{"podcast":{"title":"RESILIENT A.F. with Blair and Alana","slug":"resilient-a-f-with-blair-and-alana-7122229","podcast_index_feed_id":7122229,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/resilient-af-with-blair-and-alana/","website_url":"https://resilient-af-with-blair-and-alana.captivate.fm","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/b00b4b6b-81ca-4320-8066-d82014988312/T18fD7gNQkw7yaNaLfG_GMn-.png","author":"Blair Kaplan Venables","episode_count":90,"summary":"Welcome to RESILIENT A.F. with Blair and Alana—a podcast that celebrates the incredible strength of the human spirit and the ability to bounce forward. This is the show where we dive headfirst into the raw, real, and unfiltered stories of people who have faced life’s toughest challenges—and come out the other side stronger. In every episode, we explore the complex journey of resilience: the heartbreaks, the breakthroughs, and the triumphs. Whether it’s navigating personal loss, overcoming mental health battles, or finding hope amidst chaos, RESILIENT A.F. is a safe space to connect with others who have been there. Blair and Alana bring a unique mix of candid storytelling, heartfelt empathy, and expert insights, shining a light on the untold stories of grit and growth. With inspiring guest interviews and conversations with mental health professionals, each episode is designed to empower you to bounce forward, no matter what life throws your way. Why listen? 1. Relatable Stories: Hear real people share their journeys of resilience in their own words. 2. Expert Advice: Gain tools, tips, and insights from mental health experts to support your own healing and growth. 3. Empowerment: Le…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-28T22:21:26.512356+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/resilient-a-f-with-blair-and-alana-7122229"},"episode":{"title":"Living Boldly: How Erica Bazerkanian Turned Her Father's Spinal Cord Stroke Into a Movement | 077","slug":"living-boldly-how-erica-bazerkanian-turned-her-father-s-spinal-cord-stroke-into-a-movement-077","published_at":"2026-04-28T11:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/resilient-a-f-with-blair-and-alana-7122229/living-boldly-how-erica-bazerkanian-turned-her-father-s-spinal-cord-stroke-into-a-movement-077","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/resilient-a-f-with-blair-and-alana-7122229","url":"https://blairkaplan.ca/living-boldly-how-erica-bazerkanian-turned-her-fathers-spinal-cord-stroke-into-a-movement-077","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/b1cb0b85-a8c1-460a-8883-8f922928e74b.mp3","summary":"What happens when a healthy, vibrant doctor collapses one day and is diagnosed with one of the rarest neurological events medicine knows — a spinal cord stroke? For Erica Bazerkanian, co-founder and CEO of Bold&Zeal, it became the defining moment that would reshape her entire life. In this deeply moving episode, Erica shares the story of her father Jeff Stone — a beloved podiatrist, lifelong fitness enthusiast, and \"joke-a-minute\" dad — who suffered a rare spinal cord stroke in June 2016, leaving him fully paralyzed between his C2 and C3 vertebrae. What followed was five months of bedside vigils, lip-reading conversations, family memories shared on a screen, and ultimately, one of the hardest goodbyes imaginable. But out of that grief came something extraordinary. Erica went on to raise over $225,000 for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation by running marathons — building a team called \"Iam Stone\" in her father's honour. And in 2025, after a 30-year career in healthcare marketing, she launched Bold&Zeal: a clothing brand built on the mantra Live Bold , that donates 10% of every sale to the Reeve Foundation. This episode is for anyone who has ever lost someone and wondered what to do with that pain — and for anyone who needs a reminder that boldness is a choice you make, even on the hardest days. What You'll Learn in This Episode What a spinal cord stroke is, why it's so rarely diagnosed, and how it differs from a brain stroke How Erica's family navigated 5 months of ICU care, long-term facilities, and the impossibly complex emotions of watching a loved one fight for life Why Erica chose marathon running as her act of grief and love, and how she built a fundraising team from scratch How Bold&Zeal was born, what \"Live Bold\" means as more than a slogan, a…","meta_description":"What happens when a healthy, vibrant doctor collapses one day and is diagnosed with one of the rarest neurological events medicine knows — a spinal cord s…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2069,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/resilient-a-f-with-blair-and-alana-7122229/episodes/living-boldly-how-erica-bazerkanian-turned-her-father-s-spinal-cord-stroke-into-a-movement-077/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/resilient-a-f-with-blair-and-alana-7122229/living-boldly-how-erica-bazerkanian-turned-her-father-s-spinal-cord-stroke-into-a-movement-077.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}