Jocko Podcast #517 Summary

Title: Put Your Legs On. Zero Excuses. The Relentless Journey Rob Jones

Date: December 3, 2025
Host: Jocko Willink, Echo Charles
Guest: Rob Jones, Marine veteran, double above-the-knee amputee, author of "Put Your Legs On," Paralympian, endurance athlete, leadership instructor, father, and farmer.

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode delivers a powerful discussion on overcoming extreme adversity, mental resilience, leadership, and the relentless spirit of Marine veteran Rob Jones. Centered around Rob’s new memoir Put Your Legs On, Jocko and Echo dive deep into Rob’s journey from war injury and amputation to Paralympic medals, ultramarathons, and continual service as a leader. The episode explores mental strategies, the reality of severe injury, overcoming internal doubts (“the terrorist in your head”), and practical tools for anyone facing hardship.

Detailed Discussion & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The "Terrorist" Within

• Opening Excerpt from Rob’s Book: Jocko reads a passage (00:07) dramatizing Rob's internal struggle—the “terrorist” voice of self-doubt—immediately establishing the theme of inner battles post-injury.
• Jocko: “...that terrorist was not going to win. But it was going to be a scrap.”

2. Rob’s Military Experience & Injury

• Combat Engineer Background: Rob explains the tight kinship with fellow Marines and the high risks combat engineers face (04:14–06:15).
• The Day of the IED: Rob graphically recounts the explosion that resulted in the loss of both legs above the knee, awakening in excruciating pain and shock (12:10–12:45).
  • Rob: “I'm literally standing up, doing what I'm supposed to do. And then an instant later ... it's like I teleported.”
• Immediate Aftermath—Wanting to Die: Rob describes begging for death, unable to imagine a worthwhile life as a double amputee (15:38).
  • Rob (on mental closure): “When I made that decision, the mind closed ... So literally, in that situation, the closed mind equals death.” (16:25)
  • Insight: The importance of keeping an “open mind” in the face of despair.

3. Hospital Recovery and Mindset Shift

• Awakening to Possibility: Regaining consciousness in the hospital, Rob experiences a mindset shift to survival and building a "good life" regardless of circumstances (32:18–32:59).
  • Rob: “I'm alive now ... so I still want to have a good life. So, boom, that was it.”
• Role Models and Hope: Meeting other double amputees like Dan Cnossen offers Rob hope and a template for reclaiming independence (41:58–43:21).
  • Rob: “If you literally see somebody doing it right over there, you can think to yourself, why not me too?”

4. The Hard Grind: Physical Therapy and Prosthetics

• Learning to Walk Again: Rob details the grueling, incremental process of physical therapy—falling, embarrassment, and ignoring the “inner terrorist” (45:04–47:25).
  • Jocko: “Isn’t it weird how people ... we always think everyone's looking at us ... No one cares.”
  • Internal Dialogue: The book’s unique structure lets readers experience Rob’s battle with self-doubt and shame.
• Bionic Knees: Technical details on the modern prosthetics (“sea leg,” “genium”), which enable Rob’s remarkable athletic feats (57:40–61:35).

5. Redefining Limits: Sports & Paralympics

• Rowing Discovery: Rob traces his path from discovering “disabled rowing” to Olympic ambition (37:34–38:48).
• Training and Teamwork: Trains with Oksana Masters—two double amputees forming a world-class rowing team.
• Coaching and the “Five Fs of Success”: Olympic gold medalist Brad Lewis becomes coach, imparting lessons on Focus, Forget, FU (“I am a winner”), Faith, and Free play (89:27–104:26).
  • Memorable Brad Lewis Quote: “Never let yourself be caught with nothing to do. There's lots of waiting around in rowing. You can always work on something.” (89:25)
  • Philosophy: “You are the only one who knows what you're capable of ...” (93:55)

6. Resilience in Action: Biking Across America & Ultramarathons

• Cross-Country Cycling: After Paralympic rowing, Rob cycles 5,181 miles across America to raise money for veterans’ charities—describing the logistics, mishaps, injuries, and deeper purpose (111:09–122:35).
  • On Motivation: “It took me a long time to learn how to ride a bicycle again ... so I want to use that skill.”
• Internal Conflict: Balancing self-discovery with public fundraising and advocacy (114:07–114:56).
• The Month of Marathons: Rob runs 31 marathons in 31 days in 31 cities, detailing brutal physical damage (blisters, inflammation, back injury), but also experiencing the healing power of purpose and community (130:04–164:10).
  • On Adversity: “The pain in my body receded slightly and briefly ... My brothers need me to be successful.” (throughout last marathon)

7. Family, Leadership, and Paying It Forward

• Home Life & Fatherhood: The episode ends with stories of marriage, fatherhood, home birth, and gratitude for support systems (167:38–169:54).
  • Rob: “I could not have done the month of marathons without her [Pam], my mom, Colin, and all the people that were supporting me.”
• Leadership Today: Jocko and Rob discuss their work at Echelon Front, teaching leadership principles to companies—and Rob’s contagious humor and energy (172:07–191:02).
• Rob’s Continued Mission: Helping others as a public speaker and instructor, running a small farm, training for more challenges, and being an example for wounded veterans searching for possibility (180:11–181:38).

Notable Quotes and Moments with Timestamps

• On Internal Battles:

  • Rob (15:38): “I don't want to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life ... Put a bullet in my grape. I don't want to live like this.”
  • Rob (16:25): “The closed mind equals death.”
  • Jocko (10:48): “If you frame misery, you'll have misery. If you frame good times, you'll have good times.”

• On Mindset:

  • Rob (32:18): “When I woke up in Germany ... I'm alive now. Now I still—I'm alive. I'm not gonna die ... so I still want to have a good life. So, boom, that was it.”

• On Leadership:

  • Rob (70:09): “What I realized in that moment was that I needed to lead.”

• Lessons from Others:

  • On Dan Canossen (41:58): “It's such a great psychological thing ... literally see somebody doing it right over there, you can think to yourself, why not me too?”

• On Competition:

  • Rob (93:55): “This F is for those people. You are the only one who knows what you're capable of ...”

• On Relentless Consistency:

  • Rob (65:13): “It's just a tiny bit more ... As long as it's a little bit more, then that's progress for the day. ... Eventually you go from no prosthetic legs at all to bionic knees, no canes.”

• On Purpose:

  • Rob (111:09): “I was always kind of looking for something that could bring back that greater purpose.”

• On Service and Team:

  • Rob (122:18): “All I did was ride a bike. All those other people did all the other hard work that got me to where I was going. It's not hard to ride a bike.”

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:07 – Opening excerpt: Dialog with “inner terrorist”
• 12:10 – Rob details the IED blast and aftermath
• 15:38 – Pleading not to survive the injury
• 16:25–17:55 – The paralytic effect of a closed mind; opening up to new possibilities
• 32:18–32:59 – Rob’s mental shift to survival and finding a new life
• 41:58–43:21 – Dan Canossen as example, the power of visible role models
• 45:04–47:25 – Rob’s journey learning to walk again; overcoming embarrassment, ego
• 57:40–61:35 – Technical breakdown of bionic knee prosthetics
• 89:27–104:26 – Brad Lewis’ “Five Fs”; maximizing every moment, building trust and honesty in partnership
• 111:09–122:35 – The bike ride across America: reason, mishaps, physical and emotional turmoil
• 130:04–164:10 – Running 31 marathons in 31 days with cumulative physical breakdown; mental strategies; running for a larger purpose
• 167:38–169:54 – Home birth, family, gratitude, and supporting cast
• 180:11–181:38 – Rob’s future goals: setting standards for future wounded veterans
• 194:45–196:26 – Rob’s stand-up comedy background and humor as a leadership tool
• 204:55–205:00 – Rob confirms he wrote the book himself

Memorable Moments

• Rob’s “Inner Terrorist”: The ongoing depiction of an antagonistic inner voice, turning from foe to “friend,” was both moving and practical—showing how adversity can be reframed.
• Recovery and Relentless Progress: Descriptions of sweating, physical pain, incremental progress, and daily grind (montage moments) are visceral and deeply motivating.
• Brad Lewis’ Coaching: The “Five Fs” framework—Focus, Forget, FU, Faith, Free play—bridges high-performance sports, war recovery, and universal self-improvement.
• Community and Service: Rob’s humility and constant redirecting of credit to his team, family, and other veterans reinforce the episode’s message that resilience is a collective act.
• Family & Home Birth: The story of Pam’s home birth grounds the entire narrative in the ordinary triumphs of love, partnership, and daily life.

Final Call to Action & Closing Thoughts

• Rob’s words (185:03): "When you get that call, you may be tired. It may not be fair, you may not want to do it ... So what do you do when you're tired? Put your legs on."
• Jocko’s final message: “Life is not going to be easy. ... The call will come ... and when that happens, you now know exactly what to do. Just like Rob Jones does every day: Put your legs on.”

Resources & Where to Find Rob

• Book: “Put Your Legs On” – Available [wherever books are sold].
• Website: robjonesjourney.com
• Social: Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook: @robjonesjourney
• Leadership Speaking: echelonfront.com
• Farm: gatheringsprings.farm.com (vegetable CSA, North Virginia)

“Zero excuses. Relentless journey. Put your legs on.”