Janet Sherlund – Abandoned at Birth
Overcomers Overcoming
Janet Sherlund chronicles her life as an adopted child. Being adopted made her feel as though she was living a “borrowed life,” undermined her sense of trust and personal value, and impacted every decision she made. It also led to a lifelong quest to find her biological mother, with the hope of finally feeling a tether to this world, a sense of belonging, and ultimately, herself. Adoption is often painted as a happy, inspirational act - a baby finds a family and lives happily ever after. But the truth is that adopted children experience displacement and rupture from their mothers,...
info_outline
Dr. Kristen Williamson Episode 1 – “Neurospicy” People
Overcomers Overcoming
Dr. Kristen Williamson is a licensed professional counselor, neurodivergent advocate, and proud ringleader of a “neurospicy” family. Her life is a mix of late-night epiphanies, juggling mental health myths, and a daily dose of laughter as she navigates autism, ADHD, and parenting kids who keep her on her toes (and sometimes hiding snacks). Here’s the deal: growing up, she always felt like she was dancing to her beat, but nobody gave me the playlist. It wasn’t until adulthood that she realized she was neurodivergent, and suddenly, her quirks and challenges made sense. That “ah-ha”...
info_outline
Mike Burnop – Be Prepared
Overcomers Overcoming
Mike Burnop is Virginia Tech’s Hall of Fame network analyst and the two-time Virginia Sportscaster of the Year (2019, 2023). He attended Roanoke Catholic High School, where he is a Hall of Fame inductee. Mike was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. Mike enters his 42nd season in the Hokies’ football booth. In addition to his role as an analyst, Mike handles all postgame interviews from Virginia Tech’s locker room. Mike was a star tight end at Virginia Tech during his playing days. He held the Hokies’ single-season tight end records for receptions (46) and...
info_outline
Jo Whipp – Overcoming Emotional Trauma
Overcomers Overcoming
Jo Whipp is freer now than she has been in her past. She is still healing, grasping what she thought her life was supposed to look like while pretending it’s something it isn’t. She committed to stopping living in the past and starting to create her future. Life, the journey, is a forever-growing, forever learning, forever-unfolding experience. She thinks the analogy of the butterfly works so well. Some struggle to overcome more than others. There were moments when she longed for the ultimate freedom. Freedom to be in the arms of Jesus and be finished with the pain of life on earth....
info_outline
Austin Davis: Teenage Behavioral Health
Overcomers Overcoming
Austin Davis is a visionary leader in teenage behavioral health and addiction treatment. He has spent the past 15+ years committed to transforming the lives of teens and their families. He uses the power of faith in the recovery process to help his clients grow into healthy and happy members of their community. His dedication to teen mental health makes him a driving thought leader in the industry. He has spoken to parents, community health professionals, educators, and teens nationwide—sharing insights on effective treatment methodologies, the importance of mental health awareness, and...
info_outline
Jacques Delorme Episode 2 – Overcoming PTSD
Overcomers Overcoming
Jacques Delorme is a farm kid raised in rural Saskatchewan and currently residing in Regina with his two children. He completed a Bachelor of Education degree in Chemistry, physical education, and general science in 1990 and became a master teacher and coached volleyball, curling, badminton, softball, and track and field. He is a science educator who dedicated the past 10 years of his life to personal development including training as a Shaman. With a deep interest in helping others through writing and public speaking, Jacques is developing an online support program for those recovering from...
info_outline
Joan Quinlan Episode 3 – Overcoming Substance Use Disorder
Overcomers Overcoming
Joan Quinlan has overcome multiple life traumas brought about by her early lifestyle. Her family culture was one of working beyond any life adversities rather than finding anyone who could empathize with her. That culture caused her to repress many of her early life anxieties, which led her to excessive alcohol consumption. The term for this was formerly alcoholic. The accepted term now is substance use disorder (SUD). She explains she still has moments that can activate (the term more accepted than “triggered”) past recollections of behavior. Because she has primarily overcome these...
info_outline
Harris B. Cooper – Workplace Culture
Overcomers Overcoming
Harris Cooper, formerly GS-15, discusses his approach to organizational culture, drawing from his 39-year government career. He emphasizes the importance of the Golden Rule and the Serenity Prayer in his management style, along with two simple rules: do your job and keep the boss out of trouble. Harris also shares his experience leading a diverse workforce across multiple naval and marine air stations, where he was responsible for aircraft repair capabilities. He discusses the challenges of managing geographically dispersed teams and implementing consistent procedures across different...
info_outline
Mike Chapman – The Impact of Sexual Abuse
Overcomers Overcoming
Mike Chapman is a Certified Recovery Life Coach and Brainspotting Provider with Polar Life Consulting and Husband Material. This is an outgrowth of his early life of having survived child sexual abuse and human trafficking, and he is listed with the Speakers Bureau within Survivor Network NC (North Carolina) as a Lived Experience Expert. He also hosts an award-winning podcast where he interviews male childhood sexual abuse and trafficking survivors and their caretakers. You can learn more about Mike and his ministry outreach at and . His email address is .
info_outline
Jyoti Dhanota – Dealing with My Anxieties
Overcomers Overcoming
Jyoti Dhanota is also known by her preferred professional pseudonym "Geet." She is a prolific self-published author with an extensive literary portfolio comprising 11 captivating books. Specializing in the genre of fictional romance, Geet fearlessly tackles taboo subjects prevalent in South Asian communities, thereby contributing to a more inclusive and diverse literary landscape. Her dedication extends beyond storytelling, as she actively seeks to address the underrepresentation of Punjabi culture within literature, fostering a more authentic and representative narrative. For those interested...
info_outlineGrace Peterson gave birth to a “rainbow baby,” which has come to be known as the child born following a previous loss from a stillbirth or miscarriage. Grace’s child was diagnosed with the rare Trisomy 18 chromosomal disease. Trisomy 18 is a disorder in which babies are born with three copies of chromosome 18 instead of 2. For an unknown reason, this accident occurs at conception, and all cells in the body will have this structure. She wrote the book Behind My Smile: A Rainbow Baby Story as a journal to work through her traumas of the first attempted birth. She had a difficult childhood due to chronic illnesses. She also suffered and courageously left an abusive relationship. She found the one person to share her life with and then tragically lost her daughter in utero through termination for medical reasons (TFMR). The incredible joy of her son's conception shortly after was shadowed by her post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) and constant fear that she would lose him. She experienced conflicting emotions simultaneously. Soon after the birth of her rainbow baby, she nearly lost him to a significant illness. She realized her story had the potential to help other women. Through her life experiences, she has found her passion for speaking and eventually determined her strength as a woman and a first-time mother to a rainbow baby. You can learn more about Grace at https://www.instagram.com/gracepetersonrbm/.