I met Theresa Larson at reunion up at Cornell University a year ago at a Book signing I did. She won me over the moment I met her. Not only is she tall, beautiful and smart, but she is also a Marine. Her new book – Warrior: A Memoir – comes out tomorrow APRIL 5th, 2016, and I am thrilled to share this interview with her with you. I can’t recommend her book enough, but at the very least, find out why she is such an amazing woman below…

1. What was your military background? When did you join the service, why did you join and what was your MOS and deployment history. I was a combat engineer office in the Marine Corps. I joined in 2005. I joined because it made sense with the way I was raised. My brothers went into the Marines, so I felt that was a path that would be good for me too. I knew I had the capacity to make a difference and serve my country in a big way. I deployed to Iraq- the Al Anbar province.
2. What gave you the idea for starting the Warrior Movement? What is the Warrior Movement about? I started the Warrior movement to SHOW people what a true Warrior looks like. It is not necessarily someone who is a war hero or a famous athlete, it is someone who shows up for themselves on a daily basis and wants to grow, learn, heal. My book Warrior shares my story, and my Warrior Movement shares stories of growth from different kinds of people all over the world, articles & quotes on growth mentally and physically.
3. You speak a lot about “abandoning perfect”. What do you mean by that? Abandoning being perfect means just that. I do not even use perfect in my vocabulary anymore. There is no such thing as perfect. When one strives for that the only thing that comes from this type of thinking is – nothing is every good enough, all or nothing thinking, looking for approval from others, shame.  By letting go of this idea, you learn to look at “good enough” “excellence” as alternative ways of thinking. When you strive to be as good as you can be or for excellence that drive comes from within. You begin to be proud of what you can do and where you are. You do not compare yourself as much. When you abandon this concept in your mind and body you will feel a large weight lift off your shoulders.
4. Can you outline what some of your other accomplishments are aside from the book and the Warrior Movement. For instance, how you help veterans, how you use your physical therapy knowledge in Crossfit, what do you travel and speak about, etc.  I am most stoked about my Adaptive Strength class that is for veterans and those with adaptive needs. We focus on having fun, moving well, and getting strong- mentally and physically.  Underneath all of the working out, positivity, laughter is post traumatic stress turning into post traumatic growth. By exposing all of these men and women to include myself to this environment- we sweat, our heart rate increases, we get tired, we push, we are startled…all symptoms that come up with PTSD, BUT they are being exposed to these physical symptoms in a positive environment.  It is such an amazing experience.I started Movement Rx a few years ago because I felt like I was not able to give people the kind of care they deserved in a regular clinic.  I did not get my doctorate for nothing…I was determined to help people the way they deserved and in a way I never had been helped. I started movement Rx a physical therapy practice in San Diego that focuses on improving human movement, through mobilization, soft tissue care, neuro-re-education, and movement coaching. We get the athletes healed and help them move or perform even better than they were before. The whole focus is to heal, move, and empower others.I teach seminars for MobilityWOD which is based out of San Francisco. I have the opportunity to travel to CrossFit gyms and fitness facilities all over the world and help people improve their movement & mobility!
5. What inspired you to write a book and what do you feel is the most important idea in the book? I  wrote this book because I was asked to. I came to a point in my own body, mind, and spirit that I was able to openly share about my journey to recovery and own personal success. A book is a great way to share that real, raw story that can empower others to know they are not alone, and there is a way out of their struggle.
6. What’s next for Theresa Larson? Theresa Larson is going to enjoy the process of this whole Warrior book launch and keep on enjoying the journey of building her business with her husband. She and her husband want to have a family, so that is in the works…..:-)!
7. If there was just one thing you could help the entire world to understand to make it a better place, what do you think that would be for you? Give without expecting anything in return. If you give wholeheartedly knowing you will make a difference in someone’s life, do not expect anything…..just hope that it makes and impact. It’s a lot more refreshing and builds a resilient spirit when you do this.

If you’re interested in getting Theresa’s Book Warrior, pre-order here.