Quisque egestas consequat mi. Aenean orci mauris, viverra sit amet tincidunt eget, facilisis id ligula. Curabitur sollicitudin ornare justo vel pretium. Pellentesque adipiscing suscipit neque at pretium.

Quisque egestas consequat mi. Aenean orci mauris, viverra sit amet tincidunt eget, facilisis id ligula. Curabitur sollicitudin ornare justo vel pretium. Pellentesque adipiscing suscipit neque at pretium.

Quisque egestas consequat mi. Aenean orci mauris, viverra sit amet tincidunt eget, facilisis id ligula. Curabitur sollicitudin ornare justo vel pretium. Pellentesque adipiscing suscipit neque at pretium.

Quisque egestas consequat mi. Aenean orci mauris, viverra sit amet tincidunt eget, facilisis id ligula. Curabitur sollicitudin ornare justo vel pretium. Pellentesque adipiscing suscipit neque at pretium.

Quisque egestas consequat mi. Aenean orci mauris, viverra sit amet tincidunt eget, facilisis id ligula. Curabitur sollicitudin ornare justo vel pretium. Pellentesque adipiscing suscipit neque at pretium.

Heaven gained another angel on October 13, 2016 at 11:04pm, Eastern Standard Time. Please consider reading his official obituary here, but first let me tell you a little about that angel, my hero, 1st Lieutenant Andrew J. Carrico III, who would have turned 99 this Halloween had God not called his servant home. 

He was not my biological grandfather, but that never mattered to him. Nor me. He was the man who taught me to swim in the ocean off the South Carolina coast. He taught me to dive off the diving board on Hilton Head Island and took us on bike rides around the gold courses when they lived there. He stole our silverware during dinner and hid it when we weren't watching. He allowed us to sit on the back screened porch during their terrific thunder storms and he used to transport the squirrels he caught to the other side of the island and let them go. He taught us how to dig for sand dollars and squirt water jets out of our hands. He taught us to watch for different birds in their kitchen and he loved his tuna sandwiches. He was kind, loving, and strong. Grandy (never Grandpa to us) was courage embodied and taught me so much about what it means to be a husband, a father, a grand father and a hero.

Grandy would never accept that term, "hero", but a hero he was, to me, to you and to the world. Like so many others during World War II he answered the call to serve, to defend liberty, to fight for what is right through the jungles of the Pacific. When I asked him how he felt on his first jump as a paratrooper, one of the United States' most elite soldiers, he said, "Scared; but you had to go." He fought the forces of Imperial Japan through the jungles of Leyte, he fought through the streets of Manila, on beaches and in the hills. He was wounded by a Japanese machine gunner and lost his ring finger and the bullet lodged in his shoulder. Grandpa was tough, brave, efficient, and a natural born leader. From everything I have studied about his military experience he was concerned for his men, calculated each mission carefully and never shrank from his duty in the line of fire. You can read more about his war experience in this article or at the bottom of this post you'll find an audio interview I did with him a few years ago. Please take a moment and listen to it in his honor. 

He had seen so much in war that during a hurricane one time on the East Coast Grandy fell asleep while everyone else in the house stayed awake terrified. Grinny woke him up and said, "Andy, if we have to go through this storm you're going to be awake with me!"

There were many times in my life when I was afraid I was facing, when I was not sure how to proceed. Times when I felt lonely or even perhaps unloved. But Grandy and Grinny (my grandma) would send a card or call. I hope this does not sound cliche, but sometimes I would ask myself what Grandy would do. I know he wasn't perfect, but he was the perfect grandfather to me. I wish I had told him that more. I wish I had called more, written more emails or letters, even done video chats which I meant to teach Grinny how to do, but just never made it happen. 

I believe that tonight he is being greeted by his comrades in arms, by all his friends from over the years, and by his family who went before him. I imagine he is receiving a hero's welcome down the streets of Heaven in a way no earthly parade could ever match. Most of all, I believe he is being embraced by our Savior, Jesus Christ, who we both have strong faith in, and by our Father in Heaven who watches over us all. 

Grandy belonged to the 11th Airborne Division, the Angels. As such, Heaven has gained another Angel to give the forces of evil as much Hell as possible. I love you, Grandy. Please watch over us and be my own personal Guardian Angel. Don't forget to polish your boots, Lieutenant. We need you to fight for us now. Until I make the "final jump" as see you again, God be with us both. 

-Jeremy

When Grandpa Reports to Heaven
by Jeremy C. Holm

There are people who believe 
that angels don't fall.
But let me tell you of one angel,
who always stood tall. 

We knew him as "Grandy,"
our grandpa was he.
1st Lieutenant Andrew J. Carrico.
he was our hero, you see.

He defended the world,
from the forces of evil.
As U.S. Army paratroopers,
these angels fought like devils.

Across the Pacific, 
they fell from the skies.
They fought in streets and on beaches
and in jungles full of flies.

With two purple hearts
and two bronze stars,
he was a leader of heroes,
and commanded them far.

After the war ended,
he lived a long life.
And my beloved grandma,
he made her his wife.

He taught me to swim,
and dive in the pool.
He called every birthday,
Grandpa was amazingly cool.

He always stood firm,
he always stood tall.
in my eyes, then and now,
He never could fall.

No matter the storm,
Grandy never did break nor bend.
But this life is fleeing,
and we all know it will end.

Ninety-nine years, 
on this beautiful earth!
Now his spirit's in Heaven,
and rest his eternal berth.

He's reported to St. Peter, Sir,
his former comrades saluted and embraced.
And in God's loving care,
there's a smile on the Lord's face.

A hero's welcome he was given,
a crown of glory he has earned.
his spirit is with us always,
our hearts within us burn.

Heaven gained another angel,
a warrior of truth and light.
And now in his God's service,
for each of us he'll fight.

He's taken his final jump,
on the final flight he can be seen.
And while we say goodbye to grandpa,
he enjoys Heaven's canteen!

So throw one back for me, Grandy,
although I do not drink.
Until I die, a day won't go by,
that of you I do not think.

On each and every Memorial Day our social media feeds are filled with heartfelt gratitude for those who have paid the ultimate price for our rights and liberties. As a nation we should drop to our knees and humbly thank every soldier in uniform who is willing to put their lives on the line to defend ours. They truly write a blank check with their life that can be cashed in at any time in the line of duty.

I hope the photos below stir the soul and inspire you to greater appreciation and depth of thankfulness for those who have put on a uniform to keep us free. The cost of our "holiday" this month (and every day) has been high and those who paid our bill must never be forgotten.

As Thomas Campbell once said, “The patriot’s blood is the seed of Freedom’s tree."

One of the most enjoyable things that Jeremy get's to do as a motivational speaker is to give assemblies at schools and visits classrooms all over. From Kindergarten up to 12th Grade, he says it is a true pleasure to meet these bright, inspiring children and teenagers and the incredible teachers and administrators who work so hard to give them a good future. 

But as every parent and teacher knows, kids really do say and ask the darndest things. Having spent the past decade as a speaker in just about every type of event you can think of, Jeremy has been asked a wide range of questions. From "Is bobsledding fun?" to "How old are you?", "Did you drive to our school?" to "Can I take your medal home?", you learn very quickly that when you ask, "Are there any questions?" you had better be quick on your toes because you have no idea what inquiries are coming your way. 

So we decided to compile a list of some of the best questions that Jeremy has had to answer in front of a crowd for your enjoyment, although not necessarily his!

1. "Is Miss So-and-So (insert their teacher's name) your girlfriend?"
2. "Have you ever died bobsledding?"
3.  "Will you come to my birthday party?"
4. "Do you think aliens are real?"
5. "How old are you? I bet you're as old as my dad."
6. "Can I have your bobsled?"
7.  "Are you a superhero?"
8. "Batman is cool." (true, not a question, but still a statement of ultimate fact)
9. "What do they do with the ice in the summer?"
10. "Umm...umm...umm....umm....I forgot."  

Ah, kids. Their imaginations are sources of endless creativity! 

If you'd like to schedule Jeremy to come speak at your school, please visit this page for more information. Happy almost-Halloween! 

Last week on my Facebook we played the well-known game known as "2 Truths and a Lie". The object of the game is to give three "factual" statements about one's life, two of which are true while the other is false. The other players in the game then try to guess which are which, so you have to give your "facts" with confidence and a straight face. Think of it as a verbal version of the party game, "B.S."

So my three "truths" were as follows: 

The responses on which were true and which was false were pretty entertaining, but since I promised to give the answers here it goes!

(Printable Bio) - American bobsled athlete, former head coach, motivational and inspirational speaker and author Jeremy C. Holm has been entertaining and thrilling audiences for over twenty years with powerful and life-changing stories and lessons learned from a lifetime in sports. In 1997 Jeremy experienced a four-man bobsled ride on the brand new Park City, Utah course and began a career in this adrenaline-producing winter Olympic sport. Since that fateful day, Jeremy has spent half his life on the ice as an athlete and later as a coach to some of the first adaptive Paralympic bobsled athletes in the world. Jeremy has become a trusted and highly sought after keynote speaker and presenter across the map.

The Struggles

As with many of history's greats, Jeremy's successes were matched equally by adversity. As a teenager Jeremy began a lifelong battle with anxiety and depression that has left him with deep insight into the troubles and pains that so many face in life, including those moments when we want to give up. Using powerful stories, courageous honesty and humorous anecdotes, Jeremy brings a touching level of compassion and integrity to each event and leaves audiences moved and inspired.

What Jeremy Offers You

Jeremy uses his creative insights and powerfully inspiring stories from the fast-paced sport of bobsled and his experiences in the Olympic movement to teach audiences about the importance of hope, motivation, discipline, teamwork, communication, equality, integrity, adaptability, determination and good sportsmanship can help lead to a championship life. Jeremy encourages audiences to live "The Champion's Way" and overcome their fears and challenges and reach their highest potential through goal-setting, mental training and opening their hearts to love, to happiness and to the simple joys of life. 

Jeremy's Style

Having "competed and trained before crowds wearing spandex", Jeremy is comfortable speaking to groups both large and small. From a private meeting with your board of directors to presenting at your annual company event with several thousand attendees, Jeremy's style and stunning visuals will leave audiences moved and inspired. Plus, depending on your event, he may just bring a bobsled down for everyone to see. 

Jeremy's Topics:

• "The Champion's Way - Living a Gold Medal Life"
• "Fire and Ice - Lessons Learned from a Lifetime of Sport"
• "Championship Communication & Effective Teamwork"
• "Brave Little Soldiers - Mental Health and Suicide Prevention"

Faith-based Firesides:

As a Christian and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jeremy's faith in Jesus Christ comes first in his life. Depending on the setting, Jeremy will share how the Gospel of Jesus can be a winning part of everything we do as we press forward toward Heaven's Finish Line and seek the Gold of eternal glory.

• "Champions of the Lord - Living a Gospel-Centered Gold-Medal Life"
• "Olympic Glory - God Wants the Best for Your Life"
• "Fire and Ice - Gospel Perspectives on Life's Challenges"
• "The Fulfilled Life - Reaching Our Highest Potential Through Christ"
• "Voices From the Dust - The Scriptures from an Author's Perspective"
• "Angels from Heaven - Raising Strong Children in a Digital World"
• "Gestertze - Learning From Our Mistakes, Becoming Like God"

 ***Attention teachers, principals and administrators***

View Jeremy's latest school assembly/seminar packet and learn more about the championship-teachings that he can bring to your students, faculty and institution!

Booking:

If you want to book Jeremy for a speaking engagement, please contact us.