When Isaiah “Bruh Bruh” Gilley first came to 4:13 Strong in 2018, he didn’t think it was for him. At 18 years old, he had already faced more instability than many people experience in a lifetime.
After graduating high school, he left Nashville for Virginia to chase a relationship. But when things fell apart, he found himself stranded, homeless, and nearly hopeless.
“I was going from house to house, and eventually had to stay at the Mission,” he recalled. “My aunt didn’t even want to talk to me at that point. She was hurt because of the choices I made.”
That same aunt would later become the turning point in his story. Seeing him struggle, she offered him a place to stay and suggested 4:13 Strong. Isaiah resisted at first.
“I didn’t even want to go,” he admitted. “I said, ‘I don’t want to do that,’ but I didn’t have a choice.”
Once he joined the program, something began to shift. Mental Toughness Week was grueling, but the discipline and brotherhood started to take root. He graduated in 2018, and even though he admits it took “a couple of years” for everything to fully click, he now lives on campus as an Assistant House Manager, known in 4:13 Strong language as a Room 7.
Isaiah works full time for T-Mobile and continues to save for his own place. He’s also focused on giving back, mentoring new participants and traveling with cohorts whenever he can.
“They poured a lot into me,” he said. “I want to do more for others than what was done for me.”
When asked what he would tell someone considering 4:13 Strong, Isaiah doesn’t hesitate:
“It’s a life-changing event. It might look basic, but it changes you. I came in with nothing and came out a completely different person. You’ve got to take it seriously; it’s almost like the military in how it shapes you.”