The Heroic Minds Podcast

Through podcast guests I’ve started to develop this idea of being shock-proof; composure amidst challenge. This doesn’t come from a set of skills but rather how we decide to live our lives. My best friend once told me we all have a pot representing what we can handle. And if we don’t deal with things that need attention, our pot can boil over… limiting what we can handle, limiting our composure in...

Victor Oreskovich found himself in the Semi-Finals of the Stanley Cup Play-Offs. 6 months prior he wasn’t even thinking about hockey and had been “retired” for two years. He went from the NCAA to the Ontario Hockey League to retirement, back to school, then back to hockey. 5 games out of retirement he finally arrived in the NHL. Here’s the kicker… Vic lost the love for the game when he was 12 year...

Chief Happiness Officer and Co-Founder of Plasticity Labs, Jim Moss, was a Hall of Fame, gold medal-winning, pro athlete. But, in the weeks leading up to the 2009 season, he was suddenly rendered acutely paralyzed from a rare autoimmune disease. As an athlete of this caliber, he knew what it would take to fight his way back. Regardless, the doctors weren’t sure how long it would take to walk again...

Laura and Jacob were in a car accident that changed life for both of them. Laura is now a C6 Quadriplegic. Laura has taken on immense challenges including yoga which we talk about. Jacob has taken on a supporting role and together they are living a life that they didn’t chose but have come to accept. Laura talks about continuing to push the envelope. Jacob discusses learning through trial and fire...

Dr. Daniel Grossman is an Emergency Medicine Physician without the use of his legs. A mountain biking accident brought a new normal into his life. In a mere 5 months Dr. Grossman went from being transported in a helicopter from the accident to learning how to drive without his feet to treating patients from a wheel chair. Getting ready in the morning takes Dr. Grossman 3 hours, and he doesn’t comp...

World renowned Author Matt Haig talks with me about his new book; Notes on a Nervous Planet. “In a full lifetime our ancestors knew on average 200 people. Today we can connect with 200 people in one morning sitting in bed on instagram.” In this episode we talk about his book, about the world we live in today. How we think certain things will make us happy and they don’t. How there are so many tech...

Theoren Fleury was sexually abused by his junior hockey coach which lead him to alcohol, drugs and promiscuity throughout his impressive 16-year NHL career. In this episode we talk about how addiction can find its way into someones life, maybe its food, maybe it’s a cell phone. It all comes back to an individual that is unable or unwilling to deal with their emotional burdens, often trauma. We tal...

Greg Westlake is Team Canada’s Sledge Hockey Captain. He is known as someone you do not want to battle against in the corner. Greg continues to have an incredible athletic journey regardless of having both his legs amputated above the knee at 18 months old. Greg is now in broadcasting and philanthropy while working to grow the game of Sledge hockey. We talk about Greg’s journey from standing hocke...

Matthew McCoy share's his story of abuse by his grand father, heroine addiction, suicide attempts, robbery, losing his girlfriend to an overdose, experience in prison, and finally being sober for 11 years. He now works to save peoples lives with his program; The Addicts Attic. Matthew McCoy the "teddy bear" that sits in front of me tells the story of this entire journey to where he is today. He gr...

Dr. Sleno, is a mother of 7, a military doctor, pilot and teacher. Dr. Sleno was one of the last 17 individuals in the running to be selected as one of Canada's next astronauts. To put things in perspective, The Canadian Space Agency has hired 12 astronauts since 1983. Dr. Sleno is also the CEO of Leap Bio Systems ; Canadian professionals in the medical, aerospace, research and engineering fields...

Audrey was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and was told not to have kids and not to open a Physio Therapy Clinic. She has successfully done both those things. She also had to tell her husband of 20 years that she loved another woman. Audrey and I talk openly, and optimistically about her entire life journey; specifically how her mind set at certain times correlated directly to her health. When s...

He’s back! The man on this Heroic Minds journey with me. Philosophy Major, Masters in Business Administration, business consultant and more. In this episode we break down with philosophy and science exactly why YOU DO control whether the rainy day is a “bad” day or a “great” day. Part 2: Ian and I break down the poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling (1910) This poem was written circa 1895 as a tribute to L...

He’s back! The man on this Heroic Minds journey with me. Philosophy Major, Masters in Business Administration, business consultant and more. In this episode we break down with philosophy and science exactly why YOU DO control whether the rainy day is a “bad” day or a “great” day. Part 1: - Thinking fast vs. Thinking slow. - How to stay motivated; Dopamine vs. Serotonin. - How the attitude you choo...

Tyler Marshall and K-9 Police Dog “Chase” are partners in the Waterloo Police Department. They have been together since day one. Both of them sacrifice enjoyment for the safety of an entire community. Chase is a working dog. He does not live the same life as dogs you may know. He lives in his own dog house in the backyard of Tylers house. He has limited contact with the family, limited treats and...

Dana is a licensed psychologist who consults with surgeons, actors, musicians, executives as well as professional teams and athletes in the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, MLS and Autosport. She has worked with a number of Olympic teams, taking her to the Olympic Games in Nagano, Sydney and Salt Lake City in her capacity as the teams’ performance psychologist. A former international athlete herself, Dana serv...

John Young is the only person with Dwarfism to complete an Ironman. Not only that he also regularly races in triathlons, and marathons. John Young was raised in a foster home with a strong female influence. John is also a teacher and basketball coach… yes a basketball coach. He shares funny stories of how he deals with the social situation when people may judge him and what his mindset is when he’...

Dr. D.J. Cook is a neurosurgeon and owner operator of OtterCreekFarms . In this episode he tells the story of working on the farm and 10 minutes later in surgery to save someones life. That is the life of Dr. Cook. We talk about decision making as a brain surgeon, how he approaches problems on the farm just how he approaches problems during surgery. Dr. Cook is fascinated by the resilience of the...

Gerry Dee is one of the best comedians of our time. Known for his hit show Mr. D, his stand up comedy, Gerry Dee Sports Reporter and his various role’s in main stream movies. Gerry’s journey to comedy is exactly why I wanted him on the show. He still remembers the arguments his parents had when he was a kid over whether they had enough money for food and gas that week. While doing his second degre...

A feel good story about a dog born without eyes that has changed and saved peoples lives. Many years ago Joanne had a foster dog that could not find a home. People thought Smiley could not live like a “normal” dog. One day Joanne decided Smiley would go from a foster dog to her own. Through an incredible journey Smiley turned into a source of hope, a saviour, and a hero. Smiley’s story teaches us...

Suicide. A conversation I never thought I would be having with my hockey coach. Like anything in this world that we don’t understand talking about it will only make us better and more equipped. In this episode I sit down with Troy Smith head coach of the Saginaw Spirit in the Ontario Hockey League. Before coaching Troy played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League from 1995-1999 with the Detroi...

In this episode I bring to light something missing in the concussion conversation. Athletes may have to stop playing the sport they love one day… and that is okay. Athletes are never told this nor do they talk about it or plan for it. Once an athlete sustains a concussion they are expected to go against the grain and not play through injury which has been a habit developed from a young age. It is...

Chris Miranda, ex-golf pro and golf course owner “had it all” until one day noticed tingling in his hands. He went from shooting a 71 to a 91 on the golf course and had trouble standing up on his hockey skates. He was told by the doctor he had 6 weeks to live. Initially thought to be a rare form of cancer Chris was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare disorder in which your body's immune...

Brock McGillis is the first professional hockey player to publicly reveal he is gay. He played professionally in both the United States and Europe. At age 19, McGillis was ranked on the NHL draft list, but his prospects were derailed by a series of injuries, from cuts and concussions to mono and knee surgeries. Brock has become an influential advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. His story has been h...

Wali Shah is a Pakistani, Muslim, Canadian, public speaker and poet. Wali came to Canada in 1997 with his mom. After years of dealing with assumptions and name calling, hate crime and more, a small altercation escalated leaving Wali in hand cuffs. It was at that point he realized the immense power that is in our narratives. The way we speak, the stories we are told and the manufactured ideas we be...

Emily Kaplan is an ESPN journalist and ex Sports Illustrated journalist. Her writing is different than the average athletic story. She interviews and writes in a way that the human side to each athlete shines through. It is her type of writing that is so exciting because it allows everyday people, young, old, athlete or not to relate to the story. We start with Emily's journey in the male dominate...