like yeah, it's like, yeah, backed up basketball magic and I think it was because I was choosing and it was just one of those like are you sure? You know one of these like well, you could, you know, speak of the glory, like you could have glory here. Are you sure you want to go full?

Speaker 2 12:14

into theater and I was like well, yeah, it was a no-brainer for me, but also it did make me go wait a second. I had untapped potential and and people were seeing me in a different light and yeah, maybe it's but maybe it was honestly belief in myself. But but that was my piece of resistance, and then that's where you know it was like end on a high.

Speaker 1 12:34

Oh, my God for sure. It was like take a pass go take a pass, go sink Like no, and three pointers like as a middle schooler like teeny tiny little spindly girl and you have a cousin who's a professional basketball player, right, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 12:49

What the fuck else do you know about me? Jesus johnny, when you go hard, you go hard uh, her name's leslie vorpaul. She's, she, she's one of those people that you meet her and you're like, uh, you know, it's like what would leslie do like? She just she's a team player, she's a leader, she's uh, she's always high vibes, no matter what she, she's all about the community.

Speaker 1 13:10

She's also excellent, Aw thanks.

Speaker 2 13:12

She's also excellent at playing the sport and she works hard. She's on off-season. She and I were comparing notes. I was like, how often do you practice? And she's like every day I'm in two-hour practice, one with this coach, one with that coach, Always being the right word is not surveilled, but like being surveilled coach, like okay, now, what? Now, what are we doing? And doesn't take a day off and makes that part of her lifestyle and amidst the other things she's doing, so she's, and it's always um, she's just high confidence, high vibes, very comfortable, uh, in her body, very comfortable around literally anyone, big, big, golden retriever energy and always down.

Speaker 1 13:49

So's awesome. It's my favorite people to be around.

Speaker 2 13:52

Yes.

Speaker 1 13:52

There's so many athletes who and I think it comes from just being at the top of the league, being in the NFL, I think there are a lot of people who don't end up putting out that kind of energy because they expect so much energy to be brought to them. And it's a tough thing because I've gotten along with every single one of my teammates. There's not a single teammate that I didn't get along with, but it's it. It is a lot easier to be able to get along with some people than others, just because of the matching energies and it's it can be a hard thing.

Speaker 2 14:27

That's you know a lot of the that, just based on her height and everything. She is on the shorter side. She plays point guard, but it's like, oh, she's undeniable, and I call that vibe that we're talking about. It's just playing team and thinking that literally everyone is on your team, whether they are literally on your team or not, it's just being like you, a teammate, we playing, and even in conversations the vibe is are we playing together? You want to play?

Speaker 1 14:49

I love that. Yeah, that's big point guard energy too. I love that. It is big point guard energy. Yes, so if anybody follows you on Instagram, you are big into Muay Thai. Now I am Right, yeah.

Exploring Martial Arts for Fitness

Speaker 2 15:05

So yeah, it's been on and off. I would say I definitely started about a decade ago okay um, and that was when I was full all in like four or five times a week. Did that for two and a half years. Um got really into it. Was my favorite sport at the time. I got into it I was looking for structure. That was when I kind of began um working I would say full-time in the entertainment industry, where that just meant gigging.

Speaker 1 15:27

So there was no real structure.

Speaker 2 15:28

it was well, I audition when they tell me to and I gig when I book it. But my days were like chaotic, in that I missed having a structure of a job. And so I was looking for structure and I was like, well, the best way to do it. I always have been enthusiastic about just personally, my fitness, whether it was athletics or whatever, just my health, just personally, my fitness, whether it was athletics or whatever, just my health. And I was like, well, yeah, I'll join a class. So first up, I chose yoga. I like went to yoga classes.

Speaker 1 15:55

That's not for me because I like sweating and I like knowing that I'm going to sweat. Have you tried hot yoga?

Speaker 2 16:04

I have and it's still yeah, I have. So it wasn't, so then I yeah, it's not really quite that. It's more like it's the exertion yeah, the exertion like feeling like, like really tanked, and and yoga and even bickering like that'll do it. There's just something off about it. I was like this isn't motivating enough for me to get out. Get my ass out of bed.

Speaker 2 16:25

Make it a structure it was too easy to not go I guess yeah so then I did crossfit and I realized I don't like to work out to get better at working out it's nice when it feels really practical. Yes, towards something like like I'm getting stronger so I can throw a hail mary better there you go, you got it.

Speaker 2 16:43

I can't even know your football uh, there I winked um, and so then that my third try was muay thai and that and I also trained in Jiu Jitsu at the beginning as well and it was like done, because it was one of those, like I'm developing a skill, I can tell there's a skill involved. It's partner based. There was accountability, because martial arts is, they use it like a classroom, like the teacher is very aware if you're there or not and I would get phone calls if I wasn't like what's going on, you know oh cool and it's like, oh wow, they like care if I'm yeah, a lot of accountability, a lot of family style.

Speaker 2 17:13

Yeah yeah, and your partner and so and it was also um a workout where you, you work out, or you you do a skill, you're training on the skill, you're like following the flow of what the the instructor is doing, and then at the end of an hour, you're like, oh shit, oops, I worked out and I'm sweaty and so I like I was like, that's it, I'm sold um, the.

Speaker 1 17:35

If you can forget that you're working out, if you can forget that you're exercising, that's the, that's the goal, right, like if you're having fun while doing it, and that's just even more so yes, so that's how I got into muay thai and and it also I will.

Speaker 2 17:48

And then, uh, jiu-jitsu, I got an injury really quickly and I was like, okay, no like our jujitsu, you can just get injured on, mainly on your shoulders, and also sometimes on your knees, hips too, and it was like oh, I'm not doing this to compete and the roi joints for sure yeah, the roi of like, yeah, return on investment, it's like I'm not doing. No, I would like to be able to have my body, and so for muay thai.

Speaker 1 18:09

When even sparring sometimes like the worst that can happen, there's a lot of bad things that can happen, but for the most part you get bruised, whereas jujitsu very easily even at the beginning you could pull your shoulder out of your socket so I was like, I'll do muay thai so after six months of both I just went, I imagine there's probably a lot more injuries in jujitsu early on than later, like people probably know when they're, you know, holding in a position like what will actually injure somebody and what won't.

Speaker 2 18:37

I would say yeah, and I would you know, prove me wrong, but a lot of it is going from standing to like. It's really difficult to train falling, like how do you fall? And going from standing to prone can be just the most dangerous thing, like like cause. Technically, your head is going from around six feet down to the ground. Yeah, Same for your shoulder. Now we're going from five feet down to like it's just.

Speaker 1 19:00

Yeah, and, and learning how to fall in football isn't I don't really think. I don't specifically remember learning any time how to be tackled, because people always wonder, like man, does it hurt when you get tackled? It's like, yeah, I mean definitely sometimes, uh, a lot of times, you're just kind of being dragged to the dragged to the ground and that can be a lot easier than being hit. Or you know, a lot of most concussions honestly happen when your head is hitting the ground, not when you're getting hit by another player and and and weird.

Speaker 2 19:28

Your brain goes into weird mode where you're like trying to brace yourself using a wrist and it's like wrong you know. But there are parts of your body that can take the hit and just learn. I mean they. You know I was at the very. It was six months in. I was just still learning how all of that worked. And it's also not the focus. Like no one's like you're starting jujitsu first thing up. We're all learning to fall. It's like no, they start you where yeah you're grappling, you're pulling, you're all that.

Speaker 2 19:51

So, uh, anyway, tangent, but that's that's how I got into muay thai and I want to give a shout out to my partner in muay thai. So it's this guy named cortez and he is the best, and my my coach uh at the time also he's also great coach al. Both of those people were um integral in in me getting into muay thai and staying. Uh, we were, it was us at 7 am, uh, and it was a very small amount of people, and cortez was my training partner and I I still to this day, I need to paint a picture of him for you, because I interrupted for just one second.

Gym Partners, Martial Arts Journey

Speaker 1 20:27

Oh sorry, no, no, no, I just want to, uh, I, I just want to, uh, I want to. I want to quote somebody. She started with us 10 years ago. We've trained. We only trained together at 7am class. We were partners in every single class. At times when I was tired, she would push me to my limits. Her attitude is. Her attitude is fucking great.

Speaker 1 20:43

She is always happy to be training at the gym and she is a great team player. When a new student comes, she is a great team player. When a new student comes, she is the first one to introduce herself and help new students not be intimidated. She left the gym for a few years but constantly was coming back from time to time to train, so it's like she just never left. At times she has to pause the membership at the gym because she has tons of work, but even on the road she shadow boxes and trains by herself. A great human being and fun to be around. That she shadow boxes and trains by herself. A great human, a great human being and fun to be around. That's cortez. That is cortez. That's cortez. Yeah, he's. Uh, he seems like a great guy.

Speaker 2 21:20

You're obviously like your family at this gym uh, yeah, I I uh, you want to keep the conversation going, and that's great. Um, I might need a minute. You're like and we're moving on, and it's like excuse me Take your time. I don't, how did what? Who are you?

Speaker 1 21:38

Instagram's a crazy place.

Speaker 2 21:40

Oh, yeah, okay, okay. But Jesus, you don't know this. English is his second language too, so for him to have written. He wrote that. Yeah, that's his words.

Speaker 1 21:52

He really wanted to tell you that I was asking him questions and I asked him please don't.

Speaker 2 21:56

I see.

Speaker 1 21:57

Yeah.

Speaker 2 21:58

That's amazing, he did. I didn't know, but he did. He was like is Johnny Stanton real?

Speaker 1 22:05

Like he texted me on Instagram and I was like, yeah, yeah, he's a friend of mine.

Speaker 2 22:08

He texted me on Instagram and I was like, yeah, he's a friend of mine, why? And he's like nothing, no reason. I was like, okay, whatever, I couldn't. But yeah, I mean, he did his due diligence to make sure you were real. But Jesus Christ, that's so fucking sweet. But yeah, it's also next level because English is his second language. He was in the military. The way that manifests now is he is happy 100% of the time. He is just committed and that's a commitment.

Speaker 2 22:37

I know it's like a commitment to be happy and excited and standing for other people at the gym. He's now a coach, so 10 years later, of course he is mean but we were partners and I always thought I was so lucky because he is this round man he is like maybe even shorter than me and and just round.

Speaker 2 22:57

Uh, jolly would be a good way to describe him fierce, uh, real, like, like the um stamina of a beast man, like and hard-hitting and just don't, you know, don't, mess around with him. And yet, smiling and laughing the whole time he's, he's beating the shit out of you and encouraging you to do the same you know, uh, sometimes even like wanting you to hit him and and it. I got so lucky with him as a training partner and I never knew why I and I didn't want to question it because I thought oh, if you overthink this, one of us is getting the short end of the stick, and that's you.

Speaker 2 23:28

Like you're getting a gangly little partner while I'm getting this beast of a training partner. So yeah, and over the years, like they did move gyms and I just followed them. I just followed Coach Allen and Cortez, but yeah, I have a lot.

Speaker 1 23:44

So obviously you're like stuck with Muay Thai now. But why Muay Thai to begin with? I know you're talking about CrossFit and all that but why not other, like martial?

Speaker 2 23:53

arts and you know, I I think it wound up being a little bit coincidence, a little by chance. I also do some some like at home workouts, uh, and the ones that I stuck with were, um, HIIT stuff as, uh, with a vibe of kind of dancing I guess which, which is like kickboxing just by yourself and you have your hand weights and you go. And I think that combination of just having done that together just made sense for my body. And what I was going to say at the beginning, when you were like, are you athletic or are you an athlete in Muay Thai, was the first time someone said well, you're like a coach, a crew John, he goes. Well, you're obviously athletic.

Speaker 2 24:32

And I went wait that's cool, I've never been called athletic, much less obviously like what are you talking about? And that was about 10 years ago and it was the first time someone had literally voiced that. I'm athletic and it meant a lot to me and so I think it was, yeah, like a chance, chance, and then I fell in love with it. One thing I'll say like two martial arts.

Speaker 2 24:53

When people are like, oh, I don't know what kind of workout should I do, I'm like, pick any martial arts because of the accountability, the one-on-one, the partner, and because you can see your growth and because your growth almost doesn't matter. So more with the Nebraska saying like not the game, not the glory, but the game, like it's very much. It's you versus you.

Speaker 1 25:12

That's it and the fact of you showing up, uh, equals results that's yeah, no, I imagine that's what having the same training partner will do for you. Like you, you're increasing, probably at a very similar rate, and it's even hard to tell that you're increasing your skill level because you know they're getting just just as good as you are and and you know you realize like, oh well, now I'm purple rank.

Speaker 2 25:31

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, and it is. It also is so. It's. You know, when you I mean Muay Thai specifically, and other martial arts you're getting very physically intimate. You're both sweating all over each other, exchanging bodily fluids. It's just like dating, but seriously, like there's some like like intimacy, intimacy required that you can't. It's like playing dnd, like you can't leave a session or a game or a training and not feel like, oh, I would die for this person like I really have, on some level, fallen in love with you, right?

Speaker 1 26:01

yeah, I love that, yeah this episode is brought to you by hero forge custom miniatures. Hero forge is a free to use online character design application. That basically means if you want to play a ttrpg and you want to have a 3d printed miniature of your character, hero forge is the place to go. You can print them at home, you can print them there and they will ship them to you. They are always incredibly crafted and designed and the print process is so exact it's really impressive. Every time I get to see one of these miniatures, their character design and customization is second to none. You get to 3D model your mini right there on screen. You can see it as it real time Updates to any kind of customization you want. Their facial customization is super impressive. Make sure that you go to heroforgecom to design your custom miniature today and always check back regularly, because they always come back with the coolest updates. They have new content every week, whether it's a new piece of clothing, a new race, whatever you can imagine. You can make it on heroforgecom. So go to heroforgecom today to start designing your own custom miniature. What's up, guys? It's john again. I just wanted to thank you for listening and to encourage you to join our patreon at today to start designing your own custom miniature. What's up, guys? It's Jon again. I just wanted to thank you for listening and to encourage you to join our Patreon at patreoncom slash athleticscheckpod. You'll have access to all of the little mini adventures that I run for each and every guest. This is about 10 to 15 minutes where I run them through a short TTRPG adventure, and for a lot of these people, especially the athletes, it's their first time running a game like this, so it's my honor to get to be their very first game master. At the higher tiers, you get access to having your name shouted out at the end of an episode or even getting the opportunity to play in a bi-monthly TTRPG game with me or my co-host, travis Reeves. If you're interested in any of that, please go to athleticscheckpodcom or to patreoncom slash athleticscheckpod. Hope you guys are enjoying the show.

Leprechaun

Speaker 1 27:54

I have another. Uh, I think this is the last one. No, I think this is the last one. Um, she's progressive purple rank. She's definitely gotten a lot tougher and uh will match the power to the person she's going with. Her cardio has definitely gotten better too. Uh, she's a. She's always a joy to train with, always in a good mood, a fun training partner. Uh, so I know that she's been training under Crew Al for a while, probably over five years. I think it was a slow start. It didn't start training at this gym until after the COVID shut down and she has been training with them longer. I'm not sure what that last part was, but that was from Tyga Tyga. I knew it. I was going to say this Freaking Tyga. Yeah, how the hell, johnny.

Speaker 2 28:38

Okay, I have a story about Tiga too, so she's the fiercest, fierce mofo I believe it, she's the lady who, like when there's a sorry, I'm like. So out of my mind right now that you have done this and it means so much to me, but when the coach is doing demonstrations, tiga's the demonstrator cool uh, she is the tiny. It couldn't be more different from cortez, by the way. Tiny little um and then also fierce as fuck sure uh, can take a hit, can give a hit.

Speaker 2 29:10

I've trained with her and it's like jesus. Can we like you?

Speaker 1 29:12

are you mad?

Speaker 2 29:13

at me. Do you want to talk about it?

Speaker 2 29:14

um so, she, she, she's the one right she's the one in the gym and it's like for me especially to have a woman in that position. Uh, that is so respected by everyone, both men and women and just people. It's, uh, it's wild talk about a team player, talk about like she takes it seriously and you can tell and has fun. She giggles too. But um, there was one day, there was one day when I walked into the gym and she just out of nowhere, touch gloves with me and was like you're my partner today and I, like I, was like this can't be happening.

Speaker 1 29:47

Yeah.

Speaker 2 29:47

I've been chosen. It felt so good, it felt like I've made it, I'm part of this gym. There's no one could. And we were the. We were the demonstrators then because she had chosen me as a partner, so we got to. That's a big commitment, yeah we got to be like doing doing the uh, the combination for everybody, and it was just so.

Speaker 1 30:04

I can't believe you reached out to tiga that well, you obviously have like a similar standing now at this gym if you're going to be the person who's giving the example and somebody that new people can look to like. Just like you know, cortez said like you're the person who comes up and introduce themselves and makes people feel at home. That's true and being there for a decade is like that's huge.

Speaker 2 30:21

Yeah, that's true, and people you know they leave come back. And so it's always really nice. It does feel like coming home and it's like Whoa, you're back Okay cool. And they're like Whoa, you're back.

Speaker 1 30:28

And I'm like yeah, like it's just a weekly commitment.

Speaker 2 30:33

Is this multiple do at least twice a week now so not as intense as I did before, but but yeah, at least twice a week, and then I do my other stuff at home just uh, the one thing I will say is that with the muay thai they are classes, so they are at rigid time slots, and so you find what works in your schedule, but uh yeah, making I do make it a commitment to go at least twice a week, also because you're paying for it.

Speaker 1 30:54

So it's like you better make that work for you. You're paying for the gym membership no, if you're not paying for it. So it's like you better make that work for you. You're paying for the gym membership no, if you're not paying for a workout, I think it's not. You don't get what you could out of it If it's something that you're well it turns it from it like it makes it a commitment.

Speaker 1 31:05

Yeah, you actually go through them like I'm freaking paying for this I'm going to make them work for my money, which is really just making you work for your money.

Speaker 2 31:12

Well, in martial arts, a lot of fighters. I'm shaking.

Speaker 1 31:23

My thighs are like.

Speaker 2 31:24

I can't believe that you did all of that. Can you tell me where did you get the basketball?

Speaker 1 31:32

story I'll tell you later. Tell me later. Okay, but in martial arts the best fighters have a nickname and, being at the same gym 10 years, I'm sure you have a nickname at this point I, yes, I do, and it has not what you think um I think it is exactly what I think, but I want to hear you tell the story leprechaun.

Speaker 2 31:51

Yep, that's cortez, by the way that was tigaiga.

Speaker 1 31:57

Oh, Tiga too. Tiga did that.

Speaker 2 31:59

Okay, well, it spawned, tiga knows, because it spawned from a Cortez story, so I can't get up and show you. But in Muay Thai your stance is an athletic stance left foot forward, right foot a little bit back and that means that it's very easy to kick with your right foot because it's coming from behind. But if you're kicking with your left foot, there's a thing called a switch kick, where you switch your stance really quickly, which means your your left leg is now behind and you become like southpaw, goofy kind of stance that's right and and you can bring your left foot, which is now behind left leg, and swing it up.

Speaker 2 32:29

Uh, and, and that is it's called a switch kick, um, and it's just your lead leg goes back real quick so you can swing it up. Well, he was, so another. So what can happen in Muay Thai is people can anticipate. They see the switch coming as fast as you make it and they're able to block it.

Speaker 2 32:43

They're like, oh, the switch kicks coming, great, I'll block it so so he was training me in this, in this sparring session to go switch, switch and fire your right, your preview, your right one anyway, so they're while yeah, while they're well, while they're blocking my left lead leg kick, I've tricked them again. And now the right one. So we were kind of goofing off, as we do Not really like still sparring, but we were like training each other, like we were switch, switch, switch switch.

Speaker 2 33:10

Like, what if this happens? What if someone does switch? Be ready for the real one. Like, while we're trying to fake each other out, well, this guy, he starts bouncing like that, and I'm, and I just go, man, you look like a leprechaun, like it's like Heidi, heidi, heidi, die, die, die, die, die, die. And like he's just going. And so he, he starts calling me leprechaun because, yeah right, like he's going to just yells anytime I come into the gym. He's like leprechaun, leprechaun there are worse nicknames there are worse nicknames.

Speaker 2 33:44

It's also, yeah, fairly jolly myself by my own right. I'm also giggly and I think leprechauns are generally. I'm not Irish.

Speaker 2 33:50

I'm very German and Czech. But so Tiga started calling me that. I was like you don't even know why you're calling me that, and I told her the story and she and cortez train now together all the time. Um and uh, yeah, that's, that's the leprechaun. But like, arguably it's weird that that's my nickname, because it should be his nickname that I gave to him, but he was able to be faster than you. And yeah, yeah, yeah and like train everyone in the gym to call me that.

Speaker 1 34:16

So yeah, well now, if you ever have like an actual fight, like a judged fight, you can be introduced to amy, the leprechaun vorpal.

Speaker 1 34:24

I love the sound of that um, we're gonna switch, uh, switch roads a little bit. We're going to play a little game. Um, can you, can you think of? We've talked a lot about muay thai. We've talked a little bit about basketball. Can you think of who, like what team? Would you say that? What fandom do you belong to? Do you belong to, do you consider yourself a fan of any specific team baseball, basketball, football, soccer? Yeah, no okay, that's the short answer is not really I don't, I don't watch it as a hobby.

Creating a D&D Character

Speaker 2 34:53

I don't uh, I don't even watch Thai fights as a hobby. I've seen them and they're brutal and I'm like, ooh, that's a lot. So not really. I did grow up in Texas so I know how to watch a football game and a baseball game. We were rooting for Dallas Cowboys, and now my family roots for the Houston Texans, and when we were living in Dallas we were really into the Rangers. But when we moved to Houston we didn't quite I don't know the Astros.

Speaker 1 35:21

Yeah, we didn't quite get there.

Speaker 2 35:23

We didn't quite get there, so now it's like I know of these things but, it's like, uh, that was a bigger part of my life back then and I did go to OU, so by all rights, like I mean, that's a great football team absolutely uh and, and, while I was there, a little bit of the fandom struck and then disappeared.

Speaker 1 35:38

Well, let's go with OU, let's go with the Sooners.

Speaker 2 35:40

Okay.

Speaker 1 35:42

My challenge to you oh shoot, Can we make the Oklahoma Sooners into a D&D character?

Speaker 2 35:49

Yes.

Speaker 1 35:51

How would you build the Sooners as a D&D character?

Speaker 2 35:54

Okay, so first of all, folk, hero, background.

Speaker 1 35:57

Absolutely.

Speaker 2 35:58

Because they are well-known, they're liked, they come from humble beginnings and yet somehow have become this superstar by their own rights.

Speaker 1 36:07

So Sooners and you're probably the expert in this I just want to make sure that I'm aware the Sooners, originally the name came from getting the plot of Land of Sooners, right? Yeah, cheaters, yes, exactly, Leaving early.

Speaker 2 36:23

Leaving early, finding the loopholes in the government like are they the robin hoods or are they the like?

Speaker 1 36:26

you know, uh, white supremacists? We don't know, but like we're talking about manifest destiny earlier, I know they're it's like.

Speaker 2 36:29

Well, which side so definitely with? And and are you proud of being a cheater or are you?

Speaker 1 36:34

what alignment is this? Uh, this has got to be lawful right, because you're finding the loophole.

Speaker 2 36:38

So not no.

Speaker 1 36:39

Oh, you don't think so.

Speaker 2 36:41

Because it's not lawful. They're like breaking the laws for sure, like no one's confused about this. There's arguably too much pride about breaking the laws. So definitely chaotic, without a doubt. And then I think, just by nature of just you know, they're in oklahoma, they're, they're really good people. Um, I would say good chaotic good.

Speaker 1 36:59

Is there a mascot?

Speaker 2 37:00

I don't even remember, it's a schooner, which is a covered wagon oh sure, yeah, but it's, but it's, it's a huge deal, so it's not just like there's a dancing covered wagon wagon it is. They do have some dogs. They have the covered wagon with horses uh, so it's the whole.

Speaker 1 37:13

It's a pretty epic, uh like tunnel entrance or exit. Yes, yes, team.

Speaker 2 37:19

And then there are the guys with like suspenders. I don't know if that's changed since I've been there, but it's like. It's kind of like it's a weird mascot, because it's like an entourage.

Speaker 1 37:28

Yeah.

Speaker 2 37:29

But I think also there's a dog involved too, maybe a couple of them.

Speaker 1 37:33

So it's like they couldn't choose. College football loves its live mascots, yes.

Speaker 2 37:36

Yes, so there are horses, there's a covered wagon, there are people driving the covered wagon, and then there are dogs, and then you just go, like this number one, which arguably fairly lame.

Speaker 1 37:49

I mean at this point I'm pretty sure it's Hornstone, it's like the main Oklahoma Actually.

Speaker 2 37:53

Well done, and the reason I get away with it. I went, so my family basically all went to A&M big Aggies and they were like but so UT and A&M are at war with each other right In Texas.

Speaker 1 38:07

And.

Speaker 2 38:08

OU's like also. We also hate UT and it's like Texas is like we don't care.

Speaker 1 38:14

We're fighting this war over here.

Speaker 2 38:16

Although they do have the Red River Rally, so they participate, but it just.

Speaker 1 38:22

but it's like the big war and then the Sooners have the side battle going on if that makes sense.

Speaker 2 38:26

Okay, so yes, yeah, a little brother, energy a little.

Speaker 1 38:29

Yeah, what would you say is the race class combo? It's kind of a tough one. There's nothing that specifically lines up but I don't know one.

Speaker 2 38:49

There's nothing that specifically lines up. But, yeah, I, I think so they wind up. They wind up, uh, being stars, right like they mvps come from. Oh you, uh, they, they are winners, so I would say.

Speaker 1 38:53

I mean, as far as the results, right they, they played with a few, yeah, yeah they get, they get results.

Speaker 2 38:57

uh, there's something about Paladin or Barbarian that makes sense to me and I think I'll go with Paladin.

Speaker 1 39:06

I like that.

Speaker 2 39:07

Yeah, there's no great motto that sticks in my brain. Even the song is ridiculous. It's boomer, sooner boomer sooner boomer, sooner boomer, sooner boomer, sooner boomer, sooner boomer, sooner like yeah, so not pretty simple like as far as a code goes.

Speaker 1 39:25

It's kind of like oh I I don't know what the code is, so maybe not a palette, maybe barbarian, because it is like, yeah, that seems like the war cry is like we don't care, we're just yelling boom yeah.

Speaker 2 39:35

Yeah, we're just gonna yell boomer sooner and intimidate you, yeah so I for that reason, yeah, the lack of words actually, paladin needs their code, oh for sure.

Speaker 1 39:43

And they have a note that they and I'm and I'm like kicking myself for being like what is the code? We're number one in boomer sooner, yeah, yeah, it's pretty barbaric, honestly you have a race in mind or you just kind of go in like very human oh no, no, let's freaking, let's do a race.

Speaker 2 39:57

Um, uh they are. They are stalwart I. They are not as big as y'all, this nebraska situation nebraska.

Speaker 1 40:07

I mean nebraska, and ou have a history for sure. Yeah, yeah but.

Speaker 2 40:11

But I would say, I mean all told, y'all's boys are bigger and they're corn fed. They're corn and I don't I don't necessarily claim about.

Speaker 1 40:19

I went there for two and a half years so I transferred away I graduated from unlv. But uh definitely nebraska has its uh, its corn fed boys so.

Speaker 2 40:27

So it's not going to be like goliath, by any means, I but, and goliath, yeah, that would be an easy. So let's do I, uh, let's do dwarfs, okay, I like that, yeah, dwarf. Okay, I like that, yeah, dwarf. Barbarians.

Speaker 1 40:40

I kind of like that idea of the dwarves sooner kind of. I can see them driving covered wagons for sure yeah and they're also not the elves right, they're cheaters.

Speaker 2 40:48

So it's kind of like they're not.

Speaker 1 40:52

Their ties are more earthy than they are like foresty, it's like the dwarves of the great plains yeah, the dwarfs of the great plains and they put their stake in the ground.

Speaker 2 41:03

Uh, I think dwarves really like their, their mountains, and they like their possessions. For their possessions, yeah, we like our trophies.

Speaker 1 41:10

Yeah, you're here first an ou sooner is a dwarf barbarian.

Speaker 2 41:14

Yes, folk hero, you heard it here. Oh yeah, folk hero background, that's important yeah, um, would you say that?

Speaker 1 41:21

I mean, while we're on the subject, would you say that you're kind of on the the monk side of 100?

Speaker 2 41:26

yeah, yeah, I think, I think, uh, you know, it's changed throughout the years where people, people ask that a lot. They're like what kind of class would you be? And for a long time it's been barred. And and I don't, I think I have ranks in bard for sure and then and then I've also got ranks in in monk and that is strictly from martial arts. But more than martial arts, what I love it when people dive into the philosophy behind monkdom, which is oh yeah, you know your inner spirituality in pertaining to your body.

Speaker 2 41:53

Like mental health, is physical health and vice versa.

Speaker 1 41:55

Yeah, and, and your heart and your mind are all one that's something that definitely gets forgotten kind of in the monk aspect is the wisdom side really People really push into the dexterity side. It's the meditation, it is the, it's all you know. I think Paladin ends up getting a little bit more of that. It's like this is you know, monk is also a scholar. It's also somebody who is well-trained and so much more cerebral.

Speaker 2 42:17

Yes, yes, it can be. I think you have your option but, that would be my monk. It's like the way of the I don't know infinity symbol of the mind and heart.

Speaker 1 42:29

I like that. Yeah. Well, if you are a Patreon subscriber of the Athletics Check podcast, you can see Amy playing a. Was it one more playing a dnd version of herself? Um, where do you want to read that off a little bit, uh, oh, my god, this is like a magic trick, because it already says amy, the leprechaun vorfall, this is like you already knew what classes are going bard two, monk one.

Speaker 2 42:57

I'm a third level bar to you. I, how did I? I didn't, I couldn't have you. I led you a little bit I know, but yeah, sure, I mean I get, but no, but I was going to say that this is johnny so you can find a quick little adventure that we're going to record here just in a second, um, that amy is gonna enjoy herself with.

Speaker 1 43:20

We're both going to enjoy it, I think. Um, but um, so join the uh athletics check, patreon, if you want to be able to get that little bit of bonus content. Um, but we're going to wrap things up here. Amy, I hope you're not too emotionally devastated from this episode I'm shook.

Speaker 2 43:37

I am shook uh, it's the superlative of too much. I don't know about that, but yeah, I'm absolutely shook. My heart's beating through my chest, my legs are shaking. I had no idea you were like hey, can I come into your living room and chat with you about some, maybe your ties to athletics? And I'm like sure that sounds fun. And now it's like, did I? I? Just I feel like I had a surprise birthday party.

Speaker 1 43:56

Yeah, a little bit of a therapy session, a little bit of a therapy session.

Speaker 2 43:58

Johnny, you stinker.

Speaker 1 44:01

I'm going to ask you to do two things and thank you for being on being episode one, my first interview ever it's so exciting. So would you update your ratio between jock and nerd? Now that we've talked about all of this, would you update that? I mean you've already kind of leaned heavily into the jock side from the beginning, but I don't know if, if you kind of, reconsidered um sticking to your guns is absolutely not I.

Speaker 2 44:24

I think I'm gonna stick to my guns, just by nature. I mean, we talked a lot about I think I think the most important part of the jock nerd situation is the people around you the community um in both, and what I am certainly clear on, and couldn't have been made more clear by by your weird behind the scenes interviews you like dastardly devil um, is that the community in both is so strong and so felt uh, with me and and my gym, and then also in the nerd community too, and I I feel every day like the love, the love in my heart goes to both.

Speaker 1 44:56

So and I think that's really what makes both so uh, both worlds so prominent and so uh strong and large is is the community aspect of it. I mean, people grow together in their fandom of a specific team or their specific team or the team that they're on. Yeah, um, as well, as you know, being a nerd, it's all about your community, the people that you share that with the people that you you you spend four to five hours with every week at a D&D table.

Speaker 2 45:23

Yeah and yeah. So I don't have to tell you that there are vast similarities between both. And the Venn diagrams are closer and closer to a circle than we think.

Speaker 1 45:35

Absolutely. And the last thing I'm going to ask you to do is uh, why don't you, why don't you take us out with rolling an athletics check, okay uh, for our podcast, for our podcast listeners, I have a big giant inflatable d20.

Speaker 2 45:48

Let's see if this can the camera can even pick this up, okay that's right, this is gonna be, this is gonna be tough. Yeah, we've got a very stick, the landing here oh, no, too much.

Speaker 1 45:58

I don't even know my own strength. I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the backboard, okay you'll be the backboard, and here we go. Johnny, that's a natural 20. That's a natural 20. To finish it off, I had no say in the matter no, how did that happen?

Speaker 2 46:12

wow, the backboard moved a little bit. We got a natural 20 everybody.

Speaker 1 46:17

Amy, you're the best. I'm so glad you're my friend. Thank you so much for being on yeah, thanks for having me.

Speaker 1 46:23

This was, this was a triumph, johnny episode 1 a triumph, and thank you guys for listening. Come back next week, alright. Thanks for listening everyone. If you enjoyed the show, please take a moment to rate it and leave us a review. You can find us on YouTube, apple Podcasts, spotify and everywhere else podcasts can be found. Don't forget. We do have a Patreon, in which we talk to each of our guests about playing Dungeons Dragons and I run them a little adventure. I hope you guys do enjoy that. If you are a Patreon subscriber. Audio editing and music by the incredible co-host, travis Reeves, video production and editing by Frank Janisch, and I'm your host, johnny Stan IV. To find out more about what I do, check out my website, stantonivcom. This has been an effin' funny production. We'll catch you next time, but until then, can you roll me an athletics check?