The VetsConnection Podcast

Ep. 33 - Healing Through Golf: The Journey of Jon Sessa And The Warrior Golf Academy

• Scott McLean • Episode 33

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Join us as we explore the compelling journey of Jon Sessa, the visionary founder of Warrior Golf Academy, whose transformative experiences from military service to civilian life have shaped a sanctuary for veterans through the healing power of golf. Jon shares his personal battles with PTSD and the daunting challenges he faced during his transition, painting a vivid picture of how golf provided him solace and community. This episode unravels how Warrior Golf Academy is not just about swinging clubs but about building a supportive network where veterans find peace and camaraderie.

We also shine a light on inspiring tales from the world of adaptive golf, featuring veterans who have embraced the sport as a lifeline. Discover the heartening story of a military veteran who, after relocating to Costa Rica and then settling in South Florida, found purpose in helping other veterans through golf. We discuss the partnerships and hurdles encountered while establishing the academy, highlighting the significance of asking for help. From a neuro-challenged young golfer to an 80-year-old Vietnam veteran, these stories illustrate the profound impact of accessibility and inclusion in sports, proving that determination and spirit know no bounds.

Finally, we delve into the power of storytelling in fostering connections and community. Learn about the plans to launch a Facebook group for golf enthusiasts and the therapeutic blog series "Mojo Stories," which offers a unique perspective through the eyes of a service animal. Reflect on the success of a recent veteran storytelling event and the transformative effect that sharing narratives can have on building a sense of belonging. This episode celebrates golf's potential to unite individuals, inspire through stories, and cultivate a resilient community.

Scott McLean:

Welcome to the podcast. I'm Scott McLean. My guest today is John Sessa. John is the founder and executive director of Warrior Golf Academy, located in Boca Raton Florida. How are?

Jon Sessa:

you doing, john? Oh, I'm good, scott, thank you so much for having me here.

Scott McLean:

It's fantastic, it's fantastic, I got through that intro. I didn't think. I usually don't. I made it, I was holding my breath.

Jon Sessa:

Honestly, I was like is it going gonna happen?

Scott McLean:

so I I want to tell you something that I didn't tell you before the podcast. You are the first person interviewed in the one man, one mic studio sponsored by willow and palm construction, delray beach, florida. Willow and palm south, florida's premier builder. From driveways to roofs, to buildings. If you need it, they can do it. Find them at willowandpalmcom. I throw that in there. That's awesome.

Jon Sessa:

They they deserve it I mean this the studio is fantastic, man, uh, the location is amazing. So, uh, let me ask you what do?

Scott McLean:

you think of the big pink coach?

Jon Sessa:

I don't mind the pink man. It puts me, it puts me in a somber mood over here.

Scott McLean:

Preach brother. There you go. That's what I got. I like it. Preach buddy, preach yeah.

Jon Sessa:

It took a moment. I sat down, I was like, okay, and I was like you know, it's velvety.

Scott McLean:

It's it, you know, a little comfortable, beautiful, beautiful so mission accomplished with the big pink couch. That's it very welcome. Yes, yes, all right, buddy. So let's get right to it. Warrior golf academy you're a veteran yes sir. So give us a little bit of your story from where you're from, and then your military journey, and this point right here so, um, not not a lot.

Jon Sessa:

Grew up like most other people, I suppose. Uh, I was born in california, moved all over the place as a kid, started working sales and just had no upward momentum, was always kind of interested in the military. Right like 2006 is when I graduated high school. Uh, I know I'm showing my age, but I'm not like, not old or anything. But, with that being said, that was like the dawn of the surge. Some parents were like maybe not, I went to college and then I ended up enlisting 2013 in the in the army.

Jon Sessa:

So I went army field artillery. I'm a red leg through and through. Of course, I didn't want to do any of the crazy stuff while I was in the military. I didn't want to jump out of helicopters. I didn't want to do any of the crazy stuff while I was in the military. I didn't want to jump out of helicopters, I didn't want to do any of that, but I ended up getting rappel so I could rappel. I do a bunch of cool stuff with them and yeah, but it was, it was good fun.

Jon Sessa:

After I got out, I had a lot of ptsd, substance abuse issues, yeah, so I had a lot of things that are very difficult for me, or just, uh, that you know. Uh, one big one is barracks buildings. Walking into a barracks building and finding one of your soldiers, you know, hung himself in the closet, um, you know, you don't ever come back from things like that. Like things that happened to the bad guys is one thing, um, the people that are trying to rip your lives apart, but the people that are here with you, that you really care about, and that's ultimately what it is. So that's, that's one incident. I had another buddy who ate a bullet, um, and thank God it didn't kill him.

Jon Sessa:

But you know, having to hold your face together and like, live through that, like these traumatic experiences, everybody has them and the point being is, like I get maybe mine could be more gruesome than some people could say, others are way worse than what I have, but everybody knows that feeling and that's what I like to hone in on is that feeling of despair and darkness. Everybody has felt that, everyone's been there and you need a way to pull yourself out Right. So it took me a long time to get there. I got out of the military 2019.

Jon Sessa:

A lot of survivor, guilt, a lot of PTSD, thinking what, what could I have done to to help those that were underneath me, my soldiers that I would give my life for. I would give my life for, and coming into the civilian world, I lacked that community. I didn't see. I didn't feel the same way about it, so I created my own. I started Warrior Golf Academy on the means that we need a community for the veterans, and golf was my therapeutic outlet, just like there is equestrian and there's fishing and there's painting and podcasting, exactly.

Jon Sessa:

That's it. That's it, but these connections that we have. So I create a warrior golf Academy to be a one-stop shop, basically for veterans or those who have been through some trauma to come and say look, I want to be rehabilitated, I want to learn how to play the game of golf, be fine, piece through it. Maybe not so good at golf, so you want to learn. Rehabilitated, I want to learn how to play the game of golf, find peace through it. Maybe not so good at golf, so you want to learn to caddy. Well, I have a caddy program too.

Jon Sessa:

Every veteran has a fantastic story, so getting out on the golf course, being grounded, is a huge thing when it comes to mental health. Getting outside, talking with people, just having an excuse and a reason to get out of the house that's what I'm promoting is just volunteer. I have events happening. Come out. I run weekly golf groups to come out, sit in the golf cart. You don't even have to pay anything, man Like. Just come, hang out with your brothers and your sisters that went through so much together and prevent yourself from that isolation, especially when it comes to the holiday seasons.

Jon Sessa:

This is when we see a lot of people and isolation is the number one reason for suicide and trying to push that message and just the awareness beyond it is. Is it so? The one thing people always ask, like what can I do, right? Is I say just smile to somebody. You don't have to do anything for me, man, honestly, just look at somebody, smile, maybe someone's having a bad day, and that smile or that wave or that you know hey, how's it going today? Like that friendly gesture of just acknowledging another person instead of being so wrapped up in your own life, uh, it could change somebody's life. Maybe you save a life just by smiling at somebody.

Scott McLean:

I say the same thing, saying hi to somebody, engage in a conversation with the person that nobody, that people shy away from oh, that guy's crazy. You talk to him, but you know, I want to go back on something that you said and I noticed this a lot since I started doing this podcast and I got involved in the veteran space and it's you kind of touched on, like, well, my story isn't as bad as some might, maybe somebody else's story and you downplay it, and but what you followed up with was exactly right, but that's mine. Like we all go through something. That's different levels. You can't downplay what you went through compared to okay, this guy got blown up or this guy, you know, and I only did this, but it affected you and you gotta.

Scott McLean:

You know the thing and don't downplay it.

Jon Sessa:

You have to realize it it's not that I downplay no, not you, I didn't so, as I go, I focus more on the emotion that causes, because everybody knows that emotion. Everybody could say man it. It must be awful to be in a wheelchair. Well, I understand that completely, because there was a time in my life where I wanted to kill myself. I had suicidal attempts and I had substance abuse to the point where I was just covering the pain and I was utilizing alcohol to just feel nothing, to the point where it literally took my life and ruined it and I had nothing left.

Jon Sessa:

I had to rebuild, and coming back from there gave me a sense of purpose, and I believe that's what people need. So you need a community, you need a sense of purpose and you need to feel like you belong someplace. And with those feelings you have not only just living but the will to live, and that's what it is. You need the will to want to continue to live. For what? To better something. Everybody has that and everyone has to look. Whether it's for your children, whether it's for your buddy that you're living next door to, whether it's for your brothers and sisters, whatever it's for, everyone is living for something and that's what you need to hone in on, and don't forget that Life is so short. Anything could happen at any moment. Take the time to engage in the things around you that make life so beautiful.

Scott McLean:

I say this you know we live in Palm Beach County so everyone calls it PBC. But with my foundation, one man, one, mike Foundation, my cheap plug every episode I say we say that PBC isn't't palm beach county, it's purpose, belonging and connection I like it and that's what veterans need. That's it, you know?

Jon Sessa:

pbc not just veterans, though it's everybody everybody anybody that's experienced any type of trauma, anybody that's just seeking community. Yeah, um, and I tell a lot of people with veterans day of just passing too, a lot of people say thank you for your service. Well, we wouldn't be able to do what we did downrange if it wasn't for the supportive community back home. Right Understanding that everything is OK here, being gone and having enough on your plate there and not having to worry about it here because of those that actually support us here in the US, is amazing. That feeling that there's people that got your back.

Jon Sessa:

And we were talking earlier, before this, about how everything seems to just be built right now to just drive you apart. There's no good stories on the news. Everything's so negative and hateful and it's just. Everything's a ripple effect and it's just pulling everything. And we don't need that. We need reasons to come, come together. We need to find common ground, likenesses. Why is everyone focused on the differences instead of the things that we're all human? That's the thing. Everyone is human. We're all flesh and blood when it comes down to it. Uh, you know, some have a little more biomechanics than others, but you know, at the end of the day, is that a golf thing?

Scott McLean:

a vet of mechanics, mechanics.

Jon Sessa:

Not really, it's a my my buddy Ed. I started a Broward golf group with them down here so I'll plug him.

Jon Sessa:

It's another place to come in and runs a fantastic golf group for for anyone who wants to come out and play. But he's he's missing his leg, right. So I always say, give him a hard time when we go out and play golf, that he's going to have to kick that into high mode and change over the settings on his leg to get the hydraulics warmed up. That way he's able to keep up with all of us. But no, it makes for a really fun time when we get out there with everybody else. So being able to engage, get out with the community, especially through Palm Beach and through Miami, it's awesome.

Scott McLean:

So why golf? How did you come up with golf as your, let's say, non-profit of choice?

Jon Sessa:

So golf really started because when I was very little, I would go out with my grandfather and I would just hit buckets of balls over and over and over, and six o'clock in the morning, with the dew on the ground, that is just. It was peaceful. It was peaceful for me. I mean, I was doing thousands of balls a day. I was hitting not necessarily hitting them right, but you know, I was doing a lot of it. So good Not not all practice is good practice but I was hitting not necessarily hitting them right, but I was doing a lot of it. So not all practice is good practice, but I was doing it and it brought us together and that's a moment that I can look back in my life and say that I was truly happy. Those moments are what we live for and if I can replicate that for other people, then that's what I want to do.

Jon Sessa:

So, getting out of the military, I focused on golf as my therapy. I moved to Costa Rica. I lived in Costa Rica for three and a half years, used my GI bill to go back to school and then supplemented income by teaching English to the local population. Get myself involved. Supplemented income by teaching English to the local population, get myself involved. I met my wife out there and I created a new life and it was really the reset that I needed, just like if your computer's malfunctioning. I felt like that was me man, like I needed. I needed somebody to hit that reset button, and it took me three and a half years in Costa Rica teaching English to realize what I really wanted, and that was to help my brothers and sisters through what I experienced.

Jon Sessa:

So we have a daughter, 14 years old, and we moved here to the US, in Florida, particularly so she could go to high school. I don't want to move all throughout high school. I want to give her the opportunity for the best life possible, of course. So with that I created my community here in South Florida, and it's a perfect place for golf. It's a perfect place for veterans. Florida is a fantastic state, very veteran friendly, so I'm very happy that this is where we've created our home, and everyone I don't want to say everybody, but most people are very open and supportive, right.

Jon Sessa:

Um and, as we said, the other people we just shy away from no problem.

Jon Sessa:

You know, it's just water off the back. Not everyone's going to be receptive to things, and that's okay, um. But change is coming and it doesn't need to be that ripping people apart. We just need to foster community and bring people back together. I think with technology and everything nowadays, it's so easy to travel across the world. Everyone forgets about what, about the person next door. You know, crazy thing, when I first moved here right, I moved into Deerfield Beach I'm a little cookie cutter neighborhood wanted to make sure it was nice for the family and I had a bunch of money saved from when I worked in the oil fields and stuff, right. So I was like let's come out here and make like we'll do it really nice. I went to everybody's house with some chocolates and like, knocked on the door, introduced myself, said hey, we're new to the neighborhood, blah, blah. I never saw one of those people again. Yeah, can you like?

Scott McLean:

no, I'm not surprised I.

Jon Sessa:

I'm not surprised and that's just. That's not the, that's not the america that I'm used to, right like. I moved around a lot in the military, so my, my view of america was when I was a kid, growing up, like playing in the streets and going out and you don't, there's, there's, not that anymore. Everyone's so and I tell me about it.

Scott McLean:

I grew up in pretty much the. I was born in 63, so the 60s, the 70s, the 80s, that's what we did, I mean, that's what it was all about.

Jon Sessa:

So the sandlot days.

Scott McLean:

Huh, yeah, I I see exactly what you're saying, except I experienced it yeah 20 something years ago before you. You know what I mean. I went through this, and that's you know what I mean. I went through this, and that's you know. People are people. So how, how old is the warrior golf Academy?

Jon Sessa:

So I've been out here in South Florida for two and a half years now. Warrior golf Academy is uh been an LLC for one year, um, and I want to just operate it myself. I'm 100% out of pocket. Any donations I know that feeling.

Jon Sessa:

Any donations that I take is everything that I just give back into the community. I don't have any formal sponsorships but I do have a few partnerships, so Foot Joy is one of them. They have been awesome here in South Florida with some inclement weather gear for our caddies and participants so that way when they graduate through the program they can get a couple of swag items to wear when they're out on the course when it's raining or, you know, especially here in South Florida when it's raining.

Jon Sessa:

So that's why I got got some good stuff from them. I have Weekend Warrior supplied some shirts and hats, which is fantastic, so that way there's low upfront cost to getting in. I can give you a shirt and get you hooked up with some gear. Also had Sound Card Club down in Ocean Reef Fantastic in the Keys. They're amazing. They donated two sets of golf clubs.

Scott McLean:

Beautiful.

Jon Sessa:

So I have golf clubs that I can help train veterans with. There's a lot of organizations that have been really nice and helping out a lot.

Scott McLean:

Let me, let me ask you the about the ask how did that go? How did that? I know it's evolved into. Eventually you got good at it cause you got stuff, but how did you feel? And this is just you know, uh, founder to founder, executive director to executive director.

Jon Sessa:

Oh, I dislike it very much. That's it. Yeah, that's one way to put it. I dislike it very much. It's fucking hard is the other way to put it. Yes, uh, I mean, we're, we're, we're strong men, and I want to feel that way. I want to feel like I'm the one to go to for the resource, right, and that's the way that, that's the way I've been. I'm, I'm here, I got you Like I'm supposed to be the rock in the hard place, right, always, you don't show it and that's and that's. The thing is like we've always been trained that, but now I'm learning that it's not a weakness to ask for help, right, right, I'm, I'm doing a good thing on my own and I'm asking other people, not for help, but just to get involved. I'm looking for mentors, and I did. I did a post online talking about it too. Um, hey, I was pretty excited Cause I got like almost 5,000 followers on LinkedIn.

Scott McLean:

I'm like 4,500 and I've been throwing it like every week 5,000 followers on LinkedIn, I'm like 4,500 and I've been throwing it like every week. I see you all the time. You and I, we connect all the time on there.

Jon Sessa:

Yeah, and I try to make it personal like this, like we're having a conversation now because of that, and there's so many people that I reach out to and I don't hear anything back. It's like well, why, why are you my connection then, if you're not going to connect with me Like I'm looking for mentorship in the golf business Like this is new for me.

Jon Sessa:

I'm looking for mentorship in in, you know uh nonprofits, cause that's new. I don't want to lose my vision to a board and that's what I'm worried about. So I'm grasping to my sole proprietorship while I try to figure out which direct like I need guidance and help on how to reach the most people possible, but I don't want to give up the control, at the same time, of the people and the vision that I have.

Scott McLean:

That's. That's a whole nother podcast episode, my friend. That's a whole nother episode.

Jon Sessa:

Talk about yeah, oh, I, I, I'm with you, I'm with you.

Scott McLean:

Um, so what? What? Give me the full range of services that the warrior so I want to get involved with anything golf related.

Jon Sessa:

So it comes down to uh, we give you a set of golf clubs if you need them. Uh, and by that I mean I'm not just going to give you this nice set that Sal card club donated to me you know you're not getting that one but we're going to get a set, maybe $50 or a hundred bucks off of Facebook marketplace and we'll find. Maybe somebody will donate it. And you know what I do with them. We'll break it down. We'll read shaft, put a brand new shaft on it, put a new grip on it. That's right for them. We'll re groove the clubs. We repaint them in a color scheme that's great for you.

Jon Sessa:

What are your favorite colors, what you like, and put some sentimental value into that. Right, even if you don't like playing golf. After that experience I guarantee you're not going to sell those set of golf clubs. They cost 50 bucks, man to get and we put hours into it together, bonding therapeutically, talking about life and learning a skill. Skill. There you go. So that's golf related, but not playing golf. Yeah, oh, it's still a skill yeah, exactly, but it's a skill.

Jon Sessa:

So we have that. I find it very therapeutic doing that. I have caddy training. Caddy training is huge. That's been taken off. I want to say Eastside Golf about inclusion and accessibility when it comes to golf is awesome and they're helping out with the caddy program as well. And I want to try to introduce veterans who have a story, because all veterans have a story. Plus, we have great work ethic. You have to have very good work ethic to be in the military and with that I think the military community makes fantastic caddies. Just go out, you carry the golf bag. You don't have to know anything special. I'll teach you everything you need to know. It's not a four week class or anything like that. I could teach you how to caddy in a day. We'll do a half morning a PowerPoint that I have drawn up. I got to redo videos and stuff. Everything's so outdated that you find out, yeah, man.

Jon Sessa:

Like that's. Another problem is I need to like come up with all my own stuff and I need someone to follow me around with the camera and stuff you know so, um, but I have an immersive caddy training. That's personal, one-on-one, stress-free environment where we can learn from what you know. So you know everything that way. It's not what does everybody know, so you don't feel embarrassed when you go out into the golf course and don't know a terminology, right, you got to start from nothing to assume you know nothing. And even if you relearn some things, that's okay. It's, you know, just a fun time out. Who doesn't want to be out on the golf course? Manicure greens, grass? So, talking about that, I also have partnerships with getting into the ergonomy side, which is working on the golf course.

Jon Sessa:

If you want to work on mowing greens, you know you get. You get free golf. You get free golf working for the golf course. So if that means if you want to go out, you like fresh grass cut, you could go out there. Like in the summer it's hard for a lot of places here in South Florida find employment. Come talk to me and get you linked up with somebody. You can go out there, cut some bushes. You could mow some grass twice a week in the morning in the cool air Cause it's relaxing listening to music and then you get free golf out of that too. But all of these lead to something and it's getting back into the community. So I like running events. I have an event coming up December 22nd.

Scott McLean:

Stop, stop, right there. Did you just say, I like running events. Yeah, you are a rare bird my friend, because there's a lot of people out there and I just got done with mine and it's it's tasking at times but it is. You know, most people like I can't believe I gotta do this you know, okay, I love that, but I can't. You're like, I love doing this shit I love it.

Jon Sessa:

I love bringing people together. Man, bringing the community together is like nothing else and having the opportunity in a place to say, hey, let's all come together, especially for Christmas. So, christmas coming up, december 22nd, come out. Links at Boynton beach we're doing a nine hole scramble with mini games, ugly sweater contest, food music, uh, vendors, it's just. It's going to be just a community of fun.

Scott McLean:

And that's when.

Jon Sessa:

And that's December 22nd, 8.30 am to about 11.30 noon, and we're going to have people out there all day.

Scott McLean:

How do people do they have to sign up for it or just show?

Jon Sessa:

You can sign up for it at warriorgolfacademycom or you give me a call at 305-401-5671. It's $200 for a foursome, a walking nine hole, but we have games on every hole. We have long drive competitions, we have some ladies out there running nonprofits that are going to be doing beat the pro things for us and it's going to be just a fantastic time. Like I say, even if you don't play golf, just come out, listen to some music, play some putting games. Everybody knows how to play putt-putt, so come out and try your luck on some free prizes for putt-putt. Bring an ugly sweater. Get involved with the community please, because know your neighbor, it doesn't do much good if you're only talking to people that live thousands of miles away. You know you need to immerse yourself back like it was in the 70s and the 80s where you got to yell at your mom to hang up the phone. Mom, I'm on the line.

Scott McLean:

I'm not a golfer, but I do have a six-hole putting green. That dog legs around my pool in my backyard. I bet you practice it's very therapeutic and frustrating at. Bet you practice it's it's very therapeutic and frustrating at the same time. Yeah, I had that put in. After I retired I'm like okay.

Jon Sessa:

I don't golf, but I can putt yeah.

Scott McLean:

And you know a bucket, a little bucket of balls, just putt away and it's fun.

Jon Sessa:

It's fun and that's why why I always think like I don't think anyone is ever meant to be good at golf. Think how the game created these guys in scotland just hitting a ball or a rock with a stick.

Scott McLean:

Yeah, come on, that's you're saying how much more miserable can I be today? Oh, I can tell you, let me go out and hit a rock with a stick in the rain, in the sideways wind in Scotland Like. I don't know, miserable enough.

Jon Sessa:

I don't know where that came from and how it evolved to this, but there is something just it's just therapeutic to just be, even when it see. For me I don't like being in crowds and stuff too. I get a lot of anxiety and stuff about that. Um, so being even a busy day on the golf course is not a busy day, right, you're only there with a couple of close people. Even if you don't know them, you get to know a couple of people and I can handle that.

Scott McLean:

Yeah.

Jon Sessa:

Like it doesn't put me in a situation where I feel like you know, and I'm going to have a panic attack or something.

Scott McLean:

Is there a specific eligibility or criteria for veterans to join this or just be a veteran? Just be a veteran. All you had to do is for veterans to join this or just be a veteran.

Jon Sessa:

Just be a veteran. All you had to do is take the oath, like all of us did and that's good enough for me.

Scott McLean:

So you've been doing this for a year or so. You said right, that's it. Give me a, or give the listeners a success story, a feel-good story that someone just came and said hey, john, like this is what I want to do.

Jon Sessa:

So I would say the biggest success story that I've seen wouldn't actually be from a veteran, but from a veteran son and this is an adaptive golfer, ok, a boy who adaptive golfer meaning meaning he's, uh, neuro challenged and he doesn't have the ability to use one of his arms as well.

Jon Sessa:

Um, so, with that thing, like I w, if I, if that was me, honestly I would think all the things that I can't do all the time Right. And here he is saying that he wants to go out for his high school golf team. He wants to play, he wants to be accepted into it and there is no limitations. There is no adaptive golf sports team for the high school team. It's like you make it or you don't. So, uh, his father's encouraging him walk 18 holes every time he plays. Every time he's hitting the ball, really concentrating on it, and he's getting good. He's getting good and watching this turnaround and having the adaptive golf community. So if you want to look them up, it's United States Adaptive Golf Association, usaga. They are fantastic and anything that I can do to help children and veterans know that life can be better, like you can get out there and golf. Don't think about things that you can't do.

Jon Sessa:

So those are the stories that really get to me is how he's still inspired by going out and playing in these events, by seeing other adaptive golfers. Uh, like this 80 year old gentleman who was in Vietnam and he went to the doctor one day and he had lost like 30 pounds in like 30 days and he was like, oh my gosh. He said he said before that you could even get the words out. I think I'm freaking dying Right, that's what he was going to tell the doctor. He said he collapsed and he never walked again, right, so that's agent orange related and because of that now he golfs in a solo rider, so using one of the adaptive golf machines to help him stand up and still be able to play golf in and out of bunkers onto the greens and putting. They're not cheap, but they have them in the community.

Scott McLean:

So give me an example of what that would be like what you just said an adaptive machine. What is the? Is it?

Jon Sessa:

a so it's a solo rider. What it is is it's a vehicle with three wheels on it and you put your golf bag on the front and it's got a chair that you sit in and it straps you in like kind of like a wheelchair. And you can envision like a thing that turns sideways and goes up the stairs to help people that can't make it upstairs. Same type of a thing. This turns sideways and stands up. It even has a little cover that comes over the top bra, so you're in the shade chilling and it stands you up. And another inspirational story is um, I saw it's not not me, I can't take credit for it, but I saw this video online and this gentleman who hasn't been able to stand up, first thing he did when he got in a solo rider is give his wife a hug. Oh yeah, could you imagine that, not being able to stand up and give the one that you?

Jon Sessa:

love a hug in that long and now have the ability to do it. That's why I'm pushing adaptive and inclusion accessibility when it comes to golf. Because the world's changing. We need to know that golf doesn't have to be that collared shirt. Tuck in your shirt into your pants and show up and like what if you don't have legs to wear pants? Exactly you know what I mean. What do you want me to do, man? I'm sorry. Like how that? Some of these things. And the saddest thing is that people don't address disability very much so what you just said?

Scott McLean:

the first thing that popped into my head is okay, veterans are a uh, we are, we're a community and disabled veterans are a smaller community. But within the disabled veterans smaller community, there's severely disabled community that really doesn't have many options.

Scott McLean:

Yes, and to know that there's something like I just learned something today Like that's amazing, that's fucking amazing. Yes, and to know that there's something like like I just learned something today Like that's amazing, that's fucking amazing that that and it inspired you, which, okay, it wasn't so veteran related. But now you know, like now you have something to maybe point that and say I'm going to do this, I can get this done for this veteran, because I was.

Scott McLean:

I saw it work myself Like I witnessed it, and so now it inspired you to maybe go deeper into you know, you just don't say no. Like you, you can't look at somebody now and say I wish I could help you.

Jon Sessa:

But now you're like, I know exactly how we're going to do this. Exactly. There is no limit. I will teach anybody to play golf.

Jon Sessa:

Come find me and I guarantee you I got you. That's what it's about. And the thing about golf is you're only playing against yourself, right? So when you get somebody in a wheelchair that's missing an arm and can only hit the ball with one arm and or maybe they're not even, maybe you're blind and you can't even see yeah, right, but you hit that ball and it goes 50 yards straight. Yeah, that is an incredible feeling. Yeah, I bet, yeah, I challenge anybody to tell somebody that it's not somebody with down syndrome to come and play golf and hit the ball and be good at it.

Jon Sessa:

That's all it takes, it's just the feeling for them, like it's, it's relative man, it's just perception from the person. Your perception is different than mine and that's why you just have to. You just have to make people feel good, yeah.

Scott McLean:

And partnerships and collaborations. Do you have any partnerships with other maybe non-profits, or collaborate with other non-profits or businesses that that maybe kind of partner with?

Jon Sessa:

I do, so I I do work with 100 for 22 foundation. They run 100 holes a golf for 22 veterans that commit suicide every day, and then they're open for veterans and first responders, which is fantastic, and Warrior Golf Academy provides the caddy services for their events, so that's fantastic. I love being out there in that community. You can look up pictures from us when we were there in North Carolina. It was just an absolute blast. I had my favorite caddy Mojo with me as well, so he goes everywhere, and that's that's another. That's another thing I would like like people there's for, for when it comes to the disabled community, we need to to be more open. I think everyone everyone different perceptions and different realities that they live by. You just need to understand that everyone's, everyone's different.

Scott McLean:

You know, I think you and me, uh, we have. We have a lot in common that I'm finding out during this conversation and uh, and we're definitely going to be uh, you know, doing stuff together. I already know this is going to happen one way or another, one way or another. But I think we have one other thing in common. So're a one-man army. Like I am doing this for your non-profit right. You're doing everything. You're out of pocket for it for the most part well, you're the driving force behind it.

Jon Sessa:

I am I, I. I don't want to say I take. I mean I, I take, I, I am but you are, but it's a community.

Scott McLean:

You know, I want to give it.

Jon Sessa:

I want to give credit to everybody that that supports and everybody that shows up and everybody that just comes out, but it's for one like I have a hard time saying this too, but it is like me I am doing, but it is yes, one man, one.

Scott McLean:

My foundation, yes. I and even my, my president. You know, uh, who I, she's, she's, she's like I don't know how you do this, I don't know, you know, and but there's something behind you and me that helps us do what we do, and it's your wife yes, sir and the support, because without their support, without them just going back and say you go do what you got to do, that's it.

Scott McLean:

You go help those veterans do what you got to do with no you know, no, no strings attached. They, they support what you're doing, they sit back, they help they, they listen to you when you know you just rattling on about something and they listen you know that is extremely important. I know this my wife, who works hard herself, but she'll listen to me every day and she just listens to me.

Jon Sessa:

Nobody. Nobody can see me just nodding my head, because everybody else knows too. I bet everyone listening is just nodding your head like, yes, it's those in the immediate ones around you that really notice, because it's easy to come to places like this, but they don't. You don't see everything right. Like everybody, has good days, bad days, and to have that support through all of it, the frustrating times, the times where I'm sure you're, you're looking at your computer like you're gonna smash it and the anxiety of you know is is anybody?

Scott McLean:

you show up to my party, like when you're doing a fundraiser, you know there's all of it goes into it and somebody is behind you going everything's gonna be all right, exactly everything's gonna be all right, you know I.

Jon Sessa:

I published out my event. I have a zero confirmed people right now, but but uh, let's promote that again. It's on it's december 22nd, yeah, at the links of boynton beach the links in boynton beach yes, sir, it'll be on their short course. It's a par 39 hole walking. Uh, if you're disabled and you need a golf cart, we can provide it. Um, but it's just going to be a great day to just be out under the sun and enjoying the festivities and wear your ugly christmas sweater that's it.

Jon Sessa:

I'm gonna wear one mojo's gonna wear one hideous one you can find oh, yes, oh, we have some terrible ones out there too, so it makes for good fun, though, but that's it. That's what the holiday should be. You should be bringing people together. We should be doing. When's the last time you went to a potluck?

Scott McLean:

that's a good question. I was just yeah, that's a good question. I was just yeah, that's a good question.

Jon Sessa:

I mean these things don't happen anymore. I mean maybe you're worried that you know the neighbor's going to put fentanyl in the candy or something. I mean I don't know at this point, like things are just crazy everywhere, you know.

Scott McLean:

You're right now. I'll never look at a potluck the same again. Now that you said that Exactly. But, I'm good.

Jon Sessa:

Yeah, yeah, I mean that's a big scare now. I mean I guess, I mean I'm just glad that buffets came back. Man, I'm a big buffet.

Scott McLean:

So after COVID, when that came back, I was nothing like a good buffet, yeah, so, john, give us your website again. So you can find me online at warriorgolfacademycom and give me the on that, give us a real quick rundown of what you offer again.

Jon Sessa:

So on that website, really just contact me for anything that you need. I have a simple contact me form on there. There's a phone number.

Scott McLean:

There's caddy training Everything's need. I have a simple contact me form on there. There's a phone number Patty training.

Jon Sessa:

Everything's listed. I do club repair, I do Patty training, I do community engagement events. If you want me to just come out and set up a table, I would love to. I would love to help promote your events too, for no charge. I'm working a partnership with some people that are doing charity scramble. Put up all the website for the charity scrambles, that way you can find them Just anything when it comes to golf and charity and being nice, I guess Anything I can do for you. Reach out, please. We're trying to just grow a community. So soon, very soon, I plan on having a Facebook group created so that way anybody that's going out and playing golf which I do quite a bit, and I have quite a bit of open places with me, so whenever we go out and play golf, you can find somebody that can join you and say, hey look, I got a game going at this time.

Jon Sessa:

Who wants to come? I got a game going here, let's do this. Or I got two tea times, let's get eight people together. Like we need to build the community. And it's been happening, but I think I can't wait more for other people. So I got to be that driving force right. So, with me being the driving force, I'm going to create the Facebook group and I'll link that to the web page. So check back. Also, check out my blog on there my Mojo stories. This is, I think, a unique take on seeing life from my service animal's eyes.

Scott McLean:

And that's who Mojo is. And that's who Mojo is you never really got into it.

Jon Sessa:

You talked about Mojo. Never got into it.

Scott McLean:

Give us a rundown on Mojo.

Jon Sessa:

So I guess I'm not supposed to love him is what I tell my wife and I tell everyone. I don't like him, but I love him, right, he's my service animal, little pomeranian, 10 pounds, uh, and he goes everywhere with me most of the time. Um, you could have brought him here today. Yeah, I was I got. All you have to do is ask. That's it. That's it the power of asking. See, I should just, should just ask, don't be afraid.

Scott McLean:

That's right.

Jon Sessa:

That's why Let me know, ask me for things people, please. But Mojo, so you can look Mojo stories. I think it's an interesting way to get people to kind of look at how disabled people struggle in daily life. So I go to golf courses with him and this latest one is about our trip to North Carolina with our mission for 100, for 22. And the anxiety that I have traveling through the airport and what it's like, and his job as a service animal and what he's meant to do, and I think it was a creative way to kind of display it. So I'm going to continue on with that series, maybe one one a month. I'll write another one and put it out there. But I'm finding that it's easier for me to write things down. It becomes quite therapeutic. I'm not a good reader, I don't read much, I'd rather listen or watch something, but but writing was it, was.

Scott McLean:

It was quite therapeutic to do that Okay'm gonna put you on the spot now yeah yeah, you didn't see this one coming, okay, but it just dawned on me, so I just did my uh, my, my fundraiser, which was my uh storytelling event, veteran storytelling okay, and it was amazing. It was amazing. It was my first one. Uh, didn't know what to expect. I knew what to expect. It far exceeded even my expectations. It's fantastic. So I'm going to do one every six months. Awesome, it's going to just grow organically. It's going to be part of my foundation. So I'm going to ask you would you be one of the storytellers at my next event? Absolutely, there you go.

Jon Sessa:

I would love to.

Scott McLean:

I would love to Because I think there's a story of you and Mojo that would just kill the audience. Their heart will just absolutely explode. It definitely could.

Jon Sessa:

As we talked about it before, I need to get the word out. Whatever I can do to drive awareness, to just help people is all it's about Just be nice to people. So I got it. I would love to attend.

Scott McLean:

There you go. You're going to be part of the next Story Lab.

Jon Sessa:

Terrific.

Scott McLean:

A night of veterans stories.

Jon Sessa:

So I won't release too much mojo material. I'll have to keep some secrets so that way I have new stuff to give Any story you want to tell, any story you want to tell, but I'm going to put you on the list.

Scott McLean:

you're the second veteran now thank you.

Jon Sessa:

Thank you volunteered to do this. What an honor they want to do it.

Scott McLean:

Uh, it's. I'm telling you, people, if you know, no one knew what to expect at this first one. Like they really didn't, it's like storytelling. It's not dynamic, it's not, you know. Like it's how do you promote it, how do you hype it? You know what I mean. But a good crowd showed up, a small crowd, but a good crowd, and I asked them, a lot of them, as they were leaving and they were just overwhelmed with what they saw and all of them to a person said this is not what I expected.

Jon Sessa:

Oh, that's right.

Scott McLean:

And uh I I asked them what did you expect? And they said I don't know, they were like, I just thought people would be telling stories about being like, you know, just being in the military type thing, and but these stories go deeper than what they expected.

Jon Sessa:

Yes, yeah, just talking to you Very much so.

Scott McLean:

You got at least 20 stories. I can tell you that. Just talking to you, I know you've got some great stories.

Jon Sessa:

Definitely have relatable stories is the thing, and storytelling for veterans is really important.

Scott McLean:

You touched on it earlier. That's it In the thing. And storytelling for veterans is really important. You touched on it earlier in the interview. It's very important and I think you know I say a veteran's story is their strength, it's their biggest strength, that's it.

Jon Sessa:

And I feel the hardest thing and I think you do a great job at it with your foundation is helping people to tell their story right, because this is lost. And when I first got into South Florida here and started looking into like creating Warrior Golf Academy and talking to different people, I reached out to a lot of speakers too in the speaking circuit about inclusion and things like that, and when I was speaking to some of them they said you just they go. Wow, your story resonates with so many more people than just veterans. They go. Not only is it just veterans, but then it's anybody that's like a first responder and then anybody with trauma and you can just build on.

Jon Sessa:

It really is just for everybody, and that's what made me really hone in on it's a feeling if you can get people to feel that feeling inside of them, and that's what, what you use to unite people. You don't, you can't say like, oh well, I got shot at, like not everyone's been shot at, so they don't know. But if you could say like, oh my gosh, my heart was racing like a million, like I didn't know what was going to happen, like relate that to like a most stressful environment of your life, like losing a child, or like, if you're, you know, walked away and you were, like had that moment of, like deep anxiety, where you're like, oh my gosh. Or like I was feeding a baby one time and and it like burbled on me and I was like the first time ever and I was like I'm the one in control.

Jon Sessa:

What am I supposed to do? Like that's the scariest moment of my life and that's more relatable to most people, Like those things are, like those emotions are what we need to capture.

Scott McLean:

They turn into stories. Memories immediately turn into stories, exactly.

Jon Sessa:

So I think it's awesome what you're doing by helping other people be able to tell their stories. I tell them.

Scott McLean:

I tell everybody, I say this, and if this piques your interest, then get in touch with me, because this is what we do with One man, one Mic Foundation, and that's um storytelling that's. It is a superpower and there's and I I explain and when you and I get together, you know, probably in the new year, if you want to go through this podcasting course or the storytelling course I will, because I'm a storytelling nerd like an absolute nerd about it, right, but I will explain to you exactly how it's literally a superpower I can see that I could see that I use.

Jon Sessa:

I mean, it was a part of sales for a long time. People use it's a tactic for a lot of things get people to nod.

Scott McLean:

Tell it effectively is a superpower, yeah, so yes, sir. All right, buddy One more time Website warrior golf academycom. All right, your, uh, your, your, your event coming up, let's do it again.

Jon Sessa:

All right. The event coming up is on December 22nd at the links at Boynton beach golf course.

Scott McLean:

What's going on?

Jon Sessa:

It's going to be a nine hole golf scramble to invite the entire South Florida community. Feel free drive hours to come and see us. I would love it. Please build upon this. We're going to have uh, we have adaptive coaches there. We have regular golf coaches there. We have, uh, all types of games and events. We have ugly sweater contests happening. We have putting prizes. We have just community engagement. Hot luck, sure, bring food. I mean at this point, just come out. Please just get involved with the community. Right? If you want to, if you have a business, you want to set up a booth, if you anything, please reach out to me. Look on the website, get a hold of me.

Jon Sessa:

This is a chance for us to just harness the community before christmas time. This is the. This is a chance for us to just harness the community before Christmas time. This is the holiday season a chance for everybody to get out. Get outside and nice air, sunshine. You got some Christmas music happening. You got a lot of festivities going on and all the grass is there and it's clean and it's cut and it's manicured. It's like a giant park for fun. Even if you don't play golf, you can come out there with the family right, beautiful, beautiful.

Scott McLean:

Well, that's it, buddy. I think we covered everything. Is there anything that you want to touch on at the very end, anything that we might have forgot?

Jon Sessa:

No, I think. I think we touched on just about everything, oh.

Scott McLean:

I forgot to say Um, so John does run a nonprofit and well, money is the engine that runs nonprofits, that runs the machine. And so, if you like what what John's doing, give him money. Just give him your money, that's it. He's working hard, he's doing, he's doing great work with veterans. His attitude is absolutely contagious.

Jon Sessa:

So give him money I don't want to say no, but you won't say no I don't want to say no, but give him money, donate to his foundation come, come to the website, see, see what you get for your money and and we we can discuss it, because I don't like taking things for nothing. There's definitely worthwhile.

Scott McLean:

ROI on your investments. So there you go. Then you'll get something for your money, and real quick. I forgot to mention this the services, the services that you provide and you teach veterans. There's always a monetary value to that. And if somebody was to pay honestly, if someone was to pay out of pocket, say, hey, I'm going to learn all this stuff that John teaches in the Warrior Golf Academy. It's free. But if I was coming out of pocket, what do you think it would cost somebody?

Jon Sessa:

Honestly, I think everything that I offer, if you were to utilize all of my services, would probably cost you upwards of $10,000.

Scott McLean:

There you go See.

Jon Sessa:

That's golf clubs, that's new equipment, that's teaching. I mean golf pros are $100 an hour, at least, yep. So come for free. Free, learn a skill, give him money.

Scott McLean:

Learn a skill. It's free, it's great and he's a good dude. He's a solid dude and just listening to him you got to think you know this couldn't be a bad thing. Going out on the golf course with John. I don't think that's bad at all.

Jon Sessa:

Oh, I don't think any day on a golf course is never a bad day. Never have a bad day on the golf course. So if you're out there with me, yeah, I've. I've had some of the worst rounds you could ever imagine.

Scott McLean:

But you're out there oh well, it's it.

Jon Sessa:

I I get distracted by squirrels. By by by, there will be one balloon in the sky and I spot it, man, like yep, it's it, but it's a great time out there well, all right.

Scott McLean:

So, uh, we built another bridge today. Uh, I want to thank John for coming on. This had been delayed a few times, but I always I don't forget, I don't forget, and I reached out to John. He's like let's do this, so I want to thank him for coming on. The podcast. I want to thank you for listening and, as I always say, now listen to the very end. There's a good public service announcement. It's for veterans, family of veterans and just civilians. Also, it has to do with 211 and 988 and the services that provided. It's only 30 seconds long. Just give it a listen and hopefully you get something out of it, and hopefully you got something out of today's episode. I just want to say thank you again for listening and supporting this podcast. It's exceeding my expectations. You guys are great and I truly appreciate you listening and, like I always say, you'll hear me again next week.

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Scott McLean

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