Hard Turn

Join Mary Nam and Kelly Koopmans

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An emotional and powerful interview with guest Emily Cantrell, a survivor of the Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting. Kelly Koopmans and Mary Nam dive into her "hard turn,” the moment her life changed forever, and the difficult journey to healing and advocacy that followed.

Emily recounts the terrifying chaos of the shooting and the subsequent struggle with Survivor's Guilt. She details the shocking obstacles she faced when seeking help, finding the mental health system ill-equipped to treat trauma from a mass shooting. Driven to create change, Emily immediately immersed herself in gun violence prevention, successfully lobbying for state legislation. She also discusses her personal milestone of confronting her biggest trigger, fireworks, by leading Seattle’s massive Fourth of July celebration as the CEO of Seafair.

This is a profound conversation about transforming anguish into action and building community in the aftermath of violence.

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Welcome to Season 2 of Hard Turn, the show that explores life's most challenging moments and the incredible human spirit that gets us through them. In our season premiere, hosts Mary Nam and Kelly Koopmans sit down with their first guest, Brent Beardall, the CEO of WaFd Bank.

Brent shares his deeply personal and emotional story of surviving a harrowing plane crash that left him severely injured and changed his life in an instant. This conversation goes beyond a story of survival, delving into how this "hard turn" reshaped his perspective on life, his relationships, and his leadership style. It’s a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a poignant reminder that vulnerability can be a source of incredible strength.

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Life doesn’t always go the way we plan. Hard Turn is about the moments that knock us off course, and the people who find a way through. In Season 2, co-hosts Mary Nam and Kelly Koopmans return with powerful, deeply personal stories of resilience, heartbreak, and hope. Hear voices you won’t forget, and journeys that will change the way you see your own.

Season 2 premieres September 24. Subscribe now on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Do you have information you think more people should know? Kelly spoke to Joel, a med student who has learned about outdated practices within the healthcare field and how it is disproportionately affecting minority and underrepresented communities. He decided to share these discoveries on social media, and help people learn about their own health and advocate for themselves during treatment. Today, he’s had the opportunity to meet people whose lives have been saved by his information, and to help influence policy to help stop this outdated, incorrect information from impacting patients in the future. Join Kelly and Mary on the final episode of Season One of Hard Turn as they traverse the hard turn of educating the masses. 

New episodes of Hard Turn drop every Wednesday. Follow the show on all your favorite podcast platforms and for bonus content, follow us on Instagram @HardTurnPodcast and X @HardTurnPod. (https://www.flowcode.com/page/hardturn).   

Hard Turn is presented by Overlake Medical Center. 

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Are you trying to unpack a traumatic childhood while parenting your own kids? Mary talked with Emma, who found a way to begin healing her generational trauma as she parents her own children. Emma shares with us how her father’s devastating childhood impacted how he parented her and her three brothers, and how she is trying to break that cycle of trauma today. Join Mary and Kelly as they traverse the hard turn of healing generational trauma.

New episodes of Hard Turn drop every Wednesday. Follow the show on all your favorite podcast platforms and for bonus content, follow us on Instagram @HardTurnPodcast and X @HardTurnPod. (https://www.flowcode.com/page/hardturn).   

Hard Turn is presented by Overlake Medical Center. 

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How do you build something new when the world shuts down? Kelly heard the story of Caitlin and Yonder Cider, which started in early 2020. Caitlin shared how Yonder Bar began out of her garage when everyone was still trying to stay six feet apart, and how the cidery has grown over the past four years into a flourishing business. Join Kelly and Mary as they traverse the hard turn of start a business during unprecedented time! 

New episodes of Hard Turn drop every Wednesday. Follow the show on all your favorite podcast platforms and for bonus content, follow us on Instagram @HardTurnPodcast and X @HardTurnPod. (https://www.flowcode.com/page/hardturn).   

Hard Turn is presented by Overlake Medical Center. 

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Is your career coming to an end? Mary spoke with former Seattle Sounders player Brad Evans about how he came to the decision to end his professional soccer career and what he is doing now. Brad shares the difficulties for professional athletes of leaving behind a life in the spotlight, and how he is finding his new identity. Join Mary and Kelly as they traverse the hard turn of leaving professional athletics!

New episodes of Hard Turn drop every Wednesday. Follow the show on all your favorite podcast platforms and for bonus content, follow us on Instagram @HardTurnPodcast and X @HardTurnPod. (https://www.flowcode.com/page/hardturn).   

Hard Turn is presented by Overlake Medical Center. 

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Are you struggling with grief? Kelly talked to Mandy, a grief counselor, about her own experience with grieving the loss of her mom and how she helps others to understand and manage their own loss. Mandy shares some common misconceptions around grief, and how all of us can better support those we love who may be mourning. Join Kelly and Mary as they traverse the hard turn of grief. 

New episodes of Hard Turn drop every Wednesday. Follow the show on all your favorite podcast platforms and for bonus content, follow us on Instagram @HardTurnPodcast and X @HardTurnPod. (https://www.flowcode.com/page/hardturn).   

Hard Turn is presented by Overlake Medical Center. 

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Kelly shares her own personal hard turn – in September of 2024, her husband Michael passed away from cancer. Kelly shared Michael’s diagnosis earlier in the season and wanted to share with listeners about their journey, and how she is doing now. Join Kelly and Mary for this very special episode. 

New episodes of Hard Turn drop every Wednesday. Follow the show on all your favorite podcast platforms and for bonus content, follow us on Instagram @HardTurnPodcast and X @HardTurnPod. (https://www.flowcode.com/page/hardturn).   

Hard Turn is presented by Overlake Medical Center. 

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