98 Octane Foundation held the 98 Octane Operator Manual next to Chef Rush at Austin Fit Fest.

98 Octane is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by John R. New Jr., a third-generation U.S. Army infantryman, to serve Military, Veterans, and First Responders (MFRs). Our mission is to equip 1,000,000 MFRs to live longer, stronger, healthier lives. We are called 98 Octane because most people take better care of their trucks than their bodies. Low-octane fuel wrecks an engine. It does the same to a body. MFRs are trained to spot danger, act under pressure, and keep the mission moving. When it comes to their own health, the warning signs get ignored until preventable disease shows up on a chart. Your body runs like a vehicle. The gut is the gas tank. The brain is the computer. The heart is the engine. Poor sleep, low energy, weight gain, chronic stress, and slow recovery are check engine lights. We teach MFRs how to read them and take the steering wheel before the engine fails. We run the mission through three pillars: Education. The 98 Octane Official Operator Manual covers nutrition, movement, sleep, recovery, mindset, and metabolic health in plain, mission-ready language. We are building it into digital learning, cooking instruction, video, and hands-on programs. Community. Cohort-based classes, peer-led accountability, events, and volunteering at VFW posts, firehouses, schools, and departments. No one should have to rebuild their health alone. Advocacy. We challenge the systems and habits that make bad fuel, burnout, and short recovery feel normal in military and first-responder communities, including food access work with agricultural partners. We build tools that survive a 24-hour shift. Small Things Matter. We will not let go of the rope. Catch the check engine light before the engine fails. Sponsors, donors, educators, clinicians, veteran-owned businesses, first-responder organizations, and community partners: help us fuel the mission at 98Octane.org.

Founded 2024