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

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’ Cornwell
• 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/

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