Evan "Ultra-OCR Man" Perperis is an active duty Army Special Forces Soldier with 44 months of combat deployments who is now a professional Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) athlete. He is best known for running insane multi-day, self-created (!!!) OCR endurance challenges to raise money for charity (and push him to his physical & mental limits). If you want to know what it really takes to overcome obstacles (or hundreds of them in a row), whether it’s out on a legit race course or just the everyday obstacles you encounter in life, Evan has the answers.

What’s interesting is that Evan hasn’t always been the overachiever and ultra-extreme athlete that he is now. In fact, he describes himself as a clone of the main character in the Goldbergs, the stereotypical nerdy teen who was in high school musicals and not at all athletic. But when he joined the military, he knew he had to get himself in shape, and that became the first of many more obstacles to conquer and defeat. So it just goes to show that you can’t judge a book by its cover…especially someone who could rip that book in half with his bare hands.

Evan’s simple, no-nonsense approach to extreme OCR racing very simply translates to practical mindsets you too can apply to any obstacle you encounter in life (and if there’s one thing life is throwing at all of us right now, it’s a lot of obstacles). Whether it’s simply getting into better physical shape so you have more mental & creative energy to kick ass at your job or training for your very first Spartan Race or Tough Mudder, the advice Evan shares in our conversation today is invaluable to anyone trying to level up their fitness goals, their career, or their entire life.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

What drives Evan to do the crazy endurance events that he does
The power he found in being outside of his comfort zone
When personal development becomes an addiction as dangerous as any other
How to balance family life with career and work obligations, including training for races
Why racing for charity is so important to Evan
Hear how Evan transformed from nerdy musical kid to Ultra OCR guy
The mindsets that Evan finds essential for reaching his goals
The eerily similar American Ninja Warrior failures that I share with Evan
Managing the disappointment of unmet expectations
How to reframe failure to continue persevering
The incredible impact the OCR community has had on his life
The double edged sword of the “never say quit” mentality
Finding meaning in the combat losses he’s endured
Advice Evan offers anyone looking to do their first obstacle course race HINT: Don’t wait until you ‘get into shape’

Useful Resources Mentioned:

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Guest Bio:

evan-perperis-bio Evan Perperis

Evan "Ultra-OCR Man" Perperis is an active duty Special Forces soldier and professional Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) athlete. He's come a long way since his days in high school which were primarily spent acting in drama club/musicals and participating in Boy Scouts.

He draws lessons on perseverance and overcoming obstacles from experience from 44 months of combat deployments, 17 years of service and appearances televised obstacle course events (including CBS's coverage of the 8 hour Toughest Mudder, Lebanon's Hannibal Race and American Ninja Warrior). These have helped him achieve success with more than 70 race podium finishes including a world championship title in the team division of the 24 hour long World’s Toughest Mudder, 3x individual top ten finishes at World's Toughest Mudder and 2nd place Pro Coed Team at North American OCR Championship.

He’s best known in the obstacle course racing (OCR) world as “Ultra-OCR Man” where his self created endurance stunts like 24 hours of treadmill OCR, ultra-OCR at simulated 21,000 feet of altitude, 48 hour OCR and 8 days in a row of OCR marathons in winter have raised more than $26,000+ for the charity Folds of Honor (scholarship money for children whose parents were killed or wounded in military service). In 2021 he also started organizing the Tough Mudder 10 hour team building charity event Infinite Hero Honor Challenge which has raised more than $20,000 for Infinite Hero Honor Foundation.

As an athlete and author, he has written 350+ articles, produced 180+ podcasts, written 7 books and owns the small business Strength & Speed.

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

Ep183: Pushing Yourself to Your Limits (When Quitting isn’t an Option) | with Evan Perperis

The Zack Arnold Podcast

Ep183: Pushing Yourself to Your Limits (When Quitting isn’t an Option) | with Evan Perperis