This YouTube video presents Sean O'Brien's personal story of overcoming long-term drug and alcohol addiction, surviving a stroke, and rebuilding his life through fitness. After an emotional turning point on February 7, 2022, Sean cut toxic influences, adopted Jeremy Ethier's beginner shred program, and achieved measurable physical progress (from ~235 lb to 162 lb and now able to perform 7–9 pull-ups). Sarah is his primary supporter; Jeremy Ethier surprises Sean in person in Kentucky to announce him as the Built with Science transformation winner. The video is motivational, emphasizing sobriety, discipline, and self-accountability.
Questions this video answers
February 7, 2022
Jeremy Ethier's beginner shred program
Started near 235 pounds; later weighed 162 pounds
Between seven and nine pull-ups
Newport Richey
Well, this time has been building up to this moment. All right, you ready? Let's do this.
The dude is in my apartment, so.
We'Re definitely gonna pick him. Don't tell him, but we're definitely gonna pick him as. As the transformation winner. I haven't told him yet, but what I actually wanted to do is I wanted to fly down there and surprise him in person.
And I tell him all the time. I think that he just. I don't know if he just doesn't realize it or because his self confidence is so messed up, but his story could inspire so many people and in two different ways. The way that he struggled with sobriety and with the workout and people thinking that they can't do it, it's.
Hey.
So good.
Yeah. He's got such a beautiful story. Oh, my God, I'm so excited.
My name is Sean o', Brien, and I am a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. I'm originally from a city called Newport Richey. You know, I was always in trouble as a kid. I was always doing the wrong things with the wrong people, and I moved to Kentucky to get away from all that. When I moved up here, I started cooking professionally. And I know a lot of people don't know this, but outside of the entertainment industry, serving service industry is the second most common for drug and alcohol abuse. And that's when I started drinking real heavily. I started doing a lot of drugs, and I use daily for close to 10 years. Because of my use, I had a stroke. That was one of the hardest things I ever went through. Scariest thing I ever went through in my life. I thought I was going to die, and I still didn't get sober. I'd work 13 hours in a day, and I would get off work, and I would drink and party until, you know, the sun came up. And I'd take maybe an hour power nap, and I'd do it all over again. For almost three years, I hated myself. I hated everything about myself. I couldn't look at myself in the mirror. I couldn't, you know, I couldn't look anybody in the eye. I couldn't look myself in the eye. The rate that I was going, I wouldn't be surprised if I wasn't able to even sit here in this room right now. It was actually February 7th of 2022, and I had actually looked up some meditation because I heard meditation helps. I woke up and I did a meditation that morning after I got out of bed. And I had this flood of emotion that came over me. It, like, literally Felt like it, like, raised up through my body. And I had this entire day where I did nothing but cry and I boohooed and I snotty, you know, I couldn't breathe. And when it finally came to a close, finally looked at myself and I was like, what the hell are you doing? You know, I used to blame everybody else. I used to, you know, everybody else is the cause of my problems, and it's not me. How dare everybody say these things to me. How dare everybody call me out on these things. You know, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be doing what I'm doing in the first place. I finally had to look at myself and realize it's not everybody else. You know what I mean? It's you. You're not doing anything different, and you are getting the same results. You know what I mean? That's what they say the definition of insanity is, you know? So I changed. I cut everybody out of my life. I changed my phone number. I went from having friends, you know, my party friends, to literally having nobody. I was looking up workout videos because I wanted to do something different than what I was doing. And I ran across Jeremy by mistake and came across his beginner shred program and went from there. I got myself in the habit of doing it, and then once I kept doing it, I was finally able to prove to myself, hey, you can actually do this thing. I started, you know, back at my heaviest. I was close to 235 pounds when I weighed myself this morning. I am 162 pounds. Pull ups have always been the hardest thing for me. I could barely at one point lift myself up 6 inches off the ground. And now, now I'm able to do between seven and nine, you know, and it's exciting. The physique and all that, that was just a bonus. What really came with it was it took my mind from a really dark place, and it brought me mentally to the best spot I've ever been in my life. Sarah is my ride or die. She's my bestie. I met Sarah at work. Turns out we're from the same hometown and tried to be friends with me.
For a really long time. He was just on a path that I didn't really like. Kind of thought he was a bully. And, yeah, now we're the best of friends.
Oddly enough, she's been my number one supporter. You know what I mean? She's always been there. You know, if I'm going through a hard time, I'll give her a call. And she's there for me, you know what I mean? Even when it came to this contest, I wasn't confident enough to put in the submission, and she talked me into doing it.
Oh, I told him he'd do it or I'll beat his ass. Yeah, he's there. He's present. He's an actual friend. He's an actual parent. He's an incredible chef. I mean, he's completely just opposite of the person that I met and did not like when I first met him. I'd be lost without him.
Honestly, she is. She's amazing, you know? And I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have her for real.
Even if you don't have somebody there supporting you in front of you, just in the back of your mind, know that you can do it. Just like he did. Because even if I wasn't here, he may not think so. I know he could have done it. He could have done it even without me. He's. He's that strong of a guy.
All right, guys, so I'm in Vancouver, and I'm at the airport. I'm just waiting for my flight. And I'm not gonna lie, I'm. I'm starting to get pretty nervous. I have no idea how he's going to react. Like, I've never met the man in person, and he might not even recognize me or want to see me, so I don't know. There's a lot of nerves building up, but there's no turning back. Officially landed in Kentucky. All right, we're about to head out and meet Sean. Just waiting for the Uber. Just texted Sarah. So she's with Sean, just waiting at the house. I told her I was nervous, and she's like, I'm nervous too. I was like, shit, that doesn't help. I don't know. What if it's too much for him? What if he's just like, phone call was cool, but, like, he need to show up? Well, this time has been building up to this moment. All right, you ready? Let's do this.
Holy. Dude.
Really? You recognize me?
Yeah, man.
Give me a hug, bro.
Oh, really?
Yes, really, dude.
Oh, my God. Really?
I had to come down here, man. I had to. I had to meet you in person, and I want to tell you, you're the next Built with Science Transformation winner. Oh, and I had to meet you in person, man.
Dude, my heart's racing right now.
My heart's racing, man. And believe me, you're going to be an inspiration to the world, man. You already are. You're an inspiration to me, and it's just an honor, a privilege to meet you. Man, oh, man.
Can I get a. I didn't even get a picture with you.
We'll get plenty of pictures. Of course, man. I'm so proud of you. I can't imagine, like, how anxious you were, like, just waiting.
Well, because he's all freaked out. He's like, why are you telling me to be home at 12?
Why are you coming home?
You'll see it.
I promise. It'll be good. All of a sudden, someone knocks on my door and I'm like, who is that? And I open the door and he's standing there. I'm like, what the fuck? That is so awesome. I am so proud of you. Yeah. So I. Yeah. So I won.
Congratulations, honey. I'm so proud of you.
Thank you.
Anybody that's gone through something similar to Sean, just know that you can do it and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Everybody has their own problems. Everybody has their own struggles. Everybody has their own remedy. And everybody's journey and everybody's closure to that problem is different. You gotta worry about you. You got to be able to look at yourself in the mirror. And if that means cutting everybody out of your life for X amount of time so you can focus on you and only you do it, it worked for me because I've always wanted to try to reach out to people, you know, just don't know how to go about it, I guess you could say.
