Alex Montoya is a well known inspirational speaker in Southern California. He also enjoys friends and colleagues all over the United States. He embodies inspiration with his story of how he became a success in spite of donning a triple prosthetic ensemble. Oh and one more thing, Alex was born in Columbia which presented an up hill battle to get the support he needed.
Alex has given many interviews over the years. As a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and University of San Francisco, His message is hope, faith, and attitude.
Alex has acted on the big screen, carried the Olympic Torch, is the Latino Marketing Manager for the San Diego Padres, syndicated a weekly Notre Dame Football commentary and Weekly Trivia Contest called the Montaco Report, and has written two books: Swinging for the Fences and The Finish Line.
Whenever Alex talks to a group, he has the same message. He talks of his life story of coming to the United States, overcoming disability, achieving his two main goals of going to college and working in professional baseball. He also discusses the importance of education, perseverance and faith. Few people can continue to be down on themselves once they meet Alex. That’s his attraction. You can’t help but to become a “disciple” and then turn a seemingly adversarial situation around for good.
I interviewed Alex with a few goals; to hang out with my friend, ask some serious questions about his book, and dig into what his plans are for the future. This guy is talented!
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Q. Alex, your second book, The Finish Line, is due out this November. Is this a sequel to Swinging for the Fences, how to live an extraordinary life? You detailed your personal life and all the trials you faced from very young to your early professional life. What can we look out for in the next book? What would you say you are building on with this second book? Do you mind if I offer the title to your third book? The Goal Line Stand?
MONTOYA: Haha, that’s a great title. This book is different in that Swinging for the Fences was very much a lifetime autobiography – my life story to that point. The Finish Line specifically covers 2010, what it was like undertaking the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, amid a pennant race between the Padres and Giants. Also the impact felt in the two years since.
Q. As one would figure upon meeting you, you have physical challenges not having arms and one of your legs. What’s not obvious is your gift of communicating. You can shift from the humorous to the serious with the credibility that people will believe. With this talent, what is your over arching theme from your successful books, hundreds of speaking engagements, and daily interaction with your thousands of friends and colleagues?
MONTOYA: Well thank you, bro. I think people see that I just speak from the heart. And my main message is: you can do anything. We all have challenges; we all have tribulations; we all have what the world would consider shortcomings. But with a strong faith and a determined attitude and insistence on excelling, you can do more than survive, you can thrive.
Q. You've come from humble beginnings and have achieved a level of success that many strive for. What would you say contributed to your success the most?
MONTOYA: Well, I wouldn’t say I’m at the top yet but I am blessed to still be climbing. The cornerstones of my life are my faith and my adversity. I have a strong faith in my God, my country, and my purpose on this earth. My adversity has instilled in me a toughness and extra determination.
Q. Alex, you are a true optimist. Everything seems to come easy to you. How would you explain your approach to adversity in your personal and professional life?
MONTOYA: Goodness, nothing could be further from the truth. It’s like they say, an overnight success is never overnight. For me, I take nothing for granted. In fact the little things people can do, I usually need help with. In terms of the bigger picture, I have had lots of rejection and lots of struggle. But at some point I decided to trust that the adversity was for a purpose and would lead me to greater things.
Q. In Swinging for the Fences, you talked about all the adversity you faced growing up. What adversity do you face today, and how do you compare your up and coming self to you current persona.
MONTOYA:I still have the daily adversities as a person with a disability. But certainly my career challenges have changed. More responsibilities, demands, and pressures. You just have to be as diligent about facing those as you did while clawing and scratching your way through life. I’d like to think I’m the same person but I realize my career has changed and, like I said, my time demands have too. In my 20’s and early 30’s I was very much striving. I’m still striving but now my career is a little more public, a little more time-consuming. You have to realize you’re coming from a position of strength and deal patiently and kindly.
Q. The University of Notre Dame and your time spent under the "Dome" is a major part of your success. For those who think that the hype is only about Football, how would you explain the mystique of the campus in South Bend, Indiana?
MONTOYA:I chose Notre Dame as a 40-year decision, not a 4-year one, and it’s very much lived up to that. It is lots of things and none of them simple: God-centric, spiritual, mystical, spirited, intellectual, nostalgic, inspiring. I have never felt more at home somewhere than I did at Notre Dame. When I have gone back to visit, it’s like going home. It’s a place I truly think about daily. It’s not perfect by any means but what I love most is that God is reverenced there. Then, when you graduate, God is hopefully reverenced in your own personal life. Notre Dame is a part of me every day.
Q. You are more than a casual observer of all sports. Where did you get your passion for sports and what is your vision for your famous Newsletter the “Montaco Report?
MONTOYA: Growing up, when I realized I couldn’t really play team sports, I focused on other aspects of it. The business side and the creative, fan-driven side. That coincided with the dawn of the Internet and e-mail and in the late ‘90s, blogging. In 1998, two years after graduating from Notre Dame, I shot out an e-mail to a few friends just offering my thoughts on that year’s team. The response was great and one friend played on my collegiate nickname, “Paco Montaco”, and dubbed it The Montaco Report. So I turned it into a daily blog, not knowing what a blog even was, and it went from 20 people to 100 to now hundreds. Now in the Facebook era, it has developed into Irish Fans United as well.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 15 years? What lessons learned do you think you will compile to share with your following?
MONTOYA: Uuuf, well, if I have a wife and kids, that’ll be great. If not, that’s ok, because I firmly believe I’ll still be writing, speaking, and hopefully motivating. Maybe I’ll still be in baseball. Maybe I’ll get my Ph. D. The possibilities are endless.
Q. As somewhat of a local celebrity in Southern California and a sought after motivational speaker, how do you impact your audience and how do you know if you made a positive impact?
MONTOYA: Haha, well, I try to impact them to re-assess their lives. Are they living the right way? Are they going for more? I can tell if they’re listening or not, but most important is their feedback. If they are motivated, they’ll tell me.
Q. You’ve been the recipient of many gifts. What would you say is more difficult: Giving or receiving?
MONTOYA: That’s a great question. Both require unselfishness. Giving requires letting something go but receiving requires letting go of pride or inhibitions. Either way, the question is are you prepared to pay it forward?
Q. If you were born in the United States with no physical disability, do you think you would have achieved all the milestones you’ve accomplished to date.
MONTOYA: Absolutely not. I’m grateful to be born as I was. It’s given me perspective and an appreciation for what others may term as ‘the little things’. I believe everything has a purpose and that the future is brimming with promise.
Check out other Alex Montoya interviews and stories and sign up for his blog via facebook on Irish Fans United.
2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNJP8z7E5vA (youtube 2011)
Greatly appreciate your support of "The Finish Line", available for just $10.99 here: http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-62295-068-3
