The Tampa Bay Frogman Swim is an annual fundraiser that works to extend consciousness of the Naval Special Warfare neighborhood. It additionally helps the Navy SEAL Foundation. John Doolittle served within the United States Navy for 25 years, however he feels as strongly about doing occasions corresponding to this as he did when he wore the uniform.
“This year, we had our highest attendance of Gold Star spouses. Our goal this year was to hit $1 million for the SEAL Foundation to help Gold Star families,” he stated. “I think of the ultimate sacrifice being the parents, spouses, and kids of those that are left behind.”
Doolittle reported that the 2023 occasion was a large success, and he feels that apart from being a dad of three youngsters, it’s one in all his best contributions to be part of an occasion corresponding to this.
“Seeing these families interacting with their loved one’s teammates and those who served when those loved ones were still around is great. The joy it can bring them is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.”
Taking half in occasions just like the Frogman Swim and others is one thing that Doolittle not solely may do, however ought to do. Like many who’ve performed a job in defending freedom, the job of constructing the world a greater place doesn’t finish on the retirement ceremony. He feels that every day that passes is a chance to assist make somebody’s life higher.
“There are so many people struggling out there right now, man.”
Doolittle was raised in Northern California. He and his sister had been avid swimmers. Initially impressed by the preliminary “Top Gun” movie within the Eighties, Doolittle had initially deliberate on serving within the United States Naval Academy. They truly declined him, so he shifted to the United States Air Force Academy as an alternative.
“I wanted to try that. I wanted to be a pilot,” he stated. One of my swimming coaches helped me get in.”
However, attributable to cutbacks that had been made within the early 1990’s, solely the highest third out of his graduating class of 92 folks would transfer on to Underground Pilot Training. He was unable to interrupt that threshold. Unsure of what he needed to do subsequent, he reached out to one in all his mentors, 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist and 200-meter world file holder Mike Troy for recommendation.
“He was my coach in high school, and I called him. He said ‘get out of the Air Force, go into the Navy and join the Seal Teams.’”
After preliminary contemplation, Doolittle took his recommendation. The identical day he graduated in his Air Force parade uniform, he turned into his Navy choker whites. That can be the start of a profession that lasted so much longer than he might have initially thought.
“The vast majority of my time in the Navy was on the Seal teams.”
In 2017, Doolittle hung up his uniform for the ultimate time, however he discovered one other profession that has helped him make a optimistic distinction in plenty of lives, together with his personal. After going by 13 orthopedic surgical procedures due to his service, he wanted a solution to begin feeling higher bodily. It was by his seek for treatments that he found KAATSU, an organization that shares the identical title because the apply.
Doolittle defined that KAATSU is a non-invasive methodology of utilizing blood circulation to boost each restoration and efficiency. KAATSU is Japanese for “added pressure.”. Each time the compression is utilized, it’s somewhat stronger. This was initially executed manually, however expertise has superior over the a long time, and KAATSU now has each private and medical units that may do the work for them.
“It’s not tourniquets or a typical BFR band. They’re elastic and pneumatic bands. It’s controlled releases over and over again so it can be used in a passive mode,” he defined. “You can put them on your upper arms or upper legs, and the machine puts a little bit of air pressure in the band. Regardless of how high you go, you don’t occlude blood flow.”
The apply was found and created by Dr. Yoshiaki Soto, and it was practiced in Japan going again to the early 1970’s, however it had solely made its solution to the Western world and Europe lately. Doolittle will be seen in his yard doing exercises whereas carrying his KAATSU bands regularly. He notes that KAATSU completely different than the standard blood circulate restriction that many weightlifters and athletes apply in the present day.
“It was what I used for my physical therapy to recover from my last two surgeries,” he defined. “That was how I got introduced to it, about a year before I retired.”
Today, Doolittle is the Chief Revenue Officer for KAATSU, and he serves as an advocate of the apply to assist fellow veterans like himself in addition to people who may gain advantage from implementing it into their lives.
“What KAATSU is doing for people with residual limb issues or pain, neuropathy issues, phantom limb pain is an amazing way to have better quality of life” he acknowledged. “For example, when you meet a guy that had used opioids and alcohol to sleep, and you can present something to that person that’s not a drug, and they can come off drinking to sleep, that is very special.”
Whether it’s bodily well being by his efforts at KAATSU or contributing effort and time to serving to future generations corresponding to kids of Gold Star households, Doolittle realizes that there’s a new technology getting ready to take the reins, and he hopes that many others will be a part of him in efforts to organize them to serve by serving to them keep match and ready to defend freedom as he did for a quarter-century.
“With a suicide epidemic and mental health issues coming to light, it’s crazy what these kids are dealing with. We all have to do better for them.” To study extra about KAATSU, go to www.kaatsu.com . You may comply with them on Instagram @kaatsu.