The SwagAbility Show features real conversations, "the newest" in adaptive resources, amazing stories of overcoming and encouragement, for individuals, caregivers, veterans and families navigating Disability, Trauma, PTSD and Life-altering adversity. Hosted by Stephen Wagstaff, a C5 quadriplegic from a diving accident at age 19 (August 2, 1996), each episode offers insight, education, practical tools/services, assistive technology and hope from someone who has real insight from years of lived experience. At Swagability, it's our mission to see you— thrive where life finds you!
The SwagAbility Show features real conversations, "the newest" in adaptive resources, amazing stories of overcoming and encouragement, for individuals, caregivers, veterans and families navigating Disability, Trauma, PTSD and Life-altering adversity. Hosted by Stephen Wagstaff, a C5 quadriplegic from a diving accident at age 19 (August 2, 1996), each episode offers insight, education, practical tools/services, assistive technology and hope from someone who has real insight from years of lived experience. At Swagability, it's our mission to see you— thrive where life finds you!
Disability changes more than your body—it changes how the world sees you.
A powerful conversation about identity, resilience, and rebuilding life after loss.
In this episode of The Swagability Show, Peter Toress shares his lived experience navigating disability, identity, and resilience after life-altering change. With honesty and depth, Peter reflects on what it means to adapt when your sense of self is challenged—and how meaning is rebuilt through vulnerability, support, and persistence.
This conversation explores the emotional realities of disability, the grief that often follows loss of ability or independence, and the pressure to redefine who you are in a world that wasn’t built for difference. Peter speaks to the importance of dignity, mental health, and being seen as a whole person—not a diagnosis.
If you or someone you love is living with disability, chronic illness, or a major life transition, this episode offers validation, insight, and hope grounded in real experience.
Topics include:
• Disability and identity
• Mental health and resilience
• Grief, loss, and adaptation
• Living with uncertainty
• Finding purpose after life changes
• Why representation and empathy matter
🎧 The Swagability Show is a trauma-informed podcast amplifying lived experience at the intersection of disability, mental health, and human dignity.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: Identity and Life Change
02:42 When Disability Redefines Your World
06:11 The Emotional Impact No One Prepares You For
09:58 Grief, Loss, and Letting Go of Old Versions
13:44 Mental Health and the Cost of Silence
17:26 Rebuilding Identity After Disability
21:08 The Role of Support and Community
24:57 Living With Uncertainty Day to Day
28:41 Redefining Strength and Success
32:15 Words of Hope for Anyone Struggling
35:40 What Living Fully Really Means
• Disability often reshapes identity, not just daily life
• Grief is a natural response to life-altering change
• Mental health support is essential, not optional
• Strength looks different for everyone
• Dignity and representation matter
• Lived experience deserves to be heard and respected
#PodMatch #SwagAbility #DisabilityAwareness
#MentalHealthMatters #Resilience
📸 Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/swagabilitylive/
🎵 TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@swagabilitylive
💼 LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-wagstaff-1a780a279/
▶️ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@SwagAbilityLive
Support The Swagability Show and help us continue creating trauma-informed, inclusive conversations that center lived experience and dignity:
👉 https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/donation-form/donate-to-change-lives-today
Everything can change in a moment—and no one prepares you for that.
A raw conversation about diagnosis, resilience, and rebuilding life after uncertainty.
In this powerful episode of The Swagability Show, Louise Twardowski shares her deeply human experience of navigating sudden life changes, health challenges, and the emotional impact of uncertainty. With honesty and compassion, Louise reflects on what it means to adapt when life doesn’t go according to plan—and how resilience is built one moment at a time.
This conversation explores the emotional toll of diagnosis, the invisible grief that often follows major life shifts, and the importance of support, understanding, and dignity when navigating health and disability. Louise speaks to the complexity of identity, the pressure to “stay strong,” and the reality that healing is rarely linear.
If you or someone you love has experienced a major diagnosis, disability, or unexpected life change, this episode offers validation, grounding, and hope—without minimizing the difficulty of the journey.
Topics include:
• Coping with diagnosis and life-altering change
• Emotional resilience during uncertainty
• Disability, health, and identity
• Grief, loss, and adaptation
• The importance of support systems
• Finding meaning when life feels fragile
🎧 The Swagability Show is a trauma-informed podcast centered on disability, mental health, lived experience, and human dignity.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: When Life Changes Suddenly
02:36 The Moment Everything Shifted
05:41 Navigating Diagnosis and Uncertainty
09:18 The Emotional Impact No One Talks About
13:02 Identity After Life-Altering Change
17:09 The Pressure to Stay Strong
21:04 The Role of Support and Understanding
25:11 Living With Uncertainty Day to Day
29:06 Redefining Strength and Resilience
33:01 Words of Hope for Anyone Struggling
36:22 What Healing Really Looks Like
• Sudden diagnosis can reshape identity and daily life
• Emotional resilience is built through honesty, not denial
• Strength doesn’t mean ignoring grief or fear
• Support systems are critical during life transitions
• Disability and health challenges deserve dignity and empathy
• Healing is nonlinear and deeply personal
#PodMatch #SwagAbility #DisabilityAwareness #Resilience
#MentalHealthMatters
📸 Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/swagabilitylive/
🎵 TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@swagabilitylive
💼 LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-wagstaff-1a780a279/
▶️ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@SwagAbilityLive
Support The Swagability Show and help us continue creating trauma-informed, inclusive conversations that center dignity, lived experience, and hope:
👉 https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/donation-form/donate-to-change-lives-today
She was told she was too fragile—but that wasn’t the truth.
A powerful story of trauma, resilience, and turning pain into strength.In this deeply moving episode of The Swagability Show, Kathrine shares her powerful journey of turning fragility into strength.
Through lived experience, emotional honesty, and hard-earned insight, she reflects on what it means to navigate trauma, identity, resilience, and healing in a world that often misunderstands pain.
This conversation explores how being labeled “too fragile” can shape self-worth, how trauma impacts the nervous system and sense of safety, and what it takes to reclaim your voice after hardship. Kathrine speaks candidly about resilience, personal growth, and the importance of supportive communities that see people for who they are—not what they’ve survived.
If you’ve ever felt dismissed, minimized, or broken by life’s circumstances, this episode offers validation, hope, and a reminder that strength doesn’t always look loud.
Topics include:
• Trauma and emotional resilience
• Turning pain into purpose
• Identity, worth, and healing
• The cost of being misunderstood
• Finding strength after hardship
• Why compassion and support matter
🎧 The Swagability Show is a trauma-informed podcast centered on disability, mental health, lived experience, and human dignity.
00:00 Introduction: Fragility and Strength
02:41 Being Labeled “Too Fragile”
05:38 How Trauma Shapes Identity
09:12 The Emotional Cost of Being Misunderstood
13:04 When Survival Becomes Strength
17:22 Reclaiming Voice and Self-Worth
21:09 The Role of Compassion and Support
25:06 Healing Without Needing to Be Fixed
29:14 Turning Pain Into Purpose
33:02 Words of Hope for Anyone Struggling
36:18 What Strength Really Looks Like
• Being labeled “fragile” often hides deep resilience
• Trauma impacts identity, safety, and self-worth
• Healing does not require fixing what was never broken
• Strength can be quiet, slow, and deeply human
• Supportive communities are essential for recovery
• Lived experience deserves dignity and respect
#PodMatch #SwagAbility #TraumaHealing #Resilience
#MentalHealthMatters
Follow The Swagability Show for trauma-informed conversations and lived-experience storytelling:
🌐 CONNECT WITH THE SWAGABILITY SHOW
📸 Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/swagabilitylive/
🎵 TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@swagabilitylive
💼 LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-wagstaff-1a780a279/
▶️ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@SwagAbilityLive
Support the mission of The Swagability Show and help us continue creating inclusive, trauma-informed conversations that change lives:
👉 https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/donation-form/donate-to-change-lives-today
In this powerful conversation, John Fella shares his deeply personal journey as a father raising a child with autism—and how that journey transformed his life. From unseen battles and emotional struggles to finding strength through faith and community, John opens up about what parents of children with disabilities often face behind closed doors.
Together, we explore the critical role empathy plays in supporting families, why community is not optional but essential, and how churches can—and must—do better in creating inclusive, welcoming environments for special needs families. John also highlights practical resources, the importance of parental connection, and how showing up for one another can change lives.
This episode is for parents walking a hard road, faith leaders seeking to serve better, and anyone who believes every child has immeasurable value.
💛 You are not alone. Support matters. Community saves lives.
The conversation delves into the challenges faced by veterans transitioning to civilian life, the identity crisis experienced, and the power of pain as a catalyst for personal growth and resilience. It also explores the process of turning pain into momentum, overcoming destructive patterns, and building unshakable confidence.
Additionally, it addresses the struggle of feeling stuck and the importance of breaking the cycle of stagnation. The conversation covers the themes of eliminating negative habits, the power of faith, turning pain into fuel, feeling the feels, misconceptions about healing, pain as a weapon, destructive patterns of success, community and mentorship, and rapid fire questions that provide valuable insights and advice.
Takeaways
Chapters:
00:00 The Silent Battle: Veterans and Mental Health
03:03 Camaraderie and Identity: The Transition from Military to Civilian Life
05:53 Finding Purpose: The Role of Pain in Personal Growth
08:46 Mission Ready: Writing a Self-Help Book
12:05 Turning Pain into Fuel: Overcoming Adversity
15:00 Destructive Patterns: The Struggle for Presence and Attention
18:05 Breaking Old Patterns: Who Struggles the Most?
21:03 Building Unshakable Confidence: The Power of Non-Negotiables
24:11 The Cycle of Feeling Stuck: Breaking the Facade
28:09 Eliminating Barriers to Progress
30:08 The Role of Faith in Personal Development
34:05 Transforming Pain into Purpose
38:19 The Power of Vulnerability and Community
45:10 Destructive Patterns in Success
49:27 Rapid Fire Insights for Transformation
The SwagAbility Show features real conversations, current resources, amazing stories and encouragement for individuals, caregivers, veterans and families navigating Disability, Trauma, PTSD, Life-altering Illness, Adversity and Burnout. Hosted by Stephen Wagstaff, (C5 quadriplegic) each episode offers insight, education, practical tools and services, assistive technology and hope anchored in faith—helping you Thrive Where Life Finds You!
Takeaways
Chapters