I had the pleasure of chatting with Katie Hoffman. Katie is diagnosed with Spina Bifida Myelomeningocele. She had three college degrees. An Associate's in Assistive Technology, a Bachelor of General Studies with minors in Social Work and Sociology, as well as an Administrative Assistant Diploma. Katie is writing a book about her life story in the hopes of helping people overcome mental health challenges. Shoutout to Dylan Sessler for connecting me with Katie!

Katie's Instagram: https://instagram.com/katie_hoffman41?igshid=471tmfcjjne4

I had the honour of chatting with former Canadian professional skier Alexandre Bilodeau. His discipline was freestyle moguls. in 2010 at the Vancouver Winter Olympics he became the first Canadian to win a gold medal on home soil. He defended his Olympic title in 2014 at the Sochi games. His brother Frederic is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. He is Alex's main inspiration and motivator in life. Alexandre holds several charities dear to his heart including The MAB-Mackay Foundation, The Cerebral Palsy Association of Alberta, The Cerebral Palsy Association of Quebec and the Canadian Association of Pediatric Health Centres for Cerebral Palsy Research. Alexandre and Frederic are also ambassadors of World Cerebral Palsy Day.

I had the privilege of chatting with Perry Esler. Perry is a former news and sports anchor for CTV London. After several years in the broadcast journalism industry, he started working in the non-profit industry. He has worked with various organizations including The Children's Miracle Network and The Children's Health Foundation. He is currently the Executive Director at Jessie's Journey, a charity that raises awareness and funds for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research.

I had the honour of chatting with David Onley. He was diagnosed with Polio at 3 years old. David is the former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. He served from 2007 until 2014. He is the only disabled Lieutenant Governor in Canadian history. He is also a former TV personality who worked for CityTV, recording and producing several programs. He was also on Breakfast Television for a number of years. He is now a lecturer of social sciences at University of Toronto Scarborough.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Samantha Tokita. Samantha is diagnosed with fibular hemimelia. As a result her right leg was amputated just below the knee. She has worn prosthetics her whole life. Samantha is a Muay Thai practitioner and a photographer.

Just to add, the question Sam asked is very important. She asked me how I deal with people staring at me. I usually ignore it and I mentioned that one time when I was 12 a lady was staring at me. My friend looked at her and said "Take a picture, it lasts longer." Yes it's funny, but I could see it coming across as condescending. However, on the spot I kind of fumbled. I should have said; If you are disabled and someone is staring at you, ask things like "Can I help you?" "Is something wrong?". Don't be rude as they may just be curious! We can't fix disability inequality by ignoring these things!

I had the honour of interviewing Caroline Casey. She is one of the leading disability advocates in the world. Caroline is diagnosed with Ocular Albinism. She founded the company The Valuable 500. It was founded to revolutionize disability inclusion through business leadership and opportunity. Caroline and her team hope to get 500 signatures from the world's most influential CEO's and their brands to empower the disabled community in the business sector.

The Valuable 500: https://www.thevaluable500.com/

I had the pleasure of chatting with Cabbie Richards. He is best known for his work at The Score and TSN in Canada. Cabbie conducted his interviews with a unique spin. His entertain first, inform second approach was admired by many Canadians. He is also a former ambassador for Motionball, a charity that raises awareness and funds for Special Olympics.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Kelsey Hartman. Kelsey was born with one arm due to limb difference. She is a cheerleader, singer and YouTuber. Kelsey is also a nursing student. She founded the BeYOUtiful Campaign which promotes body positivity.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Sarah McConnell. Sarah is the mother of a little boy named Dennis who is diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. She founded the Instagram blog called Menace to Duchenne, which provides awareness and support for those living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

https://instagram.com/menacetoduchenne?igshid=g1gwrixn1c4y

I had the pleasure of chatting with Brad Bowden. Brad is a Paralympic athlete who has represented Canada in both wheelchair basketball and sledge hockey. He is one of the only athletes to win gold in both Winter and Summer Paralympics.