What does it take to break through the walls of selfishness we’ve built around ourselves? For Dan Schmidt, it was a brutal 24-hour journey through the mountains of Georgia that stripped away every comfort and convenience of modern life.

In this powerful episode, host Ben Spahr leads a raw conversation with host Dan Schmidt about his experience in The Rite of Passage, an endurance challenge led by former Navy SEAL Chad Wright. This wasn’t just another test of grit—without electronics, timepieces, or any knowledge of their route, nineteen strangers walked non-stop through punishing terrain and sweltering heat. The rules were deceptively simple: keep moving, keep eating, keep drinking. But within that simplicity, something extraordinary unfolded.

Dan arrived carrying the same anxieties any of us would feel before such an ordeal, quietly sizing up his teammates and wondering who might falter first. His assumptions were turned upside down when Ray, a tattooed artist from Manitoba battling a bad knee, was appointed team leader. What initially looked like a disadvantage became their greatest blessing. Ray’s visible struggle and unwavering determination became the beacon that pulled everyone forward. “If Ray keeps going, there’s no way in hell we’re not going to keep going,” Dan reflects.

Over roughly 46 miles of mountains, rainforest-like paths, river crossings, and technical terrain, the team faced relentless mental challenges—propaganda blaring through speakers for hours, yelling instructors, and the constant lure to focus on personal discomfort instead of shared success. In the end, Dan came to a profound realization: “Ray was Jesus,” he says, voice trembling. “I thought I could do it, but could I have done it without seeing his pain, his struggle?”

What started as a personal mission to prove something—to himself and to others—became a humbling lesson in selflessness, faith, and the power of community. As ROP Team 12 became only the second group ever to finish with no quitters, they discovered that true strength is never just about individual capability but about collective commitment to a shared purpose.

Whether you’re facing your own mountains or simply need inspiration to take that first step toward change, this conversation about pain, perseverance, and purpose will remind you that growth doesn’t happen in comfort—it happens in the fire.

Listen now at www.betempered.com and take your first step forward today.

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