Jeremy Manning of ‘Manning Up’ Goes From Drug Addiction to Inspiring a Nation

When you look in the mirror, are you happy with what you see? If the answer is no, then today is your Manning Up Moment.  Your moment to take a stand and make a change, without any excuses.  Need some inspiration? Manning Up is the place to get inspired and share your own story.

Jeremy Mannning

Meet Jeremy Manning, a man who once lived on the streets addicted to drugs and is now a trainer, two-time medalist in Tae Kwon Do and the founder of Manning Up. 'I was addicted to meth for over four years and used martial arts and a recovery program to get sober and change my life. As a trainer I turned it into a program for others to stay sober and/or overcome adversity.'

Alex Minsky

Jeremy is an Army Veteran and a survivor of domestic abuse who met Alex Minsky, another soldier who lost his leg in Afghanistan. Alex was in a coma for 47 days, then battled depression and a drinking problem before getting clean and deciding to Man Up. Alex is now an underwear model. 'He's an inspiration. His picture was the first post I created to describe what Manning Up was all about. Then I met him through my first sponsor. We've been able to reach out and touch a lot of lives and a lot of hearts and we're both grateful for the opportunity.'

The main picture circulating the internet of Alex holding the flag, was captured almost by accident. 'We were kicked off some rocks because they were filming a movie. So we drove around and found this spot. Alex was kind of playing with the flag and we snapped it.  Now it's been the most popular shot.'

Alex is just one of the many people featured on Manning Up that have made a difference in their lives by taking a stand. From burn survivors to sexual assault victims.  They are all Manning Up and inspiring others to do the same through health, fitness and sports. The pictures Jeremy is using to tell their stories are as inspirational as the stories themselves. 'The pictures are what get your attention and the stories touch your heart and that's really what we're hoping to do. It's been so rewarding and it just keeps getting bigger and better.'

If Alex can do the things he does with one leg, what's your excuse? 'I wanted it to be about no excuses. There's no real reason for us to get in our own way.' Words worth repeating. There's no real reason for us to get in our own way. It's time to Man Up!

Hear Jeremy Manning Interview

Jesse - Burn Survivor

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