Today we’d like to introduce you to Philip Palmer. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Phil’s Bio
When asked about his greatest inspiration, Phil Palmer dedicated that title to his grandfather, a Vietnam Marine Corps Veteran, and his father. He watched both men demonstrate high resilience and strength throughout his early life. These motivating figures gave Phil an unwavering passion for serving his country and sacrificing for those he cares about. As a decorated military veteran, Phil also found himself positively influenced by his MiTT (military training team), who helped shape him into who he is today. Phil has carried his love for helping others throughout his career and is now the proud Founder and CEO of WarriorWOD.
Having graduated from The Citadel in 2005 and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, Phil’s military career took him to serve in pivotal roles, including serving as a Combat Advisor and Operations Officer in Iraq, Instructor, and Staff Platoon Commander at The Basic School, Operations Officers for the Marine Corps Martial Arts Center of Excellence, and finally an Operations Officers for the Security Force Assistance Program at the Training & Education Command (TECOM).
His commendable service over the years earned him numerous awards, such as the Purple Heart Army Commendation with Valor and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Valor, among many other recognitions. Beyond his decorated military career, Phil faced challenges after being diagnosed with PTSD and a traumatic brain injury (TBI) upon his honorable discharge in 2013. Fortunately, he discovered a source of healing and strength in physical fitness and nutrition. Realizing that many veterans struggled with similar invisible wounds, Phil established WarriorWOD in June 2021.
WarriorWOD emphasizes exercise and nutrition as crucial prescriptions for veterans’ recovery from PTSD, leaving a profound impact on over 1000 veterans, with 175 finding relief and healing through the program’s mentorship and initiatives. Phil’s vision and dedication to veterans have earned him accolades, including being a Regional Jefferson Award recipient. His passion for physical fitness also led him to embark on an astounding 4,000 skydives, previously serving as his therapy and escape.
WarriorWOD, under Phil’s motivational leadership, has positively impacted hundreds of veterans’ lives since its founding. The program prioritizes exercise, nutrition, and mentorship as prescriptions for veterans’ recovery from PTS, providing hope for those who have served our nation. Phil’s extraordinary journey of service and compassion continues to empower and uplift, creating lasting change in the lives of our nation’s heroes through the transformative power of WarriorWOD.
In addition to his role at WarriorWOD, Phil excels in his career as the Director of Sales for Liquid Web, a global IT hosting company. His commitment to empowering clients’ growth and success reflects his unwavering dedication to excellence. Outside of his remarkable work, Phil cherishes the role of a devoted father to his daughter, Sophie, and a loving husband to his wife, Tessa. As a true fitness enthusiast, he dedicates time daily to exercise, aligning with WarriorWOD’s mission.
Creation of WarriorWOD
In 2005, Phil Palmer embarked on a journey that would profoundly impact his life and eventually lead to the creation of WarriorWOD. Commissioned from the Citadel into the Marine Corps in 2005, Phil entered a world that tested the limits of physical and mental endurance and deepened his understanding of sacrifice, resilience, and brotherhood. By 2006, he found himself in Ramadi, Iraq, at the tail end of a pivotal battle for Ramadi, serving as a combat advisor to the first Iraqi Brigade. This role was crucial in aiding the Iraqi brigade to achieve operational combat readiness amidst a newly restructured military force.
During his time in Ramadi, Phil witnessed intense conflict and acts of courage, including those of Navy SEAL Micky Monsoor, who later received the Medal of Honor. However, the cost of the conflict was steep. In 2007, during the clearing operations in Ramadi that led to the Sunni Awakening, a pressure plate IED claimed the life of one of Phil’s patrol members, leaving others, including Phil, with both physical and invisible wounds. Phil was awarded the Purple Heart, Navy, and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Valor, and the Army Commendation Medal with Valor for actions during this year. Returning home, Phil’s physical injuries healed quickly, but the invisible scars lingered. Despite the military’s stoic facade, he realized that leaders, too, grappled with mental health challenges—a reality he faced in silence, fearing its impact on his career aspirations within the Corps. By 2013, after years of advancement and accruing responsibilities, Phil decided to leave the Marine Corps and enter civilian life.
Transitioning to civilian life, Phil finally felt safe seeking help with his invisible wounds and sought care from the Department of Veteran Affairs. Their solution was the standard antidepressants and talk therapy. Unfortunately, the effects were adverse; it was a chemical lobotomy. Phil socially and occupationally plummeted. Further, Phil, like many veterans, found himself battling an addiction. Instead of addictions to drugs or alcohol, Phil’s addiction was adrenaline, manifesting in over 4,000 skydives. Initially, this pursuit of thrill was a coping mechanism and gradually became a dangerous obsession. Recognizing its potential destructiveness, Phil sought alternatives and found himself at a CrossFit gym in Houston, Texas, in 2015. With its ethos of HeroWODs honoring fallen service members, this gym provided Phil with a transformative sense of belonging and community. The camaraderie and support he found there gradually helped him wean off antidepressants. Within a year of using exercise as therapy, Phil was entirely off of antidepressants and no longer needed adrenaline.
Now, off of the antidepressants and finding recovery through exercise, Phil’s life took a positive turn. He met his future wife, achieved professional success, and moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to be closer to family. As part of the move, Phil found a new gym, Ironbridge Crossfit. During the first visit to the gym, the owner told Phil about an annual event they do during the week surrounding the 4th of July. Each day of that week, they do a HeroWOD, a workout honoring a fallen service member. Knowing that Phil was a veteran, they asked Phil if there was anyone he would like to celebrate during that week. Phil mentioned that one of his closest friends and classmates from the Citadel was killed by a sniper the day Phil arrived in Ramadi. Ironbridge Crossfit created a HeroWOD to honor 2ndLt Joshua Booth. During this event, Phil met Justin Riccio, a recovering addict. Justin explained that his older brother, Nick Riccio, was a Corporal in the Marine Corps during the Battle of Fallujah, where an IED wounded him. Directly after coming home from Iraq, Nick left the Marine Corps. He went to the VA to find help and received an antidepressant to help numb his Post-Traumatic Stress. Unfortunately, this was not enough. Antidepressants turned into a 6-pack of beer, which turned into shots of whiskey, which turned into a bottle of whiskey, which turned into the ladder of more complex and more challenging drugs to silence his invisible wounds. Eventually, this was not enough, and Nick Riccio took his life. Following his older brother’s footsteps, Justin had a wake-up call and changed his life through fitness. At this point, Phil started to see the correlation between exercise and recovering from Post Traumatic Stress. Now, Phil was listening; the stories of how exercise was therapy for veterans and civilians alike were coming from everywhere.
The bond formed with Justin and the Ironbridge CrossFit community highlighted the transformative power of fitness and fellowship. However, the stark reality of veteran suicide, particularly during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, brought a sense of urgency to Phil and Justin’s mission. The loss of six veteran friends to suicide within a year was a devastating catalyst, leading them to commit to making a difference. They decided that they would no longer be on the sideline and would do something to stop the unacceptable veteran suicide and deaths from the substance abuse pandemic that is plaguing our Nation’s heroes.
From this shared experience and loss, WarriorWOD was born—a testament to the belief in the healing power of community and the unwavering spirit of service members. Phil’s journey, marked by adversity and resilience, became the foundation for WarriorWOD’s mission: to honor the sacrifices of brothers and sisters in arms while combating veteran suicide and substance abuse. Through exercise, nutrition, and mentorship, WarriorWOD aims to provide solace, strength, and solidarity for veterans navigating the path to recovery, embodying the compassion and dedication of its founder, Phil Palmer.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
WarriorWOD, for the most part, has been constantly growing in the right direction. We saw a 740% increase in veterans we served from 2022-2023. We also saw a 29% decrease in Post Traumatic Stress symptoms. That said, every day presents challenges with growth. From the very beginning, we set out to reduce veterans’ post-traumatic stress, suicide, and death from substance abuse. We needed to learn how to set up a nonprofit and manage its daily operations. Everything from building a board of directors filling with the IRS to capturing impact and donor relationships was things we had to learn in stride. We were building the plane while flying. Our success is a testament to our team’s and community’s devotion to providing veterans the quality of life they deserve. We keep our mission to prioritize exercise, nutrition, and mentorship as prescriptions for veterans’ recovery from post-traumatic stress and other invisible wounds at the heart of everything we do. It drives us not to allow obstacles to halt our efforts to make a difference.
Thanks for sharing that. Please tell us more about your business.
WarriorWOD Foundation is a unique organization dedicated to transforming the lives of veterans grappling with post-traumatic stress (PTS), aiming to significantly reduce instances of suicide and substance abuse within this community. What distinguishes us is our holistic recovery program, which leverages exercise, nutrition, and mentorship as key components of rehabilitation, achieving a remarkable 29% decrease in PTS symptoms. Our approach is rooted in the belief that addressing the root causes of these invisible wounds can profoundly change veterans’ trajectories, moving them toward a more positive and healthy future. We pride ourselves on this innovative model, highlighting our commitment to veterans’ well-being and setting a new standard for veteran support services.
What does success mean to you?
At WarriorWOD Foundation, success is defined by the tangible improvements in the mental health of the veterans we serve. This includes a significant reduction in PTS symptoms, as evidenced by the 29% decrease among our participants, lower rates of veteran suicide, and a reduction in substance abuse. Success is also measured by the increased quality of life for our veterans, including improved social functioning, better physical health, and a decrease in dependency on medications for mental health issues. Our ultimate goal is to empower veterans to lead fulfilling lives, and every step toward that goal measures our success.
OUTCOMES OF WARRIORWOD’S “EXERCISE AS AN RX” PROGRAM
Outcome 1: Reduce Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms
Outcome 2: Reduce Suicidal Ideations and Decrease the Veteran Suicide Rate
Outcome 3: Reduce of Substance Abuse
Pricing:
- We are a nonprofit, and veterans in our program have no cost.
- For donors, it costs, on average, $1200 per veteran. Any generosity is appreciated and will make a massive impact.
- Recurring donations of $25-100 a month provide life-saving resources to veterans.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.warriorwod.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewarriorwod/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewarriorwod
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/warriorwod/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewarriorwod
