Jake Olson (President and Co-Founder, Engage LLC) joins S2SB to discuss his battle with retinoblastoma that took his sight, how he managed to become the first completely blind player in college football history as long snapper for the USC Trojans, and how he’s repeatedly conquered adversity in life. Jake and Brandon talk about Jake’s life since his story became national news, which sport he might conquer next, and how time both in the gym and with the media led to his latest career ventures.

1:35 - Jake’s story
6:40 - How Jake made his dream of playing football at USC a reality
9:45 - His favorite memories from his time with Pete Carroll
13:20 - How he became a big local story way before he made the team at USC
16:40 - Where he found his strength and resilience during challenging times
19:50 - What he remembers from the surgery just before he lost his sight
24:40 - What “Fight On” means to Jake
26:40 - More on Jake’s mindset
29:30 - Jake’s special relationship with his twin sister
31:40 - His guide dog and companion Quebec
33:10 - How Jake’s passion for fitness helped guide his career after football
38:50 - The role golf has played in his life and how it led him to play in the first US Adaptive Open
42:20 - Why Jake and his co-founders created Engage
50:55 - The Recommender: Jake’s two series, and artist
56:45 - Old Tweets

Host & Producer: Brandon Fleshman
Guest: Jake Olson

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