On today's episode of the "The Runway Decade Podcast," hosts Bill Bush and Pete Bush, advisors at Horizon Financial Group are going to talk to Ray Castle, who has had one retirement already and is currently on the runway. They mention that Ray is known in the medical training world and has a diverse background that they were not aware of. Pete and Bill express their excitement about getting to know Ray's story better and believe that the listeners will enjoy it as well.

‍

Episode Highlights

• 01:52: Ray Castle mentions that in addition to the revitalization of his hometown, there have been new restaurants opening up. He expresses his admiration for these restaurants, saying that they rival most restaurants in town.
• 02:38: Ray mentions that he learned to drive at a young age and had some mishaps with tractors, including running into trees. He also shares that his father had a heart attack when he was 49, which influenced their decision to go into the cattle business in the late 70s.
• 03.12: Despite the challenges, Ray stayed in the farming business for about six years. Pete and Bush relate to Ray's farming background, mentioning that their own family was involved in farming tobacco, corn and raising animals like pigs.
• 04:03: As a child, Ray Castle explains that he would mostly engage in activities on the farm. Ray mentions how his older brother and younger sister were simply immersed in farm life and its various tasks.
• 05.12: Ray Castle mentions that he attended Tensas Academy, a small private school, for his high school education. After high school, he came to LSU (Louisiana State University).
• 05:27: Ray confirms that he has always been interested in sports and participated in multiple sports during high school. However, he never initially realized that he wanted to pursue a career in healthcare.
• 05:48: Ray Castle explains that his parents never pressured him to choose a specific career path, but instead emphasized the importance of going to school and taking things step by step. They provided encouragement even when he was struggling academically or making mistakes.
• 06:53: Ray Castle shares his experience at LSU, where he initially pursued a major in geology but eventually realized that it wasn't the right fit for him.
• 08.42: Ray reflects on his interest in sports and decides to pursue a degree in kinesiology. He mentions considering a Med technology degree but ultimately opts for kinesiology, realizing that he can excel if he puts in the effort to balance work and study.
• 10.50: Ray Castle talks about a moment when he realized he needed to be more prepared for his kinesiology class.
• 12:32: Ray Castle talks about his experience as a student trainer at LSU. He mentions staying in Broussard Hall and working from 12:30 to 1, assisting the team. He mentions that the women's track team won their first back-to-back championships in Eugene, Oregon.
• 14:45: Ray Castle reflects on his experience working with different sports teams at LSU. He mentions the unique family atmosphere within athletics and how it felt to be part of that community.
• 15:24: Ray mentions working alongside Tammy Bianco, who was an athletic training student at the time. Ray describes the long to-do lists and tasks he had to complete, including budgeting, inventory management, and working during the summer. He notes that the current system has changed significantly compared to his time working with the teams.
• 17:40: Ray acknowledges the opportunity to work with great people throughout their 20-year tenure, and they mention that they retired in August.
• 19.07: Ray emphasizes the importance of having a solid foundation to build a successful career and personal life.
• 22:51: Ray talks about their experience working with various sports, including Olympic cycles. Pete and Bill mention working with Kathy Osborne and John Purdy, who worked at the Olympics. Kathy worked with USA women's basketball in Barcelona in 1992, and John worked at the Lillehammer Winter Olympics in 1993.
• 23:49: Ray shares how they have been involved in covering marathons and traveling to different locations for their work.
• 26:18: Ray describes their experience at a marathon where they were stationed at the medical tent. Ray then mentions being about 30-40 yards away from the first bomb site during the Boston Marathon bombing incident. They reflect on how, despite being taught not to take action in such situations, they found themselves instinctively responding and helping people in need.
• 29:33 Ray talks about the challenging transition to retirement and the painful process of leaving their previous career.
• 34:50: Bill mentions wearing an Apple Watch and the availability of data for monitoring human performance. Ray who is involved in the medical side of athlete training, talks about the changes and advancements in the field over the past 15 to 20 years.
• 36:51: Ray emphasizes the importance of exercise and mentions their personal experience with open heart surgery.
• 39:48: Ray discusses the importance of being aware of one's family history of cardiac events and how it can increase the risk of experiencing similar issues.
• 45:02: Pete, Bill and Ray expresses their appreciation for their partner, emphasizing the importance of enjoying each other's company and expressing love and affection every day.
• 49:02: Ray talks about his favourite music band. He also shares that their first pet was a Catahoula card Mix named Diamond, who had a small diamond-shaped marking on his forehead.
• 52:01: Ray shares about their best vacation, which took place in the Bahamas on an island called Spanish Wells.
• 54:02: Ray talks about their website, www.actionmed.co, where they offer services such as emergency care workshops, first aid and CPR certification training, and consulting in the field of emergency medicine.

‍

Three Key Points

1. Ray Castle shares how timing of their transition into the cattle business was good because the farming industry was changing and it was difficult to sustain a small farming business during that time, particularly in the late 70s.
2. Ray talks about the coaches he worked with, including Pat Henry, Lauren Seagrave, and Dan Path, and how he learned a lot from them in terms of technical skills and understanding the body.
3. Bill, Pete and Ray discuss technology and hybrid learning, while pointing that younger generations learn faster than they did.

‍

Tweetable Quotes

• "I remember when I was 8th or 9th grade, my dad came home, and my parents never pushed me in one direction." – Ray Castle
• "I am a firm believer that careers find you. You don't find them." - Ray Castle
• "It was a lot of that was an incredible experience just to work with folks and see that beforehand and I left the day before all the craziness." - Ray Castle
• "Just working on very simple things to be healthy doesn't take a lot to do that." - Ray Castle

‍

Resources Mentioned

• runwaydecade.com
• https://www.actionmed.co/

‍

You may also subscribe and listen to The Runway Decade podcast on these platforms: