Sickboy

Sometimes the scariest monsters aren't under your bed—they're hiding behind your ribs. At 31, Christine Elliott found herself staring at a suspicious divot in her breast that would launch her into a battle with not just one, but two formidable opponents. From being a naturopathic devotee to embracing chemotherapy, her journey challenges the false dichotomy between traditional and alternative medic...

What if the secret to fixing your brain was as simple as a thousand tiny sound beams and a really close shave? In this special live episode from the CTO Conference in Toronto, the fellas sit down with Rima, a clinical trial participant who traded Lysol face wipes for focused ultrasound treatment in her battle against debilitating OCD. Dr. Nir Lipsman, a neurosurgeon at Sunnybrook Health Sciences C...

Breaking the silence around infertility isn't easy—but neither is pretending you're fine when Karen from accounting suggests "just relaxing" will help you get pregnant. This week, Dr. Vaneeta Sandhu, founder of the Fertility Wellness Collective, brings her expertise as both a clinical psychologist and someone who's walked the infertility path herself. From navigating the emotional minefield of IVF...

Nature doesn't just heal—it teaches, tests, and transforms. This week, we paddle into the breathtaking Alberta Badlands with filmmaker Mike Lang and Sam Taylor, a cancer mom turning caregiving on its head. Together with Jeremie, stand up paddled 60 KM down the Red Deer River over three days. The whole adventure was documented on Caregivers in the Wild, a web series that throws caregivers into natu...

Not all hangovers leave you blind, but Ashley King’s did. In this episode, the actor and playwright shares her harrowing experience of methanol poisoning after being served a contaminated beverage while on vacation in Bali. Unlike ethanol, the alcohol found in drinks, methanol is highly toxic and can cause severe health issues. This tragedy left Ashley with irreversible vision loss. From the life-...

Blood isn’t just thicker than water—it’s a lifeline, and sometimes it needs saving. In this special three-part episode, we explore leukemia and lymphoma from every angle. First, survivor Leanne Kean opens up about the grit, hope, and humour it took to reclaim her life after cancer. Next, Dr. Mani Larijani reveals the groundbreaking research reshaping blood cancer treatment and offering new hope to...

If we’re so close to gender equality, why does it still feel like women are running a marathon in heels? In this episode, award-winning journalist and bestselling author Liz Renzetti breaks down the illusion of progress when it comes to gender equality. She schools the boys on why caregiving—mostly done by women—is undervalued, how NDAs silence victims of harassment, and why the rise of “tradwives...

From "Why me, God?" to "Well, this is awkward..." Joel goes deep on his decade long tango with a rare cancer diagnosis. No inspirational background music or heartwarming montages here - just raw, unfiltered real talk about what happens when life serves you a hot steaming plate of garbage. Joel takes the fellas through his journey with a cancer, exploring how it rattled his faith, redefined his ide...

They needed certainty. They got chaos. For over a decade, countless people from at least five different countries put their trust in a company offering prenatal paternity tests. It promised clients “99.9% accuracy” — but then routinely, for over a decade, identified the wrong biological fathers. Investigative journalists Jorge Barrera and Rachel Houlihan track down the people whose lives were torn...

Pain doesn’t always look the way people expect it to. Watercolor artist KYRIANNA delves into the reality of living with chronic pain—a sensation she likens to a broken bone that refuses to heal. Art, for her, is more than a passion; it’s a lifeline and a voice for the often invisible struggles of chronic illness. In this episode, she shares how painting helps her express and validate her symptoms...

Solitary confinement isn't just a punishment; for some, it's a childhood reality. In this episode, author Lisa Moore discusses her powerful collaboration with Jack Whalen on Invisible Prisons, a book that reveals the traumatic experiences of children in reform schools, focusing on Jack's harrowing story of isolation. The conversation explores the systemic issues of child abuse, the deep psychologi...

When science and ethics clash, the results can be mind-boggling—and a little unsettling. This week Jer takes the fellas on a Cloning deep dive. It all begins with the recent story of Arthur “Jack” Schubarth, an 81-year-old rancher imprisoned for illegally cloning sheep for trophy hunting, sparking a deeper look into the ethical maze of cloning. From Dolly the sheep's groundbreaking role as the fir...

Even the strongest athletes need a game plan. This week, we dive into the world of endurance sports and type 1 diabetes with Dr. Anne Marie MacDonald, a marathon runner and Ironman triathlete who's been navigating the condition for over 35 years. From nutrition to insulin management, she shares how she juggles the demands of high-intensity training while managing her health. Plus, we explore the l...

They say parenting is the hardest job in the world—now imagine doing it with a disability in a world that often deems you "unfit." This week, author and essayist Jessica Slice joins the fellas to reflect on her experiences with POTS and how disability has shaped her views on attraction, relationships, and parenting. She dives into the societal fear of weakness, offering fresh perspectives on accep...

When it comes to living longer, it's not just about adding years to your life, but life to your years. In this episode, Dr. Fady Hannah-Shmouni, CEO of HealthSpan Digital, dives into the cutting-edge world of precision health and longevity medicine. From AI-powered disease detection to personalized health interventions, he unpacks how modern tools are shaping the future of healthcare. The secret t...

You can't choose your scars, but you can choose your hairstyle—just ask the guy with a leaky head on a flight. In this episode, the conversation takes off with a story about a man fresh from a hair transplant who causes quite the stir aboard a plane. What follows is a dive into the wild world of hair transplants, from follicles to faux pas, with a few unexpected turns along the way. The fellas als...

Personal Best is a podcast that celebrates small ambitions, half-wins and the quiet satisfaction of getting less bad at things. Each week they help ordinary people work through the little things they’d never bring to a life coach — like having the courage to dine alone at a fancy restaurant or getting less awkward at handshakes. Let them be your self-improvement sidekicks! More episodes from the b...

Managing life’s highs and lows is hard enough without your blood sugar joining the rollercoaster. Annie Arnone joins the boys to dive into her experiences living with type 1 diabetes and borderline personality disorder (BPD), highlighting the often-misunderstood differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Diagnosed at 16, Annie faced challenges that went far beyond managing insulin levels. Fro...

When it comes to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), understanding is key, but misconceptions often get in the way. In this episode, Sickboy sits down with Judy Heilik to shed light on the realities of living with FASD. They tackle the stigma and blame that often surround the condition, emphasizing the need for empathy and support. Judy explains how alcohol consumption during pregnancy can imp...

When the fight against HIV meets the resilience of Indigenous communities, advocacy becomes a lifeline. Trevor Stratton, a member of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, shares his journey from diagnosis to becoming a powerful voice in the Indigenous HIV community. As the International AIDS Conference looms, Trevor dives into the pressing need for culturally safe education and messaging to...

They say the only constant in life is change, but what happens when the change you're given feels like a double-edged sword? In this episode, the boys sit down with Connie, a young woman whose life with Cystic Fibrosis has taken a sharp turn thanks to Trikafta. She shares the raw realities of navigating a new chapter where her body, mind, and future are all in flux. From the ripple effects of this...

When a rabbit hole becomes a black hole, entire lives can be sucked into the void. This episode unravels the tangled web of QAnon, exploring its origins, spread, and devastating impact on individuals and families. Journalist Jesselyn Cook joins the fellas to dissect how a fringe conspiracy theory infiltrated mainstream culture, offering a false sense of belonging to those who feel lost. Through pe...

Unlocking the vault of generational pain can be the first step toward healing. In this episode, Scott Armstrong, founder of Mentl and the Mentl Awards, shares his deeply personal journey, shaped by his father's struggle with depression and his own experiences with trauma. Scott emphasizes the importance of creating safe emotional spaces for children and the transformative power of therapy. He high...

What do Justin Bieber, Pirates, and Grief all have in common? In part one of this two-part special, Dr. Julia Samuel delves into the gritty reality and personal trials of battling shingles and Ramsey Hunt syndrome. She opens up about the profound grief and identity shifts that accompany facial paralysis, emphasizing the power of resilience, support, and humour in the face of adversity. She shows t...

What if the path to freedom meant leaving behind everything you've ever known? Anna Lopes, a survivor turned advocate, takes the boys on a rollercoaster ride from the opulent streets of the UAE to the depths of domestic violence and back to the heights of healing. Anna peels back the layers of her past, revealing the invisible chains of manipulation that once bound her and the heart-pounding momen...