Moving through motivation!
Our KNX Helpful Honda Hero of the Week is using "CPR" to inspire those who are facing incredible challenges.
For Army veteran Matt Olson, “CPR” stands for compassion, positivity and resiliency. They are his keys to inspiration.
"Whatever you may be going through, you have to face it," said Olson.
After his deployment in Kuwait in 2003, Matt turned to CrossFit to help manage his PTSD. "I used health and fitness as a way to get through those issues," explains the father of two boys.
Olson later became a fitness coach at CCF Athletics in Chino, California. He motivated others to move until 2018 when he learned he had cancer.
Olson shared the news online. "I'm going to call this 'Day Zero'," explained Olson in a video clip. "'Day Zero' is the day that I found out that I have a thing called... Hodgkin's Lymphoma, blood cancer. I'm going to beat the living heck outta this!"
Olson continued to live with “CPR” - compassion, positivity and resiliency. During treatment, he kept up with his fitness and coaching. He even had nurses doing squats in the treatment center! When he met the family behind The Jessie Rees Foundation, Matt took things to the next level.
"I wanted to let people know that even though you get hit with bad news, sometimes that bad news could maybe, one day, uplift and help others," said the CrossFit coach.
The Jessie Rees Foundation supports kids who are fighting cancer. One of the things they do is create "JoyJars" that brighten spirits during treatment. Olson wanted to help, so he put together a 24-hour fitness challenge to raise money for the foundation.
"Within ten days, we raised $10,000!" exclaimed Olson.
The 24-hour challenge became an annual event, each year getting bigger. In 2020, it included 5,000 lunges and 3,000 burpees. This year, participants did a rowing challenge, raising over $85,000.
Friend Stuart Saxon reached out to KNX, to nominate Olson as a Hero of the Week. He said the married father of two is a role model for people of all ages.
"Matt is just a really good guy," says Saxon. "He goes out of his way to help people out. He tries to bring people together, as a community."
There is so much more. Olson has a long list of events in the works, including a free, family activity that will soon start on Fridays, in Eastvale.
Army veteran Matt Olson is our KNX Hero of the Week.
"If you are focused on what you want to do, and who you want to be, you just need to find people [who] can encourage you with your journey!"
KNX Heroes is brought to you by California Resources Corporation, saluting our military veterans, and all of our heroes! Go to https://crc.com/ for more information.
Connect with Olson and his team at movethroughmotivation.com. You can also connect on Facebook @MoveThroughMotivation and Instagram @move_through_motivation
Reach out the Jessie Rees Foundation, and #TeamNegu at https://negu.org/
Find out what your Helpful SoCal Honda Dealers are up to by heading to their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SoCalHondaDealers/
If you know someone who is inspirational, motivational, life changing or life-saving... nominate them as a future KNX Hero of the Week at https://www.audacy.com/knxnews/nominate
