One Year, One Journey: A Story of Perseverance and Transformation
A Message from Rob
Hey Ninja Nerd fam! This is Rob, and I wanted to share a quick story about our lovable Zachary! He is going to kill me for posting these older photos from a year ago, but I can take him... 😆 And the following story is straight from my brain. There is no type of AI on the planet that knows my buddy like I do, so this will be raw and genuine!!
You're Not Alone
To those who deal with feelings of inadequacy, depression, and not feeling comfortable in their own skin, you're not alone! Zach has faced these exact feelings over and over again, year after year. I know because I have been by his side for over a decade now.
I can promise you that Zach reads every comment, message, and email. As someone so eloquently put it once in the comments, "here comes Neckzilla." Obviously, I can't let golden comments like this go, so I tease Zach about this, and we have fun with some of the things people write. On the internet, there is no such thing as restraint, so we have even seen comments like, "dude, you're so massive you are moments away from popping." Zach and I have zero filter, so we kid around about fluctuations with weight, and Zach has even told me to watch out, the Macy's day blimp is coming through... lol.
But, at the end of the day, these comments and messages are heard loud and clear, and they don't ever go away. They claw at you in your mind when you are trying to spend time with family, friends, or just trying to fall asleep.
Zach has said this many times to me, "Hey, you frickers, you think I don't know I'm fat as shat?!" Mental health weighs heavily in this situation, and weight fluctuations happen more than the weather changes.
A Year of Challenges
This past year has been filled with ups and downs, sometimes feeling like there have been more bad days than good days. Zach was dealing with constant neck pain and radiculopathy that would keep him up at night due to herniated discs. On top of this, he had to watch his baby frenchie, McGee, his best friend in the world, suffer through significant spinal disease. McGee was struggling to walk, go to the bathroom, and barely wanted to be alive due to the significant hind leg weakness and muscle wasting he was experiencing.
Perform the surgery and there is a chance of complications, recurrence, and failure. Avoid the surgery and watch the slow, yet steady progression of paralysis. An impossible decision and one that caused overwhelming anxiety and uncertainty. But, Zach and Dom had more faith than you can imagine, and decided to choose the surgery. It went better than expected and McGee has continued to regain strength, function, and his spirit. He is happier and living the exact life a dog deserves!
Behind the Smile
The point of all this is that we all face these really crappy situations in life, and sometimes, behind closed doors, you don't know the pain someone is trying to hide behind a forced smile. Getting in front of the whiteboard time and time again, continuing to push forward as mental health declines, and physical appearance becomes...fluffy...🫣 We are well aware of it, and we appreciate the comments making it super obvious, lol.
The Transformation
BUT, take a look at these pics! The collage I posted here is from ONE year ago. Look how much can happen in one year! These pictures were recently taken last week (I told Zach it was "school picture day" 😅).
November 14, 2025
One Year Ago
This is a powerful lesson to reflect on and think about your own journey you have been pushing through. Different story, but with goals and aspirations, just like Zach has. When life became super uncertain and scary, it would have been easy to say, 'I quit' and go hide, never to come out. But, he didn't. He continued to persevere, continued to pray for McGee, and continued to get in front of that whiteboard and share medical education with students and clinicians globally. Not because he felt like he had to, but because he knew that by doing this, people would continue to persevere and work toward a better life.
If Zach can go from a Mack truck to what you see now, losing over 50 pounds in a year and finding purpose again, I promise you anything is possible. And don't be fooled, in another year from now, maybe Zach will blow up again like the Michelin Man! But I can assure you that no matter what, he will continue to fight every day and always strive to be a better and more compassionate human being. Finding ways to shake off all the bad and working on improving mental and physical health, all while trying to educate millions across the globe.
The Ninja Nerd Way
Don't be afraid of your critics and those who doubt you. Refuel your purpose and find ways to prove all these losers wrong. Know that you are more capable than you can possibly imagine, and take action. The Ninja Nerd way!!!
Final Thoughts
Okay, end of blog post! Hope you enjoyed this, and I wish everyone a great day! 😀 Zach, if you read this and are super mad at me, you know where to find me. I'm in the office next to yours...😂