Suicidal Drug Addict To Elite Military Commando with Ben Williams | E68

Ben Williams tells Steven Bartlett the story of his broken childhood, descent into drugs and steroids, and a nightclub manslaughter case during his time as a bouncer that pushed him to a suicidal low. A Royal Marines YouTube advert became the catalyst for him to get clean and pursue his childhood dream, eventually passing commando training. He describes near-fatal combat in Afghanistan, being blown up by an IED, losing comrades, the PTSD relapse that followed, and his court-martial. He then unpacks the commando mindset and its values, his ARA framework (accept, remove, adapt), his work with Gareth Southgate's England team, and building his startup Lupin during the pandemic.

• A man died during a nightclub brawl on Ben's watch, leaving Ben on manslaughter charges for about a year before it was ruled accidental death.
  00:21:51
• At his lowest, Ben drove out intending to kill himself but couldn't go through with it and returned home.
  00:27:30
• A Royal Marines YouTube advert appearing by chance became the turning point that pulled him out of addiction and suicidal ideation.
  00:28:01
• An IED detonated meters from Ben's patrol, injuring everyone; he was hit in the leg and briefly believed he had lost it.
  01:18:36
• Ben helped pinch his commander Vicey's severed artery and held his hand; Vicey survived but lost his leg.
  01:21:11
• Ben relapsed after Afghanistan, drinking and fighting, and ended up court-martialed.
  01:27:25
• Ben's startup Lupin raised over half a million pounds just seven days before missing payroll.
  01:55:48

• Ben started smoking weed around age 12, before he ever tried a cigarette.
  00:09:55
• He got his SIA license and started working as a nightclub bouncer the moment he turned 18.
  00:12:29
• The Royal Marines endurance course is a two-mile bog-and-tunnel ordeal followed by a four-mile run, and includes a fully submerged obstacle called the sheep dip.
  00:28:31
• The Royal Marines values are courage, determination, excellence, self-discipline, integrity, cheerfulness, and humility.
  00:50:47
• The Taliban used the code word 'melons' for IEDs over intercepted radio.
  00:52:23
• Ben's corporal taught that improving 0.1% better every day keeps you heading in the right direction.
  01:01:38
• Taliban fighters were identifiable because they wore trainers instead of flip-flops to move faster.
  01:17:36
• Gareth Southgate brought the England football team to the commando training center before the World Cup to learn the mindset and values.
  01:31:02
• ARA stands for accept, remove, adapt, Ben's framework for thinking with clarity during adversity.
  01:36:38
• Ben gave a keynote for Gareth Southgate at the Football Writers' Awards at the Savoy in January 2019.
  01:36:06

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