Podcast Ep214 Michael O'Hearn
Didrik Johnck: How does someone born with severe physical limitations go on to compete at the Paralympics and find a sense of freedom in a world not built for them? What happens when the hardest challenges you face aren't about your body, but about showing up as your full, authentic self, all on a global stage? How can the loss of a best friend become fuel for finding renewed purpose?
And what does alchemy mean when you're turning life's toughest moments into strength and resilience? In this episode, Erik sits down with Alpine skier Mikey O'Hearn, fresh off his debut at the Paralympics in Cortina, Italy. Together they break open these powerful questions and more. Alright, let's get into it.
I'm Producer Didrik Johnck, and this is The No Barriers podcast.
Erik Weihenmayer: It's easy to talk about the successes, but what doesn't get talked about enough is the struggle. My name is Erik Weihenmayer. I've gotten the chance to ascend Mount Everest, to climb the tallest mountain in every continent to kayak the Grand Canyon, and I happen to be blind. It's been a struggle to live what I call a no barriers life, to define it, to push the parameters of what it means.
And part of the equation is diving into the learning process and trying to illuminate the universal elements that exist along the way. And that unexplored terrain between those dark places we find ourselves in and the summit exists a map. That map, that way forward is what we call no barriers.
Hey everyone welcome to the No Barriers podcast. This is Erik Weihenmayer and man, Mikey O'Hearn this is so cool. You are a Paralympian, I'm a para. You had a debut, uh, at the latest Paralympics, in Corina, Italy. Di Corina, Depeso. Right. And man, it's so cool. I've been to Cortina a bunch. By the way, the backstory on Cortina is that it's such a strange story with No Barriers, but originally with Mark Wellman, who is the paraplegic amazing athlete who climbed El Capitan and helped us start No Barriers. He reached out to me and said, Hey, we want to do this really big experience, and we didn't even quite have a name for it yet. And he said,it's a long story, but he said it Cortina Italy. It's a place that's really beautiful. Mm-hmm. And the town wants to bring us there to be able to show some technologies and talk about this kind of a life that you can create as a person with a disability and even create more like opportunities and accessibility because as you know, Europe is not as accessible as it could be for people with physical disabilities.
Anyway, so we went to Cortina twice and had these big, festivals right in Cortina, and I've climbed there a ton. So I have a love in my heart for that region. Tell me your impressions of it.
Mikey O'Hearn: Yeah, I mean, Corina was beautiful. It's, I mean, debuting at a World Cup level, at the Paralympic Games, there was the most phenomenal experience.
It was like, I always say, I've given everything to the sport and return's given me everything, and that includes debuting there, you know, going to Cortina it. The people were so kind that, that I found the town to be. More accessible than other places I've been in Europe. I mean, comparatively to like Venice or Barcelona, it was way more accessible.
Right. And, but it was beautiful. You can't beat the landscape, like the mountains. It's just, it glows. It illuminates inside it from inside out. It's
Erik Weihenmayer: the relief of the mountains, how steep they are and how tall they are above these deep valleys is like mind boggling, isn't it?
Mikey O'Hearn: And it just encompasses you. Like you're, it's like you're in a valley and you're surrounded by the tallest, most vertical, steep mountains ever, but also the most beautiful ones. The landscape is truly like heaven sent. it's insane.
Erik Weihenmayer: And I always thought the highlight, besides competing in the Paralympics and Cortina, would be meeting these athletes from around the world.
That must have been really cool you know. What, tell me about some of the people that you met.
Mikey O'Hearn: Yeah, it truly is, you know, going to the games, it's truly is a melting pot of, one
Erik Weihenmayer: every disability under the sun too, right?
Mikey O'Hearn: It's really cool. Every, the sun, it's, I mean, it's excellence in disability form.
It's disability excellence. Its its highest peak, its highest pinnacle, and it's, it's the most elite level athletes who have so many shared experience and similar experience. You know, we all had to overcome a fiscal barrier to make it here. And we had to, you know, face diversity, head on and to be defiant.
And so it's cool because we all have these shared experiences. We're also from, you know, a plethora of cultures and nationalities and we kind of all come together. One because love of the sport, but also two in this whole idea of having shared values and principles.
Erik Weihenmayer: Really cool. And how many countries do you remember how many countries are represented?
Mikey O'Hearn: Well, I, I don't. This is not totally factual, but I believe it was between 26 to 29 country represented the Paralympics. So, so I made friends from all over. I mean, of course Canada, I really liked the Canadians and a Australia, great Britain. There was, China, South Korea, of course, Italy, France. Like it was, we, we were so represented and there was, so many athletes, a whole, I mean, the teams were full and it was just, it was incredible.
Erik Weihenmayer: And you have some really deep relationships with your own teammates from the USA too, right?
Mikey O'Hearn: 100%. One of my best friends, Hailey Griffin, Colorado Native.
Erik Weihenmayer: I saw her on the video.
Mikey O'Hearn: Yes, I saw
Erik Weihenmayer: you and Hailey talking. Yeah,
Mikey O'Hearn: yeah.
Erik Weihenmayer: Or I heard you, I should say scene.
Mikey O'Hearn: But no, I, I, a bunch of my team, you know, growing up in this sport, a lot of my teammates now are, once my mentors are those I looked up to that I wanted to be at that place, achieve that Paralympian status, and that was who I kind of was chasing. I wanted to be the next Tyler Carter or Spencer Wood and be in that position. And then to go to the games. As a competitor with Spencer or as Tyler kind of worked in the games, it was phenomenal. And then I'm close with a bunch of my teammates, or I got close with, you know, Audrey Crowley is now one of my super close friends in the circuit and she's kind of the face of para alpine ski racing right now.
And Andrew Kirk, who just retired him and I got super close over there. It just, the team's super close knit. We have really good repertoire, really good banter. Everyone's super close and we have some great personalities.
Erik Weihenmayer: That's awesome. And you debuted there and in the giant slalom, I think, right? Yes. And so for those who don't even know about skiing, giant slalom is like, you are flying down the mountain pretty fast, like 50, 60, 70 miles an hour.
Right?
Mikey O'Hearn: It's fine. I mean, I, I love trying slalom. That's, you know, of course where I qualified for the games. Yeah. Um, it's my lowest points, which, you know, it kind of informs your world ranking. I was able, this past season, I had a really big breakthrough in giant slalom and Super G, where I really just evolved to this swift, sharp, aerodynamic skier and I was able to secure some really good finishes.
Kind of become a contender over a competitor, jump my national international world ranking and open up a spot for myself at the games, and therefore got to compete in giant slalom.
Erik Weihenmayer: So cool. So when I'm like listening to the Olympics or the Paralympics, like gymnastics or something, or skiing, right? You've trained for years and it's just this one moment and like less than a second is gonna separate, you from other athletes in terms of your timing. And I think, I don't know if I could handle those kind of nerves. How do you handle that? Like standing at the top of the mountain, just knowing that everything that you've been training for comes down to the next like 30 seconds or whatever.
It's just, to me, that's a lot of pressure.
Mikey O'Hearn: You know? It's, it's kind something I've had to let go of. , I only had the one discipline going into the skiing,comparatively to a bunch of my teammates who had set disciplines. Right. I did.
Erik Weihenmayer: So that's even harder for you because you can't like, oh, I, I blew that one, but I'll have three other events, you know?
Mikey O'Hearn: Right. It was difficult for me because I really wanted a spot in Super g or just another event, but because I tore my ACL just a few weeks prior, I was only able to fully qualify in the one discipline this year. And it feels difficult saying I've had to let go of that everything's minimized and mainstream's just, just this one moment despite, being an elite level, exceptional athlete on, on the podium, as a contender in all the qualifier events, you know, leading up to the games. it takes so much regimen, routine training and elite athleticism in competition to make the games I kind of had to let go of, okay, my result in the games was not phenomenal. It did not align with my peak performance or even come close to how I ski my level of ski racing.
But making it there, being on team USA, something to be proud of. Regardless, I can't discount or discredit those phenomenal achievements because I wasn't proud of my skiing in the race. I think I've so many cycles ahead. I have so much growth to be made and I, I debut there, so I couldn't really shake those nerves, but now I feel prepared to shake those nerves going into World Cups, World Championships and future cycles.
Erik Weihenmayer: Yeah. More competitions, the, the better. Those nerves are gonna get. I, obviously,
Mikey O'Hearn: of course. Right. And that's the more exposure, more experiences, and you work so hard. Yeah.
Erik Weihenmayer: And you're young.
Mikey O'Hearn: Yeah. Right. So I have future cycles and I think there's like the two tiers to it.
You have the world circuit and you have the, the country circuit. And on the co, on the domestic circuit, I went from a competitor, grew into a contender, and then became like, you know top of the pack in or in the pack and started getting some real points and then just making it to the world level right before the game.
Right. Having a debut there right was, I mean, it was the most phenomenal experience. I feel prepared for anything. I feel like that was the pinnacle and now I'm so, I feel so fueled and like ignited, but same time I couldn't shake the nerves of the camera in my face and the crowd down there. But now it's, you know, world all cup, world champs coming up and some more exposure and experiences and it will be nothing next time.
Erik Weihenmayer: Yeah, that's what I was stumbling and bumbling trying to say. Yeah, like the world stage, the more competition you get in the world stage right. Where it's like just that massive, like the whole world is watching that's gonna calm you down, you know, this time.
Mikey O'Hearn: Exactly. This more exposure will lead to calmer nerves.
You can't, your first time, no matter where it's, whether it's the games or World Cup, the nerves are gonna take over. And mine was happen to be at the games, which is not, it is super rare. It's not unheard of though, and I think some of my teammates who debuted it, games four years ago, eight years ago.
They went from close to last place to now being in the pack or being top of the pack, and it's really cool to kind of see my own pathway ahead of me before I even undergo it. But knowing I can put in as much work and regimen routine as they did, I kind of can see what my future will look like.
Erik Weihenmayer: Nice.
Talk about skiing. So you've been, you started skiing before you were able to independently to even take a step, right? Yes.
Mikey O'Hearn: Yes.
Erik Weihenmayer: Arthrogryposis, yes. Oh my God, that's a hard disease to pronounce. I had to say it 10 times as well. Yeah. And that's even just the first word, right? There's, there's three words.
Okay. So tell it for everyone.
Mikey O'Hearn: So it's, um, arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. Um,
Erik Weihenmayer: yeah,
Mikey O'Hearn: which is crazy complex
Erik Weihenmayer: Congenta. Okay, good.
Mikey O'Hearn: Yes. And then essentially, So it's, it is congenital, which is a birth defect, and it's a joint throughout my body, throughout my ankles, wrist and elbow are contracted. For example, my wrist is contracted and then my elbow's contracted additionally to my ankles, so I use leg orthotics bi bilaterally, so a leg brace on both legs, and then my muscles throughout. my body are either stiffened or missing predominantly in my calves. I had like maybe a dozen or a little less of bilateral clubfoot surgeries and you know, growing up, spent a lot of time outside of the i, the nicu, the ICU and was in Wal Walkers. We cast, had a bunch of these surgeries and.
But I started ski racing before all of that, and I think ski racing or skiing is inherently designed for adaptive bodies. The stiffness of a boot was able to hold me up and tethers of, instructors and coaches were able to kind of secure me in a spot. And so I started skiing independently or stand up before I could walk independently, and it just clicked for me.
I was in love with the sport from day one.
Erik Weihenmayer: And your ankles are fused together.
Mikey O'Hearn: They are believe, right? Yes. My ankles are biologically and medically fused. I don't have any ankle movement, so I really rely on my leg braces for, you know, yeah, daily activity. Daily movement and momentum, and I mean for all sports.
And then just physical endurance.
Erik Weihenmayer: So when you lean forward in your boots. That would mean that like your heel would really wanna lift up, right? Because you don't have that bend in your ankles, right?
Mikey O'Hearn: Yeah. So none of my skiing really comes from. my ankles because I can't move my ankles. They're complete, they're totally fused.
And so when I, when I move forward and my boot, yeah, my whole body will shift forward because I don't have that movement. So I, a lot of my speeds generated in my legs, knees, and hips, which is not, it's very off the norm. A lot of ski racing or a lot of skiing just comes from the ankles themselves. But Yeah.
Erik Weihenmayer: Use what you got. Right.
Mikey O'Hearn: Exactly. It's adapting.
Erik Weihenmayer: Yeah. and so is that really the greatest adaptation or your braces, your prosthetic leg prosthetics are on there while you're skiing?
Mikey O'Hearn: Yes. I, I use, uh, I have custom made, um, AFOs or ankle foot orthosis, which is, they're designed for ski racing in mind.
They're a little bit more dynamic, a little bit more, uh, slick and slim. So this, the. The tighter braces, the more responsiveness I have, so the more drive and feeling I have in my feet, in my boots. And then my, my boots, my race boots are also custom made. So my leg brace essentially doesn't actually like click in or attach to it, but is molded for my leg brace.
And they're totally designed for responsiveness. And so, you know, the tighter they are, the more feeling, more drive and control I have. And so those are my two biggest adaptations is the boots and braces. And I just, I use the one pole as well.
Erik Weihenmayer: Cool. I loved this one line that you wrote in an article, and I'll try to recite it here, with my voice synthesizer, anatomical freedom, a place where scars and carbon style leg braces transform into strength and resilience.
Badass, dude. Thank you. So that's, that's like really cool 'cause, that's like saying like you're kind of in a way like. If you're gonna be disabled, right? Like you're built for this sport in a way, like your disability is kind of conducive to this sport that you've chosen. It's like a, a sense of freedom.
Mikey O'Hearn: It totally. And that it's my, it's a term I always go to and not, you know, repetitively or redundantly because so mu it's so powerful. Anatomical freedom. it's true. I don't know. It's something that you don't always, you're not always guaranteed or have right away either growing up as disability or coming into a disability.
And so finding that is the most freeing moment. And you, you run with it, you carry momentum and it's choosing, it is choosing, you know, resilience over resignation. It's choosing, you know, kind of to make belief into grit and, and tenacity and really trailblazing in game change your life is antomical freedom.
Erik Weihenmayer: Is that one of the biggest reasons why you love skiing?
Mikey O'Hearn: It is, and, but it's so natural for me to feel anatomical freedom in skiing. it's there, it's, I always say this too, but it's like the feeling between carves is so freeing and powerful. You just feel so fast, so sharp, and so like super human. it's, and, and at the same time, it's layered with like doing this breath work and this intensive like introspection while also having like the most crazy adrenaline at the same time. It's going, it's going so fast, yet feeling so at, at peace that, that's why I love skiing.
Erik Weihenmayer: So interesting. You know, I had this stint of, uh, learning how to kayak for about 10 years and doing some big rivers, and I imagine it's similar, you know, like, You're trying to get to that point where you're really like hyper aware of this like brief moment that you're, going through the nar Totally. And time slows down. You're able to kind of like notice like the awareness and the moments between your breaths and it's just that's when you get into the flow.
But that just takes, it takes so long. It takes years and years in preparation. Right?
Mikey O'Hearn: Years and years. And it doesn't always happen too. I mean, I would say. And you chase that feeling always. But I had two races where I really felt that this year now, you know, I had a bunch of races, a bunch of training days, and there, but just for those two days alone, everything's worth it.
It's like you said, time truly slows down and you just feel so present, so alive.
Erik Weihenmayer: So cool.
Didrik Johnck: Hey listeners, there's a bunch of in-person No Barriers events coming up that need to be on your radar. Let's start in Northern Texas, the first weekend in June with world renowned blind painter John Bramblett. He'll share his stories during a guided painting experience where you'll walk away with your own 11x14 masterpiece. The next day join an all abilities indoor climbing session with United Rocks. Come for one day or both and be a part of a weekend built on connection, creativity, and possibility.
Now, Grand Junction, Colorado. The last weekend in June is up next. Join Erik and friends for an evening of community and connection as he screens his film Soundscape. And hosts a live q and a. We'll carry that inspiration into the next day for an all abilities hike at Powderhorn Mountain Resort.
All right, lastly, come September. Join all of us at the annual, What's Your Everest event at Winter Park, Colorado. This is a chance to push your limits, connect with others, and be a part of something unforgettable.
Learn more about all of these amazing events at nobarrierspodcast.com.
Erik Weihenmayer: So you trained at the National Ability Center, which is a, a really wonderful organization out in Utah. A lot of the paralympic athletes, train there. so tell us about your training and I also part two to that question.
If this isn't too deep, you lost a good friend, Emily Walker. Yes. who, was like just a good friend of yours and, and, in, in an obvious way that really destroyed you, for a long time. So, so tell us about your training and then you retired and then you came back to the sport.
Mikey O'Hearn: Yes. Oh, so f first with the National Ability Center, I think on a you just general basis. It truly represents like a beacon of hope and possibilities. Just like No Barriers it's changed the trajectory of my life. It allowed me to take on full time, be go from, you know, level one to professional and make Team USA, achieve Paralympic status, but also become a top five nationally ranked athlete and qualified World cups, world champs.
They changed. Everything for me. The coaching's phenomenal. I'm on the,
Erik Weihenmayer: and the beginning skier can go there too, right? Like a beginning. Skier can go adaptive, skier can say, Hey, I wanna learn to ski. Right. So it's not just on the competitive level.
Mikey O'Hearn: Right? Yeah, exactly. So I'm on the National Ability Center's high performance team, which is designed for, you know, competitive ski racing, kind of the next level, of d It's, it is one of the teams that Team USA pulls and pulls their athletes from.
But the National Ability Center is it's open for anyone and everyone. They have, you know, there's several tiers. You can be a beginner skier, new to skiing, just want an introductory, they. It is also more than skiing. They have a plethora of sports, you know, horseback riding, rock climbing, pickleball, everything.
And they're designed for disabled excellence. They're designed for a adaptive means, you know, similar to no barriers, like it's to get involved and get outside and kind of showcase yourself and the world and your communities what a disabled body is, the capacity behind one. so yeah, I would train, I train for National Ability Center full-time on their high performance team.
It's a full-time regimen and routine in a way. It's training Monday through Friday on hill in gates with, world class coaching. And then, you know, outside of that too, it's course just like, just any athletes, It's dietician, nutritionist. It's like, you know, it's watching what I eat.
It's being in the gym, doing yoga all the time, like this regimen routine. And they kind of design it really well. That's they're hyper aware of your disability and what's playing into your strains, playing into your skillset. And they got me to this level. But like I said, National Ability Center is designed for anyone and everyone at all levels on any sport really.
And then to your,
Erik Weihenmayer: And let me, uh, do a, uh, plug here that, yeah. as a Paralympic athlete, you're not, you're not like a professional NBA basketball player where people are throwing millions of dollars at you. So funding is important. We'll make sure we put a, you know, a way that people can contribute to your race, career, you know, in the notes and stuff like that.
So I know, you know, like anything you, you got to eat while you're training
Mikey O'Hearn: It's unfortunate, but there's a lot of financial, real realities to professional adaptive sports and paralympic sports is that we don't have the funding that the Olympic side has or that, you know, other sports have.
And so financial realities are really pushing away through it. I've had several, you know, skiathon, uh, personal fundraising for my Paralympic fund, just trying to push it out there, get it mainstreamed and be able to continue in this sport because if you can't afford it, you can't compete and everyone should be able to have access to this kind of competition in sports.
Erik Weihenmayer: Yeah. Well, now tell us about Emily and her impact on your life.
Mikey O'Hearn: Yes. So
Erik Weihenmayer: career,
Mikey O'Hearn: so Emily Walker was my best friend growing up. You know, she was really my person and she's forever will be one of my people and my best friends. And, um, she passed away right before Speed National Championships in 2021.
It's, I mean, it altered everything for me. It devastated me, is the hardest thing I've ever been through. And I, I think about her every single day. I hone her in my heart and I, I, wear her prayer card in my speed suit when I compete now. But unfortunately, after she passed, I was left in deep grief and mourning, and I couldn't really see the sunlight.
I couldn't really find the positives. I think that's natural and organic. She's my person. And losing her really, and in large part broke me for a while and it really ruined me for a second. She's was this radiant, hilarious joy to be around, and she was one of my people, she's one of the first people I came out to and just felt so interconnected too.
It was really, you have your people and those, they're more than your best friends. They're like your soul people, and she was one of 'em. And so when she passed away, I. Um, impulsively decided to leave ski racing behind. I felt like I was grieving and mourning, and it, and ski racing was kind of getting in the way of my natural process of being okay and being able to grieve and mourn.
And so I left the sport after national championships and I went through a three year hiatus of the sport. I found. A little bit of peace with mourning grieving. I found a way to honor Emily and, you know, keep her present in my day-to day life. Not let her memory pass away or not let our moments and our memories fade.
Just kind of keeping our friendship alive. And so I went through college and I had a, a, a beautiful and so fulfilling college experience, but in post-college, I decided to come back to the sport. I, I had a refound purpose to all this. I had a one such a sense of self, you know, I was, when I used to race, I was in my teens and now was in the later teens into my twenties. And I had a sense of self. I knew my personality. I knew, my values, my principles. I knew how I am and who I am. And so I came in with a refound purpose for myself. But I also came in with a refound purpose of honing Emily, having her prayer card in my speed suit and not letting emily passing, take me from the sport. But Emily passing, being a re found purpose of entering the sport and racing for myself, but also layering that with racing for Emily and doing this kind of in her name and in her excellence. And I think the power of that, our power of our friendship and what ski racing, what that layer signifies to me, the deep meaning of it, how profound it is.
Having Emily tied to it allowed me to really take this on full time and get to this level.
Erik Weihenmayer: So now she's a force and an energy in your life that, that's beautiful. You know, that's, yeah. She's, we're gonna talk about alchemy down the road here in a minute, but yeah, that's am amazing. That's beautiful.
Mikey O'Hearn: She's such a force in my life. I mean, she's just present in my everyday, I, I make a moment to talk to her in the stark gates of every race and have her prayer card, but it's just, it's. So much more about our friendship to me than is for about ski racing. I guess. It's just, kinda honoring her, keeping her alive and you know, really feeling like, and witnessing her still in my life, despite her being pa passed away.
Erik Weihenmayer: Also, I've seen you talk a lot about your folks in your family. Sounds like you just have a powerhouse of a family.
Mikey O'Hearn: I do, I, I, I mean, my parents have been central in all of this, and they, one, they, they got me into this sport, but it was this undying belief and commitment to me. It was never a question of my capacity for them.
They, you know, I think having a disabled child, especially with, at that time with such a severe disability and something that was so unheard of unknown, but also so complex. It would've been really scary for a lot of people. But my parents was undying, unconditional, just commitment and belief in my capacity.
And so. They, yeah, they've been central to everything to me. I think they informed my principles and values. They're just good, great, hardworking people and just they pour so much love into me and therefore I'm able to excel.
Erik Weihenmayer: Don't you feel lucky in that way? I do too. You know, people have said, oh God, you got so unlucky going blind. I'm like, yeah, but I won the lottery with my family, my support of. My dad, uh mm-hmm. I've told this story before, but, um, remember that, actor and rapper ice tea? I think might have been at that Summit or there No Barriers Summit when he spoke and he's like, yeah, that's right.
'cause you were on the aircraft carrier in New York City when we did this huge festival. And he said to the audience, Hey, I'm looking at a lot of people with disabilities, a lot of people in wheelchairs. And he goes, I'm paraphrasing, but it was something like. I have like kind of a wheelchair in my heart.
like I grew up on the streets. Nobody cared whether I lived or died. Nobody taught me anything about what it's like to be a be a man, uh, be a human being. He's like, I had to learn all that,in these unlikely ways. And he goes in that way. I'm like. disabled, you know, in, in my own way. And I just thought that is so true, right?
Like when you grow up with this anchor of a family, right? You, you know, you're able to go out and, and conquer the world.
Mikey O'Hearn: It's true, it's true. I, I forgot about that in a way and it just gave me goosebumps or chills. But the a wheelchair of a heart, I think that really like just spoke volumes to me because like. You in a sense that is disabling and you know, on, on, on the other side of that, when you have a physical disability, but you have the community and the love of family and friends that enables you, it's like, it's kind of this like opposite ends of the spectrum. It's kind of crazy.
Erik Weihenmayer: Yeah. So here's just a little, I think it's funny that you had mentioned in one of your articles you said the doctors like said you'd never walk. I just think that's the funniest line. It's like you'll never walk and then of course you go out,
Mikey O'Hearn: right.
Erik Weihenmayer: To compete with Paralympics. is that like a strategy doctors use just to get you motivated? You'll never walk and then you're like. I
Mikey O'Hearn: know its crazy. And it's not even just my story, it's insane.
They, they're always saying it to everyone. Like, I have so many TV heard about, so it's just like repetitive. I don't know. They get bored and just throw it out there. Um, but
Right.
Yeah, but I, it's like, it, it is true. They said I would, one of it was never, I was never gonna live. I wasn't gonna survive birth.
And if I did, I would never walk. And I think the truth is way more powerful than that too, is that my disability was supposed to carry limitations. it was supposed to carry this inability to ever walk and therefore ever stand up ski race. And I think my medical team was transformative. I have this one doctor, Dr. Andrew Beau, who just was so defiant. It was, this disability was not gonna stop me from anything. And he's done all of my surgeries on my legs since I was two hours old. And he just did not allow his disability to carry any limitations.
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Erik Weihenmayer: I have a sociological question for you here. I don't even know exactly how to phrase it, but I'm gonna stumble my way forward here. you know, like pro athletes and stuff, there's this stereotype that you're like a manly man, you know?
And so whenever somebody like comes outta the closet, like in pro sports or it's like like a story, it's a big deal. Mm-hmm. Why do you think that is so much? Why do you think that is? Is it because like. when a, when a gay athlete is excelling at this incredible level, there's, it's kind of breaking that stereotype or what's your thinking there?
Mikey O'Hearn: Yeah, I think you're exactly on it. I think, you know, I appreciate the question 'cause being at intersection of disability and being gay, it feels like a lot to take on it sometimes, and I think it's about breaking the mold, I think. There's this mold or this idea of what an athlete looks like, a female athlete versus a male athlete, or just an athlete in general.
I think it's the idea of breaking the mold and kind of falling outside of stereotypical like, crazy muscles and being all macho and liking football and doing all that stuff. It's like it's a societal, I think. So it is something that society kind of throws onto you as a, just a human being in or outside of sports is you are supposed to fit your stereotypes.
You're supposed to, you're supposed to fit your roles. But so I think it's like breaking the mold, breaking the roles, or not really roles just breaking the mold. It's, it's kind of trailblazing and game changing when you're able to come out in sports and kind of show up and show out that like anyone can be an athlete like you.
It doesn't matter what, if you're a gay, lesbian, straight, bi, whatever it is, it's, it takes regimen routine. It takes principle, it takes values, and like it takes training. It takes competition. It doesn't take straight or gay. It takes, takes hard work, grit, and a value, I guess.
Erik Weihenmayer: that's a great answer. I wanna get to the fun part of the conversation here, and not that it hasn't been fun, but, so I met you when you were 17.
Yes. And you came and not all our guests have experienced directly with no barriers, the organization and our programming. But you happen to have, when you were 17, you signed up and you were part of this really cool No Barriers experience. We went to Nepal, we trekked through the Mustang Valley together.
Uh, we rode horseback. We visited Buddhist monasteries. We visited a school for the deaf and it was all, kids, teenagers at that time with different physical and emotional challenges. You've had that, your physical disability of course, but there are folks who had struggled with violence and depression and, and all kinds of stuff, you know, and it was a really powerful trip.
Do you, you have good memories of that trip?
Mikey O'Hearn: Oh, it, it's, I mean, one, like you said, it's, it's just such a profound trip for me, and I know I touched on this a little bit before we started the podcast, but it changed the whole trajectory of my life. it's one of the most significant and profound and moving parts of my life.
I think I hone that. Pretty much day to day too. It's the values I've taken outta that. no Barriers has these seven elements of life and you know, they include, summit Elevate, rope Team Alchemy, and I think those really spoke to me, all seven of them, of course. But really Alchemy Rope team.
But I really center those in my life. I mean, I'm quoted in several articles and, and dozens of interviews on Alchemy. it's something that I've adopted early on in life, but I wasn't able to really grasp what it really meant until we were there and then layer all of that No Barriers. That trip is the first time I came outta the closet, you know, publicly.
Freely and willingly. It was something that I was honing with pride and I never experienced that before. So I, I remember, I, I come back to that often. That day we were all sitting at circle and I said, I kind of whispered it and I kind of was too scared to say it too loud, but that I was gay and that it was something I was gonna kind of move forward with my life.
It was something I was gonna be proud of, and that changed a track of what everyone remembers. I can't speak for, you know, everyday person, but I think a shared experiences, remembering your first time coming out in a setting so public in a setting, more than just like intimate and like one or two close friends.
It's, it's something. It's really changes your brain chemistry. It hones a lot of human spirit, and I did that there and I did that because I felt so comfortable and felt so loved by everyone there in just a matter of weeks that I was able to do that and that changed everything for me. Then I was able to leave that trip and enter and then reenter the ski competitive ski scene as a proud gay athlete. And I was able to, you know, kind of navigate high school with that and then go into college super proud of my sexuality and who I am. But it all started there really.
Erik Weihenmayer: Yeah. First of all, I think it is cool because it was such a melting pot of challenge, you know, it was like, so many challenges and like you can lean into that and say, Hey, you know, your challenge isn't my challenge, but in a way we're a community and we can lift each other up, and that's the first thing I loved about that trip. Secondly, one, sorry. Oh no, go ahead.
Mikey O'Hearn: Well, I was gonna say that I think it was so revealing there that adversity embodies character and that we all, we all had separate forms of adversity or separate challenges, but we all had character that was built and embodied through life, but really was very evident and went mainstream there. And we were, that we all had shared experiences and therefore we were able to get so close knit and have such a fulfilling and enriching, you know, kind of adventure together.
Erik Weihenmayer: Yeah, I loved it. Gosh, so good. I hope we can do another one of those big international trips at some point.
Mikey O'Hearn: it was so cool.
Erik Weihenmayer: The second thing, and memory is always a little suspect, but what I remember about that trip was that we found this kind of petrified stick along the way. It was a rock, looked like a stick in a way, and we called it the Alchemy stick. And every night. A kid would hold the alchemy stick and they would tell their story, they'd tell their no barriers story.
And I remember that's when you came out in front of that group and I felt so honored that you felt so safe, and loved on that trip, uh, that you had this a massive courage to, to come outta the closet and tell people. And I remember you saying something, you said, my physical disease is not my greatest barrier.
You know, this is, and I have to be careful here because being gay is not a challenge. It's just who we are. Right. but it, but the struggles that you go through as a, as a gay man with, the world judging and living in this world of mostly straight people, uh, with all their stereotypes and,
You said that was a greater barrier, greater struggle than your physical disease?
Mikey O'Hearn: Yeah, I mean, at the time it certainly was. I think. When you're coming out, it's, you're hearing just a lot of stereotypes. You're also perceiving a lot of hate in the world. It's so, you know, the world's not always the mo like, you know, sunshines and rainbows and loving place.
There's a lot of homophobia in the world. it's pretty scary sometimes navigating the world as a gay person, a gay person, in, in athletics too. It doesn't always feel like there's a spot for you at the table or that there's room for you and you kind of have to shove elbows and make room for yourself and trailblaze and game change to do that.
But it was definitely, it was scary for me. I did not go into my night sharing my story, what my story is with that plan in mind to come out. It was definitely, you know, gonna be oriented and focused around, um, navigating childhood with a disability and what that means. And that's, there's so much power to that.
But just something about the community, the love that was poured in and the relationships that we fostered in such a short period of time. It gave me the courage to kind of do that. It gave me, the guts to really own a hundred percent of who I am. It was something that was definitely stopping me and hindering me in life.
And I think that's kind of natural. And unfortunately that's natural is, you know, being gay can be really scary in the world we live in, but there's moments of beauty when you're able to feel really seen, heard and loved by your people. And I was able to come out there. And then since then I've been pretty much able to live a very vibrant life because I was out from that point on, I didn't have to question it or second doubt myself anymore. I was able to lead with this because of, because of how everyone reacted, how everyone, nothing changed. It just felt like I was loved the same as I was 10 minutes earlier.
Erik Weihenmayer: Hmm. I'm so glad we could be a catalyst for you.
But not to focus on the negative, but I'm about to, you know, you, you fa face a lot of bullying when you were a kid. I remember you talking about on the trip, just of course, right? Like I thought you went to like a conservative school and kids were not. I do. Yeah. I went to a, yeah. And I remember some story about you getting, like thrown off the bus and excuse my language, it called, somebody called you like a crippled faggot or something horrible. I remember you telling this story and I was like, in the whole room. we're in tears. yeah, you've been through this shit buddy.
Mikey O'Hearn: Yeah. In a way I have. and it, but it is built me up in a lot of ways, but it was definitely, kind of defeating at a point in life. Yeah, it was, you know, I think navigating childhood with a disability and a physical disability, to my extent, was really difficult. People were pretty harsh, you know, kids weren't always so nice and high schoolers were even meaner, which is, I guess expected, but people were really harsh.
And then layering that with being gay at the time, being in the closet. But I think it was pretty obvious that I was gay. Yeah. but pretty harsh. Like people were really mean, and I think I did kind of take on a brunt force of bullying through high school. I, when I came out in Nepal, you know, I came out really intimately in a way to, all of our group.
And then, I'm trying to think the timeline. Uh, eventually, or maybe even before I was outed in high school, you know, I had a group of people who were pretty severe bullying. They ran with this whole narrative that I was gay, which is true. But it had to do with, like knew leaking personal information and just kind of, it was very exploitative.
And so that, that the police had to get involved in making this whole thing, and it was, horrible. And it was all rooted in hate, in hate for my sexuality, who I am, and kind of shown for myself. And I think having a disability later with all that, I kind of was an easy victim for them. And so, yeah, in early childhood, throughout high school, people were pretty harsh to me.
And I don't know, I think I, I had some personal growth along the way. I kept choosing resilience and I was able to grow into myself, grow into some confidence, unapologetic nature. I kind of shun out the hate. Now it doesn't, I don't central that I have my people. I went through the best college experience at Westminster University.
I found my people for life. I was so much love poured into me, and we were able to just kind of have a college experience full of like, you know, repertoire, witicisms, fun and just joy and laughter. And I think that all of that has kind of faded into my past, but it's something I hone in how I treat people and how I love and how I show up in leadership positions.
Erik Weihenmayer: Hey everybody, this is Erik and I want to take a little break from our interview to tell you about No Barriers. Obviously, we're interviewing these amazing No Barriers pioneers, but behind this podcast is an organization called No Barriers, predicated on the idea that what's within us is stronger than what's in our way.
Our mission at No Barriers is to help people. With disabilities to break through barriers, to tap into the light of the human spirit and to reclaim their lives, sometimes to reclaim their potential. In the business of shifting mindsets and it's proud work and I hope you'll get involved. Learn more about us.
Check out our newsletter. NoBarriersUSA.org. NoBarriersPodcast.com. Yeah, and let's now get to the idea of alchemy because that is an element that we talk a lot about and No Barriers. This idea of turning lead into gold and infused into your story there's so much alchemy, dude.
It's amazing. Like one, you're, you know, skiing almost being like this condu Conduciveness to, you know, your physical disability, right? Hey man, I, I can't walk, but I can ski. Your friend Emily, becoming this positive force when, you know, her death was so tragic. Your, as a person with a disability and being gay, you easily could have hidden, I mean, it would've been logical to hide under a rock. Instead, you know, you're out and you're creating this amazing positivity in the world, right?
Like your whole life seems like alchemy here.
Mikey O'Hearn: I think in a way it is. It's something that I didn't know how to put the words together for know what I was doing early on, but when we went on that trip to Nepal and I learned what alchemy was, it's something that spoke so loud to me. It just aligned with my life and how I lead.
And I mean, I'm quoted on it in day-to-day life and in so many interviews and podcasts and appearances and everything is alchemy. It just, it speaks so loudly and largely to the way I live and lead that it just naturally who I am. I think it's taking, you know, negatives and shifting them into positive outcomes.
It's taking something that was supposed to be defeating and making a defiant and mainstreaming glory and mainstreaming like pride and, and tenacity and grit over feeling like you're falling into stereotypes or falling into, societal expectations or societal demands that are, or it's, there's harshness.
Like it's just, it's choosing glory and choosing light over darkness. And it's, it's shifting that into. Joy rather than defeat. And I, I just love it. It's something that's always naturally been a part of me, but really something I've grown into and evolved over the years, that it's truly, it's what I eat, live and breathe.
It's, it's 24 7 for me is alchemy.
Erik Weihenmayer: Yeah. It's, so you're born with this disablity, you're gay, you know, like it's, uh it, some of that can become traumatizing, but at the same time, right. Like you also have talked about this idea that it gives you more empathy, gives you more emotional intelligence. Right.
Mikey O'Hearn: Yeah. I was just gonna say that. Those two exact words. Yeah. Tell me about those. Yeah. Going through adversity, like I said, embodies character. It's, there's definitely no harsh realities to it. Really difficult realities, but it also allows you to grow in empathy. It allows you to grow in wisdom and therefore emotional intelligence.
It's, it's allows you to. I take on a different lens of the world. It, you're so in tune with your emotions, your principles, your values. It really shapes your human spirit. And therefore, I feel so interconnected with my sense of self. I feel like I know 110% of who I am. I don't question myself. I'm rooted in confidence.
I'm rooted in legacy. And personality and unapologetic nature. And then I'm able to connect so deeply, so profoundly and so fully with my community, my, my best friends, my family, my friends. Like you're just able to get so much more out of life and, and really like juice the lemon fully, if you take your negatives and shift them into positive outlooks or positive outcomes, there's always another lens to take on.
And yes, harsh realities are harsh, and you should not, discredit or discount them from being traumatized or, or being difficult, but you also must navigate them with gratitude for way for, you know, who's backing you and who's in your corner, but gratitude and giving mercy to yourself.
Definitely mercy is a big thing, like not being too harsh on yourself, because these things are harsh and they're difficult, but navigating them with a little bit of mercy for yourself allows you to, to have more positive outcome and then take away things like, like the wisdom that kind of what's, oh my, I don't know what the word is, but there's so much wisdom that can come out of adversity that really can shift your whole life. It can shift how you tackle future obstacles. I think, you know, growing up with a disability, going through the harsh realities of surgery and operations, wheelchairs, walkers, cast, it prepared me in a weird way to then navigate coming out of the closet because I already had so much wisdom from that kind of.
Was able to be a similar experience. It definitely translates over. And then, you know, losing my best friend, I went through all these hard, hard things already, these hardships that I was able to transpire losing my best friend and you know, definitely mourning, grieve, but also now turn that into a place where I can hone her and honor her rather than just mourning, grieve forever.
I want to keep her memory alive. And so I think those things build a lot of character. They build a lot of growth and wi and wisdom.
Erik Weihenmayer: But I would also make sure that people understand that this isn't like just, it doesn't just happen, right? Like it takes discipline, it takes effort to to keep your mind thinking in like that kind of framework, right?
That's what we talk about at No Barriers as a mindset, right? You just, because it's so easy to go negative, right? But it takes discipline and effort and practice, right? To say, okay, like how am I gonna grow from this? And I know that can become a bit of a cliche. You embody this idea, this well, a quick story.
When I met Mark Wellman and Hugh Herr, mark Wellman, the paraplegic who climbed El Cap and founded No Barriers, and, uh, Hugh Herr, a double leg amputee. We climbed this face together out in moab, and I remember at the top Hugh looking down at these beautiful like reddish pinnacles that like stick out of the desert and they're all sandstone monoliths of different shapes and sizes.
And he described all of those and I just thought, wow, you know, like these formation shaped by wind and sun and rain and erosion and time. Like you don't have a choice about what happens to you, but you kind of hope to grow and be shaped into something that's kind of beautiful and profound and purposeful rather than something that's just monstrous and traumatic, right?
that's a choice.
Mikey O'Hearn: It's definitely is definitely not an organic thing. It's not natural to go through something hard and come out more positive and come out stronger. It is a choice you have to kind of like hone it, it take, it takes process, takes discipline, like you said, like you need to be committed or disciplined, and.
And, and being at least open-minded to seeing the positives through the negatives, and just knowing that there's light at the end of the tunnel, as cliche as that sounds. But there truly can be a light at the end of the tunnel. And it doesn't have to be like, you know, more than anything, I, I want my best friend back.
I want Emily to be back, but it's not gonna happen. That light's not possible. But there is light in the sense that I can hone her memory and I can honor her. And so it's, you know, kind of taking the wins that are possible. And transforming whatever negatives there are into the slightest positives.
Erik Weihenmayer: Beautiful. Uh, so tell me about your future career skiing. You ready?
Mikey O'Hearn: Yeah. I'm
Erik Weihenmayer: So you're not gonna retire again, are you?
Mikey O'Hearn: No, absolutely not. So eager, so excited. These games fueled and ignited something under me that was already there, but now it's so, it's so vibrant right now. And my goal coming back to ski racing two years ago was to make the 2030 games and, you know, kind of 2026 happened.
I evolved into this skier that was able to execute and make it happen. But my goal is not the touring like 2020. I'm set for, like I said, I just qualified for World Cups and World Championships earlier this year for next seasons and next seasons to follow. So I'm so excited for those. I'm excited for getting some more exposure and experience in my belt, evolving my ski racing, you know, just 'cause we're at the professional level of, para athletics does not mean we're done. There's so much growth to be made. There's so much training to be done, and I just want to continue growing into a swifter sharper, a more aerodynamic ski racer. I had this breakthrough on a domestic level going from back of the pack to front of pack, being contender rather than competitor, and now I'm ready to do that on an international level.
I have future cycles ahead. More World Cups, world champ starts, and I'm just so eager, eager, and so excited. I'm so proud to be representing one of all my communities, my values, but also Team USA.
Erik Weihenmayer: Awesome dude. That's so great. You're, I can't wait to follow your No Barriers career, your No Barriers life. And thank you for spending an hour with me. It's good to reconnect, friend.
Mikey O'Hearn: Thank you so much for having me. I mean, it means so much. I know it's redundant, but No Barriers truly changed the trajectory of my life, so. It's an honor.
Erik Weihenmayer: No barriers to everyone. Thanks. Awesome.
Didrik Johnck: The production team behind this podcast includes Producer Didrik Johnck, that's me and audio engineer Tyler Kottman. Special thanks to the Dan Ryan Band for our intro song Guidance. And thanks to all of you for listening. If you enjoyed this show, please subscribe, share it, and hey, we'd be thrilled for a review.
Show notes can be found@nobarrierspodcast.com. There's also a link there to shoot me an email with any suggestions or guest ideas for the show. Thanks so much and have a great day.
