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Justin Wren is a heavy-weight mixed martial arts fighter, humanitarian, and all around incredible person.
Over a decade ago, the world got to know Justin through his successful career in the UFC – from starring in the Spike reality show “The Ultimate Fighter,” to becoming a dominating force in the heavyweight division, to his MMA record of 15-2. Today, the world knows Justin for the size of his heart and the amazing work he is doing in the world.
Following a six-year struggle with addiction and depression in his early career, Justin stepped away from MMA to seek out purpose and passion for his life. What he found was a forgotten tribe of Mbuti Pygmies deep in the jungles of the Congo, beaten down by economic enslavement, disease, and hopelessness.
Through his Fight For The Forgotten initiative, 1,500 members of this formerly enslaved people group are now free and flourishing on 3,000 acres of their own land with access to clean water and their own farms.
Today Fight For The Forgotten is working with a community of Batwa Pygmies in Uganda, supporting them with clean water, latrines, housing and agricultural tools and seed for farming, with the dream of them one day, in the not-too-far future, becoming self-sufficient, going from extinction to thriving.
Justin is an incredible story-teller, and has become a close friend of mine. His voice and his stories are exactly the kind that I want to be raising up on this podcast, and I am so excited to share this one with all of you.
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Topics Explored:
12:00 How Hallie and Justin met
16:00 The beginning of Justin’s incredible life story
21:00 Justin’s experience on the Ultimate Fighter and challenge with addiction at a young age
32:30 A traumatic story from Justin’s childhood
45:30 How helping others helped Justin begin to heal
58:00 A slap on the head from God and a path to recovery
67:00 Justin’s suicide attempt
87:00 The pressure of the pedestal
90:30 Justin’s visions and transformative journey in Sedona
131:00 The genesis of Fight for the Forgotten, Justin’s non-profit organization
151:00 Defeating hate with love – Stories from the Congo
173:00 How showing up with love can shift energy
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Connect with Justin Wren:
Instagram | @thebigpygmy
Website | fightfortheforgotten.org
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to Emmy-Award winning composer Kodomo (Chris Child) for allowing us to use his brilliant track Concept 1 as our theme song.
