I Bounced Back: Recent Episodes
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Every second Wednesday the “I Bounced Back” podcast brings stories about people who bounced back from the hardest, most challenging and craziest moments of their lives. Whether you are struggling right now, or you are looking for inspiration for personal development, this podcast is for you.
Alex Messenger was 17 when he and his friends went on a six-hundred-mile canoe trip in the Canadian wilderness. Twenty-nine days into the trip, while out hiking alone, Alex was attacked by a grizzly. Left for dead, he woke to find that his summer adventure had become a struggle to stay alive. He has recently released the book “The Twenty-Ninth day”, which tells his incredible story of encountering the wild nature and surviving the grizzly attack.
Daniella Mestyanek Young was born a third-generation member of the religious cult, the Children of God, which is notoriously known for its unconventional and criminal practices, including forced polygamy, child marriages, and widespread pedophilia. As a 15-year-old, Daniella was excommunicated from the cult. She moved to the United States alone to rebuild her life in freedom.
Justin Robbins is an autistic advocate who champions inclusion, awareness, and acceptance. Throughout his advocacy work, he challenges problematic narratives about autism and inspires us to rethink what it means to be autistic.
Lisa Sargese is a professor, certified hypnotist who focuses on helping people live healthier and happier lives. Many things that she teaches others come from her own struggles and experiences: she has been fighting with depression, anxiety, and a severe eating disorder since her early childhood.
She wrote a book about her weight loss journey "Diary of a fat girl".
Yeonmi Park grew up in the darkest place on Earth - North Korea. She was living next to the river separating her country from China. Yeonmi fled North Korea at the age of 13, crossing the partly frozen Yalu River into China in 2007. It took her two years to reach the long-awaited freedom in South Korea. Today, she lives in the United States; she is an internationally known human rights activist and a leading voice of oppressed people.
Marc Lewis is a neuroscientist and professor of developmental psychology. Having been through addiction and come out on the other side, he has decided to research addiction to challenge the modern-day consensus on drug dependence as a brain disease, arguing that, in reality, it is a complex cultural, social, psychological, and biological phenomenon.
Jasvinder Sanghera was 16 when she decided to run away from her family home to escape a forced marriage. Her choice of freedom didn't come without devastating consequences: her family disowned her, and she has never met them again. However, this traumatic event did not break Jasvinder. She founded Karma Nirvana, a British charity that supports both men and women affected by honor-based abuse and forced marriages. Today she is a highly acclaimed international speaker, an expert advisor, and an author of the bestselling memoir Shame.
Dave Chawner had been struggling with eating disorders since he was a teenager, but he only acknowledged that years later, when he was diagnosed with Anorexia.
Today, he uses comedy to talk about mental health and to remove the stigma of eating disorders as he recovers from his battle with anorexia.
Jennifer Vaughan was diagnosed with HIV and later with AIDS when she was 45. She has never expected to hear this diagnosis. Today, Jennifer takes every extra moment to continue fighting against the spread of this virus and stigma around it through advocacy.
Imagine growing up without having running water, a fridge or a toilet, without knowing if you have enough food to eat tomorrow, or if you or your loved ones will return safely home or be attacked by gangs. Simon Okelo was born and raised in Kisumu slums in Kenya. Despite growing up at the margins, he managed to leave the slum. Today he lives in the United States and works towards helping children in his hometown slums.
During her 20 years of career as a police officer Sherry Lee Benson-Podolchuk has been severely bullied and harassed by her male colleagues. However, she found the courage to confront and challenge the bully and the entire management, which enabled this toxic environment. Today Sherry is an author, motivational speaker, and consultant who provides guidance and expertise on bullying.
Have you ever wondered how it feels to lose everything you had? Your job, your savings, your home. Jasmine King knows how it feels. Several years ago, she had to leave her apartment in London, pack her belongings, and step into the world as a homeless person. However, Jasmine never lost her faith that things would get better. And they surely did. Jasmine went from being homeless to owning her childrenswear clothing business.
Edafe Okporo had to flee his native Nigeria after being beaten and hospitalized for his work as an LGBTQ+ activist, only to find himself behind bars in the US. He had to spend six months in the detention center, fighting for his asylum case. Today, he is helping other refugees avoid being locked up and is running a shelter for refugees in New York.
The 'I Bounced Back' Podcast joins the #PodcastBlackOut protest. This moment calls upon us to speak up against racism and police brutality against black people. We stand in solidarity with black communities across the world.
BlackLivesMatter #TheShowMustBePosed
Fiona Oakes is a British long-distance runner and a multiple world record holder. Among hundreds of races, she has won both the Antarctic Ice Marathon and the North Pole Marathon. Her passion for running has born out of love for animals. Every time she competes in a race, she uses it to advocate for animal rights and promote veganism. And what is even more surprising, she runs despite her disability. Fiona's story is simply fascinating and uplifting. For everyone who is struggling, she is an example of what tenacity and passion for a cause can achieve.
Izzy Posen grew up in London, one of the most vibrant and modern cities in the world. However, as a child, he has never experienced the true culture and colors of London. On the contrary, he grew up in London’s Ultra-orthodox Jewish community, and hardly had any contact with the outside world, he did not even speak English. With a growing feeling that the strict rules of the community do not fit his understanding of the world, several years ago, Izzy decided to embrace the unknown and leave the community.
Leslie Saglio grew up in Los Angeles, California, so her career after college naturally took her to the entertainment industry in Hollywood. Although she landed a dream job, Leslie realized that something was missing, and the culture and lifestyle of the Hollywood industry were not for her. She decided to embark on a life-changing journey to Europe.
Today, Justin Paperny is a federal prison consultant, he prepares defendants for their time behind bars and after. But more than ten years ago, Justin was that person behind bars.
"From the first day to the last day in prison, I was two different people. I came to prison fat, miserable, angry at the world, and I left it optimistic and grateful".