#133 James Wilks: turning injury into opportunity - the inspiring story of The Game Changers documentary

Within a week of its release, The Game Changers became the best selling documentary of all time on iTunes and is now trending on Netflix.

Producer and former UFC fighter James Wilks started filming in 2011 after a double knee injury forced him to put his elite training schedule on hold. So began a trail of surprising discoveries that led to James questioning everything he’d ever been told about protein. 

Shock at what he learnt inspired him to record his journey in what would become the hit documentary ‘The Game Changers’. 

Press play to hear James talk candidly about dealing with backlash from the meat lobby (and Piers Morgan), his own personal and family health scares that drove him on, how Bruce Lee inspired him and how he managed to get Academy Award winners Louie Psihoyos and James Cameron on board, as well as big names like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic and Chris Paul to join as executive producers.

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This episode of The Unconventionalists has been a long time coming: I first got in touch with James on Facebook back in 2013 (see screenshot below), so I’m super excited to share this conversation with you.

 
James WIlks Facebook message 2013.jpg
 

I hope you get as much out of it as I did.

It took grit and determination for James to follow through on his research and get the message out that not only can plant protein deliver all the needs of elite athletes, it can drastically improve your health too.

We dive into the story behind the already infamous ‘erection’ experiment, and James shares how his father’s heart attack made him even more determined to dispel the myth that ‘real men eat meat.’

As James says, “all protein originates in plants. Animals are just the middlemen.”

Cutting out the middleman will have a huge effect on your health. What’s crucial is how you replace animal protein: James is on a mission to improve the quality of our diets and you’ll find out how to get the support you need.

Please do share this episode with others who need to hear it as James is an inspiring example of how to set your mind on what you want to do and succeed, despite the challenges.

Enjoy!

Mark 

IN THIS WEEK’S EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

  • How James Wilks got Oscar-winning filmmaker Louie Psihoyos to direct The Game Changers documentary, leading to other big names James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic and Chris Paul getting on board as producers

  • Why James felt like he had been lied to his entire life about protein

  • How Bruce Lee inspired James

  • How James ended up winning the UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter season 9

  • The hard truth behind being a professional fighter that not many talk about

  • How James reacted to Piers Morgan’s hostile reception on Good Morning Britain

  • Why halfway through the documentary things got really personal for James 

  • Why the penis is a canary in a coal mine for men

  • Why you should always look into who funded the studies you read

  • A little known fact about Mark, and a surprising one about James!

  • Why showbusiness is like any business

  • Why dedication and drive is the key to accomplishing anything 

  • Why it takes a team to create anything meaningful

  • Why people try going plant-based but don’t stick with it 

  • Where to get help with what to eat when you want to eat more plants

  • How to support The Uncoventionalists AND improve your health by shopping at Vivo Life with our very own discount code

  • How to get your place on Mark Leruste’s legendary podcasting masterclass and start broadcasting your message loud and clear





SHOWNOTES:


SPONSORS

 This week’s episode of The Unconventionalists podcast was brought to you by:

  • Hands down the best nutritional supplements Mark has ever used (they could be his superpower)  Vivo Life: http://bit.ly/2LnXa74 - Use code "mark" to get 10% off your first order

  • Launch A Successful Podcast From Scratch (Online Masterclass):  https://theunconventionalists.com/launch-a-successful-podcast-from-scratch - Use code "PODCASTTRIBE" to get 20% off the entire course. You won’t regret it. “This guy is a podcasting master, trust me! Grab a spot ASAP.” - Samantha Clarke

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