Life Gets MoCrazy

Daniel Avesar, PhD. suffered a severe traumatic brain injury when he was 18 years old. This injury required him to recover and to regain his cognition, his mind, and his lost inner self. After 11 years of recovery, he became obsessed with making sense of what happened to my mind. He later received a PhD from Dartmouth in neurophysiology and later a postdoctoral research position at the University...

Irena McQuarrie PT, DPT, CBIS, had been living with chronic autoimmune conditions that she managed and was maintaining an active lifestyle, even summiting Mt. Rainier and running marathons. However, life challenged her In 2017 when she acquired a TBI as a complication of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, also known as toxic staph). After receiving top level care, she was able to m...

Alex Murphy is a a two time Dancing on Ice champion, a TV presenter, and a familiar face across UK television and press. When she was 24 years old, Alex experienced a stroke while working on a cruise ship as a professional figure skater. After a successful surgery to fix the underlying issue, Alex returned to competitive skating and has built a new life that simultaneously embraces the ongoing rec...

Lance has been a dedicated powerlifter since 2002. However, his journey took a challenging turn in 2005 when he suffered a serious car crash that left him with a herniated & bulging disk that impeded his physical ability. Despite seeking assistance from multiple doctors, the treatments he received proved to be ineffective, and he was told that he would never return to competition. Lance was un...

Josh Manning experienced a Traumatic Brain Injury after a fall where he slipped on ice. He wholeheartedly agrees with the sentiment that you can build an incredible life after trauma and lives his life in a way that shows this. As a neuroscientist, he is interested in contributing to research about TBIs and other major illnesses. He brings a unique perspective to the field from his personal experi...

Lauren Taylor experienced a significant Traumatic Brain Injury at the age of 19. After emerging from a prolonged coma, she was fueled by a strong determination to recuperate. She faced various challenging symptoms, including both fine and gross motor issues, as well as disruptions to her autonomic nervous system. Over the subsequent years, she dedicated herself to her recovery journey, achieving t...

Erik is on a mission to help create a world where we can all speak openly about our mental health journeys. He founded the “From Survivor to Thriver” podcast in order to spark this change. Erik is also a ski instructor for the Aspen Skiing Company and the lead mountain bike coach for Sacred Cycle, a Colorado based nonprofit whose mission is to empower survivors of sexual abuse and sexual assault t...

Sam Porritt's  life changed dramatically when he suffered a severe spinal cord injury in his forties. It turned his life upside down. After spending more than two years in rehabilitation and recovery, he overcame many challenges. Now, Sam is focused on advocating for changes in insurance policies that restrict the amount of therapy a person can receive. He works through the Falling Forward Fo...

Fred Rutman, also known as Repeatedly Dead Fred, had careers in academia, marketing, and life insurance before his life changed dramatically in 2009. After being clinically dead 20 times and facing challenges within the medical system, Fred was finally provided a diagnosis and treatment that has helped him toward recovery. He is now an author, podcaster and motivational speaker who hopes to share...

James suffered a near fatal motorcycle accident and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in 2011. His recovery, positive outlook, and desire to give back inspires others to do the same. In 2015, James and his family founded the TBI One Love organization. TBI One Love is a non-profit dedicated to providing information, support, communication, prevention, brain health, and connection to individuals impacte...

At 28, Dan was leading a healthy, active life. After an optometrist appointment to identify the cause of his persistent headaches was cut short, he was handed a sealed envelope and told to go directly to the hospital. What followed, was emergency brain surgery. On June 21, 2014, Dan's reality was shattered by a devastating brain hemorrhage. With no map to guide him on the grueling path to rec...

Deborah Covell Fletcher’s life took a major turn when one of her daughters was born with severe disabilities. After leaving her career behind, she became a full-time caregiver. Her lived experience led her to write a book about braving grief and embracing joy. In this episode we talk about: Experiences that challenge expectations Finding joy in the small things The grief process Find more at: www....

Madison Baumann was in a car crash when she was eleven years old that changed her life forever. After moving through her unique recovery process, she was able to pick up golfing and create a new life for herself. She later moved to Salt Lake City wanting to relearn to ski and connected with the National Ability Center. Madison has now worked with the National Ability Center for over four years and...

Sara Foley is also known as the Vertical Blonde. In 2012 an ATV crash in Southern Utah changed Sara’s life. She spent the following years recovering and learning how to give meaning to the things she experienced. She coined “The Vertical Mindset” as a part of the healing process. This is the idea that once we realize that we get to use all of our circumstances to our advantage, we can chose to acc...

Bob Depasquale’s perspective derives from a battle with cancer at age 18. Having his life threatened at such a young age lead him to develop his path in the financial industry. While on this path he has dedicated his skills to helping others. Bob has now spent 12 years assisting people in making wise decisions about their finances. In this episode we talk about: Having a financial plan Asking for...

On a late-night drive back to Utah from Mount Hood on May 8, 2016, Stevenson fell asleep for a split second. He overcorrected and his truck rolled again and again. After a life filled with triumphs and tribulations, Colby Stevenson won two gold medals at X Games in 2020. Stevenson won his second career slopestyle skiing world cup title at the U.S. Grand Prix March of 2021. In the 2022 Beijing Olym...

Santiago Lake has always been a cheerful, smart, and active athlete that has enjoyed playing sports and competing since a young age. During his sophomore year his life changed forever after a basketball practice when he suffered a TBI due to an act of violence from a teammate. The next day, he underwent surgery that saved his life, which was the beginning of a long journey to heal. In this episode...

Mark Haley is a father, a carpenter, a fabricator, and an aficionado of vintage cars. He is a burn survivor and bilateral upper amputee. At a drag race in January 2018, an accident that could have happened to anyone changed his life. He's spent his time since learning to navigate his life with his modified body. In this episode we talk about: Impacts of trauma on those around us Choosing dail...

E.A. is an entrepreneur, business consultant, writer, and Founder of Givers University. Growing up as the son of a milkman, he started his business career at age 16. Only a few years later, E. A. met Sam Robbins, a millionaire who took E. A. under his wing as his mentee. Finding success and overcoming adversity, E.A. became a millionaire at age 23. Through Givers University, he now  works to share...

Jason Hardrath is an Oregon schoolteacher and an enthusiastic Fastest Known Time (FKT) participant. He spent much of his life channeling his passions into running, triathlons, and climbing when a horrific car accident changed his life in an instant. He fought for years to recover, using the mountains as a place for motivation and healing. In this episode we talk about: Celebrating small wins Decou...

After Brian Wagner went blind at the age of 43, he realized he had other blind spots in life in both metal and spiritual areas. After becoming more aligned with his own purpose, Brian founded Radical Vision, a company that is helping individuals understand their ideas and goals and supporting them in taking steps to making those dreams a reality.  In this episode we talk about: Support Systems Cor...

Jerry is a conflict resolution coach who helps Asian-American leaders advance in their career and life journeys. Having taken on several pharmacy leadership roles, Jerry started coaching in 2017 to help other Asian-American professionals deal with the conflict they encounter at work, with their culture, and within themselves. Prior to starting his coaching business, Jerry served as a pharmacist an...

Colin Wilford has been a clinical psychologist for 25+ years. Originally from South Africa, Colin now lives in Utah and works as an executive and personal coach to help leaders, individuals, and teams find success and develop emotional resilience.  In this episode we talk about: Emotional Intelligence Emotional Resilience Awareness and Managing Emotions Get in touch with Colin at: colin.wilford@wi...

Over 20 years ago, Lois Wagner faced with a series of events including a brutal attack and rape at her office and the loss of a business, which was followed by a cascade of struggles, fear, and pain. She faced this adversity with bravery and courage, and found the strength to forgive those involved and herself. Her journey led her to a mission of helping others who have faced challenges to learn t...

John Lee Cronin is a co-founder of the father-son venture, John’s Crazy Socks. As John, a young man with Down syndrome, searched for something to do after finishing high school, he sparked the idea for John’s Crazy Socks as an entrepreneur with a love for fun and crazy socks. John’s dad, Mark,  was also at a crossroads in his life and he decided to take the plunge with his son and see what might h...