▸ WE ARE WARRIORWOD
WarriorWOD is a veteran-led PTSD nonprofit running a six-month recovery program for veterans living with PTSD, suicidal ideations, or substance abuse, founded in 2021
IN CRISIS? CALL 988, PRESS 1 (VETERANS CRISIS LINE) OR TEXT 838255.
Our story
A Marine combat veteran with a Purple Heart and a traumatic brain injury from Iraq, Phil had spent the years after his 2013 discharge climbing out of his own PTSD diagnosis through what a prescription pad couldn’t deliver: exercise, structured routine, and peer support. By 2020 he knew what had worked for him, and he could see what wasn’t working for the people around him. In July 2021, he founded WarriorWOD.
The program enrolled two veterans in its first year. Today it enrolls more than a hundred annually, and the cohort grows with each new class. Forty partner gyms across the country host the training, and two universities study the outcomes: the College of Charleston and the Medical University of South Carolina.
The model is straightforward. Six months. Three pillars: exercise, nutrition, and a Battle Buddy. Application-based admission, donor-funded delivery, and a structure built to finish the work that fifteen-minute appointments and a prescription pad can’t.
WarriorWOD is a veteran-led PTSD nonprofit that combines exercise, nutrition, and mentorship in a research-backed, results-driven recovery program for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress, suicidal ideations, and substance abuse.
Recovery isn’t a prescription. It isn’t a 30-minute appointment. But that’s what most veterans get when they come home — and too many lose ground because of it. WarriorWOD was founded in 2021 to provide what the system couldn’t: six months of structure, a peer who walks the road with you, and the time recovery actually takes.
WarriorWOD is dedicated to helping veterans overcome the invisible wounds of service and reclaim their lives. Service doesn’t end when the uniform is taken off for the last time. For many veterans, the hardest battle begins after taking off the uniform; facing post-traumatic stress, isolation, and the challenges of transition.
Unlike traditional models, WarriorWOD delivers a HOLISTIC, PEER-DRIVEN RECOVERY PROGRAM that addresses both mind and body.
Our programs are designed to intervene early, provide consistent support, and create lasting change.
Three pillars. Six months. One program.
This integrated model helps veterans not only manage symptoms but regain control of their lives.
EXERCISE
Consistent training to rebuild discipline, routine, and physical resilience.
nutrition
Foundational guidance to improve physical health, energy, and mental clarity.
mentorship
Peer-to-peer support from those who understand the journey—because shared experience matters.
Your support can be the difference that saves a life. Sign-up to receive updates from WarriorWOD. Thank you for standing with our nation’s veterans when they need it most.
With your support, more victories become possible, giving veterans the chance to once again find purpose and rediscover lost joy.
A Marine combat veteran built this because medication and a fifteen-minute appointment didn’t fix what was wrong.
Not a one-time event. A six-month, cohort-based program with twice-weekly gym access, bi-weekly nutrition coaching, and bi-weekly Battle Buddy mentorship.
Outcomes tracked using the PCL-5 and C-SSRS. Formal research partnerships with the College of Charleston, MUSC, and Kingston University London.
Exercise, nutrition, and mentorship work together. This integrated model addresses physical health, emotional regulation, connection, and daily functioning.
Every Warrior is paired with a trained veteran peer mentor who provides accountability, support, and a trusted connection through shared lived experience.
Veterans pay nothing. Donors and grants cover the gym, the nutrition coaching, and the Battle Buddy for all six months. We screen for eligibility, not for ability to pay.
▸ documented recovery outcomes
We don’t just ask veterans how they feel. We measure them, using the PCL-5 and the C-SSRS, the standard behavioral health measurement tools, every single month
VETERANS COMPLETE THE PROGRAM EACH YEAR
OF PARTICIPANTS WITH PTSD REDUCTION
AVG PCL-5 REDUCTION (COFC, 2025)
VETERANS’ SAVED FROM SUICIDAL IDEATIONS
AVOIDANCE
HYPERAROUSAL
NEGATIVE COGNITION
RE-EXPERIENCING
▸ THE DEADLY TOLL
Upon returning home, many veterans face battles of a different kind—battles with invisible wounds like Post-Traumatic Stress, substance abuse, and the threat of suicide. WarriorWOD stands in the gap for these heroes, offering them a lifeline back to strength, health, and community.
VETERANS DIE ANNUALLY FROM SUICIDE
VETERANS SUFFER FROM PTS
SUFFER FROM INVISIBLE WOUNDS
TAKE THEIR OWN LIVES EACH DAY
DIE FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE EACH DAY
If you need help now, please contact the Suicide Prevention & Crisis Lifeline or the Veterans Crisis Line.
“Before WarriorWOD, I struggled with feelings of isolation and found it difficult to cope with the stresses of daily life. WarriorWOD was a breath of fresh air for me.”
–Josh S.
