A Spiritually-Based Talk Show With Nan O'Brien
Profiles of Courage - March 2012
If you have an interesting life story of courage – or if you know someone who does – please send an email to contact@nanobrien.com to tell us about it. [1] We look forward to hearing from you!
[1] Please understand that due to the volume of submissions, submitting your story does not guarantee that your story will be profiled.
Click here for an overview of all profiles
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Peter Hawks is a lifelong athlete, with a particular love of skiing. He battled polio at the age of nine and went on to serve on the Dartmouth Ski Team for four years. In 2002-2003, at the age of sixty-four, Peter won two world masters DH championships for mountain biking. He has been a Rotarian for twenty-eight years, maintaining a perfect attendance in his commitment to his community.Peter is the proud father of four children who also have loved outdoor sports, especially skiing. In 2011, his twenty-five year old son, Ryan, affectionately called “Flyin’ Ryan” for his talents in free-skiing, tragically sustained fatal injuries during a tour stop in Kirkwood, California.
Peter and his family established the Flyin’ Ryan Hawks Foundation in order to enrich the lives of young adventurers and to make the world a better place, embracing Peter’s philosophy that life is about doing what you can do – not focusing on what you can’t. Peter’s commitment is to improve the lives of young people by sharing the positive example of his son Ryan’s life.
Listen to Nan's Profile of Courage of Peter Hawks Apple and mobile device users, please click here
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SUNDAY, March 18th - Shelley DeBouter | Advocate for the Disabled | shelley_d72@yahoo.com
Shelley DeBouter has faced severe medical challenges since being diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes at the age of seven. Despite the fact that she is legally disabled, she adopted and raised her daughter, Sarah, as a single mom. Sarah is now an honor student at Norwich University.
Shelley is a strong advocate for organ donation, and dedicates her time providing practical and emotional support to people facing amputation and organ transplants, as she has experienced both.
She also has a passion for baking. As a result of a successful kidney/pancreas transplant, she is finally able to eat what she bakes.
Listen to Nan's Profile of Courage of Shelley DeBouter Apple and mobile device users, please click here
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SUNDAY, March 25th - Karen Turner | Acts of Simple Kindness (“ASK”) | www.actsofsimplekindness.org
Karen Turner is a California native who spent eight years as an Investigative Assistant with the US Secret Service, and nine years as owner of Elegant Expressions, a calligraphy and event planning studio. For the past ten years, she has worked as an Executive Assistant supporting the CEO of a nationally recognized Phoenix-based company.
Karen moved to the Phoenix area with her husband and young son in February of 2005. Sadly, her husband died suddenly in August of 2007 of an aortic dissection when their son was just 4 1/2 years old. She formed the non-profit organization, Acts of Simple Kindness (“ASK”), in 2009 to support children who were struggling with the challenges of losing a parent, having experienced firsthand the difficulties of being a young widow and mother of a small child grappling with the loss of his father.
Karen’s strength following her husband’s passing, and the compassion she showed for others experiencing young widowhood, exemplifies courage in the face of adversity.
Listen to Nan's Profile of Courage of Karen Turner
Apple and mobile device users, please click here
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________