BTM68-Paul Fukuma - TAJI 100
Show Summary
On this episode, we feature a conversation with Army Veteran Paul Fukuma, Chairman and CEO of Taji 100, a nonprofit that hosts a virtual fitness challenge in February of every year.
About Today’s Guest
Paul Fukuma is the Chairman and CEO of Taji 100, a nonprofit that hosts a virtual fitness challenge in February of every year. Paul is a fourth generation US Army veteran, and has deep ties to the military and a profound respect for all who have served their country. His great grandfather served in WWI, both grandfathers in WWII, father in Vietnam, and he served in Iraq.
Paul was a competitor in the first TAJI 100 in 2010. When he returned to the civilian world, he wanted to continue that athletic motivation and camaraderie that he grew so found of. He picked up the TAJI 100 torch and ran with it. The first stateside TAJI 100, in 2011, was a mere 12 people and miles were tracked with pen and paper. Since then, TAJI 100 has grown to levels far beyond his dreams and continues to show even greater potential.
Paul is a Sunnyvale, CA native. Ever since high school, he has worked in professions that helped others. He started out as a lifeguard/swim instructor, migrated through positions such as EMT, combat medic in the military, and a San Jose Police Officer. Now he is very proud to serve the city of Sunnyvale, CA as a Public Safety Officer. As a Public Safety Officer, he is a full time police officer, fire fighter, and EMT.
Running is a relatively new love in Paul’s life, but it is a passion that will stay with him forever. He has completed numerous 5Ks, 8Ks, 10Ks, and a hand full of half marathons. There was a time in his life where running a single mile would make him gasp for air and clutch his chest. Paul believes that, like most things in life, running is something that takes practice, patience, and motivation.
PsychArmor Resource of the Week
The PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course, Social Isolation and Loneliness. At PsychArmor, we know that social connections are vital to your health; in this course, you will learn about new ways to achieve social connection, learn about resources, and develop a plan to engage and connect in a safe way. You can find a link to the course here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/social-isolation-loneliness
Links Mentioned In This Episode
Theme Music
Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.
This Episode Sponsored By:
This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations.
Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com
