#132 | Aaron Burrows | Shot Five Times, Still Running

Aaron Burrows on losing 175 pounds through running, surviving a workplace shooting, and returning to run marathons for charity. Aaron Burrows spent his formative years in Houston, Texas where in 2009 he graduated from The College of Biblical Studies. At nearly 400 pounds and unhappy with his health and appearance, he turned to running and lost almost 100 pounds his first year and 75 pounds over the next 4 years. While preparing to run a 50-mile ultramarathon in November 2015, Aaron was the victim of a workplace shooting. Aaron fought to stay alive after being shot 5 times while saving his coworkers' lives. Debilitating PTSD would stalk him forever. What was he to do? How could he avoid a minimal life? He returned to running in 2019 following grueling physical and emotional therapy and has completed several marathons, and raised tens of thousands of dollars for charities since. To learn more about Aaron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-burros-0a9a98101 Chapters 0:00 Welcome Aaron Burrows 2:36 Born in Akron, Ohio 5:07 Good people around him 10:01 Rules in the 80s 12:37 Opening for the major groups 17:30 Knowing the business 20:04 A song taken without pay 22:31 They took the hook 25:05 Unclaimed royalties 27:33 Walking away from music, fashion and film 30:05 A meeting room and a group watching 32:37 The people he was around 35:07 A family's beliefs 40:03 A DEA task force and an uncle in jail 42:34 The devil does not look like Al Pacino 45:03 Moving product across the country 47:35 Growing up into it 50:05 A cousin and a song 55:00 Reach out to your parents 57:37 Trying to show God he was listening 1:00:02 Candles and anything religious 1:02:36 Vacuum sealed 1:07:30 Tickets and agents 1:10:05 What happened on the highway 1:12:38 Marijuana laws in Texas and California 1:15:09 His lowest point 1:20:05 A coach and prejudice 1:22:34 Living in fear 1:25:08 What about your eternal life 1:30:04 Forgiveness 1:35:00 A new path 1:37:34 Sleepless years 1:42:30 Losing weight 1:45:04 Running trails by moonlight 1:47:34 Four loops of ten miles 1:50:08 Becoming a professional runner 1:55:04 The shooting begins 1:57:35 Everything slowed down 2:00:03 Hit as he ran 2:05:00 In hospital 2:07:35 Called a hero 2:12:30 The safe room 2:15:02 Getting the runaround 2:17:38 Paralysed with fear 2:20:06 A photo lineup 2:25:00 Why an organised crime unit 2:27:33 What he believes but cannot prove 2:30:02 Needing help from beyond the city 2:32:32 The surveillance footage 2:35:01 How he says he became a target 2:37:34 Asking to reopen the case 2:40:06 Seeking a federal investigation 2:45:04 A friend from a hot chocolate run 2:50:00 The toll on his family 2:52:36 Decisions affect others 2:55:05 Deluding ourselves 2:57:37 Facing trauma early 3:02:30 A friend with contacts 3:05:06 If something happens to him 3:07:36 A false claim, disproven 3:10:05 Not letting fear rule 3:15:00 Why documentation matters 3:17:34 Others without a voice 3:22:32 Thank you and goodbye The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle Ryan's TV series are streaming around the world. Follow the Podcast X: https://x.com/RyanPylePodcast Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryanpylepodcast Follow Ryan Pyle YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ryanjpyle Instagram: https://instagram.com/ryanpyle X: https://x.com/RyanPyle Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryanpyle https://www.ryanpyle.com