John McAvoy: From Life Sentence to Life of Purpose

4 snips

Oct 3, 2022

John McAvoy, a former high-profile armed robber turned professional endurance athlete and prison reform advocate, shares his extraordinary transformation journey. He discusses how a chance encounter with an indoor rowing machine in prison ignited his passion for sport and personal growth. John emphasizes the critical role of supportive relationships in overcoming adversity and highlights the urgent need for prison reform. He also reflects on his shift to veganism, driven by a deep connection to nature, and explores how enduring sports can impact lives positively.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Early Life and Criminal Influence

John McAvoy's early life was marked by the absence of his biological father and a longing for legacy.
He was raised by his mother and aunts, but his stepdad's criminal background shaped him into an armed robber.

ANECDOTE

Corrupt Worldview and Heist Inspiration

John's stepdad, a career criminal, did not explicitly encourage his criminal path but exposed him to a corrupt worldview.
This, combined with a film about his uncle's heist, triggered his ambition to become an armed robber.

ANECDOTE

First Arrest and Incarceration

At 16, John bought a gun, solidifying his criminal intent.
His stepdad tried to protect him by involving him further in criminal activities, but John gets arrested.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

If you’re someone who actually believes that people don’t change, prepare for a major mindset shift.Meet John McAvoy.

Returning for his 2nd appearance on the podcast, John is positive transformation rendered in human form—and his story is one of the most compelling, improbable, inspirational, and cinematic tales you will ever be privileged to hear.

The McAvoy name might ring a bell for longtime listeners. He first appeared on the show a little over four years ago on episode #379—a conversation that ranks among the most memorable and impactful in the ten-year history of the show.

For those unfamiliar, John is a former high-profile armed robber, one of Britain’s most successful career criminals and most wanted men. His reckoning was delivered in the form of a double life sentence (the 2nd of 2 prison stints) on the notorious Belmarsh high-security wing—a space he shared with extremist cleric Abu Hamza and the 7/7 bombers.

To the rational outsider, John’s future was bleak. But a chance encounter with prison gym indoor rowing machine would ultimately change his life forever. In short shrift, John ended up breaking a cluster of British and World indoor rowing records while incarcerated, and upon parole, began forging a new life as a professional endurance athlete.

Today, John is a Nike-sponsored Ironman athlete living in the Alps, a vegan (not my doing—I promise), and a stalwart mouthpiece for prison reform who has testified at 10 Downing Street. But above all, he’s a staunch advocate for the inherent power we all possess to course correct the trajectory of our lives, no matter how dire the circumstances.

I was in London recently and couldn’t resist the opportunity to reconvene with this legend. This episode is old school—no video, just two guys vibing across a kitchen table. We pick right up where we last left off four years prior and dive even deeper into John’s remarkable story to further mine the extraordinary, latent potential we all hold to better ourselves.

Watch: YouTube.

Read: Show notes.

As you’ll soon discover, John’s greatest heist isn’t a bank—it’s his life.

Peace + Plants,

Rich