Lydia Callins Talks Post-Hero Life, Boxing, and Much More

Over this past weekend, I had the great opportunity to interview Lydia Callins. She is well-known for appearing on TNT's The Hero, a reality competition TV series hosted by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. However, Lydia has also appeared in various movies and TV shows. Despite having a rough start, her goal is to go "from poverty to fame." With this fame, she hopes to inspire many and raise awareness of the many social problems that currently exist throughout America. Along with acting, she has done a wide variety of things, including boxing, modeling, and being a personal trainer. She is a true inspiration to many who have heard her story and know the motivation she has to keep pushing forward. I would like to thank her for taking the time to do this interview and wish her the best in all her future endeavors that she is pursuing. 

What has been your primary inspiration growing up?

My inspiration has come from within, the need and want to have abundance, to be great, and to be the best me I can possible be

How has your childhood made you the person you are today?

My childhood forced me to become independent, and strong at an early age; and it also ironically made me grateful for my life thus giving me purpose. I survived my childhood so that I can one day help other children who grow up underprivileged, neglected and abused.  

How did being on The Hero with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson affect your life? Whether it be interacting with your fellow contestants, completing the challenges, or receiving guidance from “The Rock”, how did it impact you?

The show impacted me in several ways, I learned more about my self and my strengths. Interacting with the contestants widen my closed minded perspective on people, I now look at people in a different light and give them the benefit of the doubt, instead of immediately prejudging and placing them in a box. I have a better understanding that we are all products of our environments.  My interaction with The Rock was very limited, at the end of the day he was the star of the show and we were just cattle. 

Was there any one specific line or moment from being on The Hero that you feel changed you personally?

When I won my challenge and had the opportunity to take home 70k that was a very powerful moment for me, I felt like I won a gold metal or something, it was very empowering, for the first time in my life I felt fearless.   

How has your life been changed since being on the show?

To be honest participating on the hero did not change my life at all. Once the show was over, it was right back to the real world. The only thing I walked away with were the memories of wonderful experiences in doing things that I would have never done. 

Could you talk about how your experience and former career in the tough sport of boxing has affected your mindset going forward, including your participation in Knock Out for Girls charity?

Boxing changed my whole life, it taught me how to focus and to be discipline in order to obtain a goal. Boxing made me stronger physically and mentally. I apply the discipline learned from training to my life daily in everything that I do, and in turn  giving me a winning attitude towards all my endeavors and a healthy mind and  body. 

What was your inspiration for the writing of your novel, Chena The Making of An Orphan, and what kind of message are you trying to send to your readers?

My inspiration for writing my novel was to inspire and up lift, I want my readers to understand that we do not have to become products of our environment. We have the choice to change, and want better for our lives, and that our destinies are truly in our hands. 

What sports teams do you follow and cheer for?

I love my Oakland Raiders and Oakland A's.

Do you have anything planned out for future endeavors?

I would like to get a publishing deal for a trilogy, become a New York Times' best seller, obtain an Oscar and open an orphanage. 

What advice do you have for people that may be struggling with a unique situation or challenges of their own?

My advise is that you can do anything you put your mind to, instead of focusing on the negative, dwell on the positive and keep hopeful. Stay prayed up, because through God you can do and overcome anything.  If you don't like something about your self or your life, make a plan to change it and empower your thoughts with action. 

Ray Mac Has Arrived

Ray McCallum has now arrived on the scene in the NBA. After being drafted 36th overall by the Kings in the 2013 NBA draft, he has spent on-and-off stints in with the Reno Bighorns of the D-League. McCallum does have an interesting path as to how he got to this point. He was a McDonald’s High School All-American and many figured he would play for a D-1 basketball powerhouse before taking his talents to the professional level. Contrary to this normal path, he made the decision to attend the University of Detroit Mercy because that is where his father coaches at. Some of his other offers included UCLA and Florida. Anyways, he was pretty much the top recruit they have ever had at Detroit and went on to be a difference maker each of his three seasons, including being the recipient of the Horizon League Player of the Year in 2013. After he chose to leave Detroit early after three years, he got drafted by the Kings, who already have plenty of talent and depth, but have just been lacking to mesh the talent together. They already had Isaiah Thomas at point guard and also had Greivis Vasquez before he was dealt in December for Rudy Gay. So, it was clear minutes might be tough to come by for the rookie initially. It wasn’t until January that McCallum was able to play 10 minutes in a game and took till February 25 for him to play 20 minutes. However, when Isaiah Thomas went down with an injury in late March, a huge opportunity opened up for Ray McCallum. Although it has been a relatively small sample size, it is easy to see the potential in the one-time McDonald’s All American. Listed below are the lines he has put up in this stint from March 26th to April 2nd:

March 26th vs. Knicks – 43 Minutes – 3-14 FG – 10 Pts. – 6 Reb. – 5 Ast.
March 28th vs. Thunder – 46 Minutes – 6-16 FG – 13 Pts. – 4 Reb. – 5 Ast.
March 29th vs. Mavericks – 48 Minutes – 7-17 FG – 16 Pts. – 4 Reb. – 8 Ast.
March 31st vs. Pelicans – 44 Minutes – 9-19 FG – 22 Pts. – 2 Reb. – 10 Ast.
April 2nd vs. Lakers – 46 Minutes – 12-22 FG – 27 Pts. – 4 Reb. – 5 Ast.

It is easy to recognize the trend with these numbers as they have consistently increased with each game he has gotten under his belt. Once again, it is a small sample size, but McCallum is making the Kings look very smart for drafting him with a 2nd Round pick. Once Thomas gets back, it will definitely be interesting to see how the Kings will handle the point guard situation, especially considering the big minutes McCallum has been getting in Thomas’ absence.