#061: Earl Granville - Obstacle Course Racer, Marathon Runner, Triathlete, Combat Wounded Veteran

Earl Granville is an obstacle course athlete, marathon runner, triathlete, and speaker. He ran for Congress. He has won numerous awards for his kindness and generosity. And he is a disabled Veteran. Earl lost his left leg in Afghanistan in roadside bomb attack. Earl’s twin brother Joe, his best friend, died by suicide while serving on active duty in 2010. 

Earl joins host Fran Racioppi in the  back of the WWII British Royal Air Force Land Rover Ambulance to talk about resiliency, drive, and adaptability. Earl has had every reason in life to close up, go internal and quit. Yet he wakes up every day with a purpose. He wakes up with the goal of never quitting, learning from his past and helping others define their path in life. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Check out our video versions on YouTube.

Highlights:

 -Earl joined the Army to get free college when 9/11 occurred 11 days into his basic training experience changing his perspective on service to the nation. (7:12)

-Volunteering to go to Iraq showed Earl that the military is about serving each other, not yourself. (10:30)

-Earl describes in detail the decisions and events that led to the loss of his leg in Afghanistan. (14:21)

-Rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center was over 18 months long, testing every part of Earl’s mental and physical strength. (27:30)

-Earl’s brother Joe died by suicide pushing him into severe depression. (31:00) 

-CrossFit, obstacle course racing and marathon running became a passion for Earl after Joe’s death. (36:15)

-Operation Enduring Warrior & the Oscar Mike Foundation afford Earl the opportunity to help other wounded and disabled Veterans identify and achieve their goals. (38:30)

-Earl explains why he carries Cindy (a cinder block with chains) to symbolize strength through adversity. (44:08)

-The 3P’s and the recipe to find them. (46:45) 

Quotes:

-”I was one of those guys that literally joined the National Guard for college…my mindset was ‘what can this do for me.’” (7:13)

-”Going to Iraq, I realized this isn’t about me. It’s about us.” (11:09)

-“My feet are backwards and I’m full of blood….we just hit a roadside bomb.” (18:26)

-”I said to him ‘don’t let me die alone.’’” (19:14)

-”How could I get this second chance at life and have my own twin brother take his away.” (30:55)

-”You got to run across the finish line. You don’t walk.” (37:13)

-”OEW helped me through that Spartan Race; however, now I’m gonna help other people.” (40:55)

-”Cindy is a reminder that we don’t have to carry the weight by ourselves. We all carry this together.“ (46:00)

-”You must have a purpose. You have to have a passion. And you must be part of something bigger than yourselves.” (46:45)

Earl’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:

-Meditation

-Journaling

-Physical fitness

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, Analytix Solutions, Jaguar Land Rover of Fairfield and The Readiness Collective.