Whit's Grit

In Episode 7 of Whit’s Grit, host Whitney Lavender sits down with her dear friend and remarkable disability advocate Lauren Compere. A quadriplegic living with a rare genetic condition (one of only about 22 documented cases), Lauren opens up about her lifelong journey from an early cerebral palsy diagnosis through whole genome sequencing, the Undiagnosed Diseases Network, and a recent consultation...

In this raw, powerful, and often hilarious episode of Whit’s Grit, host Whitney Lavender sits down with fellow bilateral above-knee amputee Mandy Horvath — the first female bilateral amputee to summit Mount Kilimanjaro without prosthetics, 8-time world record holder, TIME100 Sports 2026 honoree, Naked and Afraid star, and subject of the award-winning documentary The Ascent. Mandy opens up about wa...

From a life-changing motorcycle accident at 22 that left her paralyzed, to becoming one of the most inspiring adaptive athletes in the world — Jesi Stracham’s story is pure proof that your biggest setback can become your greatest power. 🔥 In this raw and powerful episode of Whit’s Grit, Jesi shares: • 00:55 – Welcome & Jesi’s recent hospital stay + ongoing wound battle • 02:50 – Childhood as...

Episode 4 - Sam Schaefer (Part 3/3) The powerful conclusion of Sam Schaefer’s story on Whit’s Grit. Sam wakes up after his advanced amputation surgery (Ertl procedure + Targeted Muscle Reinnervation) — pain-free for the first time in nearly a decade. What follows is an inspiring explosion of life reclaimed: shattering Highland Games world records, competing at Wodapalooza, becoming the first amput...

Episode 4 - Sam Schaefer (Part 2/3) Continuing directly from Part 1 with U.S. Air Force veteran and adaptive athlete Sam Schaefer. In this section, Sam and Whitney dive deep into the brutal reality of living with CRPS for nine years: medical gaslighting, failed treatments, nerve blocks, spinal injections, being accused of faking it, pushing through workouts on crutches while his body deteriorated,...

Episode 4 - Sam Schaefer (Part 1/3) In this powerful episode of Whit’s Grit, Whitney Lavender sits down with Sam Schaefer — U.S. Air Force veteran, adaptive athlete, 5x Highland Games world record holder, boxer, ultra-runner, and adaptive coach. Sam’s story is one of the most remarkable transformations you’ll ever hear. In 2011, while training to become a Combat Controller, a simple fall during a...

In this powerful episode of Whit's Grit, Arkansas native and rising MMA fighter Chase Mann shares his raw, unfiltered journey from a childhood defined by parental addiction, constant court dates, and chaos… to becoming a powerlifting champion and professional MMA contender. By age eight, Chase was already in and out of the legal system. Sports became his lifeline—football gave him discipline, stru...

From New York City Ballet apprentice at 17 to Soloist by 21,  Kathryn Morgan danced iconic roles like Juliet, Aurora, and Sugar Plum Fairy. But a serious chronic illness forced her to step away from the dream she’d worked so hard for. After a powerful comeback and leaving traditional company life behind, she built something even greater: KM & Friends — a joyful, inclusive online ballet communi...

Welcome to the first episode of Whit’s Grit. In this deeply personal launch, double above-knee amputee, Whitney Lavender shares her unfiltered journey from a busy life to an uncertain one in a split second. She also shares the real reasons she started this podcast, and the heartfelt dedications that motivate & keep her going. If you’ve ever faced life-altering challenges and still chosen resil...