I Almost DROWN!!! Seriously!!!!

Posted by admin in Blog

Apr
15

Weeks ago I was talking to Rhadi Ferguson about my conditioning for this April 30th fight my Pro Debute and first fight back from injuries in 3 yrs. He put together a workout that would have me in the deep end of the pool. He asked me did I know how to swim, I told him yes very well but I have a phobia of the deep water. He said you’ll be fine just grab the side of the pool if you need to. I said ok if I have to do it.

The next day I knew I would need someone to go with me but the two people I could depend on in the area couldn’t make it. They already had plans. I got a little pissed because I knew I didn’t have anyone else here that I could depend on like that. Back home I would have had tons to pick from, but would have only needed to make one call to my best friend and brother Jarrett Beck. He was my first trainer and introduced me to MMA. Here I found a lot of people that depended on me and wanted me to be there for them like it was an emergency whenever they had a problem, but didn’t reciprocate it. Although I have found some, I haven’t found many people here that do things just to help someone, seems to always be a motive! Oh well back to the story.

So I had to go by myself. I got in the deep end and as soon as I started I had to grab the side out of fear. I repeated this over and over. I left texting Rhadi saying I bought a membership that put me further in the red for nothing because I can’t do it, I tried what else can I do? The next day he called and asked what happened. I explained to him that I have a phobia of the deep end and use to have one with heights too. I explained that as a kid taking swimming lessons I was afraid to jump off of the diving board down to the life guard. The board had to be Olympic height. My dad came from behind me and pushed me in to the life guard to help me because I was taking so long.

Years later when I was in Middle School my family took a vaction to Florida. We went to the pool and I got in the shallow end and started swimming. I swam so fast that when I stopped, I tried to stand and was in the deep end. I immediately started panicking and began to drown. When I went under for the 3rd time my hand hit the side of the pool and I grabbed it and got out.

I explained to Rhadi that whenever I make it through something traumatic in life, I tell myself to have faith to attack one of your fears because the same God that brought you through that, will help you with it, but you have to try faith without action is none existent. So, years ago when I went through something painful in life. That year at Young Life Camp I challenged myself to jump off a light pole, when the summer before I had got hooked to repel at the top of the mountain and told them I needed to get down. Needless to say they said I was the first person ever to climb back up the mountain and walk all the way back down. So last year I was forced to face the BIGGEST fear I had in life. I refer to it sometimes as the tragedy that I went through. Anyway for the first time in my life I was broke in every way distrusting in God for a while and wanting to die. So, when I made it through it, last summer while volunteering as a councilor at Windy Gap, a Young Life Camp, I said I’m going to jump off of a diving board. Mind you I have never even jumped in the shallow end I always use the sides or the ladder.

I stood at the board for 30 minutes I would get on and get off praying for strength. Then one of the high school girls came up that was afraid of heights. Earlier in the week I was trying to encourage her on the ropes course but she wouldn’t do it. Everyone was talking about how fast I did the ropes and would use one hand,and when I jumped off I acted like Jordan Dunking! I explained to her that it doesn’t take faith or courage to do things we can logically see or are comfortable with and that these experiences at camp give us exercises to trust in God. She wouldn’t have believed that I use to be more afraid than her. So, she would come up now while I’m shaking to try to muster up enough to jump and say Mr. Marshall you can do it If you do it I will do the ropes. I jumped in and started to panic then remembered to swim. When I made it out of the pool I noticed the life Guard had jumped In. He said you had me scared for a minute I didn’t think you could swim because your actions at first were the same as a drowning victim. When I got out my body was shaking!! It was worth it not only did the young lady do the ropes course, but also did the zip line and the Gaint Swing with me!

Ok I’m back Rhadi laughed on the phone and said you didn’t get the membership for nothing, you gotta go back. “Running a marathon don’t get easy til it gets easy and that’s when you’re almost finished with it. You know you need to do it for desensitization.” He knows how I think and that my degree is in Psychology. I said you are right. He said you just gotta go back until you conquer it no matter how long it takes. I called my great friend that I can depend on here, but lives over an hr away Ron Stallings, and he just so happened to be on his way to my area to do something else. We went straight to the pool and he encouraged me and laughed at me for about an hour with no progress. Then he went over to a life guard and told her what the problem was. I kept stopping to talk to her and was making her laugh. Right before Ron left he said stop listening to him he’s just stalling.

Since then I pay her whenever I go to work with me putting me more in the red!lol I think red has changed colors by now! She’s always saying you have to learn to mentally relax and trust yourself. Relax. I have started relaxing a lot more really quickly in my fighting and I’m sure this is one of the main reasons!! I will talk about the other reasons later! Thank You!!! Rhadi and Rita for challenging me! Thanks Ron for detouring your plans for an hour to help me because many wouldn’t have. No greater gift than to lay down your Life for a friend!!.

Below is a Video of me at the pool a couple weeks ago.

Also I make My pro debut at Shogun Fights Baltimore Marina Arena April 30th, Please Email me at marshall@theunknownwarrior.com or on Face Book if you want to purchase ticket. Please purchase tickets from me, because after the fights they will give me a very small percentage of my ticket sales back but I really need it. I have spent far more getting ready for the fight than I will get paid and still have to pay for physicals and more. Thanks!!