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Content warning: This episode contains discussion of human trafficking, exploitation, violence and trauma. Please listen with care.

What happens when surviving isn’t the end of the story, it’s the start of your mission?

In this episode, Matt Haycox sits down with Lurata Lyon, author of Unbroken: Surviving Human Trafficking, to share a story that’s hard to hear, but important to understand. Lurata speaks openly about being trafficked, escaping captivity, the realities of grooming and exploitation, and what it took to rebuild her identity and life after everything she lived through.

This isn’t “shock content.” It’s a first-hand account of survival, and a reminder that the world is not always safe, but recovery, purpose, and a future are possible.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about:

• The real mechanics of trafficking, how coercion, control, and grooming work in practice.
• Escaping, being found, and why getting “out” is only one part of survival.
• How Lurata eventually made it to the UK and rebuilt her life.
• Trauma, nightmares, and the mindset tools she uses to keep moving forward.
• Why she wrote Unbroken, and what she hopes it changes in people.

Timestamps
0:00 – Intro
4:24 – Who is Lurata Lyon & why this story matters 
11:04 – Childhood & early life before everything changed
15:00 – War, instability, and the start of survival mode
24:15 – Crossing the border & how quickly control can happen
34:03 – Kidnapped and trafficked: what captivity really looks like
39:52 – Grooming, coercion, and the exploitation pipeline
49:57 – The “no-win” choices victims are forced into
54:40 – The next 24 hours: fear, control, and endurance
01:10:28 – Reunited briefly… then taken again
01:22:47 – Escaping a second time: survival instincts and strategy
01:30:47 – Smuggled into the UK & the reality of starting over 
01:34:25 – Reconnecting with family after years apart
01:38:13 – Marriage, children, and rebuilding a life after trauma 
01:44:47 – Perspective, recovery, and what keeps her going 
01:51:37 – Final thoughts

Follow Lurata Lyon:
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/luratalyon/
Web: https://www.luratalyon.com/
Book: Unbroken: https://amzn.eu/d/09nLvVHz 

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