About this episode

Ryan Kalish shares his journey from professional athlete to humanitarian, discussing his struggles and the impact of his work with vulnerable populations.

He played in the big leagues, wore the Red Sox jersey, and had 14 surgeries trying to keep a dream alive. Then the career ended. And in the silence that followed, Ryan Kalish almost didn't make it through.  Ryan is not the kind of guest I typically have on this show. He doesn't have a bestselling book or a company that just crossed a hundred million. What he has is a story that stopped me cold on Instagram months ago. I was scrolling and I saw this guy on a street somewhere in the world, walking up to a man who was homeless, and he bathed him and gave him a haircut and got him some food. I thought: who is that? I looked him up. And I thought, "I have to have him on. "Ryan brings something to this conversation that is rare: the honesty of a man who was at rock bottom and didn't dress it up. He talks about the dark thoughts after his career ended, the substances he used to self-soothe, the spiritual calling that kept finding him even when he ran from it, and the moment sitting by a river in Austin, Texas, where it all clicked. He has now served orphans, refugees, and vulnerable people across Indonesia, Thailand, Uganda, India, Jordan, Tanzania, Egypt, and more, largely on his…

People in this episode

Host: Ed Mylett

Guest: Ryan Kalish

Topics covered

• personal transformation
• mental health
• philanthropy
• overcoming adversity
• life after sports

Keywords

• Ryan Kalish
• Ed Mylett
• philanthropy
• mental health
• personal growth
• overcoming adversity
• life after sports

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Red Sox

Places: Austin, Texas, Indonesia, Thailand, Uganda, India, Jordan, Tanzania, Egypt

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