Jonny Kim’s path through life sounds like a blockbuster movie: an underprivileged kid who became a Navy SEAL, a graduate of Harvard Medical School, and now a NASA Astronaut. The best part? He considers himself a perfectly average person, both physically and mentally.

Jonny had a rough childhood. He grew up “living on eggshells” in a home dominated by an abusive father, who ran a liquor store in South Central L.A. Scared to speak up, he felt completely lost in life.

At 16, Jonny started practicing martial arts. He heard about the Navy SEALs from a friend and read the novel Men in Green Faces by Gene Wentz. Inspired, he told his mom that he was determined to become a SEAL himself.

Jonny wanted to learn the skills that would transform him into a different person: a protector. That’s why the idea of being a SEAL spoke to him. They seemed like warriors who pulled off incredibly tough feats without seeking any recognition.

One day, something seemed off when Jonny’s father came home. He said “I’m sorry” before pepper-spraying Jonny’s face and brandishing a gun. When Jonny heard his mom scream, he fought to wrestle the gun away from his dad, who hit him in the head with a dumbbell.

Jonny pleaded with his father: “You don’t have to do this. It’s not too late. You have the power to decide right now.” His father fled. Once the cops came, Jonny noticed that his bedroom was askew – and suspected that his father had used it to gain access to the attic…

When the police went to investigate, there was a shootout and Jonny’s father was killed. Despite the tragedy, a weight seemed to lift from Jonny. The 18-year-old felt liberated from that day on. He started Navy boot camp within months.

Jonny thought that becoming a SEAL would solve all his problems. It didn’t. If anything, it produced more problems. But the role demanded focus and gave him the tools to deal with those problems. It felt like pressing a ‘reset’ button on his life.

Jonny opted to train as a combat medic – not because he was interested in performing life-saving operations, but because he knew it would get him to the frontlines quickly.

After finally being deployed to Iraq, he got his wish: the combat started almost immediately. Jonny’s mindset? “I’m already dead.” But instead of crippling him, that attitude freed him up to focus on his job without fear.