Category: Brainstorms

Perspective is so important because had my perspective not shifted to becoming incredibly grateful, for even the smallest things in my life, I wouldn’t be here today sharing with all of you.

Visualize your life. But, more importantly, take ACTION! I start my day with a fresh cup of coffee while listening to music that lifts my energy, some affirmations & visualizations, then I hit the gym by 8am.

Visualization and affirmations don’t do anything if you just sit on your ass. You gotta put the work in and get the manifestation process rolling.

And when things don’t go your way, learn from the experience and see the gifts you’re missing in the moment. Turn “failure” into a learning opportunity. Don’t get frustrated and quit. Get fired up and push through! 💚✌️

-Josh P.

Thanks to Elekta Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, a 6-hr open cranial surgery at Duke University, and a high-fat/low-carb diet, I’ve been able to overcome 4 brain tumors, continue living my dream as a BMX athlete, and help others around the world.

This year marks 50 years & 1 million+ patients treated thanks to Gamma Knife. It’s also the month of brain tumor awareness.

I’m going to be sharing a little about my story each month through a quick video series.

You can learn more about Gamma Knife and if it’s a good fit for you or a loved one at www.gammaknife.com.

You can learn more about my life at www.JoshPerryBMX.com

You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at @JoshPerryBMX 💚✌️

-Josh P.

In 2009, I won my first major pro contest, rode X-Games, and continued riding Dew Tour for my third pro year…all with a massive brain tumor that I didn’t know I had.

The signs and symptoms were there, but no doctor would give me a scan and would just send me home with pain pills. They don’t settle well with my stomach so I never used them but took to alcohol to ease the pain and pressure in my brain that would be so intense at times that I’d start loosing my vision and throw up.

In 2010, I tried a flair whip on a real ramp for the first time and over rotated and hit my head. Because of this crash, an MRI was necessary. I’ll never forget being told “well, no swelling or bleeding in your brain. But, there’s a mass taking up the left portion of your brain that shouldn’t be there.”

I was freshly 21 when I was given a death sentence. Since then, I’ve been diagnosed 2 more times over the years leaving me with 4 brain tumors after a 6 hour surgery and Gamma Knife radiosurgery.

That said, I’m still riding today at an elite level and doing my best to share the power of the mind, nutrition, and fitness with others in an effort to see people live the healthiest and happiest today. 💚✌️

-Josh P.

They say I have NF2- a genetic disorder that created the 4 tumors in my skull. That doesn’t stop me from doing what I love most though.

NF2 leads to a lot of psychological issues like anxiety, stress, depression, etc. and I deal with all of those on a regular basis, but who doesn’t? Some days worse than others.

What’s cool is that I’ve become very conscious to this and have become passionate about brain health and choices I have to better my reality. This is a blessing and a curse because although I’m hyper self-aware now, I either tend to blame it on me not trying hard enough or get frustrated when I feel I’ve done all I can and don’t understand why I’m going through it, even though it’s a natural part of the human existence.

It’s led me down an interesting path of self exploration and opening my mind and heart to empathize with others that struggle with the negative mind tricks known as depression, anxiety, stress, fear, and so on. I still believe it’s all a choice in what we give energy to and how we take care of ourselves.

But I also know sometimes, despite our best efforts, we are only human and have to foster self love and patience while having faith that our desired outcomes are manifesting as we continue to take action to better ourselves.

That said, today was one of those anxious, stressed, and doubtful days. I took to meditation, journaling, and visualization to find the peace that we all have within us and never leaves. It’s just a matter of shifting our focus and being patient and loving of ourself.

BMX is one of my happy places that I’ve questioned in times of negativity but every time I ride, it always cheers me up and I’m forever grateful for it.💚✌️

How do you shift your focus when you’re feeling down?

-Josh P.

Does resistance training fit into your priority list?

It didn’t for me, even as a professional athlete, which seems counterintuitive. Huh?

Truth is, I assumed riding “x” amount of hours a day (and being ignorant to fitness as a whole) was enough. I didn’t see the point in training and didn’t want to “get bulky”. Far from the truth. 🙈

I learned the hard way- blowing out my knee in 2013. Then I added my passion for brain health (came from being diagnosed with 4 brain tumors over the last 8 years) to the mix and hired a coach @coachmatthunter with @athleticlab.

The last 2 years working with Matt as my coach have been transformational in regards to my mind, body, and BMX performance.

This is a typical day in a training block, which is usually broken down into a few components spread over 5 days that goes for 3 weeks and ends with a testing week.

3 days of resistance training (strength/lifting), 2 days of HIIT (high intensity interval training), gymnastics & core, and then I add in 2hrs minimum of MAHR training (max Aerobic heart rate), which is intended for@peak fat oxidation (burning) to train my brain and body to burn and utilize fat (keton bodies) primarily for fuel and become what’s called “fat adapted” or “metabolically efficient”.

That said, I’ve been applying what I’ve been learning from Matt and leading voices in the fat-burning & brain Heath world to help my clients even further with their heath and wellness goals.

Curious if you’d be a good fit for my health coaching services? Send me a DM and lets connect! 💚✌️