What happens when the silence of the deep becomes the noise in your head?

In Episode 13 of Beyond the Battlefield, we sit down with Danny Keating, a former Royal Navy Submariner whose story is unlike anything we’ve heard so far.

Danny spent months at a time submerged underwater—confined, claustrophobic, and disconnected from daylight and the outside world. It was elite service, but it came at a heavy cost.
He left the Navy and, like many veterans, fell into the next battle: mental health decline, identity loss, and addiction.

Thrown into the high-speed world of London’s executive culture, Danny relied on cocaine and adrenaline to keep pace. The grind. The performance. The mask. But underneath? He was falling apart.

Then something shifted.

Danny discovered Buddhism, and through meditation, mindfulness, and movement, he rebuilt from the inside out. He redefined strength—not as suppression, but as awareness. Not as speed, but stillness.

Today, he’s thriving. He’s healthy. He’s completed an Ironman. And he’s a powerful example of how men can reclaim peace and purpose—no matter how far gone they feel.

This episode is about identity, addiction, transformation, and healing. It’s real. It’s raw. And it’s exactly what someone out there needs to hear today.

🔎 Topics Covered:
Royal Navy Submarine Service

Mental health in the military

Addiction and high-performance culture

Cocaine abuse in executive life

Mindfulness and meditation for veterans

Buddhist practice after service

Ironman training and recovery

Rebuilding identity and inner peace

Leadership through vulnerability

Life after military darkness

🎙 Beyond the Battlefield is a platform giving veterans a voice.
Stories of adversity. Stories of resilience.
Shared to inspire others.

#RoyalNavy #SubmarineService #VeteranMentalHealth #AddictionRecovery #BeyondTheBattlefield #BuddhismForVeterans #CocaineRecovery #Mindfulness #IronmanJourney #WarriorWellness #MilitaryPodcast #MentalResilience #VeteranStories #MeditationForMen #PostMilitaryLife #HealingThroughMindfulness #ExecutiveBurnout #VeteranTransformation #LeadershipThroughAdversity

Mental health, military life, trauma, and leadership under fire — this is the untold reality of life in the Royal Marines.

In this powerful episode of Beyond the Battlefield, I sit down with Tip Cullen, a man who’s spent 30 years in service with the Royal Marines, from the harshest frontlines to the highest levels of leadership. A battle-hardened veteran, Tip has completed countless operational tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other war zones, rising through the ranks to become a Royal Marines officer.

This isn’t just a conversation about military service — it’s a raw and unfiltered look at the brutality of modern warfare, the mental health battles that follow, and the strength it takes to survive and lead in one of the UK’s most elite fighting forces.

Tip shares what it’s really like to operate at the pinnacle of performance in the Royal Marines, the harsh realities of combat, and the tough mindset required to endure relentless physical and mental pressure. He breaks down the sacrifices, the brotherhood, and the emotional cost that’s rarely spoken about outside military circles.

We also dive into his latest project - Sunray: Fallen Soldier, a film he stars in and helped bring to life. This film is more than a story - it's a tribute to 'our people', as Tip calls them: Royal Marines, soldiers, and veterans who’ve seen and experienced the darkest parts of war. The film was created to raise awareness around PTSD, trauma, and mental health - topics often ignored but deeply embedded in the lives of those who serve.

Tip opens up about life after service, the challenge of finding purpose outside the military, and why storytelling through film became his next mission. Sunray isn’t just entertainment - it’s a message, a warning, and a memorial to the struggles we carry long after the battle ends.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who’s served, is serving, or wants to understand the real cost of leadership, combat, and survival.

Topics Covered:

Royal Marines life and leadership.
Combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Military mental health and PTSD.
Veteran transition and life after service.
Brotherhood and loss.
Creating Sunray: Fallen Soldier.
Trauma, resilience, and the healing power of storytelling.

#RoyalMarines #MilitaryLife #MentalHealth #PTSD #AfghanistanVeteran #IraqWar #SunrayFallenSoldier #VeteranStories #Leadership #TraumaRecovery #BeyondTheBattlefield #CombatVeteran #MilitaryBrotherhood #VeteranSupport #LifeAfterService #MilitaryTrauma #BritishArmedForces #WarFilm #FunctionalHealth #Resilience #WarriorWellness #MilitaryMindset

From the battlefield to rock bottom—and back again.

In Episode 12 of Beyond the Battlefield, I sit down with Dan Fielding, a former Royal Marine Commando who shares his raw, honest story of mental health collapse, addiction, and recovery after leaving the military.

Like many veterans, Dan was hit hard by the silence that follows discharge. He lost his identity, turned to alcohol and drugs, and used addiction to mask the mental pain and trauma he didn’t yet understand. He was suffering in silence—like so many others—told to just “Crack on, Royal.”

But eventually, the cracks became too deep to ignore.

Dan’s turning point came the day he walked into Turn to Starboard, a sailing-based veterans' charity based in Falmouth, Cornwall. From the moment he stepped through the door, Dan said it felt like coming home to family. Sailing gave him not just purpose, but peace.

Today, Dan is the Chief Operating Officer of Turn to Starboard and is helping others who are struggling the way he once did. His mission is clear: no veteran gets left behind.

This episode is an emotional deep dive into the real cost of service, the damage of suppressing pain, and the importance of community, support, and speaking out. If you’ve ever worn the uniform, known someone who has, or struggled with identity after service—this one will hit hard.

Topics Covered:

Royal Marines identity loss

Addiction and mental health in veterans

Alcohol and drug use post-discharge

PTSD and emotional suppression

The "Crack on Royal" mindset

Veteran rehabilitation through sailing

Turn to Starboard charity

Finding purpose after the military

Leadership through lived experience

Building a new life beyond the battlefield

Pain. Perseverance. Amputation. And the power of choice.

In this episode of Beyond the Battlefield, I sit down with Ray Lowrie, a former Royal Marine Commando, world-record-holding athlete, and above all—an unbreakable force of resilience. Ray’s story is one of freak misfortune, brutal pain, and ultimately, incredible triumph.

What began as a slip on ice spiralled into a life-changing injury. Ray endured years of pain, 20 invasive surgeries, and full-time rehab at Hasler Unit, the Royal Marines’ specialist rehabilitation centre in Plymouth. But the most painful part? No one would listen when he said, “Just take the leg.”

After battling for over 5 years—physically, mentally, and emotionally—Ray finally had his leg amputated. He describes the day his leg was removed as “being born again.” It marked the end of suffering and the beginning of a new life. But the trauma ran deep. As a husband and father of young children, the burden on his family was immense. Ray speaks openly about coping with pain through alcohol, the toll it took on his mental health, and how he finally took back control of his life.

What followed is nothing short of extraordinary.

Ray didn’t just recover—he rewrote the rules. He became a world-record-holding adaptive athlete, smashing records on the Concept2 rowing machine and SkiErg. He became a role model for the health and fitness community, proving that amputation didn’t define him—it freed him.

This episode is a raw, emotional, and deeply inspiring story of what it means to suffer, survive, and choose strength anyway.

Topics Covered:

Life-changing injury and amputation

Royal Marines rehabilitation and Hasler Unit

Chronic pain, trauma, and mental health

Alcohol as a coping mechanism

The decision to amputate

World records and adaptive sports

Resilience, mindset, and family

Health, fitness, and the power of choice

Combat. Chaos. Survival. What does a decade of war really do to the mind and body?

In this jaw-dropping episode of Beyond the Battlefield, I sit down with Adz Lison, former Royal Marine Commando and Physical Training Instructor, to uncover the brutal, unfiltered truth behind life on the front lines of one of the longest and bloodiest campaigns in modern military history: Afghanistan.

Adz didn’t just pass through the Royal Marines - he stood out. Completing the elite Physical Training Instructors (PTI) Course, one of the most physically demanding qualifications in the entire British military, Adz went on to train Royal Marines recruits to reach levels of fitness matched only by Olympic athletes and world-class operators.

But it’s his frontline experience that will leave you speechless.

With four operational combat deployments in Afghanistan, Adz endured the kind of relentless violence and trauma that few can comprehend. He fought in daily firefights lasting up to 8 hours, came under constant threat of IEDs, and was blown up more than 20 times during a single tour - and survived. These weren’t rare moments. This was his daily life. The brutality of war, the chaos of combat, and the constant proximity to death shaped a decade of his life.

In one story that captures the insanity of it all, Adz recounts how just 72 hours after surviving a ferocious gun battle and another explosion, he found himself sat in his living room back in the UK - physically home, but mentally still at war.

We explore the critical question: Are we doing enough for the mental health of our servicemen and women - during and after their time in uniform?

This episode is a raw and powerful insight into combat trauma, survival, leadership under fire, resilience, and the psychological toll of war. Adz speaks openly about the mental health battle that follows years of intense service and the struggles and coping mechanisms that continue long after the battlefield has fallen silent.

Topics Covered:

Royal Marines life and elite military training.
The Physical Training Instructor (PTI) Course.
Afghanistan combat experience.
IEDs, firefights, and close calls.
Trauma and survival.
Post-combat mental health.
Veteran support and the transition home.
Leadership in war.
Resilience and recovery.
Physical and psychological strength.

In the 90s, Sy Tuk (Simon Hemingway) was on the verge of a promising acting career in London. But behind the scenes, a much darker story was unfolding. The allure of addiction pulled him into a relentless downward spiral—one that cost him everything. His career. His relationships. His dignity. Almost his life.

This episode isn’t just a story—it’s a raw, unfiltered look into the harrowing reality of drug addiction. The depths of despair, the chaos, the violence, and the destruction of self that comes with it. The underworld of addiction is ruthless, a world of manipulation, desperation, and survival at any cost. Sy lived it. And somehow, he found his way out.

But recovery isn’t just about quitting—it’s about rebuilding. A battle of self-discovery, acceptance, and relentless resilience. Sy didn’t just fight addiction; he fought himself, his past, and the demons that still whisper in the shadows. Every day is a battle, but he’s winning. Now clean, strong, and thriving, his story is one of defying the odds and clawing his way back from the abyss.

⚠️ This episode is hard to listen to. It’s uncomfortable. It’s dark. But it’s real. And it’s happening every day on the streets around us.

🔥 If you want an unfiltered, gut-punching insight into the brutal war of addiction and recovery, don’t miss this episode of Beyond the Battlefield.

🎙️ Listen now. Because stories like Sy’s need to be heard.

In this episode, I’m joined by someone who embodies what it means to fight beyond the obvious battlegrounds—IFBB Pro Karly Pearce. At 44 years old, Karly has carved out an incredible career in professional bodybuilding, but now she’s stepping away from the stage to focus on a new mission: inspiring and empowering others through health, fitness, and personal growth.

We talk about her journey as a pro athlete, her decision to retire, and the passion that drives her to help people transform their lives. Karly opens up about the challenges of leaving behind a career that’s defined her for so long, and how she’s navigating the need for new focus, direction, and goals. It’s something we all face at different points in life—because without purpose, it’s easy to lose our way. Whether it’s in health, happiness, or personal success, having that sense of mission is key.

Karly’s not just a role model for women in fitness—she’s an example for anyone battling the everyday struggles of health, wellness, and staying true to themselves. She’s faced her fair share of adversity, but her positivity, determination, and authenticity shine through in everything she does.

If you’re looking for real talk about resilience, purpose, and what it means to redefine strength, you don’t want to miss this conversation.