Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Everything you want, it has been said, is on the other side of fear. On this week’s Story Untold, hear from some of the most memorable conversations on the podcast about fear — from quieting doubts as a meditative practice, how anxiety and speech are intertwined, the urgency of overcoming fear, and how fear can be harnessed in the pursuit of change. Highlights from Shad, Richard Holmes, Amy Tunstall, and Charlie Engle.
Shad is enjoying something of a career boon. His latest musical offering, A Short Story About a War, was shortlisted for the 2019 Polaris Prize, and his other gig — host of the widely popular documentary series Hip-Hop Evolution — has garnered the London, Ontario-raised emcee and songwriter with both an International Emmy and Peabody Award.
“I need to find something pure to give people, and I can’t do that if I’m distracted by myself.” – Shad
At 17, Richard Holmes had everything he had wanted: a successful career as a mountain biker; a life in beautiful Whistler, British Columbia; sponsors wanting to endorse him. Despite the accolades, he had one other thing that was constantly nagging him: a stutter. It would go on to change his life and career path.
“You want to advertise yourself as much as you can, and I would give people a name I thought was easier to say. I think about that now, and I think it’s absolutely hilarious: that I would rather this person not remember who I am, even though I’m trying to do this as a career, than for them to hear me stutter.” – Richard Holmes
A few short years ago, Amy Tunstall was a self-described prisoner to her own bed. Today, the Niagara-raised expedition athlete has travelled over 17,000 kilometres across three continents on foot and by bicycle, raising awareness for mental health.
“The biggest thing that holds us back in life is fear.” – Amy Tunstall
Charlie Engle is not like most people. For one thing, he’s run across the Sahara Desert — a feat that turned into a documentary narrated by none other than Matt Damon. He’s “summited ice-covered volcanoes, swam with crocodiles, and served a stint in federal prison.” Making the North Carolina-based writer and ultramarathon runner’s story even more improbable is that he’s accomplished everything after overcoming a life-threatening drug and alcohol addiction.
“Nobody else could save me. I thought my [newborn] son could actually be my saviour. I thought he could stop me from being a drug addict. And the final dose of reality [was] understanding that there was no one but me that could actually make that happen.” – Charlie Engle