Battling with what I’ve come to learn through professional help, as PTSD, Anxiety and Depression.
From an early age and having been Sexually and Physically Abused by 6 different individuals, one being a Boxing Coach, I began to rely on drugs, sex, violence, and alcohol to neatly evade the traumatic memories of years past. I couldn’t live this way any longer, Broke, Homeless, suicidal, and shattered I attempted suicide again. I couldn’t take the pain any longer living everyday ‘crying inside’. Drugs and alcohol no longer worked so I wrote a note to my amazing son Jesse and once again tried to end my life.
Surviving the disaster and now and 20 years sober free from drugs and alcohol I have a life I could never have dreamt of but living with the memories are often too much to deal with and I am lucky to have the supports I do to live with my condition.
DOWNLOAD MY CV
I have spoken at over 800 venues internationally to a collective audience of well over 35,000 teens and adults, speaking in Toledo Ohio, Los Angeles, Toronto, Buffalo NY, Victoria BC, Prince George to name only a few.
In 2011, I was named and published as one of the top 40 community leaders in Manitoba by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. In 2014, I was named # 80 of the top 100 most fascinating people in Manitoba by the Metro Newspaper as well as nominated for the Manitoba Human Rights Award “Commitment Award of Manitoba” by the Manitoba Human Rights Commission.
In 2015, I was named one of the top 100 speakers and community leaders by the John C Maxwell. I have also starred in films, documentaries, and TV shows such as: ‘WARRIORS TKO’ 2 seasons 26 episodes (APTN), Filling the Void (Just TV/YouTube), Fight (Ervin Chartrand/Netflix/NFB National Film Board of Canada), The Big Breakfast, numerous radio interviews and featured in over 18 newspaper articles. I have also been and continue to be a keynote speaker at numerous youth, teen and addiction conferences.