Living Adaptive With Scott Davidson

In this episode we talk with cancer survivor and heart transplant thriver Derek Fitzgerald, of the Recycled Man Foundation and the Tin Men Endurance Racing. Fitzgerald was first diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2003. The chemotherapy he received saved his life, but severely damaged his heart and ultimately led to a heart transplant that he received on January 3, 2011. Along the way, Derek overcame severe weight gain and loss, a gall bladder removal, heart failure, diabetes, and twice cheated death. The episode opens up with Derek Fitzgerald telling his story and then moves towards questions about how Derek Fitzgerald thrived despite the dire situation. We talk about the methods Fitzgerald incorporated into his life while adapting to life with a cancer diagnosis, then heart failure with an eventual heart transplant, and now, currently, thriving as a high performing Ironman athlete running a successful non-profit organization. Fitzgerald talks about building a life worth living and he teaches you how to

In this episode we talk with skateboarder Dan Edmondson. Dan talks about reclaiming his life after traversing significantly tough challenges, including a train accident that led to the loss of his legs. Dan provides details regarding the steps he’s taken, and the mindset he utilized in order to get from the hospital bed to flying down hills on his board. We all go through significant challenges and Dan’s path provides insight on how to reclaim your life after these challenges.   In 2014, Dan was in a traumatic train accident that resulted in the amputation of both of his legs below the knee. He made a remarkable recovery and is now very active in adaptive sports as a downhill skateboarder, snowboarder, wake surfer, instructor, and advocate. Edmondson works with the Adaptive Skate Kollective (ASK), a nonprofit that offers support and training to adaptive skateboarders. He says, part of his mission in working with the ASK is to encourage other amputees to try skateboarding and get active. He said, “If you have

Pete McGregor is well known in the martial arts world, specifically Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). Pete gave up his home, many of his possessions, and left the comforts of his hometown and is traveling the world teaching and training in BJJ. Pete McGregor is an ambassador for the sport of BJJ and also a motivational speaker. Pete has spinal cord injury and is a complete T-7 paraplegic. Pete’s spinal cord injury occurred when he was eight years old and is the result of a multi-car accident involving a drunk driver. Pete McGregor paved the way for others to enter the combat sports world despite any sort of physical limitation. In this interview, Pete McGregor speaks about overcoming the mental road blocks and going after your passion. McGregor tells us how he jumped out of his comfort zone and landed into one of the most dangerous combat sports, which happens to be his passion. He tells us the steps it takes to leave a comfort zone, traverse adversity, and follow your passion(s). We talk about the reality of life b

In this episode, Brent Poppen talks about finding hope in the darkest moments and how to bring hope to others.  Brent is widely know for his motivational speaking, writings, advocating for the adaptive, his role in the Academy Award nominated film Murderball, and winning in the paralympics.  Brent also works in a bunch of other significant realms, including rehabilitation counseling at a Children’s Hospital.  Brent and I talk about his Pushing Hope in 2018 movement.   Also, in this episode you will hear Brent Poppen tell his story of surviving the Las Vegas tragedy, life after a spinal cord injury, and a bunch of ideas on how to bring hope to yourself and to others.  Brent is really focused on bringing hope to others, no matter how difficult the circumstances.  He discusses tools for how to handle the sadness and darkness.  Brent tells us the very FIRST thing he does when everything falls apart and the future is uncertain and feels bleak.  We also talk about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Brent’s says

Everyone will deal with loss. Whether the loss is losing a loved one, a marriage, your personal health, or whatever, we will deal with loss and grieving. The guest this episode will talk about loss and grief. When Kendra Zierau was 35 she lost her husband to colon cancer and found herself a widow, a single mom to three young kids, and immersed in a life she never planned to live. Kendra was overcome with grief, struggled with waking up each day, and struggled with the loneliness. Her life was horrifically changed. Fast forward, Kendra Zierau is now a well respected grief coach and helps others deal with loss and working through the grieving process. In this episode, Kendra sits down and provides a glimpse into dealing with grief after loss in a healthy manner. She offers tools and insights from her personal and professional life as a grief coach. Kendra states, “grief is universal, but how each person processes through grief is different. My passion is to help people live their best life and that means dealin

Die Living: Make Every Day Count Anthony Radetic Anthony Radetic follows the philosophy of Die Living. Per Anthony, “I’m such a big believer in going out there and just trying different things… never disregard all the speed bumps and hurdles that may be in your path just keep the drive going. Never accept defeat keep fighting, die living.” Anthony Radetic’s Life Anthony lives a life as icon, entrepreneur, athlete, and family man. He is a former Army Blackhawk pilot and injured veteran, he is a spinal cord paraplegic and spends some time in a wheelchair. That is, when he’s not swimming, on a jet ski, competing in competitive hand cycling events, competitive and professional skiing at the international level which includes backflips and other impressive feats of athleticism and all other sports that he can compete in. Anthony Radetic’s Injury On February 17, 2004, on his way home from a flight-training mission, Anthony had an accident on his motorcycle. He sustained a spinal cord injury at the C2, C3, T7 and T8

In this episode we talk with Jill Englund and learn from her regarding how to make the best of a very difficult situation. Jill Englund runs her page Best of Cancer. She's an osteosarcoma survivor, pediatric cancer fighter, public speaker, rotationplasty amputee, cancer advocate, and cancer thriver. With Jill’s experience, she shares her story and imparts her knowledge on how to adapt to dire circumstances. Some of Jill’s story includes diagnosis of osteosarcoma at a young age, amputation of her leg, and losing her mentor and best friend to osteosarcoma. We get to hear insight regarding the difficulties one encounters when re-entering everyday life after significant trauma. Jill is involved with various organizations, including Cure Search and Make-a-Wish. Jill once was a Make-a-Wish nominee and now she’s an advocate for this organization. Jill Englund will positively impact your world if you give her the chance.   Find Jill on instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/bestofcancer/ Find Jill on Facebook at: @b

Today we have Rhonda Ramsay. Rhonda runs https://www.pinkproject.net where she details her life living with a stage 4 cancer diagnosis and provides insight on how to live a full life despite significant adversity. Her goal is to help people living with cancer to not only survive, but to thrive. Rhonda was first diagnosed in 2012 with Stage 2 breast cancer. She was cancer free after treatment, but unfortunately cancer returned in 2017 and is considered stage 4.  Rhonda Ramsay speaks at conferences, media venues, and various other outlets imparting her knowledge regarding how to thrive with cancer. Likewise, she writes a bunch on the subject, especially on pink project net. Rhonda states, "My goal is to help people living with cancer to not only survive, but to thrive. Cancer does not have to be a death sentence, but rather a sentence to live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment. By sharing my journey and the things that I have incorporated into my daily life to become a better version of myself, I hope t

In this episode we have Jenny Qaqundah. We talk about recovery from her near-death experience, adapting to limb loss, PTSD, and bunch of other phenomena. Jenny shares with us her story and the tools she used to adapt to the tough stuff that Jenny encountered and currently navigates. We also dive into the importance of surrounding oneself with a community.   Jenny is an author, nurse, well known herbalist, and amputee. In 2014 a very health conscious Jenny fell into a coma proceeding a routine medical procedure gone wrong this led to her becoming an amputee. Jenny Q has over the last 4 years suffered through: sepsis, near death, a coma, six months in the ICU, and over 50 surgeries. She lost both her legs, five fingers, and precious time with her beloved daughter and her new sweetheart. She returned home to a long struggle, regaining health and rebuilding her life.   Jenny began writing about her experience during her recovery and those reflections are now a book, "Held Together", filled with poems, prose and e

Today we dig into all things Sam Kuhnert. Sam Kuhnert is the founder and president of Nubability. Besides running NubAbility, Sam is also an athlete, most notably playing baseball. Sam works in a bunch of realms. Sam is also a motivational speaker handling some very difficult subjects, and he is also an author and a coach. Recently, Sam was awarded the 2017 Top Outstanding Young American and 2018 National Youth Activist awards. There’s a lot more to Sam’s story and organization and you’ll hear about in this interview. Sam grew up adapting to a life with one hand. Many tried to limit Sam but Sam pushed forward and eventually made it as a baseball player in college. In college, a life-threatening illness/injury ended his college career before Sam’s graduation. After his playing career ended, Sam then moved onto his current work with his foundation Nubability. NubAbility Athletics Foundation has exploded into a global non-profit charity that helps him teach thousands of children who have differences that they to

016 - Peter Cossaboon - Blind Pete Shares his Story and His Life of Conquering Endurance and Obstacle Course Races as a Visually Impaired Athlete In this episode I interview Peter Cossaboon. Peter is well known in the world of obstacle course racing. Peter races and he happens to also be visually impaired. Peter has a tenacious passion for completing in some of the toughest obstacle races in the world, with his guide running alongside him. His race portfolio is extensive including the Spartan Super, the Spartan Sprint, the Spartan AGOGE, Tough Mudders, the Savage Race, and more. He has qualified for the Spartan World Championship and the Obstacle Course Racing World Championship. Pete is also involved in various organizations, some focused on returning wounded veterans, he is sponsored by Asea, Longevity Fitness, The Original Warrior Pack, Legend Bourne, and Burst Energy Gel. Peter Cossaboon often goes by the name "Blind Pete.” He also raises awareness for the visually impaired community and we talk about som

015 -Christiaan “Otter” Bailey - From Skateboarding Crash to Recovering Paraplegic, the Story of Professional Athlete Christiaan Bailey In this episode we have Christiaan "Otter” Bailey. Christiaan is an American professional surfer, known for his experience as a surf safari guide and skill as a big wave surfer and skateboarder. Bailey grew up in the Santa Cruz, California area and excelled as a semi-pro surfer and skateboarder. He was a professional surfer and skateboarder, who spent much of his time in Central America and west Africa as a back-country surf guide. On July 23, 2006, during the filming of a skateboarding video at Derby skatepark in Santa Cruz, Bailey crashed on his skateboard, fracturing several vertebrae in his back (L3, L4, S3), damaging his spinal cord in the process, which left him paralyzed from the waist down as a result. Since his injury, Christiaan Bailey adapted. He is still a pro and his sponsors have continued to support him. He went on to become has Captain of USA Surfing, is a two

This episode we sit and talk with Kellan and Elizabeth Tilton.  Elizabeth is Kellan’s mom.  Kellan began fighting cancer the day he was born.  Kellan was diagnosed with stage 3 neuroblastoma with secondary paralysis on the evening of his birth.  Although he’s now cancer-free, cancer left Kellan paralyzed from the waist down. Defying the odds from his first breath, Kellan constantly turns his “can’ts” into “cans.”  Kellan was picked out of 18,000 pediatric cancer patients as the 2018 Ambassador for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.  St. Baldrick’s Foundation is the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants.   Kellan is a young, determined athlete.  He goes to the mountains to work on perfecting his skiing and is also really into climbing. He is currently scaling 40-foot indoor climbing walls, he’s looking to go even higher!    Elizabeth Tilton, Kellan’s mother, brings us the perspective of a parent and caregiver.  Not only is she Kellan’s mom but she is also advocating, with Kellan, for funding a

In this episode we pay tribute to Matthew Hadden. Sadly Matt recently passed away. If you don’t know, Matthew Hadden and I sat down and talked in episode 006, you can find this episode at www.livingadaptive.com or any podcasting app. In the interview Matt and I did, he details his battles through life with a terminal cancer diagnosis. Several years back, Matthew Hadden was training for his dream job when he received the devastating news of his diagnosis which was that he had a rare form of bone cancer (osteosarcoma). Matt went through various cancer treatments and numerous surgeries and did have an above the knee amputation of his left leg. He continued to embrace physical activity even after all of his surgeries and became a notable adaptive athlete. Matthew was involved in many things. His spirit and drive helped raise much awareness and funds for charities. He impacted many around him through volunteering, his spirit, and his drive.   At 28, Matthew Hadden passed on...Getting to interview Matthew Hadden wa

At the age of eighteen years old, Josh was involved in a life-altering car accident. Crushing the vertebrae C5 and C6, amongst numerous other injuries, he was diagnosed as a quadriplegic with little chance of even being able to wheel himself around. However, Josh defied the scientific odds and now thrives as a quadriplegic who is capable of walking for limited distances and defying the odds of his injury.  Josh is now participating in competitions all over this great country and spreading his infectious attitude and motivation with everyone he meets.    Josh is a model, a motivational speaker, an advocate, amongst so much more.  Listen in as Josh and I discuss his injury, and what followed after the injury.  We get to hear about his lengthy bouts with depression and then his triumphant turn around.  He tells us how to make it happen, mean pull yourself from the depths after suffered a traumatic life altering injury.   We dive into Tinder, news anchors, modeling life, dating life, tattoos, and all kinds of oth

This episode is an interview with Aaron Baker. Aaron Baker was a professional motocross athlete when he suffered a pretty crazy traumatic accident. From this accident on May 26, 1999, he broke his neck. We discuss this and events in his life including what it felt like to die, which essentially happened to him days after his injury. Aaron was given a one in a million chance of regaining any function below the level of his break. Somehow, through a holistic approach, tons of optimism, work, and bunch of other tools, Aaron regained much movement. So much movement that he is now releasing a documentary about him traversing death valley. We dive into his documentary which is kicking ass right now as it starts to roll out. Aaron Baker is all over the place, he is the cofounder owner of the The Center of Restorative Exercise (C.O.R.E.), a fully accessible gym welcoming people with and without disabilities, and here a holistic approach is taken and a member can rebuild from the ground up, such as Aaron. He is compet

In this episode Jesi Stracham and I talk about her spinal cord injury and the recovery process, her non-profit, the vlog she is currently filming, cannabis for treating pain, the adaptive and non-adaptive sports she competes in, and a bunch more. Jesi is motivating others one adventure at a time while maintaining a candidness and a bunch of humor. For those that don’t know, Jesi was riding on the back of a motorcycle on Jan 18, 2015 when a car pulled out in front of the motorcycle. Jesi clearly remembers much of the accident up to the impact. Jesi had surgery two days later for a little over 7 hours. The doctors are confident they did everything to help Jesi achieve the best recovery possible. Jesi is paralyzed from the waist down.   Jesi is super active. She is at the head of the non-profit Wheel With Me Foundation https://www.wheelwithmefoundation.org. She is an Adaptive Athlete and a member of the team UXC Polaris Factory Racing GNCC #820 where she races in an off-road, custom built machine with hand contr

In this episode Army veteran Mike Santiago shares his life after becoming a wounded warrior. Mike lives with a spinal cord injury. He was shot while on active duty in 2002. He’s currently involved with the Wounded Warrior games, Team Blacksheep, Honor Thread, Crossfit competitions as a competitor and a trainer, amongst much more. Mike has adapted to a life with not only a spinal cord injury but also life with PTSD. Mike shares with us how he rode through the difficult periods of his life and how he became an adaptive athlete. Mike Santiago is really involved with Team Blacksheep. Team Blacksheep focuses on promoting awareness of nonprofit organizations and resources for military men and women. Team Blacksheep is bringing fitness opportunities and mental health support to our veterans. Mike and I talk a bit about Team Blacksheep and it’s parent Honor Thread. Honor Thread was started with the initiative to raise funds for a friends military charity event. Honor Thread is a small group of sons and daughters of v

In this episode Keith Gabel joins us from Aspen, Colorado where he’s focused on training for the 2018 paralympic games. Keith shares with us his story regarding how he survived witnessing the suicide of his stepfather, adapted to life after losing his leg following a terrible accident, and moving forward and becoming one of the best snowboarders shredding this planet.   Keith Gabel went through unfathomable adversity in elementary school. He was kidnapped, lived without hot water or electricity and nodded off in all-hours diners. As an 11-year-old, he spent a winter wandering the streets of Eugene, Oregon, while his mother, dealt with the suicide of her husband. As previously stated, Gabel witnessed the death of his stepfather. He watched his stepfather pull the trigger on the morning of Christmas Eve, 1995. By the time Gabel lost his lower left leg 10 years later, he knew how to handle hardship. Keith Gabel, is a snowboarding champ many times over. He’s an X Games champ, a Paralympic medalist, a World Cup co

In this episode, one can learn from Wes Hamilton how to reframe after trauma and build a beautiful, meaningful life.   When Wes Hamilton was 24, he was shot multiple times by someone he never met and spent three weeks in the ICU. He woke up paralyzed from the waist down with a spinal cord injury. At the time he had a two-year-old daughter and now, a new life in a wheelchair. He weighed 230 pounds and suffered from lengthy depression and medical complications due to my weight. He found a way to adapt and in the first year, he lost 100 pounds and realized the importance of fitness, especially for those who have disabilities. Wes developed the non-profit, Disabled but Not Really, encouraging people with spinal cord injuries to get some sort of exercise. He competes in various adaptive sports and runs several inspirational sites and social media accounts.   Find Wes Hamilton at www.iamwesleyhamilton.org Twitter https://twitter.com/iamweshamilton Instagram https://www.instagram.com/iamweshamilton/ Non-profit site