This week’s guest has a story that connects former US President Barack Obama, opera singing, a civil war, and a non-verbal learning disability. Annie Homsy-Harris was born with a learning disability, and music became an outlet of expression. Annie’s ensuing opera career was inspired by her grandfather’s groundbreaking role as the first Syrian to perform with the Travelling Metropolitan Opera Company.
Vernon Thompson is an unassuming educator who uses hip hop as a conduit for transforming lives. His unfiltered experiences take listeners to the very heart of gun violence, while sharing the heartfelt impact he’s had on students’ lives.
But beneath this success, Tricia was battling a tragic development known as Trisomy 18, threatening her second pregnancy. Coach Roos defied research and her doctor’s advice and brought her daughter Annabelle into this world. Her story explores a mother’s unfathomable hope and grief while navigating a high-risk pregnancy, and the supporting roles of her young son, husband, and volleyball community in lifting her spirits. Her daughter graced this earth for only six days, and Tricia channeled her gripping experience into a book, “When Wishes Change.”
Mtima Solwazi, a desperate 13 -year-old, found a side hustle-selling drugs that landed him in prison at 16. Mtima, CEO and Founder of #Rootsfoundation, shares how he was saved from self-destruction through prayer, poetry, and a place called SERVOL.
Born to first-generation immigrants from Haiti, Jeanette’s life was grounded in educational pursuits. For the Bronx native whose singing talents grew out of an African church, chasing the Broadway dream became inevitable after landing her first musical gig in high school.
She is currently starring on Broadway in the new Bob Dylan musical “Girl From the North Country” and has also starred in the acclaimed musicals “The Color Purple”, “Hair” and several Disney musicals.
The ability to find clarity and purpose often arises from dark moments in our lives. For Jim Van Eerden, being kicked out of a successful company he co-founded with his family spurred a renewed outlook on life.
For Jay Parker, playing in the NBA and going to the Moon are not out of the realm of possibility and continue to motivate his pursuit of them bot. Jay redirects his college setbacks to a successful sales career with Cutco knives, followed by a visionary commercial space travel project. He never relinquished his basketball dream; not even after a nerve-wrecking accident. Join along to find out more about his mission, #Iamnbaready (“I am NBA Ready”)!
At 19, college football player Joe Delagrave walked with an air of invincibility. On June 10, 2004, a casual boating trip with friends along the Mississippi River quickly escalated into his worst nightmare- an accident that left him with a spinal cord injury. Now paralyzed, Joe’s mind was consumed with swirling questions about love, intimacy and adapting to everyday tasks.
With the intervention of his friends, Joe finally hit the ‘reset’ button. His unlikely encounter with wheelchair rugby sealed his fate, refueling his competitive appetite. A steady course saw Joe’s impressive rise to the 2008 US Men’s Paralympics team. Joe details his winding road to the 2012 Paralympics and 2018 World Championships, and how his identity became trapped in the sport. Joe realigned his priorities by shifting gears to a mentorship role. The US Rugby Wheelchair coach, speaker, Master’s graduate in Professional Counselling, husband and father of three also talks about finding “permanent victory” by planting seeds.
Charmeachealle “Mike” Moore had fulfilled his dream of making it to the NFL, but along the way, he almost lost everything. Suicidal thoughts and alcoholism introduced forceful darkness in his life. Mike’s young daughter’s words helped him claw his way back to life, leading to his ultimate decision to relinquish football and start a new purposeful mission, “We Living.” Listen to see how a Brain Tumor, Death and Divorce provided a wake-up call for Mike to pursuit something greater than the NFL.
Mike Phillips, the son of Liberian immigrants, grew up understanding the privileges of America and the challenges of Liberia. When Mike decided to drop out of college to pursue a career in real-estate instead of accounting and finance, he found himself homeless.