• Chappie Hunter
– Husband and Father to 8y/o son
– Live in Alpine, CA
• 22 year veteran of the San Diego Police Department
– 14 years patrol w/ collateral duties as a Field Training Officer, SWAT Officer, SWAT Sniper
– 8 years detective working Human Trafficking, Sex Crimes and Narcotics
• Owner / Coach at Alpine Ranch CrossFit
– CFL1, CF Weightlifting, & CF Law Enforcement Certs
• Came back Full Duty to SDPD 1 year and 29 days post accident.
What is one trait you most admire about you (Your inner warrior)
• I am NOT afraid to fail! In fact, I strive for failure. If I strive to be the best husband, the best father , the best coach, and the best athlete I have to push myself to the limit. Occasionally I will fail at each. Instead of giving up and regressing I face that failure and find a way to be better.
What kind of special power would you like to have
• The power to heal. This may sound unmanly, but like the hair of Rapunzel I’d love to have the ability to heal people’s wounds with a single touch. I don’t want anyone to have to go through the physical and especially mental/emotional aspect of what I have endured. Do I think I am a better man now than I was before my accident? Yes! However, this doesn’t mean that I don’t wish to go back to that day I lost my leg and pick a different road home to save myself and my family the pain we endured.
So honored to be mentioned in this fantastic piece written by my friend Hilary Achauer, Mind Over Muscle-Ups. Mind Over Muscle-Ups is all about mind over matter….The brain is more resilient than what we can understand at times. Read the full PDF here: Mind Over Muscle-Ups 2
My name is Darryl “Chuck” Charles II. I was born June 13, 1990 in Springfield, Massachusetts. My father, Darryl Charles Sr., served in the Marine Corps for 24 years and my mother, Minda Bowers, worked in a Casino in Las Vegas. Due to my father being in the military, I was raised by my grandmother in Massachusetts until the age of eight. From there, I lived with my mother in Las Vegas, Nevada until I was 14. Then I lived with my father in San Diego, California until I was 18, when I joined the military.
I joined the Marine Corps in December 2008. I served 5 years in the military. After the completion of boot camp and the School of Infantry, I was assigned to 3rd Battalion 7th Marines Kilo Company Weapons Platoon in Twenty-nine Palms, California. During the length of my enlistment I served two tours in Sangin, Afghanistan.
In October, 2011, during my second deployment, I was involved in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Sangin, Afghanistan resulting in the loss of my right leg above the knee. My experiences in combat and becoming a casualty of war have brought about many obstacles in my life. Even though my physical injuries are the most noticeable, those obstacles were easier to overcome compared to the mental and non-visible injuries I have sustained. Even with these obstacles dealt with on a daily basis, I don’t let them interfere with my quality of life. If anything, I feel that scars are the marks that push us to greatness and I work to not only better myself, but help those around me to grow and succeed in any goals that they pursue. I spent two years recovering at the Naval Medical Center San Diego Balboa. Upon completing a majority of my recovery at the Naval Medical Center, I was Honorably Discharged from the Marine Corps in 2013. Currently, I am a student at Southwestern Community College working to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Sciences.
If I had to choose any trait that I admire about myself, I would have to say my sense of humor. Laughter and making others laugh has helped me get through some of the most difficult times in my life and continues to help me get through day to day life.
If I could choose any superpower I would want to be able to run at supersonic speed. With this superpower I would be able to go anywhere and back in no time at all.
First time I met AJ Roberts, I new he was a no bullshit business man who is successful because of his work ethic and his never quit mindset. Our first conversation at the barbell mastermind breakfast club was about meditation and letting go of relationships that sap your energy. He is a man of depth and his story of resilience and perseverance is inspiring.
Enjoy his story and share with others! Pay it forward…
Trevor is my nephew and a man I have seen grow in so many ways in the past 5 years. I am inspired by his dedication to his health and his family. I am proud of Trevor and excited to see where his training, and career dedicated to helping those with addictions using fitness as a healthy outlet. Read, share, and be inspired! Pay it forward…
I am a certified personal trainer and a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer. I currently work for an addiction treatment center in Irvine, CA running fitness classes and lectures. My life is dedicated to help people who are newly sober channel the energy from their addictive tendencies towards physical activity and find freedom from their old habits. In my free time I train at Orange Coast CrossFit and enjoy spending time outside, whether it be paddle boarding in the ocean or shooting guns in the desert.
Growing up I always walked on the side of rebellion. I always wanted to live “independently” and had a very distorted perspective of what would make me happy. I began experimenting with drugs in middle school and quickly fell into the dark world of addiction. I eventually dropped out of school, started selling drugs to fuel my own use, and ran away from those who loved me. I dabbled in all sorts of substances that would help me escape reality but it was heroin that eventually took everything away. Through the years of using I was in and out of handcuffs, hospitals, and rehab centers. It seemed like I had dug myself so deep that there was no way out. On August 4th 2012 I woke up in a hospital in Laguna Beach after one of my common blackouts. I remember looking out of the bedroom window with a gorgeous ocean view and all I could think about was running out of that building to go get high. That was the turning point when I realized that I wanted something that was killing me more than anything else. I wanted to stick a needle in my arm more than I wanted to breathe. I had to make a decision… it was do or die. This moment of clarity gave me that initial push that I needed to begin my road to recovery. I gave up trying to hide from my fears of life and jumped into positive action. In the past three years life has had its ups and downs but every new experience, good or bad, is something far greater than what I had before. I have a life filled with family, friends, laughter, career goals etc. All of which are things that I could never dream of having before. Today I am able to give back to those who struggle with what I once did and that is utterly priceless.
I admire my own resiliency. My ability to endure the painful moments in life and without them defining who I am.
I would want to have the ability travel around outer space without any equipment. I have always been fascinated by the galaxies and would love to explore them.
