The Tampa Bay Frogman Swim is an annual fundraiser that works to extend consciousness of the Naval Particular Warfare neighborhood. It additionally helps the Navy SEAL Basis. John Doolittle served in the USA Navy for 25 years, however he feels as strongly about doing occasions comparable to this as he did when he wore the uniform.
“This yr, we had our highest attendance of Gold Star spouses. Our objective this yr was to hit $1 million for the SEAL Basis to assist Gold Star households,” he mentioned. “I consider the final word sacrifice being the dad and mom, spouses, and youngsters of these which can be left behind.”
Doolittle reported that the 2023 occasion was an enormous success, and he feels that apart from being a dad of three youngsters, it’s certainly one of his best contributions to be part of an occasion comparable to this.
“Seeing these households interacting with their liked one’s teammates and those that served when these family members have been nonetheless round is nice. The enjoyment it might deliver them is like nothing I’ve ever skilled.”
Collaborating in occasions just like the Frogman Swim and others is one thing that Doolittle not solely might do, however ought to do. Like many who’ve performed a task in defending freedom, the job of creating 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 such a lot of individuals struggling on the market proper now, man.”
Doolittle was raised in Northern California. He and his sister have been avid swimmers. Initially impressed by the preliminary “High Gun” movie within the Nineteen Eighties, Doolittle had initially deliberate on serving in the USA Naval Academy. They really declined him, so he shifted to the USA Air Pressure Academy as an alternative.
“I needed to strive that. I needed to be a pilot,” he mentioned. Considered one of my swimming coaches helped me get in.”
Nonetheless, resulting from cutbacks that have been made within the early 1990’s, solely the highest third out of his graduating class of 92 individuals would transfer on to Underground Pilot Coaching. He was unable to interrupt that threshold. Uncertain of what he needed to do subsequent, he reached out to certainly one of his mentors, 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist and 200-meter world report holder Mike Troy for recommendation.
“He was my coach in highschool, and I known as him. He mentioned ‘get out of the Air Pressure, go into the Navy and be a part of the Seal Groups.’”
After preliminary contemplation, Doolittle took his recommendation. The identical day he graduated in his Air Pressure parade uniform, he became his Navy choker whites. That will be the start of a profession that lasted rather a lot longer than he could have initially thought.
“The overwhelming majority of my time within the Navy was on the Seal groups.”
In 2017, Doolittle hung up his uniform for the ultimate time, however he discovered one other profession that has helped him make a constructive distinction in numerous lives, together with his personal. After going by means of 13 orthopedic surgical procedures because of his service, he wanted a technique to begin feeling higher bodily. It was by means of his seek for cures that he found KAATSU, an organization that shares the identical identify 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 strain.”. Every time the compression is utilized, it’s somewhat stronger. This was initially finished 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 managed releases again and again so it may be utilized in a passive mode,” he defined. “You may put them in your higher arms or higher legs, and the machine places somewhat little bit of air strain within the band. No matter how excessive you go, you don’t occlude blood circulation.”
The apply was found and created by Dr. Yoshiaki Soto, and it was practiced in Japan going again to the early 1970’s, but it surely had solely made its technique to the Western world and Europe in recent times. Doolittle may be seen in his yard doing exercises whereas sporting his KAATSU bands regularly. He notes that KAATSU totally different than the standard blood circulation restriction that many weightlifters and athletes apply at the moment.
“It was what I used for my bodily remedy to get well from my final two surgical procedures,” he defined. “That was how I obtained launched to it, a few yr earlier than I retired.”
At this time, Doolittle is the Chief Income 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 individuals with residual limb points or ache, neuropathy points, phantom limb ache is an incredible technique to have higher high quality of life” he said. “For instance, once you meet a man that had used opioids and alcohol to sleep, and you may current one thing to that person who’s not a drug, and so they can come off ingesting to sleep, that could be very particular.”
Whether or not it’s bodily well being by means of his efforts at KAATSU or contributing effort and time to serving to future generations comparable to kids of Gold Star households, Doolittle realizes that there’s a new era making ready to take the reins, and he hopes that many others will be a part of him in efforts to arrange 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 psychological well being points coming to mild, it’s loopy what these youngsters are coping with. All of us must do higher for them.” To be taught extra about KAATSU, go to www.kaatsu.com . You can too observe them on Instagram @kaatsu.
