The Post Traumatic Survival Podcast

Since she began competing on "The Challenge" on MTV in 2010, Laurel Stucky has established a reputation for being a fierce adversary, and she gained widespread recognition as a result of her success on the show. Laurel was born and raised in Michigan takes her every thing she does very seriously and has a reputation for making people uncomfortable with her forthright and often brusque approach. She takes no bullshit from anybody. But her doggedness to achieve success and her ability to trample over any barrier that stands in her way has proven fruitful over the course of several seasons of the successful MTV series. She has gone on to win in the season called "Free Agents" and came in second place in "Rivals." While going though all that Laurel was been dealing with the demons of having her Virginity taken when she was raped in college. This is her first time sitting down and openly talking about all of it.

This is my second interview with Laura. Laura Vendetti comes from a long line of combat veterans dating back as far as the American Revolution. Her father and grandfather served in WWII, and her brother was in most every conflict between 1992 and 2006 as a C 17 pilot. While not a veteran herself, she found herself in a fight for her life in 2018 with breast cancer, a diagnosis she first walked out on and went to Europe instead. She firmly believes the warrior mentality she fought with upon returning from the trip came both from her DNA, the principals her father taught her about life, and the combat veterans she serves as a VA volunteer. A hairdresser by trade and a veterans volunteer by passion, she is working on a SUP certification in order to take veterans with TBI out on excursions, as well as a Mermaid Certification for personal fulfillment and the opportunity to bring joy to adults and children alike! In addition to instigating a music program and teaching self-esteem classes to the children of St. Mary’s Home in Mobile, AL for 6 years (that were abused, neglected and abandoned), Laura has emceed a variety of events in the past several years to include Wounded Warriors In Action, Downs Syndrome Society of Mobile, AL, and numerous events for Gulf Coast Blues Society, which she founded. She has given her testimony three times for Victory Health Partners, the clinic that sent her on the path to wellness, and continues to speak on their behalf. She hopes to continue to have those speaking opportunities to educate people about cancer, and available treatments.

Ms. Irvin Flores graduated from St. Thomas University with a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2005. Mrs. Flores was published in Volumes I and II of “Women Moving Forward: A Narrative of Resiliency through Migration and Trauma”. She has worked with domestic violence victims, offenders and the chronically mentally ill both in a community mental health and justice involved setting. She encountered veterans who were justice involved in 2010 and focused on ensuring that proper treatment and adjudication was afforded as they navigated through the court system. Mrs. Flore was part of the Miami Dade Returning Veterans Task Force in 2008-2009 and presented in FADAA 2009 and 2012 highlighting the need to provide accurate treatment and resources to veterans suffering from PTSD and mTBI who are justice involved. Mrs. Flores left her position as a Clinical Director to become a re-adjustment counselor and family therapist at the Miami Vet Center in 2012 and she became the Miami Vet Center Director as of 2022. As an integral part of the Miami Vet Center she focuses on quality and empathic care to trauma impacted veterans and family members. She has been recognized on numerous occasions for her drive and dedication to serving Veterans, their families and widows earning special contribution awards during her tenure. She is currently completing her Ph.D. in counselor Education with a specialty in Marriage and Family Therapy as well as being an AAMFT-AS Candidate.

Miami Dade Police Department Crime scene investigator Monica Vera was born in Colombia. Raised here in Miami and wanted to give back to her own community… She has been with the department for 5 years and Crime Scene for over 3. She graduated from the University of Miami, she is certified in forensic photography, fingerprint analysis, and buried bodies Crime Scene processing. Monica teaches the citizens police academy within the department and is also co-teach crime scene photography to their General Investigation Units and Special Victims Bureau.

After losing her husband in a tragedy that rocked the military, Barb struggled with finding her own will to live. Were it not for her love of her four children, she may not have accepted the help that came her way, and Grief may have claimed another victim. But instead, she began to realize her Will was mightier than she’d believed, and she began to turn the table on Grief.Today she is an award-winning author, compelling keynote speaker, and co-host of the popular podcast American Snippets.Barbara is a firm believer in extracting value from experience, and using that value to create a life that is rich in beauty, no matter the odds. Barb Allen: https://barballenspeaks.comInstagram:  @BarbAllenSpeaksFacebook: @BarbAllenSpeaksBooks:Front Toward EnemyHow To Woo A WidowConnect and follow us on:Instagram @OzzieMartinezJrFacebook @OzzieMartinezJrTwitter @OzzieMartinezJr

Within weeks of graduating from high school, Christa met the man that she hoped would be her soulmate at the age of 18. Confident that she was a good judge of character and capable of making wise decisions, she found herself a victim of sex trafficking within a month of moving thousands of miles away from home. As she endured years of sexual assault and abuse from her boyfriend and other men, she never dreamed that her life could get any worse— until she was slammed into the side of a firetruck when she was riding passenger on a motorcycle. When doctors painted an ugly picture of life for Christa as a quadriplegic, she quickly decided to create her own future instead of letting others do it for her.Christa Cairus: Instagram:  @Roll_andSparkleBooks:Beautiful Survivor: Escaping the StatisticsTurning Adversity into GlitterConnect and follow us on:Instagram @OzzieMartinezJrFacebook @OzzieMartinezJrTwitter @OzzieMartinezJr