#300: In The Huddle With Sports Team Tony & Drew - On God, Injuries, Diabetes, Being On TV, Grief

It's episode 300 of the "Run The Race" podcast! We've had almost 7 years of conversations about fitness and faith. And we're trying something new, hopefully making it a regular monthly edition with WTVM-ABC coworkers. This one is a double feature with Sports Leader 9's Tony Reese and Drew Pavan being having fun and getting vulnerable with some deep issues.

(00:25) We start with East Alabama native and Troy University alum Tony Reese, now the WTVM sports director, starting with his challenges with having type 1 diabetes...impacts like watching his weight, heat, gadgets, job stress.

(9:05) Tony played lots of sports including football and is a big NBA fan, (13:07) so his dream with sports broadcasting as a job, inspired in part by his TV news loving grandfather. Now his catchphrase "Let's Get Into It" is catching on in the Columbus GA area.

(17:25) His prayer warrior mother is now preaching in Valley AL. Tony talks about he and his wife being rooted in faith...trying to uplift student-athletes and others...being thankful amidst imposter syndrome...getting through difficult parts of TV job with the help of God and therapy.

(27:50) We close out our chat with him being an inspiring example for other young men as the first black sports director at WTVM, with full circle moments at the TV station that Tony used to watch growing up.

(31:35) The second part of the "double feature" pod is an in-depth chat with NY native and University of Alabama alum Drew Pavan, a WTVM spoirts anchor/reporter for almost 2 years. We start with the ups and downs of his football career...which almost led to playing at the next level. Playing since he was 6, he had 4 major knee injuries as a teenager, mostly as a member of the Flaming Arrows, his HS mascot. Dashed dreams took a mental toll, but he alwways practiced play-by-play while on video games.

(44:40) The COVID pandemic and another surgery eventually led to weight gain, up to 290 pounds, then he lost at least 80 pounds. How did he do it? It involves, in part, intermittent fasting which he still does now. Drew explains. (50:05) Now it's surreal for him, living the dream of talking about sports on TV, getting hyped covering football just as if he was a player.

(53:10) Drew's story also involves tragic losses of people close to him, from a gruesome accident with a teammate's death during football practice...to his mom passing away from breast cancer when Drew was 20 years old. He talks about what his mother was like...and the impact of those deaths on his maturity and going through the motions as a Catholic. He's open about how knee injuries - ending his football career - had him questioning his faith, now seeing them as tests from God who doesn't always answer prayers in our timing. (1:05:45) We wrap with some fitness on the TV job.

(1:13:40) Closing prayer, like all the other 299 episodes! Thanks so much for listening. Make sure to follow or subscribe to "Run The Race" and share it with others.

On your journeys of fitness and faith, we are helping you stay motivated to be stronger physically and spiritually on the new RUN THE RACE podcast. Host Jason Dennis - veteran WTVM news anchor, marathon runner and missionary, will talk to experts and people with inspiring stories as we dig deeper into the mind, body and soul.