Build the Toolbox Before You Need It: Resilience, Reinvention, and Choosing to Try with Colin Owensby
About this Episode
What does it actually mean to build a resilient life - before you know you are going to need one?
In this episode, Ashley sits down with Colin Owensby, former NCAA swimmer, Ironman, ultramarathon runner, model, actor, stunt performer, entrepreneur, and speaker, to talk about resilience, reinvention, movement, vulnerability, and having the courage to try.
After surviving a life-threatening car accident at 15, Colin had to relearn how to walk before eventually returning to competitive athletics. But his story is not simply about getting back to who he was before. Colin shares how he learned to rebuild his identity, embrace an unconventional path, and remain open to where life might take him next.
Together, Ashley and Colin explore why meaningful goals matter, how physical movement can create mental clarity, what endurance sports teach us about possibility, and why resilience is something we can intentionally practice long before a crisis arrives.
They also talk about men and vulnerability, finding community through service, Colin’s 10-part Map of Resilience, redefining success as life changes, and why sometimes the most important thing you can do is simply give yourself permission to try.
This episode is for anyone navigating change, rebuilding after a setback, questioning what comes next, or trying to create a life that feels stronger, fuller, and more intentional.
They talk about
Colin’s recovery after a life-threatening car accident at 15
Moving from a wheelchair back to walking and eventually swimming
Why setting goals keeps us from becoming stagnant
Rebuilding your identity instead of trying to return to an old version of yourself
Colin’s unconventional path through athletics, modeling, television, stunt work, real estate, and speaking
Why there is power in not having your entire career mapped out
How physical movement can help create mental clarity
What endurance sports teach us about possibility and resilience
Why trying matters even when you are unsure you can succeed
How conversations around men and vulnerability are changing
Colin’s 10-part Map of Resilience
The importance of gratitude, community, movement, creativity, learning, service, goals, and spirituality
Finding community through fitness and service
How Colin’s definition of success has changed over time
Building a resilience toolbox before difficult moments happen
Why asking for help is part of strength
What it means to unleash your inner queen
Show Notes
Rebuilding Instead of Going Back: After a life-threatening car accident at 15, Colin focused on small, daily progress - from a wheelchair to walking independently and eventually returning to swimming. Over time, recovery became less about returning to who he had been and more about building a new identity around who he could become.
Your Path Does Not Have to Be Linear: Colin’s career has moved through swimming, modeling, television, stunt work, real estate, and speaking. Rather than seeing an unconventional career as a disadvantage, he believes different experiences can build on one another in ways you may not understand until later.
Movement Creates Clarity: When Colin feels anxious or overwhelmed, physical movement helps him reset. Running, swimming, and other forms of cardio give him space away from distractions, help regulate his thinking, and often make difficult problems feel more manageable.
You Have to Be Willing to Try: Endurance sports taught Colin to set goals he is not entirely sure he can accomplish. That lesson carries into the rest of his life: you cannot always know what you are capable of before you begin. Sometimes progress starts with being willing to try.
Vulnerability Is Changing: Colin believes the idea that men do not talk about their emotions is becoming increasingly outdated. He has seen more men across generations openly seek connection, ask for support, and talk honestly about what they are experiencing.
Building a Map of Resilience: Colin’s Map of Resilience includes 10 tools: gratitude, community, exercise, nutrition, nature, creativity, learning, service, meaningful goals, and spirituality. His larger point is that resilience can be practiced before something goes wrong. Building those habits now gives you more to draw from when life becomes difficult.
Community and Service Matter: Colin has found community through fitness, but also through service, including work with adaptive sports. Serving others has introduced him to people and perspectives that continue to reshape how he thinks about strength, possibility, and a meaningful life.
Redefining Success: Colin’s definition of success has evolved with age. Today, it is less about achievement alone and more about feeling proud and secure while having the ability to support, care for, and contribute to the people around him.
Unleashing Your Inner Queen: For Colin, unleashing your inner queen means having the courage to pursue what matters without allowing fear to make the decision for you. It also means building a strong enough toolbox and community to help you stay steady when life gets hard.
Guest Appearing in This Episode
Colin Owensby: Former NCAA swimmer, Ironman, ultramarathon runner, model, actor, stunt performer, entrepreneur, and speaker. After surviving a life-threatening car accident as a teenager, Colin built a life centered around resilience, movement, community, service, and continually challenging his own understanding of what is possible. His Map of Resilience offers practical tools people can use to strengthen their lives before adversity strikes.
