In this episode, I sit down with Nico Diaz, an NCAA Wrestling All-American who placed 4th in the country this past season. But what makes Nico’s story powerful isn’t just what he’s accomplished on the mat—it’s everything he’s had to overcome to get there.

This is a conversation about resilience in its rawest form.

Nico opens up about losing his father while he was in high school, a moment that could have completely derailed his path. Instead, he found a way to keep moving forward. Then, during his college career, he faced another major challenge—five concussions—forcing him to battle not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

Through it all, Nico continued to show up, compete, and push himself to the highest level of his sport.

• Nico’s journey to becoming an NCAA All-American
• The impact of losing his father and how it shaped his mindset
• Battling through five concussions and what that taught him about perseverance
• The mental toughness required to compete at an elite level
• How to keep moving forward when life hits you with setbacks
• What resilience actually looks like in real life—not just in theory

Nico’s story is a reminder that adversity is part of the path. You don’t get to choose what happens to you—but you do get to choose how you respond.

This one is for anyone who’s going through something difficult right now and needs a reminder that you can keep going.

Become Stronger Industries: become-stronger.com
Finish the Race Apparel: ftrapparel.com

Support our charity Stay in the Fight:
https://www.stayinthefight.am/

We are raising funds to support mental health therapy, counseling, and retreat experiences for people who are struggling but don’t have the financial resources or insurance to access help.

If this episode gave you something valuable, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

And as always—go one step further than you thought you could go.

In this episode, we discuss:Why this episode mattersSponsors & Resources

In this episode, I sit down with Chris Romulo—a six-time Muay Thai champion, World Cup bronze medalist, former North American professional titleholder, resilience speaker, and mental performance coach. Chris has spent nearly 30 years in combat sports, and what makes his story so powerful is that he’s taken everything he learned through discipline, pressure, adversity, and high-level competition and turned it into a mission to help other people build resilience and perform under pressure.

Chris doesn’t just talk about resilience—he’s lived it.

In 2010, he founded CROM Physical Culture, the first Muay Thai gym in Far Rockaway. There, he launched a youth scholarship program for underserved kids growing up in the same environment he came from. Through discipline-based training and mentorship, Chris has helped young people build confidence, accountability, and direction.

Today, Chris works as a keynote speaker and Mental Performance Mastery (MPM) certified coach, delivering high-impact presentations that combine real-life adversity with practical mental performance tools. His sessions are grounded, direct, and interactive—giving audiences clear frameworks to manage self-doubt, regulate emotions, and perform in high-pressure environments.

• Chris’s journey through nearly three decades in combat sports

• What Muay Thai taught him about discipline, resilience, and emotional control

• The role mentorship plays in helping young people find direction

• How to manage pressure and perform when the stakes are high

• Why confidence is built through action and repetition

• The mindset required to overcome adversity and setbacks

Chris Romulo is a six-time Muay Thai champion, World Cup bronze medalist, and former North American professional titleholder who now works as a resilience speaker and mental performance coach. He has delivered more than 200 keynotes and workshops for organizations including JPMorgan Chase, Wounded Warrior Project, The Alzheimer’s Association, and schools and conferences across the country.

Chris is also a devoted husband, father of two sons, and proud owner of their English Staffy, Bruce Leash.

Website: www.chrisromulo.com
Email: chris@chrisromulo.com
Phone: 347-432-9159
LinkedIn: Chris Romulo

Become Stronger Industries: become-stronger.com
Finish the Race Apparel: ftrapparel.com

Support our charity Stay in the Fight:
https://www.stayinthefight.am/

We are raising funds to support mental health therapy, counseling, and retreat experiences for people who are struggling but don’t have the financial resources or insurance to access help.

If you got value from this episode, share it with someone who might benefit from the conversation.

And as always—go one step further than you thought you could go.

In this episode, we discuss:About Chris RomuloConnect with ChrisSponsors & Resources

Today’s guest is someone I’ve known for years: Brock Schenck.

I first met Brock through youth sports. My son Danny was a year older, but Brock always played up—and he was a problem on the basketball court. More importantly, he was always the same dude off the court: respectful, disciplined, shook your hand, looked you in the eye.

But Brock’s story really becomes powerful when you hear what he’s been through.

Over four years, Brock had four knee surgeries:

• 7th grade: tore his ACL

• 8th grade: tore the other ACL

• Freshman year: surgery to clean up scar tissue

• Junior year: tore his ACL again

And most people would’ve quit.

Brock didn’t.

Instead, when football and basketball started slipping away, he reinvented himself. He picked up track & field throwing, became a beginner again, and worked his way into competing at a Division I level at the University of Virginia, throwing discus, shot put, and hammer.

• The moment Brock realized his athletic future might change

• How he handled going through injury after injury without spiraling

• What kept him motivated when he could’ve walked away

• Starting over as a novice in a totally new sport

• Discipline: why it isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you build

• College athletics: the habits that separate the athletes who last from the ones who fade

• The quote that stuck with Brock: “What you’re not changing, you’re choosing.”

Brock said the biggest change was this:

Stop living in “what if.”
Start living in “even if.”

Not what if I didn’t get hurt…
But even if I got hurt, how am I going to respond?

That right there will change how you handle everything.

• Become Stronger Industries: become-stronger.com

• Finish the Race Apparel: https://ftrapparel.com/collections/stay-in-the-fight

• Stay in the Fight: https://www.stayinthefight.am/

Go one step further than you thought you could go. We’ll see you next time on Building Men.