Author: JoshPerryBMX

“Persistence is how I made it here

Keep it going

Watch the place that I’ll be in a year

Keep me going

I’m the business and the business man

Keep it playing

I make timeless shit in minutes man

Minutes man.” – @rowlan

A lot of you know my battle with traumatic 🧠 injuries and multiple 🧠 tumors over the course of 14 years as a BMX athlete, but only a small portion of you know that I’ve also been battling ADD/ADHD, anxiety, and depression from a young age.

The mental struggles, 🧠 injuries, and 🧠 tumors led me to seek out my own methods to deal with the pain. Things like alcohol, smoking marijuana, being alone and isolated, and holding it inside too embarrassed to talk about it.

I’ve now realized I’m not broken or much different than any of you. I’ve wondered for years if I were autistic or just weird. After meeting people of all walks of life from millionaires to homeless, athletes to artists, teachers to friends and family, and doctors to military folk, my beliefs of us all being very similar have been solidified.

Thanks to @doc_amen and SPECT imaging, I now have answers as to why I feel, think, and act the way I do and how to change my 🧠 and feel better.

I’m sharing all of what I’m learning and experiencing so you can take the initiative to reach out for support knowing you’re not alone, broken, or weird and that there are options to healing and changing your 🧠. I’d do anything to go back in time to share what I’m learning with my younger brother, Danny, and Dave Mirra, who both took their lives recently. It breaks my heart knowing I can’t but I’ve decided to use that energy and knowledge to help my own 🧠 and share with all of you so we can all be happy, healthy, and successful.

Knowing you’re not “stuck” where you are and fostering the mindset of resiliency and empowerment have helped me grow to where I am today and I believe can help you do the same.

Josh P. 💚🧠✌️

Had I not hit my head, I’d be dead. That crash led to an MRI that found the original 8cm long by 4cm wide and 4cm deep brain tumor that was surgically removed in 2010 at Duke University.

That crash was the best thing to happen to me because about a year or more prior, I had classic brain tumor symptoms I was complaining about but was denied a scan every time I asked for one and was instead prescribed pain pills.

Who knew, I did NOT have a pain pill deficiency. I had something internal that was severely wrong and it took getting knocked out to figure that out.

I know advocate for all those who feel as if they don’t have a voice or say in their life when it comes to their health. Your doctor is not a dictator. He/she is a team member.

If they are not playing as apart of your team, you’re able to cut them from your team. I give you permission to do so.

Josh P. 💚🧠✌️

Hold up!

Just for 6 months in the name of 🧠 / CTE research along with @ryanplowery and @doc_amen.

After taking a few weeks off in February from riding, and then getting a SPECT image at @doc_amen Clinics, I’ve decided to take 6 months off from riding while I rehab my brain and focus on my business.

In 6 months, I’ll have a follow up SPECT scan to track changes in my brain from the changes in my life. I can’t risk hitting my head obviously for my health but also so I ensure I don’t screw up the research I’m involved with among with @ryanplowery @justpruvit and @ketogeniccom.

It’s an interesting position to be in today at 30 years old and still very very able to ride at an elite level and progress. I value the health on my brain and longevity and quality of my life moving forward more than the temporary satisfaction of riding right now.

That said, I’ll for sure be riding come October and will be focused on getting back to my current level of riding again. After a doing a lot of my tricks for a decade or more, and still working out regularly, it’s only 2 months longer than when I was out for ACL surgery. It’ll all be ok!

I’m so passionate about my business, my speaking, and my writing that I have no stress or anxiety by making this decision.

I’m set on PURPOSE rather than self and I want to bring to light the importance of brain health in the BMX community as well as all walks of life.

Dave Mirra being diagnosed with CTE and both Dave and my little brother, Danny, are what’s fueling my choices and actions in life.

I love and miss them both and am doing all I do in their honor. I hope you all reading this underhand the severity of what I’m doing and how many lives we can help in doing so.

PHOTO by @jciake

Josh P. 💚🧠✌️

They say you’re a byproduct of the people you surround yourself with.

I audited my life and made decision to surround myself with those I look up to, have become inspired by, and learn from.

I’m taking the same exact path in the keto & health space I took for BMX.

Want to be the best you can be, you gotta be with the best. I sacrificed everything when I was 17 and took a risk to train with Dave Mirra to pursue a very unlikely dream and that’s exactly what I’ve done again as an adult.

Of course it wasn’t easy and didn’t happen over night, but I love the journey and am relentless for the life I envision for myself. Anyone that knows me well knows I won’t give up or take “no” for an answer.

I’m honored and beyond grateful to call all these amazing people my friends and to be working together to change lives.

I suggest you audit your “tribe” and really dig deep to see if they’re supportive and fueling your passion or taking energy from you. It’s not always easy but it’s worth it.

It’s the long game, people. F that short term gain. It eventually burns out.

Josh P. 💚🧠✌️

75 staples, 16 stitches, and 6 hours later, I was awake from the first surgery of my life…brain surgery.

Dr Allan Friedman from @dukeuniversity gave me a second shot at life and loving my dream.

Despite the doubt of some doctors and other people in my life, I was back living my dream and doing what I love most.

2 additional diagnosis later, I took a step away from the professional end of BMX to pursue my purpose to serve and support others in need.

Don’t let that fool you, I still train and ride at the same level. I just prioritize my time and efforts to speaking, coaching, writing, and collaborating with others in the ketogenic health space to help others.

I’ll be speaking at @fitcon @fitconsummit today amongst some legends attending and am so honored to share what loving with 4 brian tumors has taught me about my 30 years on this earth.

Josh P. 💚🧠✌️

I’ve fallen in love with seeking out what makes me uncomfortable.

It’s not about me, that’s why. It’s about the mission and my WHY, and the people on the other end of my actions I’m taking.

My mission started on self fueled by spite to prove others wrong. It’s not transformed to purpose to serve and support others in all areas of life.

I learned a ton along my journey that’s helped my health, happiness, and success but I learned it the hard way and had to be reactive.

I believe I had to take that route in order to change my perspective and actions but YOU don’t.

I’ve learned that we can be PROACTIVE once we have the tools and learn how to use them. That’s my mission. To share the tools I’ve acquired with the mind and body.

I wish I had these tools once I started my BMX journey but now I’m able to pass them down to all of YOU.

Josh P. 💚🧠✌️

The perfect keto burger and my new found love for Brussels!

They say “eating keto on the road is hard” and I say that’s some bs made up story.

Josh P. 💚🧠✌️