Power of Perseverance | Richard Gallegos | TEDxVeroBeach

I sincerely believe we all have the ability to not only persevere through all life throws at us, but also find joy and a sense of self-respect in the process. There is beauty in placing yourself in the “struggle” and forcing yourself through it one painful step at a time. Richard Gallegos was born and raised in Orlando Florida. After working as a paramedic in the emergency medical field for 10 years and struggling with PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, and Substance Abuse Disorder, Richard found his sobriety through the help of running ultra distances.
Richard currently works as the Lead Intake Coordinator for a National Substance Abuse and Mental Health facility that solely focuses on treatment for Firefighters, Paramedics, and EMTs.
Since his first 100-mile ultra marathon in May 2019 he has completed eleven 100 mile runs and one 200 mile run across the state of Florida.
When he is not spending time with his wife and daughter, you can find him running through Florida trails and swamps. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx