Ep: 163 | Broken But Not Defeated: How Heidi Tyner Rebuilt Her Life with Purpose

If you’ve ever walked through something that felt too heavy to carry, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, Heidi Tyner gets real about grief, fear, and the quiet strength it takes to rebuild your life with intention — and she shares practical wisdom anyone can apply.

You’ll walk away with:

• A fresh perspective on grief — and why healing isn’t about “getting over it”
• Simple everyday safety habits every woman should know

• How to turn fear into awareness and personal confidence

• Why community matters when you’re carrying heavy things

• The mindset shift that helped Heidi reclaim her health and purpose

If you need courage, clarity, or just someone who gets it, this one matters.


Watch now on YouTube or Defenders-LIVE.com.

Tonight I’m sitting down with longtime educator, mom, and everyday protector Heidi Tyner from Michigan. A drunk, angry parent at school and a dark walk to her car were the wake-up calls that pushed Heidi and her husband to get their CPLs and start training together. That “date night at the range” season turned into a lifelong commitment to learning, leading other women, and refusing to live in fear.

Heidi has walked through divorce, single parenthood, raising a medically complex son, and the sudden loss of her husband at just 52 years old. In this conversation we talk about grief that doesn’t magically go away, what it means to honor someone you love with how you live, practical ways to be safer before you ever touch a firearm, and why awareness is the first line of defense. Heidi shares her journey into A Girl & A Gun, becoming a Refuse To Be A Victim instructor, rebuilding her health through Made Mom Coaching, and choosing gratitude even on the hardest anniversaries.

Watch more at Defenders-LIVE.com or subscribe for future conversations.