22/10/2025
Coming soon to the Twenty400 Block - Podcast:
BY Mark Rodriguez
January 25 2024 changed everything for me. I’ve always lived a fast, hard-working life — balancing long days as a UPS driver with my passion as a fitness bodybuilder and running a business as a photographer. I pushed myself every day, chasing goals, capturing powerful moments, and staying on the move. I thought I was strong enough to handle anything.
But then, out of nowhere, I had a heart attack. In that moment, everything stopped. All the rushing, all the plans, all the noise, gone. I remember the fear, the uncertainty, and the weight of realizing how fragile life really is. Lying there, I wasn’t thinking about work or deadlines. I was thinking about my life, my health, and the people I love.
Recovery hasn’t been easy, but it’s been real. It’s taught me to slow down, to appreciate the little things I used to overlook, like breathing deeply, seeing the sunrise, or simply being here. I’ve learned that strength isn’t just about muscles or endurance. Real strength is surviving, healing, and choosing to keep going even when life knocks you down.
This experience didn’t break me, it woke me up.
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In development: A MUST-SEE interview with Mark Rodriguez to be released as Episode S06-E05.