The Klimb with Adrian Branch

Living with No Limits: Transforming Hardship into Possibility

• Adrian Branch • Season 1 • Episode 3

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What happens when life's unexpected disasters become the very training ground that prepares you for championship glory? Nate Burkhalter's remarkable journey reveals exactly that transformative possibility.

One moment, Nate was a college student with athletic dreams; the next, he was plunging into a concealed pit of boiling water, suffering second and third-degree burns from his thighs to his toes. This catastrophic accident could have defined his story as one of limitation and loss. Instead, it became the first testing ground for a resilience that would later propel him to extraordinary heights.

After rebuilding his life and finding success as an engineer, Nate faced a profound realization: material achievement without purpose had left him spiritually atrophied. The sudden death of a newly-retired colleague delivered a wake-up call that changed everything. "I'm procrastinating living for a purpose," Nate realized. This epiphany launched him toward risks most would avoid.

Pursuing American Ninja Warrior tested not just his physical abilities but his relationship with failure itself. After years of rejection, injuries, and setbacks, Nate's persistence led to his legendary "Run of the Year" while battling severe food poisoning. This determination caught the attention of producers from Exatlon, a grueling six-month competition in Latin America, where despite rupturing discs in his neck and breaking his ankle, Nate persevered to emerge as champion.

Throughout this conversation, Nate shares profound wisdom gained through adversity: "The riskiest thing you can do in life is play it safe" and "Failure is weighed in ounces, but regret is weighed in tons." His story reminds us that our greatest obstacles might actually be preparing us for our greatest victories—if we have the courage to keep climbing.

Follow Nate's continuing adventures @NoLimitsNate on Instagram and watch for his upcoming book, which promises to deliver more of the wisdom and inspiration that have made him not just a physical champion, but a champion of the human spirit. Whatever challenge you're facing today, let Nate's journey remind you: don't give up. Your setback might be setting you up for something extraordinary.

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Introduction to The Climb

Speaker 1

Hi , I'm Adrian Branch , former pro-athlete turned motivational speaker and certified life coach , and welcome to the Climb , a show where we celebrate the stories of resilient people sharing how they turned adversity into success , From the business sector to athletes and beyond . Be inspired and learn what it takes to climb .

Speaker 2

Hello everybody , I'm Adrian Branch and welcome to the Climb . Just like you heard in the open , this show is about encouraging people and their climb . You're going to hear people and the resilience of what they took to overcome , and my guest today is exactly that . I'm looking forward to you guys hearing about . His story is exactly that . I'm looking forward to you guys hearing about his story . This young man is fascinating . He might be the world's most interesting person because he's an adventurer , he's a missionary worker , he's an encourager , and I think there's going to be so many touch points in his story that you'll identify with . So , without any further ado , welcome Nate Burkhalter . Hello Nate .

Speaker 3

Hey B brother , and great to be with you . I'm excited for this , excited for your new show . You got a lot of wisdom to share with people and I'm honored to be a part of this .

Speaker 2

Well , nate , it's fascinating . Congratulations . I hear you're a newlywed to Miss Emily and a baby on the way . So you know , uncle , a hopes , after the baby is healthy , that it's a left-hander that shoots all the time . So I hope you have a left-hander . We can only pray you have so many touch points . Again , this show is about resilience , overcoming what's the climb , what's it take to climb , and I think you're perfect

The Boiling Pit Accident

Speaker 2

to tell your story . So take us back to I guess it was Louisiana Tech , and you're walking through campus and literally fell in a ditch .

Speaker 3

Yeah , I grew up in Louisiana , and Louisiana Tech University is where I got the privilege of going to school . Now , shout out to Carl Malone mailman .

Speaker 2

My year , yes , 1985 .

Speaker 3

Right , he's one of our lone celebrities from that university . But one of my passions being an athlete like yourself and it's a lens that I see through and have a lot of experience in I grew up in high school kind of a quig of an athlete , pretty small kid , and by the time I graduated high school I was 130 pounds , six feet tall . Couldn't play football like I wanted so I got into tennis just because no one played tennis in South Indiana . But being a solo sport , kind of like a kicker in football , you've got to develop the mental aspect of being an athlete . So it gave me a foundation .

Speaker 3

But to tie that into college I went to Louisiana Tech University , not on a football scholarship but on an academic scholarship partially as a financial aid and I was going to become an engineer and as I started in that process I really got into the discipline of weightlifting and really loved football in high school but again didn't get the opportunity to play . Long story short , by my sophomore year I put on 65 pounds of muscle through a lot of training and discipline , found out through some flag football that I was a really good athlete , especially in football and wide receiver .

Speaker 1

Wow .

Speaker 3

And I played on the football team . So they started saying man , you're as good as us , you could come do this . And I was like , well , that's always been a dream , but I never really believed it was possible . So I took my first attempt at really going for a goal , and a dream that I had and , long story short , went into the process of walking on the football team . And as I'm doing that my sophomore year , spring 2007 , I'm walking across campus from my dormitory to a practice field where I went multiple times a week , usually once a day after classes , and I'd go train . Well , I'm walking there this one day in the same path , a little bit in the grass , a little worn dirt pathway . I'm walking and suddenly I sink into the ground . The ground splits open like a chicken pot pie . Whoa , If you're from the South you know about chicken pot pie .

Speaker 2

Yeah , yeah , uh-huh .

Speaker 3

What wasn't Grandma's delightful experience in this case ? As I sink in and go about thigh deep . I instinctively reach behind me and catch what's left of firm ground , and I do like a reverse dip . I push myself back out of this now pit in the ground and I see steam and boiling water .

Speaker 2

Oh , my goodness Wow .

Speaker 3

So for a split second it was a fall , a reaction , climbing back out a second or two later and then I feel what I describe as a thousand hornets stinging me or a severe burn like acid . Wow .

Speaker 3

My mind's trying to process what's happening . But as I see bubbling water and steam and all of a sudden I feel the searing pain on my legs . I realize I'm in a boiling pit of water . The searing pain on my legs , I realized I'm in a boiling pit of water . So I instinctively start sprinting towards the dorm and I barrage through my four friends that were behind me and my teammates and I get inside the dorm , into the shower and begin rinsing cold water off on my legs , oh wow .

Speaker 3

Well , excruciating pain . For those of you that heard about burns , second degree is the most painful you can have because it kind of frays your nerve endings so you're very sensitive . Excruciating pain . For those of you that heard about burns , second degree is the most painful you can have because it kind of frays your nerve endings so you're very sensitive . Third degree is more permanent and damaging but it's less painful because it's burned the nerve endings off so your body can't really feel anymore . But that's a much longer recovery , skin grafts and things of that nature . Long story short , I find myself in the LSU burn center for a month , recovering from a severe second and third degree burn from my upper thighs down to my toes .

Speaker 1

Mm-hmm .

Speaker 3

Began the journey of one seeing my hope and dream as an athlete deteriorate . Yeah , I lost 20 pounds in the hospital . I was in a wheelchair for about a month after that , so I lost the ability to do anything athletic , and there's a few things that happened there For anyone listening . While this was a freak accident , I'm sure all of us have experienced some pain and frustration , some unexpected circumstances that lead us to do the old , that lead us to do the old . Why God ? Why me ?

Speaker 1

Yeah , Not fair .

Speaker 3

Maybe you've been there before . So I'm laying in this hospital bed , crying , complaining , in a lot of pain , unable to sleep . My legs are very porous because of the skin that's been burned off , so I'm leeching water constantly . I've got IVs in me . How ?

Speaker 2

old are you ? 18 , 19 at the time ? How old ? 21 at this point , gotcha .

Speaker 3

Okay To make some takeaways from the story . Well , it was very frustrating and painful in the moment and I'm having all these . Why me , god ? This isn't fair . But in that process I learned a few things that have really helped me in life and now I can look back and say I'm grateful for this situation , although it felt like a big setback in life and a big frustration .

Speaker 3

One of the things that happened is I got a good perspective change . There were some funny moments in there . One when I'm on the surgery table getting prepped to have my skin dead skin cut off and the surgeon tells me hey , this isn't the overall perspective change , but this is funny . The surgeon's like we're about to doach you up with some strong medication . It's going to knock you out . When you come to , you're going to be bandaged up and we'll have cut off all the dead skin . I'm like cool , I was drugged up pretty good at that point . Well , I come out of surgery , I come back awake and I look around and I've got my best friend , jeff , sitting over here and my sister , lydia , on the other side , and Lydia , who's straight laced . She's a year younger than me , but she was the one that had it all together . I was a little bit wild . It's like Nathan , I can't believe all those things you said . It's like Nathan , I can't believe all those things you said . Why would you say that that was horrible ?

Speaker 2

You were cussing at the doctor and the surgeon .

Speaker 3

They said when they gave me this medicine , they had me strapped down to the table . It still keeps your conscious mind active , but you just don't remember it . So I was screaming a lot of things to this doctor , like if you don't stop this , you're going to find me wrong . I'm going to swear so hard , I'm going to do it , I'm threatening this life the way I can't . And it really embarrassed my sister . I think I dropped some very explicit words .

Speaker 2

I didn't see that one coming . Nate , I'm blushing , I am blushing for you . Out this one . Okay , that's pretty good , that is funny .

Speaker 3

Surgery comes in I apologize he's like nah , that was a great reaction man . I get the best stories from these kinds of surgeries , so he was cool with it . But that was at the beginning of my journey . I thought this would be a quick you know a couple of day recovery . Come to find out this is going to be many months of intense recovery . So , as I got wheeled every day down to the station where they would change out the bandages and basically rip them off of me , when .

Speaker 3

I would get wheeled back . I would see these different rooms with people that were suffering from some kind of burn injury . This was the Louisiana State University Burn Center . So people burn head to toe in different parts of their body . One room I noticed on day four or five it was empty and there had been someone in there before and I said , hey , nurse , what happened to that guy ? She said , oh , he died last night . Oh , wow , and I remember that being one of the biggest slaps in my face of one me having this poor attitude and of course it was painful .

Speaker 3

But I realized there , even though it wasn't that close to God at the time , I realized , man , I'm still alive , there's still a lungs , I'm not horribly disfigured , I'll recover . It'll be painful , I'll have some , some limitations from this that I'll have to work through , but , wow , still got breath in my lungs . And that that became a slap in the face of you , in the face of don't be a complainer here , look for a way that you can persevere . And that came into play later in life . The other thing I learned from that is I had some lawyers come up to me and they said , hey , we've got a pretty good case here . You can make some good money out of this .

Speaker 3

You do say these words , but here's what I heard . They said you're going to have to play the victim . I'm going to need you to back away from your pursuit in the engineering career . I'm going to need you to not go to that internship that you've secured and let's just let the negative effects of this play out . And so we can gain a lot from paying suffering . We can gain a lot from loss of future revenue . As an engineer , we can hit the areas and I thought about that for a minute and I thought about cases where people have made a lot of money from situations that have happened to them that weren't their fault . But I remember one thing I learned from my grandfather . He was a World War II vet and when he came home from having a crash landing as a pilot over in the Asia Pacific campaign , he declined a lot of medical benefits that the government was trying to give . They had a limited budget for people and because he already had a job secured , he's like I can pay for these things out of my job .

Speaker 3

So I don't have to pay for people who have that work and pay for it .

Speaker 2

Wow , granddad Nice Wow .

Speaker 3

Don't be a victim here . Now , that was just a childhood lesson he gave me that I think God brought back to the forefront of my mind . So , long story short , I chose how do I be an overcomer in this situation ? And man , it was the spirit of God prompted me in that . I can't say that at 21, . I was that wise . But I did get out of pursuing the big lawsuit , fat check .

Speaker 3

While that would have been a blessing at the time because I didn't have any money , I think in the long term it would have crippled me . It would have killed my desire and my ability to slowly grow , step by step . And that's what God has for us is a place of stewardship . You grow and you increase . You grow and you increase . When you get too much from the beginning , it can cripple you , Just as we see people who win the lottery . Rarely is it a benefit in their life .

Speaker 3

So long story short , there I learned to really change my perspective and realize I've still got breath in my lungs . Keep fighting and then two don't be a victim . And these situations

Changing Perspective After Injury

Speaker 3

can work out . There's a scripture I live by . Romans 8 , 28 says God will work all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose . So it's for my good and God's glory if I can learn to choose and frame this in the right thing . So from there , I didn't get back into football . I didn't have a redemption story . I chose to pursue the engineering world . I worked hard for that Graduate move to Houston , texas , get a job with a oil and gas engineering firm .

Speaker 2

Let me ask you this real quick before we move on with that , because , nate , you've said so many things and you just mentioned there's some listeners out there that's dealing with some heartbreak and if they had a slight of hand they could have turned this puppy around as well in their situation and say I can make millions , I could have a wing on Louisiana Tech named after me , like yourself , but you chose the high road .

Speaker 2

I want to ask this one , as you are showing yourself as an overcomer what was it like when nobody was around before you finished and that talk of good and evil , that talk of the four walls in your mind Because I really believe a lot of the four walls in your mind , because I really believe a lot of the battle ? Is that self-talk Out of the abundance of the heart ? The mouth speaks as a man ? Think . If so , he is . What was that self-talk like when you're going through the anger and the shock of the misdream right there ? Take us through that how you were feeling as a 21-year-old stud that picked up 65 pounds and ready to play a high-level football .

Speaker 3

You know , one of the big things that helped me later in life , as I did become a professional athlete , was I looked back at that time and I really lived by my perception of success versus failure and in that season of really beginning to go for it in the football world and trying to get on that team and seeing potential there to be a good player starter . I don't know if I had NFL potential . Regardless of that , what I saw there is there's a piece of me that had a bit of regret .

Speaker 2

Wow , that's good . That's good .

Speaker 3

I hadn't fully laid it on the line yet I hadn't gone . All in this comes into play later in my story . So I felt like you know what , I wasn't sure if I was going to fully make it , which means to me it would have been a failure . This is the football attempt and if I had failed , that feels like it would have defined me , because I hadn't learned to operate from an identity of who I am as a son of God , meant to take risks and move forward . I had only known if I think I can do it , then I'm going to go for it because it's going to give me success . But if there's a chance that I'm going to fail which every important thing we'll do in life has a risk and an element of failure involved If I think it's going to lead to failure , I'm not going to do it . Yes , it's going to lead to failure . So you know , while I was in this , this burn disaster- I'm really thinking about kind of this .

Speaker 3

I hadn't fully laid it on the line and decided to go all in in the football path and a little bit of relief hit me where I don't have to find out if I'm going to fail on that . Oh , okay , wow , Then I'm wrestling with the other side of what you're talking about . What's the inner game ? Am I going to play the victim here ?

Speaker 2

Wow .

Speaker 3

And I did decide to myself and say am I living by what I preach ? Now I preach and encourage others . Hey , don't be a victim here . I came from not great circumstances and I've encouraged other people . Don't be a victim from your circumstances , regardless of what they are and regardless of the truth and reality . Don't let it become your identity . Find a way through and the people that are seeking to grow forward . Man , I see that God tends to put his hand on those people and encourage them and give them the path forward . But I saw if I stayed in that mentality it's going to trap me . So I was wrestling with some of those demons , some of those thoughts and temptations of life could be easier . Right now I play the victim , the man I want to be , and that's not going to help my future , although I didn't really know what was to come in the future .

Speaker 2

Were there any books that you were reading at the time ? Because I'm parking here for a second again , nate , because a lot of people may not have that Nate Burkhalter in their ear . They say , man , attaboy , you can do it , keep going in their ear . They say , man , attaboy , you can do it , keep going . Another question , just while we're here , is what were the books that you may have been reading or what were your closest friends saying to you to help keep your compass pointed north at that time ?

Speaker 3

Well , I am a very avid reader . Right now . I just set up shop in my new house . I got 3% of the books I own behind me . I've got a lot of books and many of them have been incredibly helpful , because I can't get around these authors , but I can learn from their wisdom and their life . At the time , I was not an avid reader of anything but my engineering textbooks .

Speaker 3

I have the benefit of a good , godly pastor who was also a businessman , and I had a couple of friends that helped remind me of the values that I'd been raised in .

Speaker 3

So I have to attribute a lot of this mindset to my parents . Even though my dad and I weren't in a great spot at that time , he was a hard worker . He was a good man that reminded me of some of these principles , and so , with just having them in my ear and one random person that reached out to me and said God told me to pray for you , it's going to be okay , keep going forward and it just gave me a glimmer of hope in my spirit that I can fight forward through this .

Speaker 3

I don't have to sit back and just take it . So I ended up getting out of that hospital a month early , got back in and finished my my finals exams for the spring semester , went to Arkansas , got my first internship . I got my wheelchair in the back of my truck .

Speaker 3

Whoa One leg better than the other . It was my left leg , so I could drive with my left leg . Yeah , to the side of my throat , my wheelchair out , roll around . I could also do some cool willies on that wheelchair , oh okay , adventurer , the adventurer . Carried me forward no-transcript

Corporate Success and Spiritual Atrophy

Speaker 3

of years into a career , started doing well , started climbing the corporate ladder . Financially I'm doing well relative to where I came from , in a double-wide mobile home .

Speaker 1

Wow , wow .

Speaker 3

From that point I've started asking deeper questions . I'm seeing people climb this corporate career path . They're doing well , but while they have a lot of money and they have some success , they still don't seem very content . And I'm seeing people with poor marriages . I'm seeing people with poor health . I'm seeing people one that retire and some of them would die . They're healthy , they have money , they get to go do the things they want to do . And I had a coworker . He was older than me , we were working a big project down in the Gulf of Mexico and when we were finishing up this project he said I'm about to retire and now I've got all the time in the world to go do the things that I've wanted to , because the past 30 years , 35 years , I've paid my price so that I can now live and pursue things that are impactful , important , purposeful , yes , and so I remember okay , I guess that's what you're supposed to do in this world . You kind of work through the years and then you go pursue something that's more purpose-oriented .

Speaker 3

So , I wrote that down as a philosophy for life . All right , put my head down , grind here , and then I'll move on to being able to do something more impactful Maybe what God's made me to do . He retired soon after . I'll move on to being able to do something more impactful , maybe what God's made me to do . Yes , he retired soon after , and a month later I got a notice in our company email that this man had passed away in his sleep .

Speaker 2

Nothing , no tragic accident .

Speaker 1

Yeah , yeah .

Speaker 3

And it slapped me in the face so hard because I realized I'm not guaranteed tomorrow . And then I thought you know what I'm'm ? I'm procrastinating , living for a purpose and it's just kind of about me and accumulating some safety and security and and hoping that I'm going to get to live my best life , while really I'm I'm growing atroph . I'm atrophying in my spirit .

Speaker 2

Oh wow , say that one again , nate . Say that one again . So you're producing in the in the world standard of making money . But holistically , in your spirit there was an atrophy , there was a dehydration in your inner man .

Speaker 3

That's a great way to describe it . Now , that's not the case with everyone , yes , but this is where I realized I'm not playing it safe in this place because it's one of security for me . I'm now playing it safe in this place because it's one of security for me , and this isn't what I'm called to do Now . Not every job is a calling per se . There's value in working and things that we do with our adding value to society , but I just sensed in my spirit something needed to change , and so the process I went through in that was you know what I'm living life on my terms for me , god , if you put me here , you know what I'm living life on my terms for me , god , if you put me here , why and what do I need to do about it ? And in there I got an impression . Maybe it was from being raised as a preacher's kid .

Speaker 2

And .

Speaker 3

I realized I never fully said God , this is my life . You've given it to me and I want you to tell me what to do with it . I'd always said how do I enjoy it the most , within some moral boundaries .

Speaker 2

Wow , okay , okay .

Speaker 3

Shift that happened where I said all right , god , I'm all in for whatever you call me to do . If it's being a missionary in a mud hut , which didn't sound fun , or something else , I'll do it . The shift that happened there is , as God began to work , some incredible things in my life . My perspective changed , my identity changed and now I begin to see myself no longer from my potential success or the risk of a failure . I saw myself as a child of God that had the ability to take risks and try things and go for a dream or a desire in my heart .

Speaker 3

Shortly after that , someone sent me a YouTube video and said Nate , I know you've always been an athlete , but you've never really gotten to do anything with that . Have you heard of this TV show called American Ninja Warrior ? Whether or not , you have , watch this video . So I watch a Cambodian immigrant get on American Ninja Warrior he was in Houston , texas at the time Go through the course , have an injury and still find his way to finish the course and beat it . And then it inspired something in my spirit . I was so invigorated I'm like I got to find out what this thing is , and it began a journey of me trying out for NBC's American Ninja Warrior , which later became a pretty big hit TV show featuring former , current athletes of all different walks of life . So that began my journey of

American Ninja Warrior Journey

Speaker 3

pursuing American Ninja Warrior . Now , when I saw that , I knew this is public , there's a big risk here , I don't know if it'll work out . And I looked back to my time as a college athlete and I said man , the regret I have .

Speaker 2

Yes , I'm not going for it there .

Speaker 3

Yes , and I out because of that college burn . But I knew I didn't lay it all on the line and it haunted me . I did not want to live the rest of my life in places of looking back with regret . I'd rather go for something .

Speaker 2

And whether or not it works out the way I'm hoping . I know that I laid it all on the line . You know what , nate ? I'm going to jump in with you because I identify fully with what you're saying . So you're getting ready to transition . You were making money and success as an engineer and then we're starting to transition into the Ninja Warrior , and you had names like Ninja Nate that still holds , and what is it ? No Limit Nate , which is amazing . But where you just said this , I identify with you fully , with me at the University of Maryland .

Speaker 2

I tried out for the 1984 . It was in 83 , one year ahead of time 1983 Olympic team . So this was where , eventually , the same guys would make it in 84 in Los Angeles Michael Jordan , patrick Ewan , chris Mullen these were those stars of that era . I tried out in college , but I had the same mindset . To be honest , nate , I said you know what ? At 20 years old , I'm trying out for this Olympic team , and that's where I first saw Charles Barkley and Karl Malone as well . I said I'm gonna go out there and I'm not gonna do my best because if they cut me , I've got an excuse . Well man , well man , never , ever , be afraid of failure and never ever be afraid of success . Don't be afraid . I said I'm not gonna do my best . I'm gonna try out . So if they cut me , which they did , at least I can make the excuse . I didn't do my best , man , break that down for us , nate .

Speaker 3

I'm glad that's a universal principle . That is exactly what was going on with me . If I gave something my 75% , 80% , I was talented in some ways , people would think that I gave it my own . If it didn't work out , I knew I could say well , I didn't fully try anyway , so it doesn't matter , it's a fear mindset . It's a fear mindset . It's a limited mindset and you walk through it yourself .

Speaker 3

That's where I was , and so the change I had was what you're talking about . I didn't want to play a half-heartedly try something and then decide . If it works out , great , if it didn't , I have an excuse . So as I saw this American Ninja Warrior opportunity , I made up in my mind I'm going to lay it all on the line and if it works out good , if it doesn't , so be it . And that began a three-year journey of trying out auditioning , getting rejected . The next year trying out auditioning , getting rejected , and it really I think god tested me in this to see how to really change that identity and that mindset . So it wasn't until my third year of of auditioning because it's it's reality tv as far as the audition process , because they're looking for story , personality yeah , athletic , and then when you get on it's it's all athletics gotcha , but finally had the breakthrough and it really forced me to become a communicator , because as an athlete , I'd rather just do the thing and not have to communicate .

Speaker 3

I think God tricked me with the little carrot . He was sitting in front of me like come after this athletic opportunity , and it really made me grow as a speaker and as a communicator , which I'm grateful for , because now I get to share and impact other people .

Speaker 2

Doing a wonderful job , yes .

Speaker 3

communicator which I'm grateful for , because now I get to share and impact other people with Doing a wonderful job . Yes , so long story short , I finally get on my third year . I do well . I make it to the national finals in Las Vegas .

Speaker 1

I'm looking at the chance to win a million dollar prize and I break my ankle , oh , right before I .

Speaker 2

Oh , my goodness .

Speaker 3

Of course . So for those athletes out there that have had a season ending injury , oh my goodness . And the consensus I got from that was just being reminded that God can work out all things for your good If you don't , don't give up . And so I continued to press in the next year and missed the national finals by one spot . Next year after that , which is year five of pursuing this injury journey , missed the national finals by one spot . Year six I'd overcome a shoulder separation and tear from injuries , broken another ankle throughout the process , but finally , year six , I get the chance . I make it back to the national finals . I was living over in Africa and in Norway at the time and I finally got the chance to be back on that course . So I'm like , oh , it's been six years , this is redemption moment . Well , I come down with severe food poisoning . We thought it was malaria , it ended up being food poisoning . Oh wow , I had to smug in the toilet .

Speaker 2

Wow .

Speaker 3

And teachers were telling me hey , you know , someone gave us the update . You're in no shape to be able to compete . We're going to pull you from the competition . No-transcript , I'm going to give it everything I've got , even if it means I stumble at the starting line . And on Ninja Warrior . If you don't make it to an obstacle , you fall in the water red lights go off they throw a foul on you .

Speaker 3

Your season's over and that happens to everyone . But I was going to say I'm giving it my all , regardless of how this looks . Well , I ended up having a buzzer beater and beat the last obstacle and hit the buzzer with one second left and it ended up being an incredible story . I went on to the final round and lose , don't win , the million dollars . But a producer saw that from another TV show and he said Nate you're an overcomer man , you've traveled the world , you've done a story .

Speaker 3

I got a TV show called Exit Lawn Right over your shoulder . Yes , it's a story , but he said I got a TV show in Latin America . It's former and current pro athletes , soccer , olympians , nfl , and they all compete on this reality tv show up to six months and then there's one champion that's crowned at the end of it . So I had unbeknownst to that producer . I had quit my job a few months before my engineering career because I felt like god told me it's time to walk away , don't play anymore . So , without knowing about a future opportunity , I walk away from my career . My manager tells me I'm nuts . He's like what are you doing ? You're walking away from the incredible . My dog is attacking something over here .

Speaker 2

He's getting you ready for the course , exactly .

Speaker 3

He's building up some energy . He said you're walking away from an incredible career opportunity . What are you thinking ? And I was like , well , it's kind of a God thing and he's like man , you religious people what is wrong with y'all oh ?

Speaker 2

okay so .

Speaker 3

I laughed and said hey , I've learned enough at this point in my life , life where I have to move forward , even if it's towards the risk , instead of playing it safe . Well , so I walk away from the job .

Speaker 2

This new TV show pops up . They end up paying me as much as my engineering salary had paid me .

Speaker 3

Wow , wow , it's a contestant , not the grand partners . So I get on this show and I end up enduring for six months daily competition . They take your cell phone day one and you are off the grid . There is no communication , there is no family . We're sleeping in a shack in the woods like Survivor .

Speaker 1

Wow .

Speaker 3

And we compete every day on different sports . They have basketball , baseball , football it's a lot of throws and obstacle course racing . It's all in Spanish . I'm the one gringo and an antics .

Speaker 2

Oh , okay .

Speaker 3

I didn't speak Spanish , but I got the opportunity . That's how I frame it . I got the opportunity to learn . So , I grew in Spanish . I went through three different significant injuries . The last one , well , the first one was I thought I broke my neck , ended up rupturing two discs in my neck . Oh , and I was eliminated from the competition and , by a miracle , I recovered faster than expected . We had a pause because of COVID , which had , you know , broken out the world in 2020 .

Speaker 1

Yep .

Speaker 3

The pause in our production for a couple of weeks gave me the chance to not get eliminated but recover .

Speaker 2

In the same year , in the same season that you hurt your neck . Wow , okay , okay .

Speaker 3

So , instead of my season being over , and because I've learned to not go into the very dark place , that can happen when you get an injury From your past experiences . I said , you know what , when it happened , once I found out it wasn't broken and I had a couple of months recovery predicted , I was like , well , let me just do everything I can right now to do my best to recover .

Speaker 2

Got it .

Speaker 3

And I accelerated recovery and then we had a little bit of a pause on the show which kept me from getting eliminated . And then I came back in , competed more , made it to the right before the final week and I was doing well in the competition . I was at the top of the leaderboard . So I'm getting the predictions . This guy's gonna make it to the finals . He's got a chance to win . Now I end up breaking my ankle on a course , went to the er there in the kind of a field hospital we're filming down in the dominican republic in the jungle , and in that er they show me the , the scan . Your ankle's broken , we're going to put you in a cast . And and that . I remember one , this song that I learned in spanish . It was a , it was a english work worship song called way maker oh , yeah , absolutely , absolutely .

Speaker 3

And it's fairly well known in that circle , but there's a Spanish version called Abra's Camino , and so I'd learned that before I went on the show , because I'd heard I had three weeks before I knew what I was going on this , so I'd memorized that song . So I remember being in the hospital . I've made it five months , I had a good chance to win , and now I've broken my ankle and it looks like it's all over . And this is where I say this scripture I talked about earlier God works all things together for our good If you're willing to stay faithful to the calling he has for you .

Speaker 3

So , I'm crying , as I just kind of know my season's over . This is like past seasons where I've had an injury and it all ended . I'll probably never get this opportunity again , and I pull out this piece of paper that I had illegally . We couldn't have paper and pen right .

Speaker 1

Uh-huh , uh-huh , uh-huh .

Speaker 3

A pen from a nurse and I had some pieces of paper that I'd collected out in the jungle , that were on the ground , and I had written . I was writing at that time , writing this verse to that song that I heard , and there's a part of it that says even when you don't see it and when you don't feel it , god is still working . So I'm writing that and I'm crying . I'm literally crying . This is my whole life , right here . And as I'm crying , I hear that song start playing in Spanish , and I hadn't heard music for months .

Speaker 1

And .

Speaker 3

I go over and , sliding open this , it looks like a shower curtain , separate stalls in this emergency room , and there's a lady there and her phone's ringing and she's like , oh , it's me telephono . And I'm like , oh , how could this sign from God come out of nowhere ? My doctor walks back in and he said we're going to put you in a cast . And I was like no , no cast , I want a walking boot . And so I fought with him for a while and he finally said some cuss words and then oh , he's doing the cussing .

Speaker 2

Usually it's you , an anesthesiologist that's cussing , but go ahead .

Speaker 3

So from there yeah , from there I head back in . I rest for 10 days . They're about to eliminate me and in the elimination ceremony I stand up on the platform , I take off my walking boot and I tell them hey , I'm not done here

Exatlon Victory Despite Injuries

Speaker 3

, I'm still going for it . I get back in the competition and I end up winning every battle that week elimination round in the finals .

Speaker 3

And so , after winning all the rounds and beating out all the competitors , I end up being the last man standing and hoisting the trophy and getting to walk away with the grand prize .

Speaker 2

Wow , wow , nate , I've got to ask you right here . Let me stop you for a second . I want to go back . One year earlier you had food poisoning in the championship rounds and that turned out , when you hit that buzzer , to be the Ninja Warrior Run of the Year . So that's one year earlier . You had the Run of the Year . Then , a year later , you went through what was potentially a broken neck and then a broken ankle . You refused that .

Speaker 2

If I'm hearing it right , you stood on Romans 8 , 28, . All things work out for the good of those who love the Lord and call it according to his purpose and the song Waymaker . He makes a way where there is no way and you win it . What does that do to your faith ? And then let me add this one before I give this back to you You're not afraid anymore , like me in college and you in college , you're not afraid to fail or succeed . You're on top . You've accomplished an amazing goal . What did that do to your faith ? What did that do to your inner man ? What did that do to your ?

Speaker 3

confidence and your competence on who you were Great question . Well , the main takeaway I had from that is this phrase . The phrase is the riskiest thing you can do in life is play it safe .

Speaker 2

Wow , wow .

Speaker 3

Wow . So I got out of that show and I ended up calling the manager at ExxonMobil is the company that I worked at . And that manager said Nate , I hadn't heard from you in I don't know nine months now . What in the world have you been doing ? And I said you'll never believe what happened . I ended up getting on a TV show and I won it and I made twice as much money and half the time .

Speaker 2

Whoa Wow .

Speaker 3

Our company and he said you'll never believe what happened . The world went into a pandemonium . We we let go of 90% of our staff here . You were a high performer but I couldn't have saved your job . If you had stayed in this company hoping to save your job , you would have lost it . But you end up quitting this company at a great time in the year and you go off to some TV show you've never heard of and you won the whole thing .

Speaker 1

Wow .

Speaker 3

Okay , maybe there is something to this God thing you're talking about . Whoa , a mind was blown . But to more specifically answer your question , it just reminded me through all the hardships and challenges that we all go through , man . Every one of those things I went through in that TV show I had experienced in life already .

Speaker 2

Oh , okay .

Speaker 3

I've been here before .

Speaker 2

Okay .

Speaker 3

It's prepared me . So all those things would prepare me , because my competitors were experiencing the same thing and they were quitting from it . Their season ended . We all had problems , we all had injuries , but because I'd been prepared , it gave me a different perspective , because I saw that God was still working in faith . I kept going and I left it all on the line . I couldn't define the results . I let God do that . I just defined that I'm going to show up every day , give my best , be all in , and I won't win at all costs .

Speaker 3

So to be clear , I did not win at all costs . I gave it my best . I honored my competitors , my tools my .

Speaker 3

God behind the scenes , and then he was the one that chose to present me with a trophy . I can't control those things , so it just gave me confidence to continue to live in the way that . It doesn't always seem like it's going to work out how I hope , but I've got faith that if I do it God's way , I'll get promoted in the right places at the right time . But I don't need to fight things . I got to trust the process and keep doing it the right way , and that will bring its blessing , although we're all guaranteed suffering and hardships in life . So how do you deal with those things ? I choose to say this is , for my future , good , so God , help me to persevere now . Now I can say I'm a champion . Just like it starts here , yes , and then it translates to external things .

Speaker 2

Let me ask you a few questions as we're getting ready to wind this down in a bit . This has been so amazing . I hope for our listeners out there . You're hearing a guy that could have had all the excuses falling in a ditch and having degree second degree burns very , very painful and didn't make an excuse out of that , and then also getting his degree and making six figures high . Six figures having their American dream three hots in a cot . But he still had an insatiable appetite to answer that gnawing and he wasn't afraid anymore and he went out there .

Speaker 2

American Ninja Warrior one of the most popular shows ever . I still love it , me and my family and had the run of the year in 2019 , overcoming hardships . And then Exactalon , which is like a survivor and an American Ninja Warrior show combined , and then Nate miraculously wins that whole puppy . My question to you , nate ? I want to ask a few questions here because , man , you've done it all You've been I wrote down somebody's notes . You've been an adventurer , a speaker , real estate developer , engineer , mission worker and now newlywed we got to get Emily a shout out . So , listen , I've been with my wife next month going to be 40 years , so need to know . Listen , if mama ain't happy , nobody's happy . That's all you need to know . That's the Dr Phil right there . And if mama ain't happy , nobody's happy . That's all you need to know . That's the Dr Phil right there . Brag on the message real quick .

Speaker 3

Who in the world is this precious Emily that's won your heart ? Yeah , I'm blessed to be a newlywed . I met Emily about 18 months ago through a mutual friend and I've been searching for a good woman , a wife , for a long time and just trusting God in that process , but I saw that she had endured some hardship .

Speaker 3

She had gone through things that were tough and I love the way that she responded . You see people that go through hardship and some of them are kind of broken and bitter , and others they let that shape them in a way that they see life through a new lens .

Speaker 1

Wow and trust got even deeper .

Speaker 3

They see life through a new lens and they're grateful for what they have , and trust got even deeper , and so that was one of the traits that really drew me to her , her mindset and her love for others . So , long story short , I got an amazing and beautiful wife . It was a woman that said yes to me as well , and we jumped into marriage . We ended up deciding we're going to have a faster engagement , so we were engaged for two weeks . We went to Italy , had a little ceremony there on our own , eloped came back , and now we got a honeymoon baby on the way .

Speaker 3

All right being a single guy to engage to married to . Now a kid on the way .

Speaker 2

I'm ready to be an uncle . Let's go . I'm going to give a candy , healthy candy . I'm going to give a healthy candy .

Speaker 3

Help me , uncle . Yes .

Speaker 2

PPO

Regret Weighs Tons, Failure Weighs Ounces

Speaker 2

.

Speaker 3

Yes .

Speaker 2

Wow , well , nate , listen , it's been so rich . I want you before we let you go . How can you encourage someone that's listening to keep climbing ? Talk to that audience out there and that person . How you can encourage someone out there to keep climbing and keep saying attaboy , what would you say to them ?

Speaker 3

That's good . I would give you a little phrase that failure is weighed in ounces , but regret is weighed in tons . Whoa .

Speaker 2

I'm going to drop this mic right here . You got to say that one again . That was impressive . Say that one again .

Speaker 3

We feel we definitely fear failure , but failure it only weighs ounces . You can get through failure relatively quickly , especially if you have the mindset that I can do that again . It could be a rejection , it could be a business mess up . Whatever it is , it may feel permanent . Failure is not permanent , but regret , regret , is permanent . You can never go back in time , and so in that weight of regret , I've felt that it's weighed me down so much . So here's the takeaway for you wherever you are in your life right now whatever you're pursuing or , more importantly , the things you're not pursuing that you feel you have a conviction towards but you're afraid of , let regret fuel your resolve . Drink then your resolve . Don't give up . There's so many promises meant for you in your life if you do not give up .

Speaker 3

So I continued to look towards people that encouraged and inspired me , not only with their words towards me , but just by their example . That's why I've got these books , that's why I'm reading , that's why I'm reading the Word . I believe the Bible is a book of examples , not a book of exemptions . It's real people , real hardship , that have overcome unique situations and they've used the Spirit of God in their life , the encouragement that God gives each one of us to move forward . So I'd say , wherever your situation , is , your frustration , decide that this is going to be something now that's going to be a great thing for your future , and that's hard to say in really bad situations .

Speaker 3

So I say that with all respect towards people that are going through incredibly hard things , but there's going to be someone that you'll look at in the future that say they're in a worse situation than I am and they're choosing to have an even better attitude . How can I go around the world seeing incredible hardship and poverty and yet see people that have even more joy than we in America have ? So joy is possible despite circumstance . Choose to live in a place where you're going to apply your present challenge to get more resolve to persevere and push through , because there's a harvest , there's a benefit , there's a blessing on the other side of this thing . Whatever you're fighting , don't give up .

Speaker 1

It took me as an athlete .

Speaker 3

I was 30 years old before I first got a real opportunity and most people are done as an athlete by their mid-20s .

Speaker 2

Yes .

Speaker 3

And I got a championship at 34 , and I'm still at 38 , still competing at a relatively high level . So my window was moved way back . I thought it was way past time for me . So , whatever the thing is that you feel maybe it's athletics , maybe it's business , maybe it's a relationship , like me getting married at 38 years old , or if you're further along and you're picking up the pieces , it's okay . Pick it up , rebuild , don't give up .

Speaker 2

Wow , Beautiful Nice Nate . Nice man , where can we find you ? For those listeners out there that want to hear more of Nate Burkhalter , where can they find you , Nate ?

Speaker 3

Yeah , I go by no Limits , nate . It's a nickname we got from one of the hosts on American Ninja Warrior .

Speaker 3

But you can find me on social media at no Limits Nate , I'm most active on Instagram , but I'm on Facebook and TikTok . And then I'm about to launch a book and it's a similar recap of my life story , with a lot of takeaways , mostly funny stories and mixed in with some adventure and excitement . But that's going to be the way that I'm able to encourage people in the deeper sides of the story that God's given me . Wow , I'm active on social media , so you can come find me .

Speaker 2

Yes .

Speaker 3

Send me a message . I love talking to people that I hear from mutual friends like AB . I call AB Coach .

Speaker 2

This was my rookie . I'm so , so proud . Nate , you touched my heart today . Thank you so much for coming in here . You have been amazing . Keep rocking folks . He puts it faith in action . When you see Nate , he's a true eliminate . Well done , nate .

Speaker 2

Thanks for joining the show today and for our listeners out there , I want you to wow . That was really full . Take time out and digest what he said . This was a young man that had to endure second degree burns , had to endure self-confidence and thinking if he can , if he can't . And then we're seeing him now in a 38 , an athlete , a champion , a newlywed and a father . Amazing things can happen when you don't cancel yourself out . Whoa , that was good . Well , if you liked today's show , come on over and check us out at adrienbranchespeakscom . Also , if you want to see us on , adrienne Branch Speaks on the social media and then with this podcast , the Climb , go to the Climb and check out podcasts wherever they're available To my climbers out there . Thank you for joining us today . We're going to have some more guests coming up and remember , remember . Remember , like Nate said , give yourself a chance . But for my climbers , be encouraged and keep climbing . Thanks everybody , thank you .