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In face of disability, Harvey's accomplishments are many

Register-Herald - 7/5/2020

Jul. 4--Justin Harvey was born nearly three months premature and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Doctors gave him little chance to survive.

"When I was born, one of the doctors told my mom I wasn't going to live, and if I did she should just stick me in an institution and just leave me there," Harvey said. "She said, 'No. Whatever shape he's in, he's coming home with me.'"

Mom didn't give up, and Harvey turned 34 last September. Maybe it's from her that Harvey derives the tenacity that has defined his life.

Harvey has to rely on his power chair for mobility, but his life has been anything but inactive. From wrestling champion to a gray belt in martial arts, he has refused to let his disability slow him down.

He graduated with honors from Shady Spring High School in 2004. He says he didn't go to college because officials at a rehabilitation center he was visiting told him he didn't need to.

"They told me the most ridiculous thing," Harvey said. "They actually tested me and said being a radio DJ wouldn't be suited for me, that food service would be more suited for me."

That wasn't what Harvey wanted to hear. Inspired by former local radio personality Brian Reznor, Harvey wanted to follow that career path. He didn't let that assessment stop him.

"After I got done there, I got on the internet and started my own podcast," Harvey said.

In order to understand Harvey's award-winning podcast work, he first tells the story of how he got there in the first place.

He has a love for martial arts, one that started when he was 3. His favorite movie was "Bloodsport", a 1988 film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as real-life martial artist Frank Dux. Harvey said Dux has always been his hero.

Fast forward a few years, and Harvey decided to take a shot.

"To cut a long story short, I got in touch with someone that actually interviewed him years ago and they actually gave me his phone number," Harvey said. "After I spoke to him one time, about a year later I found him on MySpace.

"There was a group at the time called Rock For Wishes and somehow they found my profile and (asked), 'Do you know anybody that has a disability or would like one wish granted?' And I kind of laughed. I said, 'I have CP and I have a wish that I would like granted.'"

They asked what his wish would be, and he told them he wanted to meet his hero.

"They kind of laughed, like, 'Well, that would be hard to do,'" Harvey said.

Harvey told them he had Dux's contact information and, after obtaining permission from Dux himself, passed it along. Before long, Dux flew to West Virginia to meet his biggest fan in person.

"One of the first things we did was actually watch 'Bloodsport' together," Harvey said. "After that weekend we always stayed in touch."

As a matter of fact, Harvey went to Dux's home in Seattle to train in martial arts in 2009. He was only there for a short time, so the physical training was brief. But Harvey was able to continue online training to gain strength in mind and spirit.

Eleven years after that visit, Dux contacted Harvey to let him know he had achieved the honor of gray belt.

"The only reason I'm not getting a black belt is because I can't physically do the test," Harvey said. "But as far as my mind goes, he says that I earned it. He said giving me a gray belt still qualifies me as a black belt."

"Martial arts are mind, body and spirit," Dux said. "Body is the missing element, and that's what the gray belt represents. That's kind of the symbolism of it and few get it."

Dux called Harvey "an inspiration" with "a great sense of humor." He recalled one instance when he was helping Harvey into a car.

"He accidentally knocked my hat off. I turned to him and said, 'Boy, those are fighting words,'" Dux said. "He says, 'Where is the real Frank Dux when I need him?' I had a blast with him."

Harvey has been able to combine his love of martial arts with his desire to be over the airwaves. It was partly set in motion the day he met Reznor.

"I've always wanted to be a DJ," Harvey said. "Back in high school and junior high I was listening to Brian Reznor. He was my favorite DJ at 103CIR. My senior year he ended up coming to my school on Career Day, and my expression was like, 'Holy crap! That's Brian Reznor!' So we got to talking and we became good friends."

It was through Reznor that Harvey was given the opportunity to do a spot on 103CIR. Reznor even volunteered to work with Harvey even though it was his day off.

Harvey was unable to convince them to bring him on staff. Again undeterred, he decided to start his own podcast, which he named "The Justin Harvey Show."

He started off interviewing local martial artists, but didn't want the show to grow stale.

"I wanted to push it even further, so what I would do is go on Facebook and get hold of some celebrities in the martial arts industry, let them know my story and how much I wanted them on the show, and they would actually come on the show," Harvey said.

Harvey started to interview giants of the martial arts world, from Don "The Dragon" Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock, to producers Sheldon Lettich and David Worth.

"I've almost had the entire cast of the original 'Kickboxer' on my show, except for Jean-Claude Van Damme," Harvey said. "I've never spoken to him. But I do know through friends of mine, he does know I exist, so the door is open."

Harvey's work has not gone unnoticed. He was named Martial Arts Radio Host of The Year and inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2015 after being nominated by martial arts Master Todd Somers.

"He had recognized all the work I was doing on my podcast, having all these stars on my show," Harvey said. "He actually nominated me. He said it usually takes a long time for the nomination to go through, and he said my nomination went through the quickest he's ever seen."

A year later, he was inducted into the Masters Hall of Fame, recognizing excellence in martial arts. A video on YouTube shows Harvey being interviewed on the red carpet by martial artist Lisa "The Black Widow" King, a 2013 inductee.

His radio guests have not been limited to those closely associated with the martial arts. When he was in high school, Harvey would often watch reruns of "The Drew Carey Show" before doing homework. So he took a crack at getting Kathy Kinney, who played Mimi Bobeck, on his show. It took a while, but she finally agreed to come on board.

"She was a real sweetheart," Harvey said.

Harvey is also a fan of pro wrestling and has interviewed the likes of Bruce Hart of the legendary Hart Family and Eric Bischoff, a former announcer and World Championship Wrestling executive who has a black belt in martial arts.

Harvey said a fun fact in his life is that he is a wrestling world champion. He was once at a camp for disabled individuals where a pro wrestling organization was planning an event. Harvey says he was challenged by another camper, so he talked with the promoter and got a match set up.

"When somebody challenges me like that, for me it's, 'Let's do it,'" Harvey said. "I beat him within three minutes."

Harvey, who has had five surgeries since birth to treat his condition, isn't doing his podcast as regularly now as he once did. Part of that is because he would like to work on other projects, including movies at the urge of some of his guests.

"I've had these celebrity guests say to me, 'With the heart that you have, we would love to eventually put you in a film one day,'" he said. "I never thought I would hear those words."

Doubting him would be crazy at this point.

"Despite the odds that I go through, I live life to the fullest, as much as I can," Harvey said. "I've done so much stuff, I've actually done more than what an able-bodied person could ever dream of.

"I've been through hell, basically. But I'm still here. Any time somebody tells me I can't do something, I go out and do it."

To access "The Justin Harvey Show", go to https://www.talkshoe.com/conf/show/thejustinharveyshow

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