#30 - Matt Scott - The Executive Director of Fly Without Limits and The New Host of DK3

My Christmas Present to you is a legend in the making! The "new" Matt Scott,  his new dramatic directions to serve others, and much more are all packed into this episode. Make sure to give this a listen to find out what Matt Scott has been up to and what's in store for him in the new year. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! 

With this episode, we are wrapping up Season 3 of The Wheel Print Podcast! Make sure to stay tuned in the new year for insightful conversations with athletes from our community. 

Transcript

[00:05] DK: Hello, this is DK. Welcome to the Wheelprint podcast, created to uncover the inside game of adaptive athletes, their untold stories of what drives them and what makes them tick. So be prepared to be amazed as we discover the trials and the triumphs of the human spirit. Enjoy this episode.

[00:25] Matt Scott: Those. All right.

[00:30] DK: Yo, yo, DK. Back in town, so to speak. Wanted to let everybody know that the past couple months been dark, dark, maybe from a couple vantages. And I just wanted to be real with you. Our last podcast was in late September, and life has a way to sideline you when it comes with both barrels loaded. And I'm not going to go into a lot of the details of that time, but I do want to encourage everyone when life does get to be a big, heavy spot that we all pause for a second, we take a break. I unplugged where I needed to. I had to spend time where it counted the most. So I encourage any of you, especially over these holidays, to hold close to you what you value the most and really take time in those moments. So today, having said that, now, my Christmas gift to you is this next episode. I'm excited to say that. And it's going to be the best episode of 2023. Matt Scott is a five time Paralympian, two time gold medalist. He's a 2023 national champion in division one with the Golden State Road warriors. Let me just say, MVP of that tournament as well. And I was right at center court, watched the whole game. And that performance, I'll never forget it. But more importantly than any of what I just said is this man's heart. So we're going to talk about this heart and this man. And Matt, welcome to the Wheelprint podcast, my dear, dear brother.

[02:41] Matt Scott: And thank you so much for having me. DK. There's no place I would rather be than on this podcast right now. I haven't done a podcast in a very long time, but it's always refreshing to connect with my brothers. It's always great to connect on this community and especially your platform. You don't often give yourself enough flowers, but you have to know what an idol you've been for me. So to be here, having this conversation again, as a repeat visitor on this podcast, I'm really humbled. I'm really happy to be here.

[03:20] DK: Yeah, let me just say also, you're the first and only double offender, so thank you for blessing us twice.

[03:30] DK: I think the last time you may.

[03:32] DK: Have been in Europe when we did a podcast.

[03:36] Matt Scott: That's right. So now what you're telling me is I have to go to the east coast and do one, maybe even go to Australia. You got to just get me wherever I am, man.

[03:49] DK: Well, yeah, that name on your sweatshirt, fly, means a lot of things, and we're going to talk about it, too. Yeah, you're going to be even more difficult to keep up with, is the way I see it. But look, brother, we're at a time where you're in transition and you have transitioned away from the national team. So many of the ballers that listen to this show are going to want to know what that's like for you. What's it feel like to be transitioned away from the national team?

[04:32] Matt Scott: That's a great. It's especially for someone who has made such an identity for himself as a Team USA wheelchair basketball player. I think it was really tough to kind of carve out in addition to my identity because that is still going to always be who I am, always be what I've accomplished as a wheelchair basketball player on TV USA. But now I see myself as so much more than an athlete, and not that I didn't before. I always thought of myself as an advocate for people with disabilities. I always saw myself as a man before an athlete and a person before someone with a disability. But I see so many different avenues that I can be a part of and really not just bring wheelchair basketball into these avenues, but also just put eyes onto people that didn't really get a chance to see it. I think that I'm entering rooms and having conversations with people that had no idea that that whole world exists, and I'm talking about influential people. I'm talking about people that could really move the needle for adaptive sports. And now I'm in those rooms and I'm telling them, hey, you got to check these guys out. Wheelchair basketball is really where it's at. So how does it feel to transition away? I don't think that I'm transitioning away. I think that I've been given a bigger purpose, I've been given a bigger calling, and I can really make this game to really bring eyes to this game that take it to places that it can only dream of at this point.

[06:20] DK: Yeah. Such an understatement of what you have laid out in front of you. Let's talk a little b ball, though. So parapans just happened, and Team USA, with a mix of youth and vets came away with the gold medal. So what's your feeling about this mix of players for this USA team?

[06:52] Matt Scott: I mean, that's the squad I don't see them being anything less than gold in Paris. Their performance in Chile just now, like a couple of weeks ago, all that did was just confirm to me what I already knew. That's the best twelve guys that wheelchair basketball has to offer. I saw it at world championships when they easily just kind of took that gold medal home. When everybody knew, everybody back here knew that that's what they were capable of. And I think that they proved that to themselves. But now they've got the swagger to know. You see Steve serio out there hitting threes. He's smiling and laughing because there's nobody on his level right now. You see Jake Williams out there with that assassin look on his face that he always has, because there's nobody touching him right now. That's the best team in the world. And I'm proud of him. I'm proud of him because those are not just my teammates, those are my friends. Yeah.

[07:51] DK: What a brotherhood. Anybody that's been in the trenches with brothers like that, at that level, you remain in a place of friendship and fellowship that only you can truly understand and appreciate. I've seen that with you and your guys flying around the world for Jorge's wedding or just that kind of support is pretty awesome. But let's talk about the endurance and the grind for a second. I pretty much know, but I'm asking the question anyway. How long were you in the system? How long were you in the grind?

[08:42] Matt Scott: Man, I feel like computers weren't even a thing back then. I was just joking. I think the grind started for me pretty much immediately as I started in wheelchair basketball. But I made my first national team in 2003. We had a phenomenal coaching staff. I think, you know, some of those guys, you might have been as part of that coaching staff. So you've seen it really full circle. DK in 2003, I made an introduction to the scene. I didn't really know if I had a chance of making the national team, but I knew that I worked hard, and I knew that I loved basketball. I knew that the teammates that I had that were already rostered on that team, I knew that I could gel well with them and bring the best out of them, and they brought the best out of me. So back in 2003 is when I came onto the scene, and you had to pride me away to get me off the scene from there. I bowed out gracefully in 2021, right after a gold medal performance in Tokyo. But I would say that between 2003 and 2021, I had some very dominant years and played at the top of the game. Was afraid of no one. Any challenger that brought it. I was ready for them. Even back in four when Canada was kicking our ***, you told me who's the best? Oh, Patrick Anderson. Okay, I'm going to go try to guard him full court. I just wanted those challenges. I wanted to find the best players, and I wanted to not only find them and try to keep up with them, but I wanted to surpass them. My goal was always to be the best.

[10:29] DK: Yeah, man. Well, you just gave me goosebumps, because that's exactly why from way back then that I nicknamed you Neil from the Matrix, the one. That kind of an attitude right there just transcends who you are, Matt. And I hear you talk with excitement, man. Any part of you miss all that.

[10:52] Matt Scott: So I'm always going to talk about it with the excitement, man. Basketball is my first love. You can probably relate to that as well. Even when the playing days are gone, there's so much joy and so much enthusiasm for the things that I was able to experience due to basketball. All of my friends and all of the places that I've traveled, all the experiences that I have. I'm talking to you right now on the 41st floor of a luxury condo in San Francisco. And all of that came from being a wheelchair basketball player. I think that wheelchair basketball has really given me a life that I could only ever dream of. And I obviously had to work for it. I had to work for it. I had to really put out the talents that I had and use them in different ways. But without wheelchair basketball, man, you're not talking to the same person. So it did so much for me. So when I speak about it, I speak with a lot of enthusiasm because I love the game, I love it. I'm not always going to be able to play it, but I'm always going to be able to show love to it, and I'm always going to be able to shed a light for it.

[12:03] DK: Right on. And I can so identify, man. I mean, I've literally tasted four decades of national team, so I know a little bit about the grind, I know a little bit about the r word retire, like maybe three different times.

[12:26] Matt Scott: I heard all the ghosts do it, man.

[12:29] DK: Yeah. So I'm sitting here not trying to be like that on court reporter that has to ask an awkward question, but I'm probably going to go there. Has the national team seen the last of you?

[12:48] Matt Scott: Fantastic question, DK. That's a question, and I don't want to give you some Batman style answer, but for right now, the answer to that question is. Know the answer to that question is very. I'm extremely proud of what I was able to accomplish as a teammate. I feel like I'm very proud of what I was able to do as an individual contributor. I'm proud of the teams that we beat, the countries that we went to, the medals that we raised. I'm so proud of the things I was able to accomplish. Going out as a flag bearer was like a storybook ending for me. There's nothing that you could tell me that, hey, if you don't go accomplish that, you weren't great. I feel that my career was great. I feel like there's a bow on it, and for now, I don't feel the need to add anything to that. For me, my career was perfect as is. With that being said, I work out every day, man. I train hard.

[14:02] DK: Trust me. Trust me, dude. We're going to talk about that as well, so save that for a second. But, Matt, I totally get it, man. You are the executive director now of your own foundation, fly without limits, and just how impactful I see you being in that role and have seen you already be. But talk about your vision and mission and some of your services and plans for your foundation, bro, because this is really worldly kind of important.

[14:52] Matt Scott: I'm going to see if I can give you the version of it that doesn't make me really emotional. I'm pouring my heart out into this foundation. I really am. It really goes back to just being a kid, being a kid that lacked resources, being a kid with a disability, that had dreams that people just thought I was dreaming. People just didn't think that I was going to be capable of being a professional athlete, of being a gold medalist, of being college educated, working at a Fortune 50 company. All these things that I dreamed of being on national tv, there are other kids just like me. There are other people with disabilities just like me who have those dreams, and there's just something that is bogging them down. There's a barrier in their way. Fly without limits is there for them. If there's a kid who he wants to be a collegiate wheelchair basketball player, but he doesn't have the equipment to do it, guess what? Fly without limits is going to be there and make sure that he does. Maybe, again, going for a college education, can't afford it. Maybe he comes from a household that can't put him through that. Fly without limits is going to be there. There's so many different avenues that I can see us helping people out. We just met a kid by the name of NaS out in the east coast. He reached out to me on the Internet. He saw me working out, just got his disability. He was just kind of wondering if he was going to be able to work out the way that I was working out and live confidently and not only was I able to type this answer to them, tell him, like, hey, yeah, you're going to be just fine. I flew to New York just to see him face to face and let him know, hey, man, this is going to be just fine, and I'm going to see you through this. I got him a basketball. He's still in the hospital right now kind of working some things out, but he's got a brand new performax chair on the way. Got him a basketball. So when he gets out of, man, we're not just here to say, hey, here's a chair, see you later. I'm going to see him through this. He talks trash to you right now. It's actually funny that we're talking. His text message popped up on the window as we're going because we talk trash to each other. He tells me, like, when he gets out of there, he's going to beat me in basketball. I told him.

[17:25] DK: We'Ve never heard that before.

[17:28] Matt Scott: I don't take it easy on anybody, man. I'd be the game of one on one if I have.

[17:34] DK: Talking smack for a baller is a rite of passage, man.

[17:37] Matt Scott: That's right.

[17:40] DK: There's some that are elite, whatever. So look, that's what's so important about this place and space that you find yourself in right now. I'm going to take the liberty to ask you, how do people contribute to your foundation? Let's put that out there so everybody.

[18:08] Matt Scott: Knows right now we're on an awareness campaign. Not a lot of people know about us. We want people to first know that we're there, know where to find us, know what we're all about, and then they can worry about contribution. We're not out there with our hands out. We're going to take care of our community and we're going to do the best that we can. And the way that they can contribute is just by joining along. Visit us at ww dot flywithoutlives.org. I know I sound like a commercial, but check us out. We're doing some great things. There's a lot of different channels that we're on. Find us on Instagram, find us on YouTube. And if you identify or you really resonate with some of the things we're doing, then join our mission.

[19:02] DK: Yeah, well said. Well said. But bottom line is, bro, I'm challenging the audience right now, all right? I'm asking also for myself because I'm starting you off as soon as we get done with a $500 contribution to your foundation. And I want to challenge listeners. Come on, man. You just heard this kid flew to New York or wherever to visit Nas, talk a little smack, and get him fired up about life. These are worldly, good acts of kindness. So let's help this man do what he does. And I'm proud to be part of it, Matt.

[19:53] Matt Scott: Respect. And you're more than a part of it, because I'm sure we're going to transition to this. You're more than a part of it. This foundation. I don't know if I'm breaking it. I don't know if you want to transition, but this foundation is going to be who we're going to be the presenters of the new DK three, and I'm proud of that fact. When you get the call from the goat to carry a torch, you carry it. It doesn't matter if you have a foundation in front of you. And when you asked me to carry that torch, I didn't have that. I hadn't established a team. I hadn't had any of that. But when someone asks you to do something, you do it right. And I'm going to make sure that DK three is something that you're going to be proud of for years to come. Whether you're the one that's putting it on or not, I hope that you're going to be there this year or this coming year, 2024, and we're going to make sure that it's an event you're proud of.

[21:09] DK: Yo, just a quick break here.

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[21:55] DK: Worry free.

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[22:19] DK: Know when. You accepted and honored the request and we had the discussion, it wasn't really a request, but it transitioned into, that's our new favorite word, transitioned to what we thought it could become. And then, dude, you put your head down with a pebble in the water and next thing you know, the ripples just turned into waves and you're off and running. It's a really grateful time to be me and to see your excitement about carrying on this version of ball that we love and so many people are attracted to three on three and this version and with you and all your connects and all your heart, all your love. Am I going to miss it? What kind of question is that, man?

[23:34] Matt Scott: No.

[23:37] DK: I live for this next level that we're going through. So, yeah, no, I'm definitely going to be there. It's going to be exciting for you to unfold your vision for it, and we can collaborate to the level you want to because I'm happy to be shoulder to shoulder with you. It's something that I did pour my heart and soul into that you mentioned about your foundation. And that's one thing about us, we don't follow the crowd because you get lost in the crowd. Right. We blaze our own trails and we don't take no for an answer. And we will push you to uncomfortable places to push the needle.

[24:41] Matt Scott: That's right.

[24:42] DK: It's just the way it is. I saw just a second ago, or short while ago, you put something out on IG about, it's just a powerful statement for a second, and then I lost it and I go, God, I want to read that to everybody. But anyways, that's the kind of pebbles you're throwing into the pool.

[25:04] Matt Scott: I hear you. I want you to know that as an athlete, I looked up to you as someone who's transitioning from athlete to businessman to corporate professional to whatever my title is now, I still very much look up to you. The contribution that you've given to the game, the amount of heart that you've poured into it, that is one of the main reasons why I continue to pour into this game, because my mentors, the people that I look up to, poured into the game just like that. So why shouldn't I? I saw it done at the highest level, so why not continue to do that? Because that's the only way that our sport and our community becomes and remains great is if our greatest attributes or our greatest contributors continue to give back. And that's what I want to do. Right on.

[26:05] DK: Well, let's talk a little bit about your vision, or more than your vision. Have you already had some success with some partnerships or anything that you want to drop a hint to?

[26:21] Matt Scott: Yeah, definitely. So we have been fortunate enough to make a connection with Google Pixel. They have an appetite for this level of basketball. I think this cool version of basketball. We've picked out a venue that I'm not going to quite spoil right now, but anybody that has participated in the DK three before might have an idea, but it won't be at the same venue as we were last time. But that's a hint. But it's going to be amazing. I think that basically, what I told Google Pixel, as far as partnership, is that we want to have an unforgettable event. We want to have an unforgettable event. If you're there, you're going to be like, wow, I'm at one of the best wheelchair basketball or best sporting events that I could potentially be at, and if you're not there, you're going to wish that you were there. And they kind of shared that vision. They leaned in. They leaned way in. They really like what we're doing. They like the vibe. And we're going to deliver something great for them. They're going to be alongside with us. It's not going to be like they're just going to watch us deliver this. They're going to stand beside us and help us deliver it. So I'm excited about that. Performax, obviously a big contributor in our community. I can't thank Performax enough in the creation of this foundation. They've been extremely helpful throughout my career. They've been extremely helpful. So they're going to be another partner. And then I just had dinner with Junior this weekend, so we've been talking about it from a veteran perspective. I know that that's been a big draw for you, and I want that vision to continue. Not only do I have a big respect for all of our heroes that have gone, whether they're combat wounded or not, if you've registered or you fought for the freedom of this country, I have a firm respect for you. No know which branch of the military. So, speaking to junior and getting more connected with that Warriors foundation, I'm excited. I don't know what level of contribution that they're going to be given, but any level of contribution is amazing because those are heroes for me.

[29:02] DK: Right on. Well, that's three bombs of partnerships right there that you talked about. Performax is our presenting sponsor of this wheelprint podcast and has supported everything I have done over time. So we have so much going now. Except for Google Pixel, I haven't been in any kind of commercials. Like, I've been seeing my man here last night. I'm like sitting there just vegging out with my own little health scenario, isolated, and boom, that was Matt. And I heard the dude say, hey, Matt. And I'm like, ****, he's got another one, man. So how fun is that to be in those circles of that part that all the rest of us just dream about, man?

[30:10] Matt Scott: Oh my God. The last twelve months has just been crazy for me, DK. The connections that I've been able to establish, the partnerships, the rooms that I've been in. For me, it feels like monumental success in just a very short time. It feels amazing. It honestly does. But it would not feel as amazing if I did not have the support of the community, didn't have people to share it with. I can't thank my team enough. I've got amazing representation. I've got a family that supports me, I've got friends that have my back, and some of these things that I just throw out into the atmosphere. I'm just like, I wonder if this is going to resonate with anyone. Sure enough people catch on to it, they lift me like I'm some sort of town hero. And I appreciate that. I want anybody to know that has made it to this part of the podcast. I love you and I appreciate that you champion me and I'm not going to let you down. As far as I can get is as far as we're going to get. And I continue to want to be the version of me that's for us.

[31:26] DK: That version is. That's enough, man. The version of you, and that's the version that God intended. And I'm proud to witness that with you. Let's jump to other kind of partnerships, man. You had some pretty exciting stuff going on with the Hartford and CUNY and Performax and tell us about that whole worldly gifting going on.

[32:03] Matt Scott: So that really was a dream come true. Because as a wheelchair basketball player, these camps, like these high level camps, as a kid, they are only with the universities like University of Illinois, they'll have a camp. University of Whitewater have a sure, oh, Alabama, Auburn, I don't want to miss any of these camps, right? So if you have a camp as a collegiate program. And I didn't mention you, Mizzou. Sorry, Ron Mizou has a camp. Yeah. So it's usually these collegiate programs, and that's really it. Even as an adult, there's not a whole lot of camp going on. And then as a junior, there's not really a lot of camps going on. As an able body kid, you can go to curry camp. You can go to LeBron camp. You can go to even some guy, he's the 16th guy on the bench. He's got a camp, and we don't have that. A big goal of mine was to establish a Matt Scott camp, and I've been kind of screaming that into the void for a few years and just hoping it would stick somewhere, but luckily, I have an amazing partner in the heartfruit. They don't just hear me. I'm not just screaming into the void. They actually hear the things that I'd like to accomplish, and they saw that as an opportunity. They say, hey, you know what? We have a vision. We have a goal. You have a goal. Those two goals can really lift each other up. Let's make this happen. Tell us more about what you want to accomplish. So I told them it'd be great to get maybe 100 kids into a camp and bring some of my team USA teammates. And we break down the game. We show them the right way to play the game, and one of the hard first things to do is to make adaptive sports more accessible. They see the opportunity to provide adaptive equipment to people that can't regularly afford it because it's very expensive. So we started talking. We got about 78 kids, 70 plus kids that come to this camp to register. We gifted over 50 pieces of equipment, which was. I mean, that's just a monumental contribution, man, for anybody listening. If you don't know how much a basketball chair costs, they're roughly $5,000 apiece, and we donated over 50 of them. That is an insane contribution to this sport. And what that meant to me, DK, is that not only does the Hartford truly care about our community, they really care about our partnership as well, because they've been doing this for years and they've been giving equipment out for years. But this level of contribution to our sport, I feel like I was able to make that shift, say, listen, this is a sport that means something to me. This is the community that means something to me. Can we put that level of contribution there? And for them to take that nod and actually follow through with that, it just means everything to me.

[35:26] DK: Yeah, man, I hope the listeners are really tuned in, and I hope you're inspired enough to really attach yourself to the mission. Dive into Matt's website and connect and just be part of it. You're not going to get stronger. Matt's already done the soft push. I did the hard push, but this is so worthwhile. And for the Hartford, who's been around a long time, done a lot of great things with so many paralympic athletes, this is really a candle on top of the cake, man. And I'm really proud to know that you're right in the middle of it and that you birthed the idea.

[36:21] Matt Scott: We're in talks for year number two. DK.

[36:25] DK: There you go.

[36:26] Matt Scott: We're in talks for year number two. So all the listeners, all my young listeners. Yeah. There's going to be another opportunity to come out to Matt. Scott, let's put on the gloves right.

[36:37] DK: Now and start swinging, bro. Put them on. Yeah. It's so good. It's so good. Well, look, you'd have to be in a hole to not have witnessed the new you on social media. Everything seems really intentional with you operating from a new playbook. And can you share with us what that playbook looks like related to your social media presence? I mean, your ig page with all those photos, every picture tells a story. And give your dang photographer some props, man, because those photos are legend anyway.

[37:32] Matt Scott: Absolutely. Things going in that you mentioned intentionality, and you're 100% right. Every move that I make is intentional, and it's with purpose. And I think that's the reason why. That's what you can feel. The shift that you can feel is the purpose, and the reason why you can feel that purpose is because I found mine. I found what my purpose is. And I think that wasn't the case. Maybe a year and a half ago, maybe even maybe a little bit longer ago, it was like I was trying to make that shift from what I was doing to what I'm going to be doing and just kind of reaching a little bit, just seeing what's there. After Tokyo 2021, it's like they turn the lights off and I'm just kind of reaching around in a dark room, like, where are my talents going to take me? I know that I'm prepared for the next level of wherever I'm going, but where is that? And I was lucky enough to connect with great people, great guidance. I've got great mentors like yourself to help me get through some of that darkness, because I wouldn't say is the darkest of things. Retirement isn't like a dark thing, but it can be. I think that when you leave something that was so dear to you, I think that it can be a little bit dark if you don't have the right support system around you. And currently I have the right support system around me. I have people that hold me accountable. They don't just let me do whatever I want to do. I have checks and balances and people that I need to answer to. I have people I need to answer to and calls that I need to reach. So my purpose is different and I'm happy that you can see that. I hope to continue to be intentional as I can, and my goal is just to make a splash for our community, in our community, and just make sure that we are seen in the most impressive of lights because I know there are people who are moved by the adaptive sports movement that have not seen it yet, and I'm going to make sure that they do.

[40:10] DK: It's in full blown color on your IG page, man, and all your posts and oh, my God, your commitment to fitness right now is you are opening the world's mind to the possibilities, not the limitations. It's so exciting to see, and you go in just beast mode on everybody. And young kids see that. That kid in Nas able to see that from the hospital or wherever he first connected with you. Those kids can say, man, maybe I could do that someday. Yeah. I'm so proud to witness this pictorial view of you right now that's going out with intention and rolling with purpose. So, Matt, let me see here. So you've talked about so much now, if people aren't wondering, I know I am, and I know a number of others are. How do you manage your schedule with so many balls in the air, man? I mean, I think you're still full time visa, nonprofit management, speaking engagement, sponsor, responsibilities. You're still playing on Golden State's ball. Okay, well, that eliminates a little bit of time, but, yeah, you have so much. And then just to the rank and file person that you have a heart to say yes to, all wanting, they want a piece. And you're the most giving dude I know. So how do you manage it all, man? And how do you keep your peace?

[42:26] Matt Scott: I don't know if you've ever seen the movie everything everywhere, all at once. Have you ever seen that movie?

[42:31] DK: I haven't seen it yet, but I've seen it thrown around and promoted.

[42:35] Matt Scott: I'm trying to make it a documentary, man. I'm trying to be everywhere, everywhere all at once, man. All the time. Now, the thing about the time management is you just really have to prioritize, man. In the last twelve months, I've been a master of prioritization. I know what's meant for me at the moment and I know what's not meant for me. I'm just really just trying to balance my time. My first priority goes to my job, my position at Visa. I actually just got offered a new position at Visa. So your boy is getting promoted, which is cool, man. If you would have told me that I'll be working at a Fortune 50 company at any point in my life, I'd have laughed at you, man. I would have laughed at you. But I'm finding a way there. I found great mentors. I found great people, too. I've kind of treated it like basketball, man. Like, I find out who shoots threes, okay, I'm going to go shoot threes with them. All right? Who's the best defender? Okay, I'm going to go play some defense with them. Okay? I see who has their skills and I learn from them. And that's the best way to do anything. That's the best way to get better in any avenue or any arena. And right now, I kind of feel like this is elite, but just not sports, just a different arena. Instead of a jersey, I've got my button up shirt. But how am I balancing these things, man? It is tough. I will say that my schedule has become busy again. Back to the prioritization. I'm keeping my fitness as one of those priorities. Every day I get up, excited and I know that that makes a difference for somebody. I know that I'm going to go. I'm going to get that workout in. That's going to make a difference for somebody and not just me. So I go and I put that out there into the world, and then I get things done.

[44:49] DK: Performax the sweet ride is our lead.

[44:52] DK: Sponsor of the Wheelprint podcast. Performax has supported all that I do and has been so innovative to serving our community of wheelchair users. From the elite USA national team player to the rank and file wheelchair user, performax delivers. Don't think twice about who to choose for your ride. Performax is the only choice when it comes to weight function and a great looking design. It's the right choice. Trust me, with 25 years of experience, you won't regret making performax your sweet ride. Let them know that the wheel friend sent you.

[45:38] DK: Dude. Okay. So since, I mean, forever, the word fly has been associated with your name, you chose that for a reason. And maybe it has morphed and developed for different reasons, but give us the original reason. I. You know, it's because it's what you're going to tell us is what matters. But then when you talk about where that word came from, I also want to talk about how fly you are with fashion, bro. And you weren't always like that. No, definitely today you are one of the most dope dressers I have ever seen. And there's not going to be a whole lot of people that they're sitting there shaking their heads right now. We know how fly you are that way, but where did it come from?

[46:55] Matt Scott: So I'll go back to just the word fly and why. It was something that really resonated with me and that goes back to my mom. Everybody that watches me, that knows me, they know that I'm a self proclaimed mama's boy. I love my mother. I have a great relationship with her. Everything that I do is to make her proud. Simple as that. So, I know way back when I was a kid, people would always ask her questions about the fact that I couldn't walk. Oh, he can't walk. He can't walk. He can't walk. But she would always tell them that I could fly. And that stuck with me. It stuck with me for many years. Many years. And it's something that I wanted to put as a part of my moniker because I saw myself as somebody that maybe I couldn't walk, but I will fly. And then that kind of took a life of its own. I became flyer and flyer and more ways than one as a dresser. It's funny you say that. I think that just comes from confidence, man. I'm not afraid to go there. You might see me, man. I'm just not afraid to go there ever. I'm very confident in what I wear. I'm just proud to be where I'm at. I like to show up and make a statement. I think as a person with a disability, people are always going to be looking at you. Most of the time, you're going to be like the only one in there. You might as well give them a show. Give them something to look at.

[48:42] DK: Man. And you do. We've had you on the red carpet. You're at the hall of fame. I gave you a personal phone call when I was being inducted to the US Olympic and Paralympic hall of fame. I wanted some fashion tips, man, and you were throwing them at me. I was on Amazon buying this and that. I want to be like Matt, man, and the OG coming in with, I don't know what, that tie thing we were. What is that called?

[49:18] Matt Scott: It's like a cravat tie.

[49:21] DK: Cravat.

[49:22] Matt Scott: Yeah.

[49:23] DK: I couldn't pull it off, but I pulled off my own version. And I was so happy you received my call without laughing at me. But that just goes back to your commitment to wanting to look good, man, and really stretch the boundaries in that world.

[49:45] Matt Scott: That's right. I just think, and I always have felt like, as a person with a disability, I've always felt like an underdog. And I think having an underdog mentality, there's nothing wrong with that. I'll never underestimate myself, but I've always had this, like, okay, I'm going to prove myself. And the confidence to wear whatever you want for me allows me to step out of that underdog. And I feel like the top dog whenever I can dress and wear what I want and just establish an identity as someone who is not afraid to go there. Like I said, I feel confident in what I wear all the time.

[50:38] DK: Yeah, you're running in those circles, man. It's really cool to see. I keep saying that my friends joke with me, DK.

[50:52] Matt Scott: They're just like, actually, I went to a comedy show the other day, and one of my friends is like, I would usually come and I would be really casual, but you're not going to outdo me. I'm coming. Fly. Whenever I come out with you, you.

[51:07] DK: Inspire people to move out of their comfort zones and stretch into new direction, man. And it's all good. It's all complimentary. Well, look, we're getting a little bit close to the end here. This is kind of a money question about what? Can you let us know, Matt, about what you see yourself doing in this next phase of your life? You've given us array of things that you're involved in, but the next phase, what's that look like for Matt Scott?

[51:55] Matt Scott: There's so many doors open. Which one do I go through? DK, I'm in a part of my life right now. I'm about as fortunate as I've ever been as far as in terms of opportunity, and I feel very fortunate to be in this perspective that I'm sitting in right now. What does that look like? Well, I've got a new position that I'm going after at visa, and I hope to continue to climb that ladder and continue to make myself a better corporate professional. There are some opportunities that you might see me on the screen, maybe announcing on NBC. We'll see. I've kind of thrown out some of those breadcrumbs, and I really hope that manifests itself because I think as someone who's experienced high level sports as a paralympian, I can speak to it in a very compelling way. And coming from the perspective that I have, I think that I can really not only bring eyes to this sport, but also look good while I'm doing it. I really want to chase after that. I won't say it's a lifelong dream, but it's definitely a goal of mine. And if I put it on my sights, I know that I can accomplish it. Fly without limits. With fly without limits. I hope to continue to change lives. I hope to put on some of the best sports events that we possibly can, starting with the DK three. I hope to continue to equip people with the equipment that they need, to continue to inspire individuals just to put positivity out in the world and into our community and shed a positive light on disability. Not like any sad sob stories about disability. We're out here thriving and flying. We're out here fully living ourselves and fully living the dreams that we're going after. And that's something that's really near and dear to me. I want to make sure that we're putting that sort of story out into the universe and nothing negative. What else? DK? It just feels limitless, man. I feel like I've put this foundation to a building with no ceilings right now, and I'm just going to keep going.

[54:26] DK: You are, man. You're going to continue to attract all the support, all the good people that want to be part of what you got going on. And that's your gift, brother, and there'll be no limits for sure. So I really appreciate this candid, that was kind of like closing statement for you, but is there any last words you'd like to say before I close last words again?

[55:00] Matt Scott: I want to give you your flowers. DK, as someone who has really poured into me, and you continue to, with your contribution to fly without limits. So thank you not only for me, but for my team as well. Your support, your words, and your encouragement for others to support us. Man, that goes so long. That goes such a long way. Nobody does anything without collaboration, and I'm lucky to be collaborating with someone with the heart of yours. Heart like yours. I'm continuously inspired by you, man. And every year, every day, every time we were able to connect, I'm more and more just empowered to continue to go on and do great things, and you continue to push the needle no matter what. And that makes me want to do the same. So thank you.

[55:56] DK: It's such a two way street with us. Well, look, there you have it, my friends. That's my Christmas gift to you. And I promised that this would be a year end thriller, and it was. I can't wait for this podcast to drop and that so many of you share it. And you can find us on our YouTube channel and Apple and Spotify. And because it's my podcast, I'm going to drop a little teaser. 2024. Be on the lookout for my autobiography. It's close to being solid and finished. Been working with the creative writing of Miles Thompson, one of my dearest friends, and we've been at it for two and a half years, in the trenches with the words and the experiences. So there you have it. Stay tuned. And Matt, I stole this for every parting close of my podcast because I saw you wearing the t shirt. Be a good human being, do the next right thing, blaze your own trail, and don't ever get lost in the crowd. All right? So peace out, my brother, and to all of DK, three nation, and the Wheel print podcast. Grateful to have you and thank you next time.

[57:37] Matt Scott: Appreciate you, brother. I'll talk to you soon.

[57:39] DK: All right, peace.

[57:40] Matt Scott: Peace, everybody.

[57:43] DK: I hope you enjoyed today's show on the Wheel print podcast as much as I did. I invite you to check out our.

[57:50] DK: Other episodes on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or on our YouTube channel.

[57:55] DK: Thank you to our lead sponsor, performax.

[57:58] DK: Wheelchairs the sweet ride.

[58:02] DK: They are the leaders of wheelchair design worldwide. And to our new sponsor, Umed. Special thanks to ishtanyeri of Dromos, our.

[58:12] DK: Lead producer of this show.