An interview with stuntman and spinal CSF leak patient Zac Gordon.
Like most patients with a spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, when Zac Gordon had spinal surgery after seven years of suffering, he looked forward to returning to his normal routine as soon as possible. Unlike most patients with this disorder, however, Zac’s “normal” was anything but. Zac—who was previously featured here—is an athlete, a stuntman, a parkour master, and a risk-taker who charmed Howard Stern with his performance on “America’s Got Talent” and regularly wows his fans on YouTube with daredevil stunts. For Zac, getting back to normal meant pushing his body to absurd limits most people wouldn’t consider, whether they were recovering from surgery or not.
Zac had been sidelined by a disorder known as spontaneous intracranial hypotension that causes severe and disabling headache and other symptoms that are worse with upright posture. This happens due to a loss of fluid that normally surrounds the brain and spinal cord. The brain and spinal cord are bathed in cerebrospinal fluid, which is held in place by a tough membrane called the dura mater. When there is a tear or hole in the dura mater along the spine, this allows cerebrospinal fluid to leak out—a spinal CSF leak. For Zac, and many other people suffering with a spinal CSF leak, this meant intense head pain whenever he was upright. Any kind of physical exertion only made the pain worse—a worst-case scenario situation for a daredevil like Zac, whose livelihood depended upon his ability to be active. He spent years undergoing tests and seeing various doctors, looking for a cure. It would take seven years until he found one, and once he did, he hoped it would be a short journey to getting back to “normal.”
But even Zac couldn’t have imagined that only two years after his spinal CSF leak was finally repaired, he would be on television as a “Professional Tagger” in a breakneck mix of roughhousing and athleticism based on a favorite childhood game. That’s right: this ninja gym–runner, father, stuntman, and spinal CSF leak survivor is part of the new FOX show, “Ultimate Tag,” hosted by NFL players and brothers JJ, Derek, and TJ Watt.
The show, which premieres May 20 at 9 pm, follows competitors who must run a challenging obstacle course while being chased by professional taggers like Zac, who goes by the name Horse. The goal of Ultimate Tag—as it is for regular tag—is to not get caught. As the competitors survive un-tagged, the courses become more and more extreme, and the professional taggers more and more ruthless.
Spinal CSF Leak Foundation talked to Zac about his experience with his leak and with the show, and what it means as a spinal CSF leak survivor to be performing with such physical intensity.
How long was it from your first symptoms to when your leak was resolved?
Seven years total. After the first year and a half, after many blood patches and failed diagnoses, my symptoms miraculously went away after a complete diet and lifestyle change. This lasted about 3 years before my headaches returned with a vengeance. My leak was officially found in June 2017 and I had surgery February 8th, 2018.
Do doctors know what caused it?
They don’t know the cause of my leak. You would expect [it might be due to] blunt force from my daredevil stunts, or long-term wear and tear on my body. At the time when my symptoms started occurring, I wasn’t doing anything crazy; in fact, I was doing quite the opposite and was getting in the best shape of my life, preparing for my second season as a competitor on American Ninja Warrior. At the time, I was having toothaches and ended up having my wisdom teeth removed. Shortly after, I remember getting in the car to go to the grocery store, and I began to get one of the most painful headaches of my life. I remember squirming in the passenger seat trying to not vomit from the pain. That’s where it all started.
Obviously, with your history as a stunt person and athlete, your baseline physical activity level was quite different from that of a typical person recovering from a spinal CSF leak. What was your particular recovery like?
Following my surgeon’s instructions, I started low-impact physical activities at 6 weeks. I rehabbed on my own, going on walks and using the elliptical for cardio. I started lifting free weights and doing body-weight exercise such as pushups and squats and abs. I also tried to focus just as much on a balanced diet. Six months post-surgery, I returned to a more traditional style workout for myself, adding running, pull-ups, heavy weights, and even plyometrics (jump training). I made sure to be extremely conscious about how my spine was moving. After completing a 90-day program and feeling strong, especially in my core, I began to slowly reintroduce myself back to parkour and trampoline—which was my job at the time, as I directed and coached a youth ninja warrior parkour program. Feeling confident in my body, I then entered into two Spartan Races— competitive obstacles course races, or mud runs—to kind of prove to myself I was ready for a comeback.
How did the Ultimate Tag show come about for you?
I initially got a call from a showrunner that I shot a tv show with back in 2009-10 on MTV. They were looking for athletes with personality and thought I would be perfect for Ultimate Tag. He was aware of my surgery, and after confirming that this would be something I would still be interested in, he got me in touch with the audition team. That night, I did an interview in my underwear in my basement, showing off my personality. A few days later, they flew me out to California to play tag with a whole bunch of other athletes auditioning for the show. I was in shape, but pretty much all of my training up to that point had been on soft floors or mats, so in truth this was a big test for myself, running, jumping, rolling on hard surfaces, and playing tag with full-grown athletic adults. It was so much fun, and my body held up great. I did well, and they brought me out for a second audition in LA the following week. A few weeks later, I was flying out to Warner Brothers Studios to join the Watt Brothers and my professional team of Taggers on an adventure of a lifetime, the kind of thing I never thought I would have an opportunity to do again.
Was there any sort of Ultimate Tag-specific training involved?
Absolutely. I upped my cardio training and started training my parkour skills at a much higher pace, although I only had a few weeks to really step it up a notch.
What was it like doing the show?
The show is the most fun I have ever had. I’m a full-grown adult playing tag at a professional level! We were able to catch that child-like excitement, nostalgia even, and blow it up to an extreme level. I got to scream, yell, flip, be ridiculous, and be competitive while chasing people. I worked with some of the fastest and most athletic people in the world. It was a dream job.
Did you worry about re-injuring your leak?
At first, I was slightly concerned about aggravating my leak. I think it’s smart for that always to be a concern. More specifically, [being this acrobatic] was really the last big test in my healing process. And I did it! I flipped, I dived, I slammed myself around all over these crazy courses, and I was having so much fun I forgot about the leak completely. The best part was that after truly putting myself through the wringer, when it was all said and done, I came out with bumps, bruises, and even a broken hand—but not a single spinal CSF leak symptom.
Do you have future plans for more shows like this?
100%. This experience fully re-energized my dreams. I’m fully committed to a future in TV and all the craziness that comes with it. I also took my great motivation from the experience and opened up my very own Parkour & Ninja Warrior training facility for youth in my hometown Harrisburg, PA, called Urban Playground. UP believes in getting youth off the couch and away from their TVs and devices. Our slogan is, “Get UP & Move!”
How were you helped by Spinal CSF Leak Foundation?
It was a crazy coincidence. After many failed tests, and many incorrect diagnoses—going from an ENT to a neurologist who wanted to put me on depression medicine, to trying a chiropractor and even acupuncture—I learned about the Foundation through my uncle, a doctor, who had happened to meet Dr. Connie Deline at a conference. Dr. Deline helped me get a correct diagnosis and connect with doctors who could treat me. Simply put, if it wasn’t for Dr. Deline and the Spinal CSF Leak Foundation, I might be still looking for what was wrong with me, and ultimately still leaking.
Do you have a message for people out there currently living with spinal CSF leak?
My heart goes out to everyone suffering from spinal CSF leak. Especially in a time of this world-wide pandemic, where a spinal CSF leak may not seem like a priority to get fixed. I know how much it sucks, and I know how long it can take even to figure out even what’s wrong before the long process of healing [can even begin]. But if a person like me, who puts his body through levels of extreme physical intensity that no human should, can conquer this LEAK, so can you. Know your body, educate yourself, put in the work, and never stop believing. YOU GOT THIS!