Every year, Thrive Challenge participants share their inspiring stories of resilience, perseverance, connection, and joy. Brice Driggers is one of this year’s Thrive Challenge Grand Champs, and as his story shows, small changes can have a big impact on our lives — and the lives of others. Download the Thrive app to start your own Thrive Challenge. After 21 days of making better choices, share your story for a chance to win part of the $1 million prize pool!
My mom was a single parent, and we grew up poor. She did her best, but we’d eat mostly fast food, because it was cheap. I was athletic, and played basketball in school. In my 20s and 30s, I was a professional wrestler, but I never learned about healthy eating. My wife, Keri, and I have two amazing kids: Connor, who’s 16, and Logan, who’s 5. As a family we ate a lot of junk food — the hardest thing I’ve had to overcome in my life has been breaking those childhood habits.
As I got older, I had arthritis in my knees and my back, and swollen ankles.
I had to stop wrestling because of the toll it took on my body, and I gained weight. In 2021, I was injured in a car accident and had multiple surgeries. When I recovered, I didn’t do any exercise and I wasn’t active with my family. I’d see my neighbors running around with their kids, but I couldn’t join in with Logan because I’d get out of breath.
By 2022, I weighed 285 pounds and I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror.
I went to the doctor and found out I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pre-diabetes, and obesity. He put me on eight different medications and said if I didn’t change my lifestyle, I wouldn’t be around to see my little girl graduate high school. I broke down in tears. I couldn’t bear the thought of not being around for my kids and knew I needed to take action. That week, two members of my team, Stacie and Desmond, told me how the Thrive Challenge had helped them improve their health, and I downloaded the Thrive app.
I’d tried fad diets and they’d never worked, but I knew Thrive was right for me.
I really like the word Microstep because it means taking small actions, which anyone can do. I began by cutting down on sodas and drinking more water. I brought lunch to work, and for snacks, I’d have fruit and nuts — no more honey buns for breakfast and late night cookies. When the weather’s nice, I go to the park and sit at the picnic table under the trees, instead of eating in a rush. I like the Microstep about paying attention to how meals taste and smell. I eat slowly now and really savor my food.
At home, Keri and I started cooking together, and got the kids involved too.
I bought a flat top grill and an airfryer, and learned how to cook healthy meals. We let the kids choose what veggies they want, which makes them more enthusiastic about eating them, whether it’s carrots or green beans. We’re also enjoying veggies we would never eat before, like Brussels sprouts. We’ve learned from Thrive that it’s all about the seasoning. Logan loves to help in the kitchen. She’ll stand on her little stool stirring sauces and going a little crazy shaking out the seasoning! Our favorite family meal is shrimp with asparagus. At least one evening a week, we sit down to eat dinner together, without phones.
Brice with Keri, Connor, and Logan
I used to get home from work and sit on the couch, but now I’m moving more.
We began going for walks with our dog, Gemma, and our walks gradually got longer. Then I got back into going to the gym. Because of my injuries, I had to be careful, and I started out slowly with light weights. Listening to ’80s rock like Bon Jovi and Van Halen is great for motivation, and soon I was losing weight. My ankles weren’t swollen, my injuries got better, and I was in less pain. My workouts increased in intensity as I got stronger and began to feel like myself again.
My favorite thing to do on the weekend is yard work, which also keeps me active.
We bought a new house and we’re redoing the garden. Everything’s yellow, our favorite color. We’ve planted calla lilies, roses and tulips. I used to pay someone to cut the grass, and now I do it myself. Being able to get on my hands and knees in the dirt again is amazing. I realized how far I’d come one day when I was bending down working on a flower bed with my daughter on my back, which would have been impossible before.
Brice gardening with Logan
When I found out I’d won the Thrive Challenge, I was shocked and happy.
I kept going because Thrive has had a positive impact on every aspect of my life. I’m an operations manager, and I’m really connecting with my team at work. Instead of just going, “Hey, how are you doing?” I stop for conversations, asking people about their families and building relationships. Now that I have more stamina, I join my associates and do the work with them, like unloading trucks and pulling pallets off trailers.
I can keep up with both of my kids now, and I love having fun adventures with them.
Logan and I play with hula hoops and blow bubbles with the neighborhood families. We go to the trampoline park, and seeing Logan smile when we’re jumping up and down together is
priceless. She’ll shout, “I can jump higher than you!” She always can! Connor and I have taken boys’ trips to Houston and Los Angeles. We both got certified in scuba diving, and we’ve been on some great dives together, including a local lake clean up. Another was at a natural underground spring in Florida called Devil’s Den. It was beautiful seeing all the fish and so peaceful.
A big accomplishment this year was completing my first Spartan Race.
It’s an obstacle course and mud run. To put it mildly, it’s a tough endurance test. You’ll be carrying 80-pound sandbags up a hill or diving into a mud pit. When I got to the finish line, I was exhausted, but I held my head up because I did it. Next month I’m doing another one. Keri thinks I’m crazy, but she’s proud of me.
I’m 46 now and I feel like Superman.
I’ve lost over 50 pounds, I’ve lowered my cholesterol and blood pressure, and I’m no longer prediabetic. My A1C went down from 6.2 to 3 and my doctor is delighted — he told me I probably saved my life. I know I’ll be here for my kids and someday, hopefully, for my grandkids too. This journey isn’t just about losing weight, it’s about making better decisions. It’s like being in a different world. Oh man, I feel alive.
— Brice Driggers, Fulfillment Center #6014, Laurens, SC; $10K Winner