In 1983, East. St. Louis, Illinois was known for its high crime rates, violence, and volatile illegal drug market. So when Robert “The Speaker” Washington was born, he made the choice to become a fighter for survival. Robert was raised in a lower-income neighborhood with multiple siblings and raised by a single mother, so statistically he didn’t have much of a chance in life. What he DID have was time. As a child, Robert used his time wisely and efficiently to figure out how to overcome the many obstacles in his path, such as how to acquire food and water to cater to his family's physiological needs. By the age of 5, he already knew most of the popular illegal drugs, but determined to succeed at all costs, Robert focused on his education.
1991 helped change and expand Robert’s mind when his mother made the decision to leave his birthplace, East St. Louis, IL, to expose him and his siblings to a different atmosphere in New Orleans. The move opened a new and fresh perspective on life, which allowed him to cultivate sustained confidence that he would take into all facets of his life. However, the change of scenery didn’t change his circumstances. For example, his struggle to find sustenance was still present, which offered Robert another of life’s hurdles to overcome by fishing for his daily meals. Furthermore, he walked 5 miles with a shopping cart filled of recyclable materials to purchase other necessities, such as bread, milk, and eggs. For this young man, playing outdoors with friends, football practice, and other after school activities was not an option. Some individuals give up or make excuses as to why they are unsuccessful, but life’s obstacles became opportunities for Robert to sharpen his character and grow, as well as create a more persistent and resilient fighter of survival.
New Orleans became a rest stop for Robert and his family, because they were soon uprooted and traveling back to East. Louis, IL. Robert wasn’t welcomed back graciously by his peers, which cultivated a new type of fighter. For example, he was forced to defend himself physically every week because he spoke differently and he no longer fit into his old environment. In high school, he began to wrestle, which untimely brought the athletic fighter out him to match his mental strength. Despite all the statistics, Robert was on track to having athletic and academic scholarships to a few four-year universities. However, he decided to put his ambitions aside for the greater good of his country and his patriotic spirit.
In 2001, Robert joined the military exactly two weeks after 9/11. While in the military serving on Guam he found Mixed-Martial-Arts (MMA), which is a combat sport that incorporates wrestling. Robert fell in love deeply and completely with the sport of MMA, which spurred the motivation for Robert to end his military career (Honorably Discharged) to follow his dreams of becoming a champion in MMA. MMA opened a new world to Robert, which allowed him to compete and travel all throughout the U.S. and Southeast Asia. While competing overseas Robert went through divorce, and became a single parent to three young boys. A newly divorced and single parent separated from the military, Robert decided to continue to competing and move back to IL. With little help, Robert competed and won a majority of his professional bouts, as well as becoming a champion in an American MMA company. After a near-death experience and health complications, Robert was forced to give up his MMA career.
Achieving his goal of becoming a champion in MMA was impressive, but more impressive than that were Robert's accomplishments along the way and the level of mental strength displayed through his evolution. For instance, during the entire last six years of his MMA career he was able to balance 5 kids, a wife, college (completing 2 master’s degrees and an undergrad degree), and working a full-time job. Robert is a fighter in every sense of the word. Robert was able to gracefully transition from professional fighter to professional speaker, and has combined all of his experiences to create a workshop that is designed to create mental toughness within individuals, which ultimately helps participants overcome adversity through self–belief. Robert’s life goal is to help train as many mental warriors as he can that can overcome adversity through self–belief. Robert’s message is powerful, and he is living testament that no matter how bleak life seems, a person can overcome it through mental toughness and self-belief.
You can reach out to Robert "The Speaker" Washington on social media or on his websites, as well as see one of the most trending motivational videos on the internet right now with over 100k views at the links below.
Twitter: SpeakerRobert - https://twitter.com/SpeakerRobert?lang=en
Instagram: RobertTheSpeaker - https://www.instagram.com/robertthespeaker/
Facebook: RobertTheSpeaker - https://www.facebook.com/RobertTheSpeaker/
Email & Mobile - Info@RobertTheSpeaker.com & 618-910-9669
Website - www.RobertTheSpeaker.com
Motivational Video - https://www.facebook.com/
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