The Eternal Optimist

“Excuses Don’t Burn Calories”: A Veteran’s Journey From Darkness to Discipline with Brian Conwell


Listen Later

Matt sits down with Brian “Big Country” Cornwell—a decorated veteran, para-athlete, and father of six—who shares his journey from the military to battling depression and PTSD to becoming a national champion in adaptive sports. Brian opens up about how youth coaching, nutrition, and purpose-driven work at Veterans Battle Grounds helped him reclaim his life and mission. This episode will leave you inspired to turn your struggles into strength.

Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 - Welcome to a Story of Grit and Gold
  • 00:01:01 - Introducing Brian ‘Big Country’ Conwell
  • 00:01:18 - Trading a D1 Scholarship for the Front Lines
  • 00:03:12 - Crushed, Broken, and Determined to Rise
  • 00:06:50 - Ownership: The Moment Everything Changed
  • 00:10:52 - Rebuilding Through Adaptive Sports and Healing
  • 00:14:04 - The Birth of Veterans Battle Grounds
  • 00:25:33 - Final Reflections and Rapid-Fire Wisdom

Links And Resources:

  • Guest Website: https://vbgg.org/
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-bigcountry-conwell-ab1aa4246/

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Eternal Optimist? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on iTunes and leave us a review!

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Eternal OptimistBy Matt Drinkhahn