Trunnis Goggins was the father of motivational speaker David Goggins and owner of Skateland roller rink in Buffalo, New York. Born in 1934, he died in 2013 at age 79, leaving behind a complicated legacy of strict discipline and abuse that ultimately shaped his son’s extraordinary resilience and mental toughness.
When people talk about David Goggins, they often focus on his achievements as a Navy SEAL, ultramarathon runner, and motivational speaker. But behind this exceptional man stands a figure who shaped him in ways both painful and profound. Trunnis Goggins, born January 19, 1934, owned Skateland roller rink in Buffalo, New York, where he was known for his signature phrase: “Yes baby, it’s time to go home.” He passed away on November 5, 2013, at age 79, leaving behind a legacy that remains difficult to define.
The Trunnis Goggins story extends beyond one man. It includes Trunnis Jr., David’s older brother, who chose a different path but shares the same resilient spirit. Understanding this family provides insight into how hardship can forge extraordinary strength, even when it comes at a tremendous cost.
What This Article Covers: You’ll learn about Trunnis Goggins Sr.’s life and business, the harsh environment he created for his sons, how his parenting influenced David Goggins’ success, and the current journey of Trunnis Goggins Jr. as an educator and author.
Who Was Trunnis Goggins Sr.?
The Business Owner
Trunnis Goggins Sr. owned Skateland, a roller-skating rink in East Buffalo, New York. To the community, he was a successful entrepreneur who brought entertainment to countless families. His business became a local landmark where people gathered for fun and recreation.
He closed every skating session with his memorable catchphrase, creating a ritual that customers came to expect and enjoy. This public persona showed a charismatic man who understood how to connect with people and build a thriving business.
The Father Behind Closed Doors
Behind the successful business owner lived a man whose parenting methods bordered on abuse. From age six, David Goggins worked night shifts at Skateland alongside his family, organizing roller skates. These weren’t occasional chores. They were grueling hours that stretched late into the night, leaving little time for childhood.
David has described his home on Paradise Road in Williamsville as “hell on Earth,” despite living in a neighborhood of “model citizens.” The contrast between the family’s public image and private reality created a painful disconnect for young David and his brother.
The abuse wasn’t limited to excessive work. Jackie Goggins eventually left her husband due to abuse, taking her sons to live with David’s grandparents in Brazil, Indiana. This escape marked a turning point in David’s life, though the damage had already been done.
The Impact on David Goggins
Learning Disabilities and Trauma
When David enrolled in third grade, he was diagnosed with a learning disability due to lack of schooling. The constant stress from his early years in Buffalo had taken a physical toll. David developed a stutter from the toxic stress and child abuse, experiencing constant fight-or-flight responses with social anxiety.
These weren’t minor setbacks. They were significant obstacles that could have defined David’s entire life. Many children who experience such trauma never fully recover. Yet David’s story took a different turn.
From Trauma to Triumph
The harsh environment created by Trunnis Sr. became, paradoxically, the foundation for David’s success. The mental and physical challenges he faced as a child taught him to push beyond perceived limits. When David later lost 106 pounds in three months to qualify for SEAL training, he drew on reserves of determination forged in those difficult early years.
David revisited his father shortly before his death, seeking closure. This visit wasn’t about forgiveness in the traditional sense. It was about releasing the weight of unresolved anger so he could move forward with his life.
David has said the visit was necessary for his own peace. It allowed him to acknowledge his past without remaining trapped by it. This act of confronting his father demonstrated the same courage that would later define his military and athletic career.
Trunnis Goggins Jr.: A Different Path
The Older Brother’s Story
Trunnis Jr. was born on February 17, 1971, in Buffalo, New York, four years before David. He experienced the same harsh upbringing but chose a different way forward. While his mother and David moved to Indiana, Trunnis Jr. returned to Buffalo to live with their father.
This decision speaks to the complexity of family relationships. Despite the abuse, Trunnis Jr. maintained a connection with his father that David couldn’t sustain. His perspective on their childhood differs notably from David’s account.
Building His Own Legacy
Today, Trunnis Jr. has carved out a meaningful career in education and consulting. He is an educator, author, consultant, and host of “The 4 P’s of You” podcast, focusing on Passion, Planning, Purpose, and Persistence. As a decorated Navy veteran, he earned five Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals for his legal and recruiting work.
He holds a PhD from Walden University (2016) and an MBA from Anderson University (2009), and has consulted numerous small businesses throughout the United States. His work in education and business consulting shows a man committed to helping others succeed through knowledge and planning.
As of 2024, Trunnis Jr.’s estimated net worth is around $1 million, built through his education career and consulting work. While less publicly visible than his brother, he has created a stable and purposeful life.
A Nuanced Perspective
Trunnis Jr. has expressed a more nuanced view of their father than David, acknowledging the abuse while also recognizing that their father loved them in his own flawed way. This difference in perspective highlights how siblings can process shared trauma differently.
Neither perspective is wrong. They simply reflect different ways of coping with and understanding a difficult past. David needed distance and confrontation. Trunnis Jr. sought understanding and reconciliation while maintaining some connection.
The Skateland Legacy
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | East Buffalo, New York |
| Owner | Trunnis Goggins Sr. |
| Signature | “Yes baby, it’s time to go home” |
| Community Role | Popular entertainment venue |
| Family Impact | Workplace for entire family, including young children |
| Current Status | Operations continued by his wife Sue after his death |
Skateland was more than a business; it was the epicenter of the Goggins family’s life. The rink represented both Trunnis Sr.’s success and the site of his family’s suffering. This duality defines much of his legacy.
Understanding the Complex Legacy
The Paradox of Pain and Growth
Can abuse ever be justified by the success it produces? This question sits at the heart of the Trunnis Goggins story. David’s achievements are undeniable. His mental toughness is extraordinary. But these came at a steep price.
The relationship between hardship and character development is not straightforward. While David credits his difficult upbringing with building his resilience, he has never suggested that the abuse was acceptable or necessary. There’s a difference between finding strength through adversity and endorsing the conditions that created it.
Many children who experience similar trauma don’t become success stories. They struggle with addiction, mental health issues, and broken relationships. David’s success doesn’t validate his father’s methods. It demonstrates his own remarkable ability to transform pain into purpose.
Lessons for Modern Parents
The Trunnis Goggins story offers important lessons about discipline versus abuse. Pushing children to develop work ethic and resilience is valuable. Creating an environment of fear and excessive demands is destructive.
Parents can teach mental toughness without physical or emotional abuse. They can set high standards without breaking their children’s spirits. The line between tough love and harmful treatment matters enormously.
David’s success came despite his upbringing, not because of it. The emotional scars required years of work to address. His achievements reflect his own determination to overcome, not a blueprint for effective parenting.
The Goggins Family Today
Continuing the Legacy
Through his podcast, Trunnis Goggins II (Trunnis Jr.’s son) carries on the family tradition of perseverance and personal growth. The third generation is building on lessons learned from both the successes and failures of those who came before.
David remains a prominent motivational figure, sharing his story with millions. His books and speaking engagements focus on mental toughness and self-improvement. He has transformed his painful past into a message that helps others push through their own obstacles.
Trunnis Jr. continues his work in education, maintaining a lower profile but making a steady impact. His approach emphasizes planning, purpose, and persistence—concepts he applies to helping others build better lives.
Reconciliation and Moving Forward
David’s decision to visit his father before his death represented a crucial step in his healing process. It wasn’t about excusing what happened. It was about refusing to let the past control his future.
This act of facing his father showed remarkable courage. It would have been easier to let Trunnis Sr. die without that final meeting. But David understood that carrying unresolved anger would only hurt himself.
The visit demonstrates an important truth about healing from trauma: sometimes you need to confront what hurt you, not to change the past, but to free yourself from it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Trunnis Goggins?
Trunnis Goggins was born January 19, 1934, and owned Skateland roller rink in Buffalo, New York. He died in 2013 at age 79.
What happened between David Goggins and his father?
David’s mother left Trunnis due to abuse, taking David and his brother to Indiana. Years later, David reconnected with his father before his death.
Who is Trunnis Goggins Jr.?
Trunnis Jr. is David’s older brother, an educator, author, Navy veteran, and host of “The 4 P’s of You” podcast.
What was Skateland?
Skateland was a roller-skating rink in East Buffalo, New York, owned by Trunnis Goggins Sr.
How did Trunnis Goggins influence David’s success?
The harsh environment created mental toughness in David, though the abuse itself was harmful. David transformed his trauma into determination and resilience.
Moving Beyond the Past
The Trunnis Goggins story resists simple conclusions. It’s neither a tale of effective tough love nor one of pure villainy. It’s a complex family history where pain and growth became intertwined in ways that shaped multiple lives.
Trunnis Sr. was a successful businessman who failed as a father. His methods caused lasting harm while inadvertently creating conditions that tested and ultimately strengthened his sons. This paradox doesn’t resolve cleanly. It simply exists as part of the family’s reality.
What matters now is how the next generations move forward. David has chosen to share his story as a way to help others overcome their own obstacles. Trunnis Jr. focuses on education and purpose. Both men have found ways to build meaningful lives from difficult beginnings.
The Goggins name continues to represent resilience and determination. Whether that legacy honors or transcends Trunnis Sr.’s influence remains a question each family member must answer for themselves. What’s clear is that they’ve all chosen to keep pushing forward, refusing to let their past define their future.
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