Through wild adventures, DiJulius chooses bravery

Photo: Johnni DiJulius uses his many fear-inducing ventures to mentor student-athletes on how to compete courageously in spite of fear of failure. 

By John Klessinger

He has jumped off buildings and bridges, swam with sharks, surfed on top of flying airplanes, parachuted through canyons and ski-dived over active volcanoes in El Salvador. That is only brushing the surface of the “No TMRW” adventures of Johnni DiJulius. He’s been to over 60 countries. People call him fearless. But he still says, “Nothing is scarier than wrestling in the Big Ten Tournament.”

DiJulius’ hashtag is “LiveNoTMRW.” It is his brand, but more so, it is the lifestyle he lives. “No TMRW,” he told me, means to “do the things that make you feel most alive.” That is the message DiJulius also shares with wrestlers. He does nearly 100 clinics per year, driving more miles in his car than most people do in three or four years. 

“Fearless is naïve,” DiJulius said. “I’d be an idiot to not be scared. I choose to do these things. It is bravery. Wrestling free is no different. Surrender the outcome. It is a controllable choice to be the best version of yourself,” he said.

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DiJulius won three state titles at national powerhouse Walsh Jesuit High School in Ohio. At Ohio State, he was a four-time NCAA qualifier and a member of their 2015 NCAA championship team, when DiJulius was the No. 4 seed at that tournament and had earlier wins over Cody Brewer and Cory Clark. DiJulius underperformed at those NCAAs as he went 2-2, while Brewer won the tournament, defeating Clark in the finals. 

“I didn’t get everything I wanted for my skill set,” DiJulius said. “I beat four NCAA champions in college and about 20 All-Americans and I had nothing to show for it.” 

Four national tournaments. No All-American finishes. 

“It is my Pothole Theory,” he said. “A person is driving a car maybe to the airport. They hit a pothole and have a flat tire. It is the worst part of the day. It takes 20-30 minutes to change the tire. They start driving and see a car in a fatal accident. Had they not hit the pothole, it could have been them. Thank goodness something didn’t happen. 

“Had I won Nationals, maybe I wouldn’t have continued wrestling or coaching.” 

The son of John and Stacy DiJulius, Johnni began wrestling at six years old. 

“I was a hyper kid,” said Johnni, who played baseball in the summer, which tired him out. Stacy suggested trying wrestling in the winter to burn off some energy and Johnni fell in love with the sport. 

When Johnni was 16 years old, shortly after winning his first state title, Stacy tragically died after being struck by a car while walking. 

“A lot of my optimism comes from my mom. She was just the most glowing person,” said Johnni, who added that a lot of his personality comes from his mom and talks about her when he does clinics. “I steal a lot from her, and it leads into my coaching.”

Johnni is articulate. He talks fast. He is motivating. A trait he “stole” from his father. He has a unique perspective on wrestling and life. After finishing his career, he coached at Kent State and Harvard. He competed at Senior-level events while training at the Ohio State Regional Training Center and now travels over 60,000 miles a year working with kids.

“I have a passion for teaching, but I want to go everywhere,” he said. 

During these road trips, Johnni thinks, “I have these podcasts in my head. Conversations about wrestling, mindset, and life’s secrets (he chuckled).” 

He told me about the “arrival fallacy,” the common belief that when a person arrives at an outcome, they will have everlasting happiness. 

“Outcome-based mindsets lead to paralysis, fear of losing, and wrestling tight,” Johnni said. “I ask kids at clinics what their goals are. One kid will raise his hand and say he wants to qualify for states. Another wants to be a starter. They are ‘to-do’s’ like a checklist. Being a state champion and being the best wrestler in the state are different. Being the best wrestler is a ‘to be.’ It makes you excited. When we are excited, we fall in love with the wrestling. If we love something, we will find more ways to suffer.”

Johnni said those ‘to be’s’ are your identity, the sum of the choices you make. He says, although cliché, it is about the journey. 

“If I am only focused on winning, my mind is on the end of the match. How can I be the best Johnni DiJulius if my focus is only on the end,” he said.

In our conservation, DiJulius used a lot of metaphors to explain his views on competing, like the “Casino v. Investment” comparison. A casino is looking to make quick money. That is outcome-based. It is about winning. Maybe win today. But in the long term, you aren’t getting better. An investment requires time and long-term gains. It is the long-term gains that ultimately lead to your success and fulfillment. 

“It is getting better by getting into real positions rather than looking for a stalemate,” Johnni explained. “When you surrender the outcome and are not scared to lose, you are free to be your full self.” 

Johnni tells wrestlers it is normal to have negative thoughts. Furthermore, he says everyone gets scared. But, to develop mental toughness, you must try to score despite being scared.

“You consistently put yourself in those places that bring your fear,” he said. “Tell yourself beforehand it will suck.” 

Before he jumps off a building or swims with sea lions, Johnni says, “3-2-1, see ya!” His body takes over. 

“It is muscle memory from jumping off a curb hundreds of times,” he explained. “It takes a lot of energy when I am under fire. Kyle Snyder talks about doing something so much it becomes automatic.”

He tells wrestlers to create mantras like, “Go hard, another day in paradise, or choose to shoot.” Say it over and over while training. He stressed that we must find more ways to fall in love with the sport. Get people excited about making the hard choices. 

The movie “Unstoppable” was released last month. It tells the amazing and inspiring story of NCAA champion Anthony Robles. In the movie, Johnni plays two-time Iowa NCAA champion Matt McDonough, whom Robles defeated 7-1 in the 2011 NCAA final.

The movie was another way for him to live “No TMRW.” It is a mindset he embodies, a message Johnni wants to share, a trademark he owns, a way to be present and free to “chase my ceiling.” 

And when he does that, he can perform at his best. Interestingly, he has a lot more fun that way. He is still scared. But, 3-2-1, see ya. 

(You can find Johnni on Instagram @livenotmrw, @johnnidijulius, or livenotmrw.com. John Klessinger is a teacher and wrestling coach at South River High School in Maryland. You can follow him on Instagram @coachkless and like his Facebook page “Coach Kless”.)