How One Veteran Advocate Is Reversing Diabetes & Impacting PTSD

This week, we're featuring someone whose impact on veterans' health spans nearly two decades — John Wordin, a visionary who has transformed how our nation supports wounded warriors, trauma survivors, and veterans living with diabetes, PTSD, and mobility challenges. Wordin's work has been nothing short of groundbreaking. He created Ride 2 Recovery (now Project Hero), helped build more than 300 custom adaptive bikes for injured servicemembers, designed the DoD's Warrior Games, and has personally supported tens of thousands of veterans in their journeys toward physical and emotional recovery. His programs have consistently shown something too often overlooked in traditional care: movement, community, and purpose can change the trajectory of chronic disease, including diabetes — with many veterans reducing or even coming off insulin through structured support and lifestyle change. Recently recognized with the American Exceptionalism Award, Wordin brings a rare combination of innovation, grit, and humanity that has shaped national conversation around veteran wellness. Hosted by Emmy Award–winning journalist and Global PAD Association CEO Kym McNicholas and interventional cardiologist Dr. John Phillips, this episode dives into the real stories behind Wordin's work — from the creation of the Warrior Games to the mental-health breakthroughs emerging from his long-running programs. If you care about veterans, chronic disease reversal, or the power of community-driven health transformation, this is an episode you won't want to miss. #peripheralarterydisease #padsupport #padgroup #VeteransHealth #JohnWordin #Ride2Recovery #ProjectHero #NoVetAlone #DiabetesReversal #InsulinReduction #PTSDRecovery #WarriorGames #AdaptiveCycling #VeteranResilience #ChronicDiseaseReversal #LifestyleMedicine #VeteranMentalHealth See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.