No Barriers

David Inbody is the father of three children, two sons and a daughter, and has been married to his wife Tiffany for nineteen years.David was medically retired from the U.S. Army in 2012, after eight years of service. He attained the rank of Captain. He enlisted in 2004 and attended officer candidate school and was commissioned in 2008. He was assigned to Bravo Co, 1st Squadron, 112th Cavalry Regt as a scout platoon leader. He later served as a plans officer and supply officer for the squadron before deploying as a member of an Agricultural Development Team in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.David was injured by an improvised explosive device while on a patrol on 15 July, 2010. As a result of injuries sustained from the blast he lost his right foot and sustained various other injuries. After two years of rehabilitation at the Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio, David medically retired and returned home to College Station, Tx.He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medals as well as the Combat Action B

Imagine life if you were unable to see. Could you find the toilet, or leave in an emergency? Now imagine you lived in a place where there are no paved roads, no clean water. In our world, 14 million people, more than the entire population of Canada, are blind, unable to perform the daily tasks of living. Ninety percent of the world's visually impaired live in low-income settings. Eighty-five percent of the blindness on our planet could be cured, or could have been prevented. 20 million people are needlessly blind from treatable cataracts.Now imagine: There exists a surgery that can restore perfect sight to these people in five minutes, for the cost of $25 per surgery. Imagine: We can overcome all the needless blindness in the world. People say it's impossible.Some of Dr. Tabin’s Highlights:Dr. Tabin was also the fourth person to climb the Seven SummitsIn 1994, Dr. Tabin established the Himalayan Cataract Project with his colleague Dr. Sanduk RuiOn an 8-day expedition to Ethiopia covered by National Geographic

This much is true... no one gets outta here alive.If you had the option of knowing the day you would die and how it would happen, would you want to know?This is Jim.Jim was very much alive when this episode was recorded.Jim was dead 2 months later..Jim has a Stage 4, terminal cancer diagnosis and has ceased all treatment. Two weeks before this episode was recorded he was told he had roughly a month to live.Since his diagnosis, Jim has endured countless rounds of chemo, multiple surgeries and a brief ‘remission’.  He has accepted his fate and has made it his mission to squeeze as much life out of the short time he has left. And along with that, has committed himself to encouraging people to wake the hell up with regards to valuing this one precious life that we each have. To not forget how fleeting and finite it all is. To love those around you and live the best version of your life.We’re grateful to him for that critical reminder that our walk on this planet is brief and that every minute counts. It’s easy to

Joe Strechay is a Producer and Consultant for film, television, theatre, and literary works. He consults on accessibility, disability, and blindness to assure respectful and accessible work environments and portrayals. He has worked on AppleTV+’s SEE, Netflix’s The OA, and Marvel’s Daredevil. Joe has supervised services for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; managed a web program; instructed in services for individuals who are blind or have low vision; advised states and countries on services, and mentored numerous people with disabilities. He has consulted for the American Printing House for the Blind specific to CareerConnect and their National Transition Conversation. Joe did his graduate work at Florida State University and his undergraduate at East Carolina University. He speaks around the United States about employment, transition, accessibility, and inclusion in entertainment, and his experiences. He and his wife, Jen, live in Pennsylvania.  LINKSJoe on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL3qga2wI

In this episode get up close and personal as this Olympian shares her triumphs, challenges (physical & mental), blunders here and there, and where her life is headed now. Growing up in Vermont, Sarah Will was a natural on the slopes. She competed on the nationally-ranked ski team at Green Mountain College. Her skiing career took an unexpected turn in 1988, when a skiing accident left her paralyzed from the waist down. She did not give up. 4 years later she went to the 1992 Paralympic Winter Games winning gold medals in the downhill and super-G. 10 years after, and back to back appearances at every winter olympics she had racked up 12 golds and 1 silver. Will is one of the most decorated athletes in U.S. ski team history.

16-year-old Alex Knoll is a tech founder and international speaker with a passion for helping others. He has been featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, BBC, Irish Times, NBC Nightly News, Sky News & many more.Alex developed Ability App, a global crowd-sourced web app that helps people with cognitive, hearing, vision, and/or mobility disabilities and caregivers search for specific accessible and inclusive features at locations around the world. Ability App launched globally on May 1, 2020. Please visit the Ability App website for more information at TheAbilityApp.com.Most recently, Alex was awarded The Diana Award, given out by the charity of the same name with the support of The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex, and was created to honor Princess Diana’s work while inspiring others to action.Special thanks to Wells Fargo for their sponsorship of today’s podcast in a series featuring folks who are breaking barriers in the business and the workplace.Resources:Visit the Ability App Website: https://th

Faith Malton is a natural-born engineer.  She was born missing her right arm and thus, grew up problem-solving and adapting to her environment through innovation.  More importantly, she engineered her mental aptitude and psyche to be rooted in a growth mindset.  A student ambassador, she found herself inquisitive on how other cultures worked and how culture determines the perception of disability. Her curiosity led her to places like Antarctica, India, and Tanzania. Every trip was an awakening and revealed to her how the built environment shapes the way in which humans experience the world.  She now works at Walter P. Moore, an international civil engineering firm, doing site design. She believes design teams have a responsibility for their designs to be universally accessible, inspire the human spirit, and nurture a connection to the natural world.Malton also works to help others break through mental barriers and navigate the world with limb differences through her YouTube channel, One Arm Wonder.Resources:Y

Amy Rusiecki is the owner of Beast Coast Trail Running and the Race Director for the Vermont 100 mile race, Seven Sisters Trail Race, Chesterfield Gorge Ultra Event, and Mount Tobey 50k, as well as a winning endurance athlete herself. Amy is a true barrier-breaker in the ultra community. She successfully petitioned for the Vermont 100 to be the first ultra race in the country to recognize AWDs (athletes with disabilities) in their own division and has taken the Vermont 100 partnership with Vermont Adaptive to new heights. Since becoming the race director seven years ago she has helped raise close to $1M for the adaptive sports organization. She has made bold moves to push past gender barriers, creating non-binary divisions in all of her events and she has led conversations nationwide about how to better manage gender equality within the race industry. Amy has been coaching for 18 years, working with High School and College running and XC ski teams, named ‘Coach of the Year’ three times. Amy herself fell in lo

Mark served in the United States Air Force for ten years, starting out as an aircraft mechanic. He loved his job but was looking for more challenges, so he switched to air traffic control for the remainder of his time in service. During a deployment in Kuwait, he sustained injuries resulting in his right leg needing to be amputated above the knee. He went into a deep depression and lost all hope and was very inactive. Eventually, he found outdoor therapy programs like No Barriers and regained purpose and meaning in his life. Now he is the Founder and Executive Director of Outdoor Salute to Veterans. There are 22 veterans that commit suicide every day and OSTV strives to reduce these numbers by taking disabled veterans on outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, rafting, rock climbing, and camping.   Mark has also been married to his wife for 34 years and has three wonderful and successful children and five beautiful grandchildren.Special thanks to CoBank for sponsoring today's episode in a series highligh

Comedian, Josh Blue, sat down with Erik and Jeff at our studio in Golden, CO to discuss his career as a comic who happens to have cerebral palsy. Following his groundbreaking win on NBC’s Last Comic Standing in 2006, Josh Blue has risen through the ranks to become a well-established headliner at venues throughout the world. His story has been featured on Fox, CBS, ABC, MSNBC,  and CNN.  He was the first comedian to perform stand-up on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, was named Best Winning Reality Show Guest on Live with Regis and Kelly, and made standout appearances on Comics Unleashed. Recently, Josh crushed his set on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and was honored with a performance at the William H. Macy Gala at the prestigious Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Canada. He also just recorded his fifth-hour special at his home club, Comedy Works in Denver, CO. Josh does over 200 shows a year, continuing to spread laughter and break down stereotypes of people with disabilities. His stand-up rout

Colleen Rose is a military caregiver for her husband, John, an active duty Marine. While on his 2nd tour in Afghanistan, John was wounded by an IED blast sustaining vision loss and extensive injuries. Colleen acted as his caregiver, and then, in 2016, the roles were reversed when Colleen was diagnosed with breast cancer. Several years later, Colleen has helped her husband retain his active duty status, and Colleen is cancer-free and in remission, and they are proud parents to their baby, Declan. Colleen now serves as a Dole Caregiver Fellow, placing her in a great position to advocate and provide encouragement for all caregivers, sharing her experiences as a caregiver and care recipient.Thank you to our sponsor, Prudential, for sponsoring this episode and more featuring alchemists like Colleen.Resources:For Military and Veteran Caregiver resources as part of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation: https://hiddenheroes.org/Elizabeth Dole Foundation FB group: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethDoleFoundation/Watch more a

Sean Passmore served 22 1/2 years in the Army before retiring in 2014. Today, he leads the Military Talent Strategic Outsourcing (MTSS) team and oversees enterprise military and veteran initiatives at Wells Fargo, supporting the military community with housing affordability, financial wellness, small business support, and career transition assistance programs. The MTSS team is 100% dedicated to attracting, recruiting, coaching, and advocating for veterans seeking career opportunities at Wells Fargo.Wells Fargo is a longtime supporter and partner of No Barriers. We are grateful for their ongoing support and their sponsorship of this episode - the first in a series highlighting folks who are working to increase inclusion and representation in career mobility. Resources:Sign up for the No Barriers Summit 8/28-8/29 (both in-person and virtual options): https://www.nobarriers.live/  Make sure to check out Wells Fargo’s career panel on 8/29 at 1 PM Mountain.Wells Fargo Military Resource Page: https://www.wellsfargo

Antoinette, an 11-year United States Army Veteran,  is an American Adult Cross-Cultural Kid (ACCK) and Third Culture Adult (TCA) with family ancestry in Nigeria, Ireland, China, and Jamaica. Antoinette is a former IT executive, a blogger at the New Normal Big Life blog, Producer of New Normal Big LifeTV for Culturs Global Multicultural TV, Contributing Writer at Paddling Magazine and Culturs, global, multicultural magazine. Antoinette is also a transformational public speaker and an advocate for people living with traumatic brain injury, health challenges, and those diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. She is also the Producer of WhitewaterTV, a Kokatat National Brand Ambassador, and co-founder— Diversify  Whitewater to name a few of her many accomplishments.Thank you to our sponsor, Prudential, for sponsoring this episode and more featuring alchemists like Antoinette.Resources:https://antoinettetoscano.com/about-me/https://www.instagram.com/antoinetteleetoscano/www.linkedin.com/in/a

Sean Entin was a successful entrepreneur who suddenly had a stroke at 39 years old. After many surgeries, doctors told him he would never walk, talk, drive or be independent again. It has been 10 years since he had his stroke and he has not only regained his independence — in his recovery process —Sean became the StrokeHacker; learning how the brain works and what it takes to make it better. His mantra “I can, I shall, I will” helped him through the mostdifficult times in his life. That knowledge allowed him to teach thousands of people how to do the same. He is currently a survivor coach, podcast host, and founder of the StrokeHacker Community.Resources:Learn more: https://strokehacker.com/Watch Sean on ABC: https://abc7.com/curt-sandoval-mma-training-sean-entin/1101903/

Keely Cat-Wells is an Entrepreneur and Disability Activist dedicated to making social, systematic, and economical change. Keely is the Founder/CEO of C Talent, Zetta Studios, and Zetta Finance. She founded her first company at a very early age while in the hospital, which eventually evolved into C Talent. C Talent represents Deaf and Disabled artists, athletes, and influencers globally to normalize disabled people being experts in subjects beyond disability. After noticing the lack of access in the entertainment industry, Keely formed Zetta Studios, which is the world’s first-ever studio to be fully accessible, designed with disabled people in mind.Keely is a Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe Entertainment 2021 honoree, an Aerie Change-Maker, Advisory Board Member at Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, a Disability Subject Matter Expert at Google and The Lego Group name a few of her awards and recognitions.Special thanks to Wells Fargo for their sponsorship of today's podcast in a series featuring leaders who are f

Chris Prange-Morgan has worked extensively in the field of mental health and is familiar with the topics of trauma and resilience, grief and loss, adoption, and adapting and overcoming obstacles. Today, Chris and her husband, Scott, host a podcast and website, Full Catastrophe Parenting, which is dedicated to helping parents and professionals in the trenches of working with challenging family/life circumstances. Over the past several years she has provided clinical pastoral care to hospitalized patients, created an adaptive rock climbing program, taken second in the para-climbing nationals (2015 female leg amputee division), and summited her first Colorado 14’er with her family. Chris’ book, Full Catastrophe Parenting: Adoption, Disability, Trauma and Other Joys of Motherhood, is forthcoming.Resources: WEBSITE:  https://www.fullcatastropheparenting.com/INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/full_catastrophe_parenting/FACEBOOK: https://m.facebook.com/cprangemorganPSYCHOLOGY TODAY: https://www.psychologytoday.com

Judaline Cassidy hails from the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Having experienced, first-hand, the challenges and injustices women working in male-dominated fields face, Judaline has devoted her life and work to being a force of change. By day, she’s a history-making plumber in NYC, where she’s mastered her trade over the last two decades while fighting for equality in the construction industry. She dedicates every other waking second to her trademarked "Jobs Don’t Have Genders" activism, and to Tools & Tiaras Inc., the pioneering nonprofit she founded in 2017.Through hands-on, mentoring workshops and summer camps led by tradeswomen leaders, her organization introduces girls and young women to skilled trades jobs like electrician, carpenter, plumber, and auto mechanic. Girls gain awareness of these rewarding and lucrative career options, along with invaluable life skills. Ultimately, Judaline is empowering girls with the grit, moxie, and self-confidence needed to succeed in whatever professional pat

Mark Wellman is a nationally acclaimed author, filmmaker, and motivational speaker. Despite being paralyzed in a mountain climbing accident, Mark has inspired millions to meet their problems head-on and reach for their full potential. A two-time Paralympian and former Yosemite Park Ranger, Mark's NO LIMITS philosophy encourages individuals to adventure into new horizons; to go beyond the seemingly unreachable.An accomplished wheelchair athlete, Mark is best known for the first historic paraplegic ascents of the sheer granite faces of El Capitan and Half Dome, in Yosemite National Park.His notoriety has been acclaimed on national television, by congressional commendation and meetings with two United States Presidents. The first paraplegic to sit-ski unassisted across the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, Mark has also carried the flaming torch up the 120-foot rope, shocked by thousands of spectators, and lit the cauldron for the opening of the Paralympic Games in Atlanta.Mark shares his story in the autobiography

We are honored that Prudential is sponsoring today's podcast highlighting people who are alchemists.Bradford and Bryan Manning are two blind brothers on a mission to cure blindness. At a young age, they were diagnosed with an eye disease that causes blindness over time. To fight back, they left their former careers to start Two Blind Brothers, a small charitable clothing company that donates 100% of its profits to drive life-changing research for a cure for blindness. Their condition inspired special attention to detail, a passion that carries over into the construction of their clothing line. Two Blind Brothers focuses on quality, comfort, and "sense of touch." Thank you again to Prudential for supporting our podcast today and for allowing us to elevate these diverse and unique voices.Resources: Shop: https://twoblindbrothers.com/Shop Blind: https://twoblindbrothers.com/pages/shop-blind-monthly-challengeWatch Bryan and Bradford on Ellen

At 14, Reggie had a tragic electrical accident that left him a double amputee. But, his “never-say-die” attitude has propelled him to also become an accomplished pilot, inspirational speaker, certified snowboard instructor, and marathoner. In 2017, he was part of ROMP, the Range Of Motion Project’s elite team of amputee & able-bodied climbers that climbed Cayambe, an 18000’ stratovolcano in Ecuador as part of a fundraising effort that benefitted amputees in third world countries. Reggie continues to inspire folks around the world with his speaking career, athletic accomplishments, and mentorship programs. Special thanks to the Winnebago Industries Foundation for their support of this podcast and their advocacy for accessibility in outdoor spaces.Resources:Check out Reggie’s website: https://lifewithreggie.com/Follow Reggie on Facebook and InstagramIntroducing Reggie Showers on National Geographic’s Mygrations