PRISONER NO MORE: The True Story of Tae Jin Park

00:00:12Throughout the years, I learned onething, that everybody can get better.It's just where to start. Find thestarting point.>> My name is Tim Ferriss and I'm here toshare a story with you about what canhappen when only belief meets action.Many of us take things for granted,things that feel second nature,automatic, easy.But for some people, even the simplesttasks are challenges that must beovercome each and every day.Things like walking, talking, bathing,interacting with the world in generalcan feel like barriers.It can make someone feel like they're aprisoner in their own body.But with a little help from the rightpeople, the very things that onceimprisoned us can actually become thefire that sets us free.And I use us because this applies to allof us.

00:01:15>> Oh, hey Tejen.>> Yeah, hi Mr. Breckenridge.>> Fantastic. Are you ready to conquer thatmountain?>> Yes, I am.>> Okay, let's do it.>> Uh Tejen was born in Seoul, Korea twomonths in premature.So,we stayed at the hospital for 15 days.And aroundwhen he wassix months, seven months, when babiesstarted crawling, he didn't crawl.So, that was the first sign.And then,a year or a year and a half later, hedidn't try to stand up and walk.

00:02:06So, we brought him to the hospital andfound out that he hada cerebral palsy.We did everything, every kind oftherapy, exercises for him to developuh to become a normal kid, but we didn'tsee any improvement.

00:02:26And when he started walking, he used towalk on tiptoes.We went to thehospital and they recommended surgery,but the surgery wasn't was the lastthing I want to do.By the time he was 10 years old,the hospital said, "If we delay surgery,then we may notperform the surgery anymore because ofhis weight."So, we made a painful decision to givehim surgery to put hisfeet down to the ground.And the doctor told me that uh"You will see your son walk normal againlike awalking." I have no choice but to givehim a surgery. So, we did it inHeidelberg, in Germany.

00:03:26So, after the surgery, his feetwere put to the ground,but still he couldn't balance himselfwell, so a small bump can trick himand he fell down easily.I thought that we have to do somethingtouh help him.>> The definition of cerebral palsy hasactually changed over time. And the mostmodern definition really describes thisas a clinical diagnosis that involvesonset of trouble with movement at a veryyoung age, typically around the timeyou're born.And this is a permanent disorder thatcauses lifelong problems with mobilityand lifelong problems with movementcontrol.We used to have this idea that cerebralpalsy was only related to brain injurythat somebody suffered around the timeof birth. But now, more recent data hasshown us that maybe up to 30% ofindividuals with the diagnosis ofcerebral palsy actually have some sortof genetic factor contributing to theirdiagnosis.

00:04:42It'sabsolutely essential to understand thateven if there's a genetic cause forsomeone's cerebral palsy, that does nottake away the diagnosis of cerebralpalsy. And there are a variety ofcauses,um, whether it's injury or infection orthe brain develops in a different way ora genetic cause, environmental factors.Any of those things can result in whatwe call cerebral palsy.>> I I wanted to give him a personaltrainer, but trainers changed jobsevery once so often, so I couldn't finda steadyuh, trainer.And thenmany years passed.I ran into Jerzy because of, uh,Bob, who is my one of my friends.>> I ran a restaurant here in town, uh, mypartner and I.And, uh,I had managed to get myself pretty heavyover the years.I weighed a little over 200 lb at thetime.It was at the point where a friend ofmine gave me a bar off of Christmas.

00:05:56I saw an article in the paper about thisguy thatwrote a book Happy Body andwe went came up here to Woodside to uhget a copy of his book and signed it forus. Maybe 4 or 5 months later I gottendown to uhunder 160 lbs and a friend of mineI kept talking to him about Jersey andwhat he could do. He asked me, "Do youthink it would do anything for my son?">> One day Bob uh asked me whether I canseehis friend and help his son. Isaid, "Of course, right?" But he said hehad he had cerebral palsy.I said, "Wellit's not different than anybody else,right?"So when I uhmetthe gym first time he was uhcrouched, he hold his armsand he was very weak, very lethargic andwalk on his toes.He sat hereand I was looking at him, ask himquestions butdidn't get any answers really.

00:07:12So Isaid, "It's okay, let meget him to the gym. I thought I will puthim on a bench and let him press a bar.I will see how strong he is on that."He couldn't lift off. He was so weak hecouldn't lift that bar off.And I have that bar, the bar made out ofwood, 3 lbs bar. So I put that on. Iasked him to take the bar offand do the lift.And he did. And I put the 5 lbs on eachsideand then it was 8 lbs. I asked him to doit. He did it.So I removed that, put the bar back,that's aluminum bar. Asked him to do it.And he did this.But when he didI realized thathe's going to progress here.And he's going to progress very fast.The father wanteda normalchild.I said, "Well, you have to give me 5yearsfirst and we'll see where we end up.">> Jerzy is the first one who said he cando something about my son.There is something that can help my son.So we signed

00:08:27up withJerzy immediately and started training.>> And then the journey began.Heel and toe. He Easy, easy. Slower,slower. Heel and toe. Slower, slower.The way I walk. Slow Slower.Yes, this good. Right, this hard, Iknow. Heel.Toe.Heel. Toe. Heel. Toe. Nice, okay?Heel. Toe.>> So if somebody has cerebral palsy,that's just the the tip of the iceberg.The next piece is to figure out why. Anddetermining why is what really helps usto tease out now what. Let's see whatyou can do. What are the base What's thebaseline level of activity? How do wetake that, strengthen it, and build onit to really optimize functionalmovement, to really optimize efficientmovement, and to really optimize yourquality of life. Now, I have to mentionthat there's a widewide variety and wide array of severityfor CP. So, some children have very,very minimal symptoms and other childrenare profoundly

00:09:42affected. But, we knowthat when we can really tailorinterventions to an individual and theirspecific needs, that's where the magiccan happen.>> So, from my experience, uh you know, asa Olympic weightlifting coach, Iuh I know thatif I have 5 years of training somebody,I can createa major change. I called the father. Isaid, "You have to come and watch it."And uh I asked him to be present in thegym. That's has to happen. That theparents have to coach their children.They cannot So, they have to We have toshift the brains of parents that theylook at them not as people that they aresick or ill or handicapped. They arenot.They are just people who have the brainthat in that brain there are a lot ofboulders to move around.>> Wewent to see Jerzy twice a weekand started training.>> Before he came, he couldn't jump up. Andhe couldn't land

00:10:58because he was very uhawkward and glassy. He was his his legswere very tight and then when he uhlanded, he could fall right away. But,after he was stepping and jumping and soon, he started jumping on the higherlevel, higher level. He was taken fromthe the brain was taken from the placeto uh not able to do to actually be ableto do. So, his brain was was starteddeveloping.Developing pathways to the body,controlling that body, and he startedreally jumping on an 11-in box, RIGHT?

00:11:46SO, I ADDED 1 LB OR 2 lb every week, andthenuh slowly was making progressivelystronger.Took time to accumulateuh the the the resistance, thethe higher resistance, and then uhadapt, so the body could adapt to that.Because the body was getting stronger,the body was getting more flexible, sothe body was waking up.And the progressionofthat boy was amazing.

00:12:33So, from 15 lb unable to do 15 lb to 170lb.So, he's a 150-lb boy that is able toliftpress more than his body weight.That ismore than any, you know, 20-year-old boycan do.That building the strength openpossibility for Tejan to be awaken.Maybe aboutmaybe 6, 7 monthsII asked fatherabout the changes if he sees any. I waslooking for transitions.And he said, "He always slept." So, Ididn't hear any voice. He was in theback of the car. But the last timeI heard a voice.And he said, "I saw a car."So, I asked him, "What kind of a car wasthat?"So, he didn't know. I said, "What colorwas the car?" He didn't know. "It'sokay. So, you know, today when you gohome, I want you tolook at the cars outsideand rememberthe car

00:13:49and the color of the car, right? So, hecame back and said, "Did you see?" Said,"Yeah, I saw two cars."Okay. So, what is the model of the car?Honda and Prius, right? What are thecolors? He told me the colors. I said,"Who drove the car?"I don't know.And so, he came back. He told me aboutthe car, the color of the car, andwho drove the car. So, eventually hememorized the car, the color, who drovethe car, how old was the person, anddriving license of that car. I was justamazed.The father, you know, really told meonce that his only language was"Time to go to bed" or "Time to eat."And it was in the situation that he saidwe had the first first conversation.>> I am gratefulfor the waysthat I have changedsince I worked outwith coach Jersey.Previously,I did not pay attention to what washappening around me.I have communicated better with

00:15:04myparentsby sharing my training in the gym.In conclusion, I'm happy with theprogress that I have made.>> Inside every person is an endless wellof potential that when unleashed canexceed even our wildest imagination. Andsometimes all it takes is just oneperson who believes in that potential.>> So, 15 was a very interesting time forme because it was the time of uhum of going to high school.My parentsdidn't think like the college is for forus, for me. It's for other people.Not not not for me.My father was a locksmith, so you know,I needed to go and be a locksmith.So, I passed the exam, went to highschool.I was not ready for this kind of workand study and so on.And uh would do other things, likedrinking vodka and so on. So,my alcoholic years began.And I wasalcoholic until about 18. So, no schooland uh every day blackout. You know, Ihad suicidal thoughts and you know, Iwas

00:16:20I was done almost.And this guycame to me.And his mother threw his old equipmentout of the house, uh weightliftingequipment. I said, "Well, you come to myplaceand you can uh lift in my place, right?"And so, he brought everything and hesaid, "Well,maybe we can train a little bit." And Isaid,"No, forget about it. You train and Iwill take it up."So, uh he said, "Well, maybe we'll justdo a little bit of bench press and gofor the beer, right? For a beer." And Ilook at him and say, "Beer?"Took my attention, right?I started doing training with him. Hewas extremely weak. I mean, really weak.The guy could barely lift a bar.So, uhnext day,the whole thing repeated again and againand again and again. Then I said it'sreally getting stronger and startedreally feeling in my body something new,something uhuhsomething of myself. Something uh thatthe the strength was waking up in me.It's like kind of he waslike a my

00:17:35angel who's pulling me out ofmy alcoholism.If you have somebody like that in life,you're just blessed.Now, I'm 18, 18 and a half, 19, and thetime comes touhto go and to the army, becauseyou have to go to the army.So, fire department offered uh3 years of work or training,and you could do that instead of goingto army.And uhthat was amazing. When I first timewas in the fire engine going to thefire,you know, I felt something in me like awhat I've never felt before.The feeling thatsomebody needs me.And I am that person going there. I wasso proud of myself.It's just likeI've never had that in my life.Thatsomebody really needs me, and I am thatperson going there.I wasamazing. It's waking up a bug in me.It's high school.II want to go to high

00:18:51school. I want togo to college. But my friends arealready after high school,and you know, they talk about thingsthat I cannot relate. I don't haveconversationwith them.So, I go to the same high school.And get myself into the evening classes.There's thissoccer player, Edu, thatI I walkabout 200 m is his house. So, he comesout of his houseand he walks with me to schooland I don't know why.So, he walks to the high schooland then I am there and comes backand walks with me back.And it goes like this for a year or two.He was really saving me.He wasmaking possible for meto go to high school and not to go anddo thethe drinking.Oh, another angel kind of, right? Thatis settling already idea in my brainthat we really need people.If you want to go out of really

00:20:06a placewhere it's really hard for us,we need other people to help us,drag usall the way, right? And and move ustowardhelp us to go to the next level.Okay, all right. Let's do it. One.Two.All right, very good. Three.Four.Five.Six.Seven. You remember how was uh uhyou know, walking upstairs it wasdifficult?>> Yeah, it and I was I was allI feel really nervous>> Uh-huh.>> and afraid.>> You You used to, right?>> Yeah.>> Now you're okay, yeah?>> Yeah, I'm okay now. I'm okay.>> So,good things are happening everywhere,right? That that he's really not only isuh awakened, but also he's capable talkabout that and share. He's not crashinganymore. He uh he can now lift the legbecause I was doing a lot of training,uh, with stepping on the higher boxes.So, now he lifts his, uh,foot up and down. So, he's not, uh,shuffling,

00:21:21he's not tripping, he's notreally, uh, crashing down. He becomemore flexible. So, one day I noticedthat his one,uh, Tajens one, uh, shoe was shoe laceswere untied.And the fatherrushto tie the laces. I said, "Oh, oh, oh,stop, stop, right?" He can do that. Hewas ready. He was ready to take care ofhimself. And Tajenleaned down and started really, uh,tying hisshoes.At that time, I asked him, "So, whatelse do you do?"Well, I said, "We do everything." Isaid, "What does it mean everything?"He said, "Well, everything. We dresshim, wetake him to the toilet, and so on,right?" I said, "You cannot do that. Theboy is ready to take care of himself.You have to give the boy chance."The parents first time stop reallydressing him andTajenstarted becoming moreindependent.

00:22:43You remember that Kennedy said, youknow, uh, "We don't do these thingsbecause they are easy.We do those things because they arehard."So, hard is something thatI'm always attracted to because hard itmeans progress.Easy it means repeating something. So,it's completely useless for us.So, this in weightlifting and any kindof a weightlifting and coaching, hardmeans finding the wayhow to push the athletes to unknown, tomake that athlete uhbetter over time, right?That's the hard choice. Those hardchoices are not only are they aspiritual hard choices, mental, and thephysical uheverywhere, right? Hard choices, not sosimple. So, uh cerebral palsy people areborn with this condition, but thatcondition doesn't get worse over time.So, what gets worse over time is thathow they live in a society. They cannotfit into society. They usually walk onon toes. They uh speak slowly. Theycannot uh they are awkward.

00:23:58And becauseof those things, they don't developas others do. Others look at them as asuhpeople that to comfort, to care,but not to do anything with them, not toreally make them better. Because, youknow, medicine is doesn't do it. Whatneeds to be done is to coach thesepeople like athletes.And when youreally engage that,you can create progress.They can read, they can study, they cango to schools, and uhyou know, become like The Gen, right?Now, he is completely independent. He isin a placelike anybody else.It's just he's 30 years old, and nowhe's trying to figure out who he is inthis world.He was given a second chance.

00:24:56>> I ampretty good piano player.I practice every morning.My dreamis to be able to study with normal kids.>> Eventually, he passed the eighth gradeand now he's therethe college. Now he's theretime whether he would be accepted ornot.And I talked to these people in collegeand they said that theywould accept himbutinto this special program. I said, "No,no, no, no special program. He has to bearound normal kids because he's normal.He's capable.He is already studying so much. He'sslow, but it's okay. He will get it. Hewill get into his own time, but he needsto be around, you know, people. He'snormal. There's nothing wrong with thisguy, right? He's okay.">> I feel I am atI am at the same leveljust like any other

00:26:11students in at college.>> When I heard that he was accepted toto college and I was just thinking,"Wow.It's just amazing thing what can bedone, right? It's what a journey thisboy went through.What an amazing things hehe went through. And he went through it.And he fought from within.And hesomehow stood behind all the all thethings that he needed to do.You know, and I felt so good. I feltlikeagain like he's in this fire engine,right?Driving to the my first fire, I felt sogood, likethat I wasgoing somewhere to help someone.>> I I I can express my thoughtsmore effectivelyand clearly. I have more confidence incollege at college.

00:27:19>> The cerebral palsy people are notdifferent than any anybody else. It'sjust they haveyou know,it's harder for them sometimes.But,they are not really different. They canbe coached, they can be trained, andthey can achieve amazing things. And whoknows what will happen to the childrenwith cerebral palsy?

00:27:42>> So, we've been married for 40 years, andI've watched Jerseyhiskind of genius. Andas aas his partner in life, I always saw howimportant it is for himto see peoplewho are suffering and unnecessarily.They suffer because of their ignorance,or they suffer because uhthey are stuck in their mind, or theyimprison themselves.Hedoesn'the cannot be an emotional.He's emotional in the in thosesituations.>> With Teagan now off to college, Jerseyanswers the call from another in searchof the dream, Jacob Zalewski, thefounder of the One Step CloserFoundation.>> My dad's a professional poker player, sohe kind of got me started in this wholething. And I went to my dad, and I waslike, "Dad, I want to start a foundationto create a scholarship for people withdisabilities that have medical issuesthat are preventing them from goingto school. We've sponsored, I believe tothis point, 12 people to withdisabilities

00:28:58thatable to go to college and live out theirdreams and not have their disability beauma hindrance on them.

00:29:22>> Hi, you must be Jacob. You must beJersey.>> Well, nice to meet you.>> True pleasure, absolutely.>> Are you ready for the magic?>> Let's do it.>> Oh,fantastic. Let's go to the gym.All right, let me close the door.Okay.>> Okay. So, how old are you? I just turned40 in February.>> 40?>> Yeah.>> Not bad considering I wasn't supposed tobe here more than 2 weeks.>> Right. And so, you were you have beenalways on>> Yeah, I was 3 months premature.I had the umbilical cord was wrappedaround my neck. I had a brain infection.The doctors actually didn't think I'dhave any quality of life,be able to eat, speak, or do anything,and luckily they were wrong with about95% of their predictions.>> Uh what would beumthe best for you, what you could reallywish for yourself to to improve?>> UmI guess balance,just get better balance and andyou know, if possible, to be able toto you know, to walk to not need thewalker as much and then to walk if ifthat's a possible thing.>> So, if I told you that you actuallycouldturn to your balance and

00:30:37have it andmaybe walk.>> That would be phenomenal.>> Would you give me 3 years?>> I'd give you 20 years.>> All right.>> Yeah.>> Like that, did you? I think that 3 yearscould happen a lot.>> He helped many, many people in life andI've watched them.HeHe would encourage them. He wouldinspire them. Tell themsome good wordsthat they they would start movingtoward,you know,the right direction.

00:31:18>> And so, Jersey and Jacob set out ontheir own journey, a new journey, onefueled by hope and dedication with thebelief that one day he, too, could be aprisoner no more.>> All this time in a body they won't hearmy mind.I'm so much more than they believe. Drawthe line.I won't accept this is just fine.I'm more than who they said I'd be.>> Oh.

00:32:06More than who theysaid I'd be.Oh.Oh.>> Cuz I'm a prisoner no more.I'll break the chains that bind me andI'll settleevery score.I'm a prisoner no more.I won't let them tell me what mylife has in store.Cuz I'm a prisoner no more.